Jungian Typology

Is it possible?
    Could I be
An introspective
    ENFP?

Exploring My Type in Cognitive Personality Theory

Read All About It

As I continued to explore the field of typology, I discovered Cognitive Personality Theory. CPT is an approach to Jungian psychology developed by Harry Murrell, and it differs from both MBTI and Socionics.

First, I watched a number of the videos on Harry’s YouTube channel to familiarize myself with the basic concepts of CPT. Next I purchased and read his eBook. Some aspects of the theory made a lot of sense to me. For example, Harry postulates that the auxiliary to the dominant function has the same orientation—extraverted or introverted—as the dominant. On the other hand, CPT defines ‘extraversion’ and ‘introversion’ differently than MBTI-related typologies, which created some confusion.

Finally, I tried to determine my CPT type. Because CPT is so different from other Jungian typologies, I was struggling to discover where I fit. So what was the solution? Set up an interview with Harry Murrell himself and see what he says.

Let the Expert Decide

Harry interviewed me on June 28. After that, I left the following recommendation on his website:

Talking with Harry is like talking with a really good friend…except the conversation is all about you! I am not usually very comfortable talking to a complete stranger about my inner workings, but Harry made the experience easy. Two hours sped by, and I eagerly awaited the results, which came—exactly as promised—ten days later. The analysis I received was thorough and enlightening, and started me on a process of self-examination…which is ongoing. Getting typed by Harry is well worth the cost! If you are wondering about your type, I highly recommend Harry’s type service.

Harry concluded—initially and finally—that I am an ENT-Fs, also known as the ENFP.

Your Intuition seems both convergent and extraverted in nature, as you seek to encapsulate a broad range of Te responsibilities and simultaneously innovate upon them. Your forward-moving perspective is in keeping with an Intuitive-dominant and the auxiliary to your dominant seems highly objective and rationalistic (Te).

As we explored in our call, it is not unusual for us to identity with the opposite orientation of our cognitive stack as we grow and develop (INFJ in this instance), but any interactions with that particular cognition seem to stem from an Ne centre.

I would say you have a fair amount of axial fluidity between dominant and oppositional functions, and as such there was some difficulty determining whether you were an introspective ENT-Fs or energetic ISF-Tn – on the whole, however, your primary dialogue does seem to be one of abstract interaction with external reality.

~Harry Murrell

Comparing ENFP to Previous Typings

Although somewhat surprised by this analysis, I remembered that I tested as ENFP when I initially took the MBTI decades ago. In addition, I do identify now with the INFJ, as Harry noted. The MBTI Level II that I took last year typed me as an “Emergent INFJ.”

Also, it is interesting that these components of my CPT type are the same as my valued IMEs in Socionics:

• Dominant: Ne
• Convergent Auxiliary: Te
• Divergent Auxiliary: Fi
• Oppositional: Si

However, they are arranged differently for the EII (my Socionics type):

• Leading: Fi (R) = 4D, Public, Valued, Strong, Bold, Consistent, Demanding, Stubborn
• Creative: Ne (I) = 3D, Public, Valued, Strong, Cautious, Variable, Supplying, Flexible
• Mobilizing: Si (S) = 2D, Private, Valued, Weak, Bold, Variable, Supplying, Stubborn
• Suggestive: Te (P) = 1D, Private, Valued, Weak, Cautious, Consistent, Demanding, Flexible

For the ENT-Fs in CPT, the Fi divergent auxiliary “performs a much more authoritative role within the stack—the Ne-Te act often at the behest of the Fi….” The characteristics of the leading function in Socionics suggest that it, too, could be described as “authoritative” for me in that system.

Does ENT-Fs (ENFP) Fit Me?

A Lot Like Me

• Big-picture orientation
• Future-oriented
• Natural curiosity
• Actively creates external organizational structures
• Often assumes an administrative role within a group
• Organizes external objects into predictable locations
• One of the least likely types to read a work of non-fiction and quickly assimilate the information within its pages
• Possesses an in-depth knowledge across a variety of subjects…and a rich vocabulary
• Finds conversation an active listening experience to the self
• Comfortable achieving mastery over otherwise superficial skill sets
• Highly attuned to my own needs, values, and sense of identity
• Needs and values [are] in anticipation of a future self
• Follows emotions that have a more abstract significance
• Takes a big-picture view of one’s overall emotions to reach an equation for one’s own happiness
• Idealistic, particularly regarding love and a deeper, more long-term sense of happiness
• Highly empathetic
• Not always consciously aware of the emotional order of one’s external world
• Convergent Te activated when organizing and planning of behalf of a[n]…Fi-related attachment
• Organizes the external world to promote an internal sense of harmony and mitigate [offensive] human conflict

Somewhat Like Me

• Preoccupied with new experiences and the observation of patterns in real time
• Struggles with day-to-day details (details are not my strong point)
• Remarkably adaptable
• May often taken an active role in experimenting with different perspectives through spiritual…means
• Quickly understands a general mechanical infrastructure
• Extremely theoretical
• Prone to manipulation by people selling linear and too-good-to-be-true life elixirs
• Often finds greatest individual happiness placing the needs of others above the self
• High degree of nostalgia

Iffy

• Intense desire for new experiences as opposed to what it already known
• Restlessness of character
• Highly interested in different cultures and subcultures
• Natural affinity for time-sensitive action plans
• Well-suited for management positions
• More given than other types to forget where I placed an object

Not Like Me at All

• Struggles with prolonged concentration
• Turns natural curiosity less toward insight and revelation…, but rather toward the unexplored in the external world (just the opposite)
• May often taken an active role in experimenting with different perspectives through…psychedelic means
• ‘Hyperactivity’ (quest to perceive as many things at one time as possible)
• Constantly seeking new experiences and life philosophies (instead, developing and deepening certain consistent life themes, such as my spiritual life, understanding of self, education, etc.)
• Various fetishes

Another Dilemma

It seems that I can’t stop reevaluating and reassessing my CPT type. After rereading several of the type descriptions in the CPT eBook that I had considered for myself before being typed by Harry Murrell, I returned to one in particular. This was the IFS-Nt, otherwise known as the INFP. I employed the same process for grouping this type’s characteristics and potentials as I did with the ENT-Fs.

A Lot Like Me

• Prioritizes sanctity of mind above all things
• Directly in touch with both identity and desires as one seeks the most effective way to balance these components together in the most organized way possible
• Emotional landscape in a constant state of analysis…in order to remain in a state of internal harmony
• Identity itself tends to change slowly over time as an idealized self draws closer to realization
• Potential to vary widely between selflessness and selfishness
• Deeply in touch with and deeply secure within who one is
• Has a strong desire to express oneself (and seek affirmation for) one’s individuality
• Natural aptitude for expressing oneself in an authentic and genuine manner
• Equipped for self-expression through arts/humanities (for me, music, photography, and—a long time ago—poetry)
• Forms deep attachments to people with whom one has shared experiences
• Prioritizes existing attachments so as to continue to unify the past with the present, giving an extremely long-term orientation (which is easily confused with Introverted Intuition)
• Builds to render those things meaningful to the dominant Fi concrete and everlasting
• Forms Fi-attachments to a select few and keeps to a tightly knit social circle
• The external world will often lack detail unless/until Se is activated
• Attracted to various philosophical and theoretical substrates
• Highly concerned with the big picture as it relates to external application
• Tends to benefit more from note-taking processes than any other type
• A natural critic and analyst
• Perfectionist nature
• Rather organized in one’s external world
• Operates outwardly with a set of clearly defined rules
• Tends to dislike imposing rules on others
• Excellent organizational and deductive skills well suited to mathematical and computer sciences (with Fi and Te in balance), especially when operating under the instructions of an authority figure (I once was a statistics tutor, and one of my careers was computer programming)
• Prefers to act on the behest of an institution one believes in than in a more autonomous and mechanistically overwhelming manner.
• Can apply Te-Ne ingenuity to one’s world in a non-stressful manner while remaining deeply in touch with one’s own needs and the needs of others
• With Te activated, can achieve personal happiness and create a positive impact on the world [because] one has the awareness of one’s own values and the means to realize those values in reality
• Fi acts at the behest of Te, seeking to harmonize the external  mechanical world with the self; the self will be developed to be of use to others and life as a whole, and identity will align itself with skill sets as well as the needs of the situation
• With Te activated, the individual will work hard and to a high standard on behalf of another, while relying on an external body to provide a framework of rules and make decisions on the Fi-dominant’s behalf.

Somewhat Like Me

• Black-and-white view of external order: approximate perfection or complete disarray (in my youth)
• Potentially stubborn in nature
• Enabled by highly developed relational empathy to excel in psychiatry and soft sciences
• Sees the self as an extension of the other (or vice versa)
• Quiet charisma
• Fairly nostalgic; desires the comfort already experienced (for example, I hate travel and love being home among my feline family and possessions)
• Highly imaginative
• Tends to benefit more from brainstorming processes than any other type
• Tends to dislike making decisions that would affect another person
• Very uncomfortable and overwhelmed in a leadership position (not something I desire, but can do to some extent)

Iffy

• Can take longer for this type to settle on a career path than for other types (I chose teaching early on, but made several career changes along the way)

Not Like Me at All

• Can take longer for this type to settle on an identity than for other types

Thoughts

First, I should note that both the ENT-Fs and IFS-Nt have the same extraverted and introverted elements: Ne-Te and Fi-Si. In my opinion, these pairings do seem to fit me. But there is a major difference between these types. For the ENT-Fs, the extraverted pair is convergent and the introverted pair is divergent. The reverse is true for the IFS-Nt.

So it seems I have a bit of a dilemma. Harry was pretty confident that I am ENT-Fs; his second choice was ISF-Tn (not IFS-Nt). However, as I examine the breakdown of characteristics in each category for each type, I believe that more of the characteristics of the IFS-Nt seem to “fit” me.

In conclusion, I find that I am unable to reach a conclusion. I can say only that I have narrowed down the possibilities to two. I need to answer two important questions:

1. Am I lens-dominant, as Harry believes, or codec-dominant?
2. Am I more reactive (extraverted) or proactive (introverted)?