Limits on developing last two functions

How far can you "push" you tertiary and inferior?

Doing so too much would of course cause great stress and is probably not advisable, but what are the "limits" on personality, as it were? Is there a point where your last two functions just can't develop anymore? What about the secondary, for that matter? Can it "rise" to be almost equal to the dominant or is it stuck as a slave? Would working on your tertiary/inferior diminish your first two in any way, or would it strengthen them because they have more of a base? How exactly does one go about purposely developing them anyway???

Oooh, this is interesting.

I've been hoping to get around to reading more about the dominiant-tertiary loop, and this connect to it.

But I think I'll just stop talking for now, and listen to people who know this stuff first.

Originally Posted by penchant

Oooh, this is interesting.

I've been hoping to get around to reading more about the dominiant-tertiary loop, and this connect to it.

But I think I'll just stop talking for now, and listen to people who know this stuff first.

I had heard that loops are actually a bad thing. I'm really lonely and introverted right now...I go through tons of Ti-Si loops, and they really suck. I never get anything done - and worse, they suppress my imagination. Just an endless analysis of common sense choices. Booooring. But that's just in my case; I'm sure an Ni-Ti loop would be wicked...or at least it sounds like it would.

Yeah, I think I have at least a half-decent Si...I have a head for facts that rivals Sensors'. I am more interested in the real holy grail which is developing the inferior but I am worried about it doing something to my Ti/and or being hopeless. Ne-Fe makes an INTP go into chameleon mode which I consider a form of treachery to myself, but I am worried that is the only way to develop it.

For that matter I want to maximize my potential with Ne...I worry i may have hurt it with my looping, and besides...intuition is so much cooler than thinking! I constantly find myself wishing I was an ENTP...

Looking forward to hearing some real professional advice as well.

Originally Posted by nevermore

I had heard that loops are actually a bad thing. I'm really lonely and introverted right now...I go through tons of Ti-Si loops, and they really suck. I never get anything done - and worse, they suppress my imagination. Just an endless analysis of common sense choices. Booooring. But that's just in my case; I'm sure an Ni-Ti loop would be wicked...or at least it sounds like it would.

Yeah, I think I have at least a half-decent Si...I have a head for facts that rivals Sensors'. I am more interested in the real holy grail which is developing the inferior but I am worried about it doing something to my Ti/and or being hopeless. Ne-Fe makes an INTP go into chameleon mode which I consider a form of treachery to myself, but I am worried that is the only way to develop it.

For that matter I want to maximize my potential with Ne...I worry i may have hurt it with my looping, and besides...intuition is so much cooler than thinking! I constantly find myself wishing I was an ENTP...

Looking forward to hearing some real professional advice as well.

Well, I'll keep babbling, because I don't feel like going to bed, and I might just as well use up some electrons while we're waiting for the rest to join in...

From my personal experience, the Ni-Ti loop seems to give about the same result as you are describing for your loop. A lot of thinking, but nothing gets done. In my case, it's like a very bad writer's block. So, it's really nothing to vie for.

I've heard that the inferior function doesn't get much use before the age of 40... I hope that's not true - it would be quite sad, I think...

Even more depressingly, I've heard 50, but I don't think that's destiny. I think it depends on how you live your life.

Means there's something to look forward to as you get older at least...

EDIT: Checked again. You start being somewhat competent in it at the age of 35, but because it directly opposes the dominant, it is usually not completely mastered until the age of 50. I find it quite unfortunate that a function as conducive to success in life as Fe is in last place for me...

I currently think that you can only easily develop your tertiary function once you have fully developed both your dominant and auxiliary functions.
Also you can only easily develop your inferior function once you have developed your tertiary.

For example for me:
Without well developed Ti and Se, my Ni is hard to develop since it relies on data from the outside world as well as some internal logic to figure out the patterns.
Without well developed Ti, Se, and Ni, my Fe is hard to develop since I have less data from the outside world, I won't know what the logical thing is, I won't be able to see things from other points of view or intuit what the correct thing to do is when Se is lacking.

Or maybe I'm just talking rubbish again but I think I need to work on my Se so that it's not just a passive sucking in of information from the environment but a more forceful interacting with the environment.

That makes sense...I feel my Fe is defined by tradition and past experience of what works...I thought it was because I was weak in it and so fell back on "good old, safe methods", but now that you put it that way it could be my Si. Thanks a lot.

Yeah, I totally agree about using the secondary as more than just an information gatherer. It's about freeing it from the clutches of the first function...mind you it is a lot harder to do this with the tertiary because it is of the same orientation as the first. The inferior also gets enslaved to the 2nd very easily. I try to come up with creative ideas when I write an essay instead of just discussing a theory or connecting data points to make sure my Ne stays powerful and as independent as it can possibly be...one of my favourite hobbies is creative writing which I think is particularly great for it. Si I honestly think is coming into it's own now, and not just through loops. It's not as exciting as Ne but the payoff is of course getting to the inferior, which I am in dire need of...

I just feel like the last two functions are limited by your top two functions. The more developed the top two are, the more the others can be developed.

Like say inferior Fe wants you to pay attention to people's feelings but that is exactly opposite Ti that wants to pay attention to your own thoughts. Maybe the older you get, the more developed Ti becomes so since you already know what your own thoughts are, you don't need to pay them so much attention and can work on Fe.

Or say Se is suddenly captivated by that flashy light over there but since you already know what it is, you can ignore it and think about how it relates to other things with Ni.

Originally Posted by pc3000

I just feel like the last two functions are limited by your top two functions. The more developed the top two are, the more the others can be developed.

Like say inferior Fe wants you to pay attention to people's feelings but that is exactly opposite Ti that wants to pay attention to your own thoughts. Maybe the older you get, the more developed Ti becomes so since you already know what your own thoughts are, you don't need to pay them so much attention and can work on Fe.

Or say Se is suddenly captivated by that flashy light over there but since you already know what it is, you can ignore it and think about how it relates to other things with Ni.

But wouldn't they operate in very different contexts? I still don't see your reason for the two top functions determining the two inferior... As I learn to use more of one function, I do not necessarily use less of another. One reason some people are difficult to type is that they are well balanced in that they use many functions well at the same time. A function being dominant doesn't mean imply that that functions always gets the most use in every situation.

I think you need to distinguish clearly between tertiary and inferior, as they are quite different in use and development.

Originally Posted by penchant

But wouldn't they operate in very different contexts? I still don't see your reason for the two top functions determining the two inferior... As I learn to use more of one function, I do not necessarily use less of another. One reason some people are difficult to type is that they are well balanced in that they use many functions well at the same time. A function being dominant doesn't mean imply that that functions always gets the most use in every situation.

I think you need to distinguish clearly between tertiary and inferior, as they are quite different in use and development.

I don't totally know what I am talking about.

I just don't see how it is possible to use the inferior properly without the dominant being as well-developed. How can I go around shaking hands and kissing babies when I don't have a Ti reason to do so? I could try for a bit but then eventually my Ti will scream and say why am I doing this illogical thing? Then I need to go get a reason before I can carry on my merry way.

And the dominant cannot develop properly without the auxiliary being developed because of how one function is orientated to the outer world and one to the inner world.

Actually... what would operate in what different contexts?