When Logic Becomes the Enemy: The INFJ's Trickster Function, Extraverted Thinking
Shadow functions are difficult to integrate for any type. These are the mental processes that operate at the edge of our conscious minds and are very hard for all of us to access. And the further down our function stack we go, the harder access becomes, and the greater potential these functions have for negativity when they catch us off guard.
The INFJ is most comfortable when there is time to swim around in their inner world of insights, reflecting on new ideas and feelings, with the focus on the process rather than the endgame. But when Extraverted Thinking (Te) — the 7th function in our stack and the one that sits in the “Trickster” position for the INFJ — is held down below consciousness, it becomes a dark blind spot.
A Primer on the Shadow Functions
The INFJ cognitive function stack consists of four primary conscious functions and four unconscious shadow functions, ordered from strongest to weakest.
The full eight-function stack for an INFJ is: Ni – Fe – Ti – Se – Ne – Fi – Te – Si.
The lower four — Ne, Fi, Te and Si — make up what is known as the shadow stack. These unconscious functions are drawn from the work of Carl Jung and developed by Jungian analyst Dr. John Beebe, who assigned a psychological archetype to each position in the stack. You'll see some of those archetype names in this article: the Nemesis (5th position, Ne for the INFJ), the Critical Parent (6th, Fi), the Trickster (7th, Te), and the Demon (8th, Si).
Each name reflects the particular way that function tends to behave when it operates in the shadow. The Critical Parent, for example, is the function used to belittle yourself, while the Trickster deceives and disorients.
Introverted Thinking, the Internal Logic of the INFJ
While Introverted Intuition (Ni) is the Hero in our function stack, INFJs are known for their logic almost as much as their intuition. This is because we make use of an internal decision-making function, Introverted Thinking (Ti), as a support for our dominant function, Ni.
Ti is our tertiary function — our third favourite — and it operates as a highly influential mental process in the INFJ, checking and reinforcing the intuitive information that comes naturally to us. It lives in our inner world of ideas as a refining complement to our beloved Ni.
Extraverted Thinking, a Neglected Shadow Function
But Extraverted Thinking (Te) is another story for the INFJ. It is powered by external logic in the real world, as opposed to the theoretical reasoning of Ti. Te works against the INFJ by delivering the dark message that our intuitive data is not valid. It is the voice that asks where is your proof? — and for an INFJ, whose deepest knowing often arrives without a paper trail, that question can cut deep. Since the inner universe of Introverted Intuition is at the heart of the INFJ experience, this feels like an attack on who we are at our core.
Instead of offering positive support like Ti, Te heaps insults upon us for as long as it remains repressed, like a toddler trying to get attention by throwing a tantrum. For the INFJ, Te is a heartless menace that stabs at us with accusations that the way we navigate the world is inept or wrong.
Why Ne is The Trickster
So why is Te the INFJ's “Trickster” function? I see the explanation in my own mental process. It’s hard for me to wrap my brain around this function, and I struggle to understand it far more than I struggle with my Nemesis or stubborn side, Extraverted Intuition (Ne), or my Critical Parent, Introverted Feeling (Fi), that critical inner voice we have. Those two shadow functions, while submerged in my unconscious mind, are not as hard for me to bring up into awareness. After study and reflection, both their positive and negative aspects become apparent, and I can see their effects.
But Te "tricks" me with its condescending claims, leaving me with feelings of inadequacy and the belief that I am flawed. And since I value logic, as all INFJs do, the accusation that I am irrational in my decision-making is painful. Te is then able to cause further damage by hiding the usefulness and good intentions it offers to those who use it in a healthy way. This is because, as an INFJ, Te sits further down my function stack — and the further down we go into our psychological shadow, the more inaccessible and threatening our subconscious functions become.
Up From the Shadow
I hope any INFJ reading this knows that our way of moving through the world is worthy and effective, and gets us where we want to go. In fact, many other types can't keep up with our pattern recognition and our ability to generate new ideas.
Where we run into trouble is when we lack self-awareness, creating an opening for dark forces like unacknowledged Te to run amok.
To battle Te's destructive spirit, you must bring it up from your subconscious mind and into your awareness. Once you see its intent, it will begin to lose power over you. In other words, as soon as you recognise that Te in the shadow promotes values that don't match those of the INFJ, you can begin to uncover its false accusations — and nurture a trust in your own way of being, your own way of doing things.
7 Activities to Improve your Extraverted Thinking Function
Practice doesn't always make perfect, and in this case practicing Extraverted Thinking will never come as easily as using your preferred functions. And that's OK. But if you give a little more attention to this sneaky, deeply buried mental process, you can loosen its grip. It will no longer have the advantage as a dark force; instead, it will be out in the light where you can access its positive qualities. Here are some ideas for practicing Te.
1. Expect to feel odd
Extraverted Thinking sits far down your function stack, so you should prepare to feel unnatural when you practice it. The only function more incomprehensible to the INFJ is Introverted Sensing in the 8th position — the so-called “Demon” function (an entirely appropriate nickname as it can be destructive in the shadow), which will fill the pages of another article. But as far as Te goes, it also lives in a deep, dark pit, so don't expect to feel great when you use it. You may feel like you aren't yourself, as though someone else has hijacked your body with strange, unwanted behavior.
2. Practice structure
INFJs love to follow Ni wherever it takes us — down avenues of riveting insights and captivating images that don't follow rules or procedures. And this is precisely what shadow Te attacks when it criticizes our way of taking in information: it says that our most preferred way of being ourselves is broken and has no value. Don't fall prey to this insidious pattern. Bring Te into your conscious awareness by creating structure — an organized calendar, realistic project plans, or routines that will help you reach your goals.
3. Commit to meal planning
One specific way to practice structure is meal planning, and it has great benefits for your health too! Planning your meals for the week in advance isn't as easy for the INFJ as it is for other types, because of the time it takes away from our inner world of exploration. It requires taking stock of what food you have, making grocery lists, organizing your pantry, and preparing meals at a set time each day. This sounds like fun to some types, but it can intrude upon the cherished inner world of the Ni-dominant INFJ. You don't need to do it forever — just long enough to make friends with Te.
4. Schedule your projects
INFJs love creative projects, but we are usually driven by Ni which keeps us busy with amazing ideas for improving things we find meaningful. Without that Ni wind beneath our structure-challenged wings, we may move quite slowly. That's not to say we don't get the job done. We do. But we wait for inspiration. Try scheduling a project instead, and add a timeline for each small step. You might feel stifled doing this, but look for the added benefit Te brings: concrete plans and actions that support your dreams and goals.
5. Don't overuse your shadow functions
If you are familiar with the Myers-Briggs personality system, you know that we are all different, and what surfaces as a strength for one person may be a weakness for another. This is the beauty of humanity — we serve each other with our gifts. Our shadow functions are not among those gifts, so we should not feel compelled to perfect them. This would be incredibly draining and, some would say, impossible. Practice Te enough to become familiar with it and to bring it into your conscious awareness, where its hostility can be neutralized.
6. Balance Te with Ni
You don't need to make your shadow functions a central part of your personality. Remember, all your primary functions (Ni-Fe-Ti-Se) serve and support your dominant function, Ni. With some work, the same can become true of your shadow functions. We talked earlier about Ti serving Ni by checking for reason — Te can do the same. It can support you by offering real-world plans for the amazing INFJ visions that emerge from Ni.
7. Observe those who lead with Te
Since Thinking is a decision-making function in the Myers-Briggs system and Te is extraverted, we can observe how our Te-dominant friends choose their course of action. So find ESTJs and ENTJs and watch how they seek efficiency and rely on what makes most sense to them in concrete, practical terms. Observe their reaction when you mention a “hunch,” and how they ask for the data that supports it. They are fully committed to what is most effective or practical when settling on solutions, and they focus on getting the job done in the most efficient way.
Final Thoughts for My INFJ Friends
The INFJ is essentially cut off from our Trickster function, Extraverted Thinking (Te) — entombed in some of the most remote corners of our minds. But I know you, my INFJ friends. You are tenacious in your desire to understand the human condition, which requires light to illuminate the frightening, unexplored corners of our souls. I don't wax poetic when I say that you are that light. You have everything you need in who you are, and you can conquer your shadow by facing it with all your INFJ superpowers.
