Welcome my friends!

I took a break from posting last week since it was a bit weird and wild. Here we are though, and I am excited to talk about some new thoughts! I do have to say though that this post will be on a very different plane than my last few. It will take some MAJOR bravery to dive into an introspective space, but I believe in us and I'm banking on my ability to convey some insight into more personality theory.

Alright.

So lately I have been experiencing my first awareness of conscious thought pertaining to my cognitive functions moving in reverse. Wait, what? Yeah, let me explain. Basically, our varying personalities do in fact influence our cognitive functioning. For my personality type, my first reaction to process emotional experiences and work through my conscious thought is to see how it fits in in with my own moral code. This cognitive function is called introverted Feeling (Fi). This also means (and what I have personally observed) that I follow my gut and make sure I feel authenticity in things that feel right.

On the reverse, my 4th and most inferior cognitive function is called extroverted Thinking (Te). Despite the name and order where this function falls, this does not mean I am lacking the ability to use my brain. It's a seriously misleading term. Ha. This function really deals with finding the logic and "equation" per say of a situation, while also assessing how it can be critiqued and improved.

Moving to a broader view, human personalities tend to present with four basic and observable cognitive functions (chosen from eight possible choices). Without these functions working hand in hand, it could make it very difficult for us to achieve our goals with efficiency and awareness in our lives . That being said, I personally believe that the problem comes when stressful, extremely painful, or outright confusing periods happen in my life. There is a strange shift, I start making decisions that are a tad out of the norm, my communication skills become completely muddled, and I will over think and analyze the hell out of any situation. This is where my cognitive functions start to work IN REVERSE ORDER.

Wild, and maybe a bit confusing...It's hard to explain psychological ideals and studies in a way that can be understood by various people who process information in different ways. Let me try this again.

For those of us on that main Te plane, there may be a switch where some of us jump right into logically trying to classify a situation before our normal initial response, which is seeing how the situation fits in with who we are and our value system. Or vice versa. The same can apply with other types of personalities and the four specific cognitive functions they possess. When that stress comes in, we may start processing information and situations completely opposite of our personality DNA, and it can throw off our internal balance. It can be trying and exhausting when we exercise inferior cognitive functions that just aren't the most reliable or strongest choice. Which is the unfortunate phenomenon that I have been experiencing. I am not saying that there is anything wrong with exercising my inferior functions, but I found my days confusing and stressful in very bizarre ways that I could not explain. Now I realize that I was forcing myself to use functions that weren't meant to be my starting line up.

Thank you for coming to my TedTalk.

Really though, I am obviously not myself when I try to be like those around me. Especially when I push myself to think and process information the way others would have me do. When I embrace my unique way of thinking, it ends up being my ultimate weapon to slay the game. Each of us has that function we wield that can be strengthened even more to raise all of our cognitive functions to the next level! It takes that first step into self awareness to understand what it means to be ourselves, and allow our true and real personality to show without any shame in being different. I process experiences through my internal compass, and seek authenticity and connection above all else. That is who I am and I do not have to strain to think otherwise. Each cognitive function will come through to fall into place at a stronger level each step we take into self actualization. Then we can feel that sweet shift to equilibrium.

So chew on those heavy thoughts, think about yourself, and work to understand how you process information. Once you find your strength, you can use it to develop and hone in on your lower functions and build that foundation. Soon, you will feel that flowing power to drive results and manifest your goals.

Cheers to this new week, let's LEVEL UP.

Sincerely,

Jessi Hope

p.s. Here are some of my favorite sites that help explain the theory of cognitive functions!

https://www.typeinmind.com/type-theory

https://personalityjunkie.com/myers-briggs-functions-inferior-function/