How the Functions Manifest in Order

Cognitive Functions Explained in Order

FIRST Function

  • Nicknames: Primary, Dominant, Driver, Hero Leading, Adult
  • This is the first function that is developed. Not sure why a function is picked first, could be nature or nurture. a predisposition to a response to their environment. 
  • This will be the healthiest function. 
  • It defines the things you value and are concerned about. 
  • You will use it unconsciously and so naturally that it will feel as though you always have. 
  • It defines most of your strengths.
  • It’s how you gain energy and make the most progress. 
  • Unfortunately, though with the strengths from this function, you also create weaknesses in response that have to do with the other functions. 
  • First function understanding is complex and difficult to describe. Since it’s unconscious we are unaware that we view it as complex
  • We believe that others also see the value of this function and that everyone does underneath
  • We take this function for granted
  • This matters unconsciously
  • The further functions go down the list the more they will be simplified

SECOND Function

  • Nicknames: Auxiliary, Sidekick, Helping, Good Parent, Passenger, Copilot
  • Will operate in the opposite direction and will have the opposite purpose as the dominant function
  • You might fight developing this function as it is so opposite your dominant function
  • You also might fight using this function because it constantly telling you what is best for you.
  • Like a good parent, helping you and giving you advice, it gives the dominant function focus or opens it up to possibilities.
  • The dominant function needs this function.
  • As we grow older, we get so used to it helping our unconscious selves that we use it to help others as well.
  • It’s how we predominantly give advice.
  • And it makes up the other part of our strengths.
  • The first and second function are most of what we value and accept and appreciate.
  • This one is only slightly less complex then the first function, but we are aware that we use it and that we use it in a complex way
  • In fact, we are quite aware that we are good with this function and wish desperately that other people were good with it too, this desire comes from the nature of the relationship that it has with the dom function, since this function ‘helps’ the dom function, if others were like this function then it would ‘help’ our dom function
  • We project this function onto others (in the form of the 6th function) and become arrogant about it
  • This matters a lot

THIRD Function

  • Nicknames: Tertiary, Relief, Eternal Child, 10-Year-Old, Demon/Angel, Defense
  • This function is perpetually childlike, and innocent. It sees things in an honest way. But can also make us appear childish. If the dominant function ignores the secondary function and pays too much attention to the tertiary function, then it will cause a loop that is difficult to escape. However, if the dominant function ignores the tertiary function completely, the tertiary function will basically throw a fit. 
  • This is also our relief function because it is the part of us that we consciously want satisfied. 
  • When the third function asks a question and isn’t answered we can become fixated on it, but if it is answered we feel a sense of relief. Also, in the way that we can be about our childish side, we can become defensive about it. Defending its childish side.
  • If people attack your third function you will become paralyzed and paranoid. It is your dominant functions job to listen to your third function but also to know when to not listen to it. 
  • Like most 10-year old’s, the can show a Demon side and Angel side. 
  • Understanding of this function is childlike, the unconscious function knows that it matters but only because everyone isn’t my helping function,
  • If helping function isn’t helping correctly, dom function will turn to this function out of desperation, knowing that if everyone can’t exemplify the helping function this is the next best thing and will boost their own helping function somewhat
  • But the understanding is very childlike and not very complex
  • Will pair up with fourth function to cause 1st and 2nd more upset

FOURTH Function 

  • Nicknames: Conscious Rejection, Unconscious Aspirational, Inferior, 3-YEAR-OLD, Illusion
  • This function is in direct opposition of your strongest function, the unconscious healthy one. Because of this you consciously reject it and speak ill of the things that it represents. Often enough that it’s like you’re trying to convince yourself that you truly reject it. You believe that the things that represent this function are an illusion. The trouble is that you believe it is in direct opposition to your dominant function, but it fuels it. 
  • It fuels it because you fear it, so this motivates your dominant function to try harder. After all, this function is a toddler. And its needs are very basic, but they are there, and they are annoying. For this reason, you aspire to this function. The sooner that you accept this part of you and its needs and the sooner you let your supporting function cater to them, the sooner you will be able to fully unleash the abilities of your dominant function. Therefore, this function is the doorway to your unconscious. 
  • when this function is satisfied, the dominant function becomes the most useful.
  • If this function is continually ignored and denied (the needs of this function), then it will represent your addictions, it’s the cause of your obsessions, fixations, hang ups and can cause your unconscious to be desperate. And everyone will accuse you of caring about this function, which you will emphatically deny.
  • We deny the need of this function because we didn’t get it as a kid. and as a defense mechanism we convince ourselves that we don’t need it and focus on our dominant function.
  • Understanding of this function reduced to the basics,
  • unconscious function denies its importance but helping function knows that it is the reason the dominant function is the way that it is, so attempts to remind the dominant function of its importance through it.
  • Second function wishes the dominant function would pay more attention to it through it’s language that the dominant function will accept knowing why the dominant function denies its desires for the inferior function
  • Dom function thinks that if it could get rid of this function, it could finally get rid of this function or not need it then the true power of its dominant function would be released

FIFTH Function

  • Nickname: Challenging, Opposing, Learning, Detour
  • Concerned with the same purpose as the dominant but in the opposite direction,
  • this function is fascinating to us,
  • but it also challenges us in a way that can make us stubborn and frustrated.
  • It often wants to slow down or speed up our dominant function.
  • We could worry about the things that this function represents. which is why we are fascinated and drawn to the people that use it as their dominant or secondary.
  • If challenged in a healthy way, it is a great opportunity for cognitive growth and expansion and can give us a sense of focus and persistence. 
  • Understanding of this function is extrapolated from our own understanding of our unconscious, therefore it is superficial complex
  • At the same time we can both respect it and be annoyed with it because it changes the direction that our dominant function operates

SIXTH Function

  • Nicknames: Critical Parent, Cop, Critique
  • This is how we critique ourselves. It beats at our self-esteem as is the culmination of the blind spots of information and evaluations that we ignore and why we struggle so much to meet the critiques of this function. We are drawn to people who use it affectively and wish we could be more like them. In extreme stress it takes over, solving problems and situations. But it can also undercut our secondary functions and its attempts to help. 
  • However, while it is how we critique ourselves, it is often how we criticize others as well. Because if more people were like this, life would be easier on dom and secondary functions. And that’s why we criticize people for the same things we criticize ourselves for. 
  • The truth is, we are quite good at this function. In fact, we probably do this function too much and then benefits of it are canceled because we are so stressed and worried about it all the time. 
  • Understanding of this function isn’t that complex because it is a projection of our desires from the helping function
  • We are like this, why can’t others be like this? It would take a lot pressure off of me to be like this if others could be like this?
  • But this also makes us arrogant because we recognize that it is what makes us special

SEVENTH Function

  • Nicknames: Deceiving, Trickster, Speedometer
  • This function we consciously decide to think of as subjective and therefore its judgments or information is of little use. We might agree that a part of it is objective but the part of it that is objective is so small that it can be mostly ignored, and we trick ourselves into believing we can compensate for it. People who use this function will be excruciatingly irritating to you. 
  • We might go so far as to make jokes about this function. 
  • But it will be a big cause of the grief in our lives because the judgments it makes and the information it gathers is more useful then we have tricked ourselves into disregarding. 
  • We think our understanding of this function is complex, but we disregard it otherwise we wouldn’t be able to listen to the 3rd function and it’s childlike observations that we find more valuable or interesting because if we are interacting with the third function then the helping function is currently failing us and we need to know why
  • yes I get that, but…

EIGHTH Function

  • Nicknames: Dismissed, Devilish, Transformative, Villain, Speed Limit Sign
  • Because this function is concerned with the same info or judgments but in the opposite direction as our fourth function, but the same direction as our dominant function. 
  • Because of this, the information or judgments that represent this function are dismissed because it is difficult for our brains to take in everything, something must be filtered out. 
  • If we decide to engage in this function it can be destructive to us. 
  • It is information or judgments that we can’t even comprehend taking in. 
  • This function has the most power to corrupt us and in combination with the 7th function it I show we go bad.
  • It isn’t that we aren’t concerned with this function, it’s that in order to see our dominant function, this one must be filtered out.
  • Understanding of this function is nonexistent and it’s so nonexistent that it’s an unknown unknown in our lives
  • Our unconscious function is the function that we think everyone else thinks like, so thinking like this function doesn’t even occur to us as a possibility
  • When we see others using this function, we think they are using ours
  • Information or judgements operating in this function make no sense to us, like they are speaking a different language, so we twist it into another function for a sense of understanding
  • Speaking to someone in this function is what confuses them because their understanding of this function is basically negative, they will unintentionally filter this out searching for what matches their dom function