Should You Focus on Your Weaker Cognitive Functions?

If you’re new to Geek Psychology, my name is Matt Sherman. People call me Sherman. I'm a personality type expert, life coach, hypnotist, author, podcaster, and course creator. I help mainly INFPs embrace their unique strengths and navigate life's challenges. Through practical strategies and deep insights, I aim to help people like you live a more fulfilling and authentic live where you can wake up and feel good about who you are and your impact on the world. I was asked recently about my focus on talking about the auxiliary function and was asked if you should also focus on your weaker cognitive functions like your tertiary or inferior - or even the "back 4".

In this video I explain how and why I feel you should focus on your strengths instead of on shoring up your weaknesses. And yet... there's always room to grow from gaining awareness and building rapport with the weaker ego-states and cognitive functions.

Hope it helps!

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Disclaimer: These are my opinions. If you have a serious issue, go see a doctor. I'm sharing these because I want to do my best to help where I can and make an impact in the best way that I can.

[AsuraPsych]

Excellent video and analogies. Enjoyed this!

[sleepyy_kittyy]

Thank you, thank you! I'm an INFP too, and I have struggles with balancing the focus between my Fi and Te... I'm a nurse, but I'm in a position where I'm in charge of nursing aides, and so I have to use my Te a lot to delegate people in work. Obviously, this is extreeeemelly uncomfortable, and I'm often putting my Fi aside to develop Te a bit more, because I figure if I could just focus on it, I'll have an easier time. Even though it's really draining and I find myself coming home and bursting into tears because I'm so mentally exhausted, I didn't know what else to do because I figured Fi was useless.
But this video was just what I needed! Using the example of Luffy was genius - instead of letting his weakness get the better of him, he kept powering ahead with his dreams by letting other people help him, and in return he greatly enriched their lives too. The struggle with this is letting people help me without freaking out that I'm bothering them... to feel like I AM enriching their lives by playing to my strengths... That my strengths AREN'T useless in the working life (especially with something as practical and hands-on as nursing). It's a hard balance!

[chermartin]

Sherman, another good talk. Using the lower functions seems awkward for INFP as far as I see, until you grow and try new things. You’re right that you can’t just be lazy and give a less energy, or daydream. Yes, we live in our heads, a lot of time but our curiosity keeps us busy with alternatives that we stumble on till we mature more. You describe things nicely, thanks for sharing.

[ZinedinePrime]

Understandable perspective. I think developing and mastering the Child function is a good idea when trying to become a fully formed and balanced adult

[tracyspall]

Knowing our weak weaknesses is not an excuse to not using them as places to grow in.

[esaualfaro]

Yeah I think focusing on your strengths is better than focusing on your weaknesses. You still want to have your weaknesses kinda handled so they don´t bring you down too much.

[andreathionville]

Thank you! I love your videos! I totally agree on what you say about confidence. I'd go with hero!! 😉 INFP

[cbbaby]

I was just thinking about this topic, INFP here, I think you need to understand your weaknesses to be able to let your strengths flourish. I live with an ESTJ (mother in law) and have had to adapt to their way a bit because it’s their house I live and want to respect them and so through the experience which could be seen as a prison sentence or the like I finally am seeing it is making me a better person a more well rounded person. I just recently discovered I am an INFP and now see that my differences with the ESTJ what makes me me aren’t bad they are my strengths. So now I feel and am still learning and now starting to reconnect with my strengths I can switch to the “weaker” part of my INFP type and not let it bring me down which in turn brings my strengths down. I know better how to handle things and when to use the function that is best for a particular situation and when to let loose...

[Ignasimp]

The conclusion is that we need to develop all the functions.

[JW-dhnc]

You should do a video going in depth on shadow functions.

[kuro_tadori]

I totally agree! I have thought about this before, and came to the same conclusion. I feel like using my auxiliary function is a better way to improve my lower functions than focusing on them directly.

[jmcfixitjr]

Thinking you might be a Libra Rising archetypally.

[てくてくぱくぱく]

I've been focusing on my inferior AND shadow functions, lol...but more to understand and develop them.

[AmberMelanieSmith]

This channel is everything, ha ha. Comparing life to RPGs = everything. 😍

[ecchinacea]

Hahah, life slayer! Yeah that seems about right ;-D

[michaelhenault]

INTJ have been obsessing over an emotional battle with an friend that makes no real sense, except that there is something in her which is disturbed (empathy out of controlness)...can't doing anything about, but suffer from INTJ being misunderstoodness.

[RealThomasHyldig]

Great video friend, interesting views you have and I hope to see more from you ! I'm new here

[Kaori]

What about when you feel like you NEED to use your inferior function to do well at your job? I would quit it if I could but can't at the moment. It's so draining that I start neglecting what I need to do in all aspects of life. I make lists of reminders to do things and try to break it down but finding the motivation to even do it is difficult. xD; Creating a schedule for myself or trying to discipline myself is awful. And even more-so when I need to do it for my partner-in-crime as well! Maybe I need a different/fresh perspective.

Also even when I get an epiphany of something, I end up forgetting it like a few weeks later. LOL. I feel like I fail at life. And sometimes I feel like I just want to fight against being an INFP in general! I just want to be able to keep up and show my worth in anything I do. Which obviously isn't realistic but I can't help thinking that! Haha.

[akaboo]

I'm told I'm an entj focused isfp. So I guess I kind of focus on my inferior side or aspire to it

[Magani]

Awesome :D

What's your view on awareness / development of the unconscious? (Fe, Ni, Se, Ti for INFP for example)