A Peculiar Trait of the Base Function
Recently I have been able to recognize a common thread in base function-determined behavior among literally all the people I know. This characteristic seems to be a fundamental source of conflicts with one's conflicters and supervisors. In these relations, the weak and limited fourth function of one partner interacts with the strong and absolute base function of the other.
The trait is that the base function processes information very rapidly and efficiently and jumps to conclusions without the individual realizing it. The base function synthesizes stored-up experience and new bits of information along its path and produces a conclusion quickly and confidently. The individual likes to share the resulting thoughts and opinions with others, not necessarily because he is sure he is right, but as a way of "flexing" his mental muscles.
A conflicter or supervisee (see chart at top right column) can be highly irritated by this if 1)these conclusions touch upon his vital interests and 2) if he doesn't agree with the person's conclusions (when people are not connected by a common vital interest, they usually just wave people like this off and go their own way).
When explaining how they reached conclusions related to their base function, people inevitably leave out some stages in their mental process. Some of the stages one finds too "obvious" to expound on; others one is not aware of. To their conflicters and supervisees, this makes it look as if the conclusion is arbitrary or based on an irrational "belief," when in fact it is based on a long string of deductions and a large body of experience that the individual is not inclined or able to elucidate.
Since the person's vital interests are at stake if the conflicter's or supervisor's conclusions are correct, he fights back by criticizing the latter's viewpoint, trying to uncover the errors and incorrect assumptions of the other (assumptions is really the key word in this type of conflict). This causes strain on the plodding fourth function. What's worse, the "offender's" views almost never budge at all, because they are based on a vast system of observations and experience.
1 comment:
though you are speaking of a specific relationship, i think you touched on a lot of basic truths of social behavior; ideas spring from the unconscious in acts of mental muscle flexing as a product of the stage set by the base function and the focus set by the 'creative function;' however, they just have to address something that others take offense with to the extent that they are willing to violate the affirming/constructive social dynamic to bring about corrections, because they are unmoved by such social convention (fourth function sensing) or are otherwise moved to speak up.
yup.
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