Cognitive Functions

During my child psychology diploma in Ngee Ann Polytechnic, I have came to learn about many psychological theorists such as B.F Skinner & Sigmund Freud, but among those, perhaps the most intriguing psychologist I have learnt is Carl Gustav Jung, especially his theory on cognitive functions.

Well, being the young boy I am at the age of 16, I didn’t took much heed onto it. I was tested INFP. After my diploma, some incident caused a crisis with my career path. Anguished, I cried. I had my career path planned and I stumbled at the first checkpoint. A tough pill to swallow.

“Absent-minded Teacher + Children with Special Needs = Bad things can happen?” I thought. Well, its not like the pay was great anyways. 48 Laws of Power; Law 36: Disdain things you cannot have.. I jest, who am I kidding?

2 years of national service. Many hate it, but i was glad that there’s that. Being stuck at the intersection with everyone seeming to know where and what they want to do is a scary thing. Thankfully, there’s national service to stop everyone and it seemed like I am not behind. This 2 years became a ticking bomb for me to understand myself and to decide what i want to do in life.

Having learnt about Jungian cognitive functions, I used its concepts to understand myself and others. People who uses the same primary cognitive functions will be much closer to me and what strengths they have, what interest them, and what successful careers they are doing might be applicable to me. At the blindness of uncertainty and the bleakness of depression, it was like a beacon of light that aided me to find myself.

There are several critics about the reliability of Myers Briggs, about how they are just unreliable and just generalizations and stereotypes of people, I do agree. But I still believe in Jungian functions and not the results of what was obtained for the test. At least for me, I argue that it gives me a good overview of how someone views and interpret the world, so that I can better communicate with them.

I might expand more on each of the functions in the future. Not expecting anyone to read it, but just giving myself a motivation to read up more about Carl Jung.

Notes: Plato’s Eudaimonia.

Plato has one goal : Eudaimonia (Fulfilment).

  1. Think more. We follow doxa too much (popular opinions.) Population edges us to the wrong values, careers and relationships. We should know ourselves by subjecting our desires to experiments and not follow in impulse, hence not pulled around by feelings. This is called “Socratic Discussion.”
  2. Let your lover change you. “True love is admiration” – Plato. The person you need to get together with should have very good qualities which you yourself lack. By being close to someone you admired. ‘A couple shouldn’t love each other as they are right now..’ They should be committed to improving each other.
  3. Decode the message of beauty. Plato found a fascinating reason: “beautiful objects are whispering important truths to us about the good life.” We find things beautiful when unconsciously sensing in them qualities we need but are missing in our lives. Beauty helps educate our souls.
  4. Reform society. ‘Politicians should become philosophers: ‘The world will not be right, he said ‘until kings become philosophers or philosophers kings.’

Reflection:

It is necessary for everyone to go through Socratic discussion with themselves, to understand their motivation behind their actions and feelings towards things. Many so often, people tend towards following the masses blindly with thinking. Everything is up for debate and are meant to be questioned.

Let your lover change you. This is perhaps the biggest takeaway in the video. My personal thoughts about today’s relationships is that many are too into superficial aspects such as beauty, looks, being rich, and having a trophy partner. I do not believe that love actually exists, only attachment and lust, and everyone has the capacity to be attached to anyone, so long as a certain amount of time is spent together. A healthy relationship, I believe it’s a growth complement relationship, where each admire the other and seek to learn a bit from another. Looks & beauty will one day fade, but admiration and respect never will. Instead of working on my appearance, I should strive to become the best I can. That is why this common advice worked so well in the dating community. Admiration, that is why I adore my sister so much. She’s kind, generous, extremely positive, the only person I know who will never do anything wrong. A rare find in modern society. I hope to become a little bit like her, one day.

Kurzgesagt, one of my favorite channel has a video on this that I thought was quite relevant:


Notes: 48 Laws of Power – Robert Greene

TL;DR: John Greene – 48 Laws of power.

Law 1: Never outshine the master.

Law 2 : Never put too much trusts in friends – Learn to use enemies.

Law 3: Conceal your intentions.

Law 4: Always say less than necessary.

Law 5: So much depends on reputation. – Guard it at all with your life.

Law 6: Court attention at all costs.

Law 7: Get others to do the work for you.

Law 8: Make others do the work for you.

Law 9: Win through your actions, not arguments.

Law 10: Infection: Avoid unhappy and the unlucky.

Law 11: Learn to keep people dependable on you.

Law 12: Use selective honesty to discern your victim.

Law 13: Asking for help appeal to people’s self interests.

Law 14: Pose as a friend, work as a spy.

Law 15: Crush your enemies totally.

Law 16: Use absence to increase respect and honor.

Law 17: Cultivate an air of unpredictability.

Law 18: Isolation is dangerous.

Law 19: Do not offend the wrong person.

Law 20: Do not commit to anyone.

Law 21: Play a sucker to catch a sucker.

Law 22: Surrender tactic: Transform weakness into power.

Law 23: Concentrate your forces.

Law 24: Play the perfect courtier. – The perfect courtier obey his masters but shines in his own light. He is not powerless, doesn’t trust, but appear trustful, doesn’t talk much but finds the right words and right time when he does. Every one likes him. He is charming, witty and helpful. He appears to be neutral, a paragon of honesty, fairness. He always has a genuine smile on his face and we don’t doubt his intentions for one second.

Law 25: Recreate yourself; act like a book, you are your own character.

Law 26: Keep your hands clean.

Law 27: Create a cult, play on people’s need to believe.

“There are two different types of people in the world, those who want to know, and those who want to believe”- Friedrich Nietzche.

Beware of the irrational, however seductive. Shun the ‘transcendent’ and all who invite you to subordinate or annihilate yourself.” Those who have all the answers are full of shit.

Law 28: Enter action with Boldness.

Law 29: Plan all the way to the end.

Law 30: Make your accomplishment seem effortless.

Law 31: Get others to play with the cards you deal.

Law 32: Play to people’s fortunes.

Law 33: Discover each man’s thumbscrew.

Law 34: Be royal in your fashion.

Law 35: Master the art of timing.

Law 36: Disdain things you cannot have.

Law 37 Create compelling spectacles.

Law 38: Think as you like, but behave like others

Law 39: Stir up water to catch fish.

Law 40: Despise the free lunch.

Law 41: Avoiding stepping into a great man’s shoes. (Be yourself.)

Law 42: Strike the shepherd and sheep will scatter.

Law 43: Work on the heart and minds of others.

“Be humble or be humbled.”

Taken/ credit to ” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=670ZGMBjrPI “

The Journey Begins

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton

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30/3/2019, 1:06 PM.

1 month before my exams, I started this blog. On hindsight in the future, would that be a mistake, an additional distraction that take up my time when I could have spend the time studying? I don’t know. But it’s healthy to allow my inner thoughts to be channeled somewhere. I hope this blog would help serve this purpose of mine.

Visitors, the writings in this blog served as what I feel in the moment and by no means a representation of who I am and behave outside. This is a personal diary and collection of thoughts of what i feel in the moment.