How to turn off role function

[Saberstorm]

How do you turn off your role function if you have been forced to use it constantly?

I am pretty certain that I “was” an IEI, but I spent 8 years in the US Marine Corps rising to the grade of sergeant. During this time, I used my hidden agenda of Ti to work around my PoLR in Te, because the Marine Corps is stuffed full of Te bullshit. Essentially, I would ignore the Marine Corps way of doing it, and do it my own way using an awareness of logical structure to communicate what seemed to be a Ni solution to my fellow Marines. Thus, in order to train my subordinates, I had to use tons of Ti to articulate a Ni (essentially a mystical yet forensic) understanding of a problem.

However, I work in a job that is pretty good, it is comfortable, relaxing, however – it requires me to constantly interact with the public is a customer service role. I do like it, but it leaves me unfulfilled. The worst part of it is that requires constant awareness of my surroundings. I am constantly reprimanded for this. So I have set about improving my awareness, first trying Adderall and Ritalin, but then switched to prayer (with a partner) and some illegally acquired T-4 synthetic thyroid medication. I have since dropped the T-4.

The effect of this has been to improve my role Si function considerably. However, the improvement in my role function seems to have sifted all of my “receiving” elements at once. I feel at times that I have Se in the ignoring function, Ni as role function, Ne as suggestive, and Si as lead. I totally hate this. I want my imagination back!

When using my role function, I suddenly feel Se in the ignoring role – I am very easy going and yet I become more aware of the need to defend myself against transgressions. This is a bit positive; however, I need my damn imagination back.

I used to be result to an extreme, going to a psychiatrist because of my helter-skelter way of doing things. Now I need no medication to organize. I seem to be process. This worries me. I liked the old me. My boss hated it. Others hated it. I need to survive, but I want the old me back.

I seem to be an ISFp! But I know that I am not.

Before I went to the psychiatrist to correct my messy (result) ways, I was in no way an ISFp. I need the old me back. I still resemble the old me, it is like my role function (Si) is stuck on, shifting my lead function to my new role function. I don’t want to be an ISFp. Damn this sucks. How do you toggle the role function on and off?

I do want to add, that I seem like IEI most of the time, but I am having a hard time getting my Ni to do anything but “the ability to recognize the unfolding of processes over time (how one event leads to another), have visions of the past and future, develop mental imagery, and see intangible hints of relationships between processes or objects.” That is what Ni is supposed to do, however, I need write stories.

I have writers block. I keep bracing my Ni with my Hidden Agenda Ti!!! I am trying to write some fiction. So I need to tone down the damn Si role function that I need to use at work, and tone down my hidden agenda that I use to repel the hated Te crap away from me.

Also, I have been writing non-fiction for about a decade, I want to do fiction again. My result orientation is at work when I write fiction, by Ti seems to stabilize my "result" style of composition when doing non-fiction.

What I need to do is rapidly decompress after work. I need to be an ISFp at work, and an INFp to achieve happiness.

How can you rapidly toggle the role function OFF!

[NewBorn STAR]

How do you turn off your role function if you have been forced to use it constantly?

I am pretty certain that I “was” an IEI, but I spent 8 years in the US Marine Corps rising to the grade of sergeant. During this time, I used my hidden agenda of Ti to work around my PoLR in Te, because the Marine Corps is stuffed full of Te bullshit. Essentially, I would ignore the Marine Corps way of doing it, and do it my own way using an awareness of logical structure to communicate what seemed to be a Ni solution to my fellow Marines. Thus, in order to train my subordinates, I had to use tons of Ti to articulate a Ni (essentially a mystical yet forensic) understanding of a problem.

However, I work in a job that is pretty good, it is comfortable, relaxing, however – it requires me to constantly interact with the public is a customer service role. I do like it, but it leaves me unfulfilled. The worst part of it is that requires constant awareness of my surroundings. I am constantly reprimanded for this. So I have set about improving my awareness, first trying Adderall and Ritalin, but then switched to prayer (with a partner) and some illegally acquired T-4 synthetic thyroid medication. I have since dropped the T-4.

The effect of this has been to improve my role Si function considerably. However, the improvement in my role function seems to have sifted all of my “receiving” elements at once. I feel at times that I have Se in the ignoring function, Ni as role function, Ne as suggestive, and Si as lead. I totally hate this. I want my imagination back!

When using my role function, I suddenly feel Se in the ignoring role – I am very easy going and yet I become more aware of the need to defend myself against transgressions. This is a bit positive; however, I need my damn imagination back.

I used to be result to an extreme, going to a psychiatrist because of my helter-skelter way of doing things. Now I need no medication to organize. I seem to be process. This worries me. I liked the old me. My boss hated it. Others hated it. I need to survive, but I want the old me back.

I seem to be an ISFp! But I know that I am not.

Before I went to the psychiatrist to correct my messy (result) ways, I was in no way an ISFp. I need the old me back. I still resemble the old me, it is like my role function (Si) is stuck on, shifting my lead function to my new role function. I don’t want to be an ISFp. Damn this sucks. How do you toggle the role function on and off?

I do want to add, that I seem like IEI most of the time, but I am having a hard time getting my Ni to do anything but “the ability to recognize the unfolding of processes over time (how one event leads to another), have visions of the past and future, develop mental imagery, and see intangible hints of relationships between processes or objects.” That is what Ni is supposed to do, however, I need write stories.

I have writers block. I keep bracing my Ni with my Hidden Agenda Ti!!! I am trying to write some fiction. So I need to tone down the damn Si role function that I need to use at work, and tone down my hidden agenda that I use to repel the hated Te crap away from me.

Also, I have been writing non-fiction for about a decade, I want to do fiction again. My result orientation is at work when I write fiction, by Ti seems to stabilize my "result" style of composition when doing non-fiction.

What I need to do is rapidly decompress after work. I need to be an ISFp at work, and an INFp to achieve happiness.

How can you rapidly toggle the role function OFF!

This is what army does to people ;(

[InkStrider]

How do you turn off your role function if you have been forced to use it constantly?

Good question. I think extended use of a function you are not natural with sorts of "grows" you into the type in question. At different points in life we have different roles and responsibilities where the usage of other functions may be more appropriate, but does doing so and being skilled in the use of that once unfamiliar function actually turns you into another type? (INFp to ISFp in your case) It feels like being in transition of a type change, where you can feel your perceptions and the subsequent way you approach things shift. Long enough a time, decide to turn and it just might happen.

I totally hate this. I want my imagination back!

Let us know if you succeed.

[Morcheeba]

First of all, any type can have an imagination, don't confuse this trait with . It sounds to me like you have writers block due to depression, this is very common actually. I'm not a doctor, but I think you mentioned a psychiatrist which tells me something must be going on. If you are an IEI then you will always be just that. When we use our superego functions it's usually due to being under a lot of stress. Also, it can't "seem" like becomes your demonstrative and whatever else you said. I suggest you read more about the structure of Model A to get a better understanding.

[Radio]

Surround yourself with people you like and people who give you energy, regardless of type.

[DirectorAbbie]

If I were forced to use "Fe" constantly, I would feel like a total fake. I could compensate by using to show everyone I'm not what they expected and then replace time spend with with .

[Saberstorm]

I got some decent writing done today. Not a deep as I used to be, nor as poetic, but witty. I want my total fucking genius back! I was brilliant!

I have the "fight" in me to do it. I think a lot of it has to do with writing so much non-fiction. Creating stories out of thin air is a bit harder to do, at least for me. Having spent almost a decade doing non-fiction has left me stuck in non-fiction mode.

I can come up with plots okay, I can do the prose okay, but right now my prose style is witty and upbeat but the plot is dark. I need to somehow shift the prose style so that it can make the entry into the darker plot elements easier. Or I have to come up with a happy ending.

The story is set in ancient greece and is about a girl who gets pregnant by a Greek hero. The hero will not marry her, and she tries to win him back. Right now everything is upbeat, charming and comical. I wanted a drama. It is a light romantic comedy.

I am having a hard time keeping the thing a romantic comedy because every direction I take the plot, I make it pretty damn dark. The comedy is good. I need to come up with the damn happy ending.

I will have to struggle with this. I need to finish it quick so I can sell it. I am also writing a nonfiction book that should sell really well, but I want to get the fiction up and ready.

I am also polishing off a dark story that is almost all ambiance. I cannot seem to get a plot squeezed into all my dark atmosphere. The atmosphere is brilliant. No damn plot anywhere. I could make it kind of like the Midnight Cowboy. I think I am just going to have to read some more fiction to get into the plots of dark urban stories of underdogs.

[Reuben]

Hey saber,

are you still on medication, and when were you last on it? once you're off for at least a few months your genius should come back.

To get inspiration, it will definitely help to diversify. Pick up a whole bunch of seemingly unrelated skills e.g. cooking, guitar, shooting hoops, writing source code etc. and after awhile a lot of things will click in place. It will do good to interact a lot more with people as well in regards to whatever other activity you choose to pick up alongside writing.

Once you reach a state equivalent to 'critical mass', your genius will either exponentially increase, or come back, depending on the divergence between your current state now and back then

Also, I am very interested in what you're writing. Do PM me a link or whatever so that I can feast my eyes on it. Merci beaucoup, mon ami.

[Jonathan]

I think this is a good case study on how types can possibly shift. When experiences lead you into new types, complete with new Model A implications and interrelationships, that becomes part of you; you develop new kinds of capabilities and experiences, and you can embrace that.

It may feel uncomfortable if you feel stuck away from your old self though. One approach is to hang around the dual type of whatever mode you want to reinforce. So if you want to be in an IEI state, hang around SLEs, and you'll probably end up playing more of an IEI social role. Hanging around IEIs may be good too.

Don't think though that creativity or good writing ideas necessarily come from Ni vs. Si. There are good creative writers who are SEI, I think. They just approach it differently. It might be interesting when you're in an SEI state to write creatively in an SEI way. Having the ability to be in different states may be interesting in terms of character writing.

Another thing that may happen though is that a base Ni person may be forced to focus on details that may seem Si-oriented, but that person never becomes fully base-Si....Instead, one may become someone who is still base-Ni but stuck on sensory details. To explore that further, hang out around other SEIs or ILEs.

[tcaudilllg]

Saberstorm ignore the type-shift speculative garbage. The answer to your question is to subordinate your role function to your base function. It's not about using the function per se, but who you take your cues from. "Developing" a function means not thinking critically about how you use it, and just emulating what people who have it as base decide what to make of it. This can be a short road to gullibility and extremism, as these people will invariably be at odds with their conflictor's standpoint. So you'll end up unnaturally poised against their conflictor (your mirror in the case of your superego parter). Taking function 3 too seriously will leave you intellectually and spiritually impoverished.

Effective critical thinking means subordinating every function to the priorities of the base, while carefully scrutinizing the base itself so as to not become totally distanced from one's optimal self.

[Reuben]

Well most people believe that tcaud is full of bull, but I actually do agree with some of the stuff he says. However, it's very theoretical, which is problematic when it comes to interpretation and application.

Just to be sure though, tcaud, just wondering if you have any suggestions as to how to submit the role to base in the particular scenario where he is an IEI?

How does he submit his Si to Ni while developing it?

[Beautiful sky]

Saberstorm ignore the type-shift speculative garbage. The answer to your question is to subordinate your role function to your base function. It's not about using the function per se, but who you take your cues from. "Developing" a function means not thinking critically about how you use it, and just emulating what people who have it as base decide what to make of it. This can be a short road to gullibility and extremism, as these people will invariably be at odds with their conflictor's standpoint. So you'll end up unnaturally poised against their conflictor (your mirror in the case of your superego parter). Taking function 3 too seriously will leave you intellectually and spiritually impoverished.

Effective critical thinking means subordinating every function to the priorities of the base, while carefully scrutinizing the base itself so as to not become totally distanced from one's optimal self.

This is an awesome post.

Know yourself, know what each functions does and picks up or how it processes information. When you understand how each one works, you will understand how you can use one from the standpoint of your base functions because you don't want to let go of your base function, because it causes neurosis and strange psychological confusion.