Quote Originally Posted by ConcreteButterfly View Post
Good point it does seem to manifest automatically around other people, as though almost goading them into challenging it and losing, in favor of the lead function
I think it goes beyond that though, because people use it even when alone, albeit unconsciously. It seems like the default relaxed state function. Maybe people are physically identified with it to the extent they don't experience a difference between their own use of it and another's, so it would develop merely by experiencing others using it
I would think that even though people use the function alone, that its use is almost always serving the agenda of the Lead function, much like how the Creative function is a sort of slave to the Lead function. It's use in privacy could be interpreted to mean that people use it to strengthen their own Lead function or further expand on its views, sort of like orienting yourself in the world. The use of the Ignoring function unconsciously probably serves to look for holes or inconsistencies with the views of the Lead function, almost as if you are trying to prepare for attack from that counter-perspective to possible weakness in your own viewpoints with your Lead function. Thus, the Ignoring function's unconscious use might act as a sort of training mechanism to make the Lead perspective better able to convince others of its superiority over the Ignoring function. I imagine it operating much like how a vaccine releases damaged pathogens into your body for your immune system to fend off and to start producing antibodies to protect it from a real infection.

I'm not too sure, however, so this is mere speculation.