Originally Posted by
Venus Rose
Alright, so I thought I would make a post addressing some of the broad concerns that I observed in the replies.
On trauma and difference in personality type.
I do think that trauma affects each human being differently, based on their personality type. However, I purposely skipped over this, in the OP, because I felt that there is more than enough information out that on how stress and/or trauma will affect your type (MBTI, socionics, enneagram, etc.) specifically. And I also think it's extremely intuitive to figure out. I don't mean to say that this is not an important point! It's very important, but I wanted to focus on things that I, personally, haven't seen stated anywhere else. I am still pretty new to socionics, and if there is already information floating around about socionics as it pertains to trauma, I unfortunately haven't come across it yet.
On developmental trauma.
I take a slightly different view on developmental trauma. I don't believe there is such a thing as "not having a sense of self" due to a personality disorder, a developmental trauma, or anything else. I do think that a child has somewhat of an innate temperament, and that gets modified and adjusted according to environment. During psychological development, the child learns to connect with the caregiver - specially the primary caregiver - and feels connected and seen. You can sense this connection with children who haven't even learned to speak, but yet you are communicating with them. We carry this with us, for the rest of our lives, as non-verbal communication. I feel like it's possibly the most beautiful part about an exchange - the emotions are experienced, words are said without speaking, almost as if there is a palpable line connecting the two. A lot can be said in this way. It is very powerful.
I stress this part about connection because I think those with developmental traumas have had this line of connection severed, or short-circuited. It is an extremely painful way to be, and it affects their sense of self. This is where I don't completely agree with personality disorders making it such that someone doesn't have a sense of self. Because the self is a potential, it is a seed - and you had that seed in you the moment you were born. No one can destroy it. But due to lack of attachment and communication (or what Psychology refers to as lack of reflective functioning or mentalization), that seed wasn't allowed to flourish. It feels like you do not exist in the eyes of others. And that is a very painful experience for the one going through it. But that inherent potential for a "self" is still there, even if you don't technically have a sense of it (self). Or, even when your sense of self feels chaotic and shifty.
The attachment facilitates development of the theory of mind (also ref: mirror task). This is what creates a sense of self in the individual, and that self does not exist if it is not so in the eyes of others. Attachment is a crucial thing, and damage to it can greatly harm the individual. Also something slightly random, but this is the reason why identity is important to people. If you cannot respect their self-expression, their sense of self, it feels like they do not completely exist. Hence, I feel like, people get upset over that.
Anyways, coming back to trauma and type - this type of trauma clearly affects type. There is no question about that. Not in the sense that it changes your type, per se, but that it affects your personality type nonetheless - perhaps in the expression of it.
Trauma that does not occur during development, has a higher probability of being dealt with better, assuming adequate support and no other compounding factor(s).
Developmental trauma may very well affect the individual for life.
Also, perhaps slightly tangential, but everyone has all functions. In the case of something like trauma, the psyche feels like it disintegrates, and the individual is in survival mode. So, I am not sure there is any point in trying to differentiate between how an "Ni dom" may respond to trauma, or any other type. Though they will, obviously, have their own unique responses varying by type - eventually. But at the very focal point of the traumatic experience, I am not sure that even matters, since everything will feel like chaos and blur.
On unfair treatment of certain personality types, based on status quo.
From my own experience, I would say society doesn't care nor treat the vulnerable very well. This is compounded by cowardly behaviors by the "henchmen" if you will, of sociopaths. And sociopaths are, unfortunately, everywhere. And no one has the guts to put an end to cruelty happening right in front of their eyes, lest they become the victim themselves.
So, I would say that not only do people, taken as a whole, not seem to care about those that healthy, and may be mistreated - they frequently overlook those that are vulnerable and/or being abused. There is the case of mob mentality as well.
I would suggest that people who need help, find someone they feel safe with and makes them feel better.
=> I should also add, since this seems to be causing some confusion: My take on trauma, for this specific OP, was based on trauma due to abuse experienced through the vulnerable function. So everything else that I mentioned also came out of that central idea. I do not mean to suggest that all traumas are experienced the way I described them. However, I feel - I hope! - that there is quite a bit in there that many people will be able to relate to. I think my central theme(s) were: abuse of vulnerable aspects of the personality type, attempt at coping with that abuse, and the resultant fracture in personality. But I do think that what I described broadens beyond that as well.
It's not possible to over-use the ego block.
I don't really agree, but I don't have a lot to say on this, at the moment. I do understand what you are trying to say. It wouldn't make sense to over-use something that you are already expending maximum energy on. But what I was attempting to point out, was that people may go into over-drive on their primary functions (should also throw in inferior grip theory from MBTI, since it would probably be in conjunction with that) when they are under great stress. And in such a way that most others would find it extreme and repelling.
An individual is more than their type.
There is way too much that can be said about this. Esoteric systems like the enneagram, and probably several more, are founded on the idea that ultimately "who you are" is oneness. That is something interesting to ponder, but I am not going in that direction, for this post.
Abuse through the suggestive function(s).
Very interesting. This is not something I had thought about before, and would love to hear people expand more on that.