Carl Jung On Intuitive-Introverts, The Difficulties & Advantages In Their Life | Jungian Psychology

You make a distinction between an intuitive-extrovert and an intuitive-introvert? For example, more specifically, what would be an example or a difference between an intuitive-extrovert and an intuitive-introvert? Well, you know, the.

. . you have chosen.

. . a somewhat difficult case, you know, because one of the most difficult types is the intuitive-introvert.

Yeah, I know. The intuitive extrovert, you find among hunters, bankers, gamblers; That is quite understandable. But the introvert variety But the introvert variety But the introvert variety But the introvert variety is more difficult because he has intuitions as to the subjective factor.

Namely, the inner world. And of course that is now very difficult to understand. Because what he sees are most uncommon things.

And he doesn't like to talk of them if he's not a fool. Because he would spoil his whole game by telling what he sees. Because people won't understand it.

For instance, once I had a patient, a young woman, about 27 or 28. And her first words, were when I had sitted her, she said, "You know, Doctor, I come to you because I have a snake in my abdomen. " I said "What?

" "Yes, a snake, a black snake, coiled up right in the bottom of my abdomen. " And I must have made a rather bewildered face at her She said, "You know, I don't mean it literally! " "But I should say it was a snake, it was a snake!

" Now you see, our further conversation a little later that was about in the middle of our treatment that only lasted for 10 consultations. She had foretold me, I come 10 times and then it's alright. I said, "How do you know?

" "Oh, I got a hunch. " You see? And really, about the fifth or sixth hour, she said, "Doctor, I must tell you, the snake has risen.

"It is now about here. " Hunch! And then, on the 10th day, I said, "Now, this is our last hour, and do you feel cured?

" And she said, "Beaming! " She said, "You know, this morning, it came up, "and came out of my mouth, and the head was golden! " And those were her last words.

Now, Now, you see, that same girl, you see, that same girl, when it comes to reality, she came to me because she couldn't hear the step of her feet anymore. Because she walked on air, literally. She couldn't hear it, that frightened her.

And then she came to me, I asked her for her address, and then she said, "Oh, pension so and so. Well, it is not called a pension but it is a sort of pension. " I had never heard of it.

"Now I'm curious," I said, "I have never heard of that place. " "Well, it's a very nice place, you see. Curiously enough, there are only young girls there, very nice and very lively young girls, and they had a merry time.

I often wish they would invite me to their merry evenings. " And I say, "but. .

. well. .

. "And do they amuse themselves all alone? " "Oh, no, they have plenty of young gentlemen coming in, and they have a beautiful time, but they never invite me!

" It turned out that it was a private brothel. She was a perfectly decent girl, you know, of a very good family, not from here. She had found that place, I don't know how.

and she was utterly unaware that they were all prostitutes. And I said, "For heaven's sake, you fell into a very dark place! You hasty and get out of it.

" You see, that it was her sensation, you see, she doesn't see reality. But she had hunches like anything, and they came off. Now, you see, such a person cannot possibly speak of her experiences, because everybody would think she's absolutely crazy.

I myself was quite shocked when I thought, for heaven's sake, is that case schizophrenia? Because you don't hear that kind of speech, but she assumed that the old man, of course, knows everything, and he even understands such kind of language. So you see, if the introverted intuitive were to speak were to speak of what he really perceives, then practically no one would understand him.

He would be misunderstood. And so they learn to keep things to themselves and you hardly ever hear them talking of these things. That is a great disadvantage, but it is an enormous advantage in another way.

Not to speak of the experiences they got in that respect but also in human relations. For instance, they come into the presence of somebody they don't know. and suddenly they have inner images, and these inner images give them a more or less complete information about the psychology of the partner.

You know that it's. . .

but it of course can also happen that they come into the presence of somebody who they don't know at all, not from Adam! And they know an important piece out of the biography of that person and are not aware of it! So the introvert, the intuitive, has in a way a very difficult life, although one of the most interesting lives!

But it is difficult often to get into their confidence, you know Yes, because you say they are afraid people will think they are sick. The things that are interesting to them, or are vital to them, are utterly strange to the ordinary individual. And the psychologist should know of such things.

You see? You see! When people make a psychology, as a psychologist, ought to do, his very first question is, Is he extroverted or is he introverted?

They will look at entirely different things. Is he a sensation type, is he an intuitive type, is he thinking? is he feeling?

Because you see these things are complicated, as they are, they are still more complicated because the introverted thinker, for instance, is compensated by extroverted feeling. by inferior extroverted, archaic extroverted feeling. So an introverted thinker may be very crude in his feeling life, for instance, the introverted philosopher that is always carefully avoiding women will be married by his cook in the end!