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Type & Money/Special Topic

Which Way to the Good Life?
By Ray Linder
Beth wants mad money that she can tudes, of psychic energy. Extraverted
splurge, but Gordon observes, penny energy focuses on the outer world of
is a penny earned." Don wants objects, places, and things, and intro-
to retire to a comfortable lifestyle in 20 verted energv focuses on the inner
VI

years. but Marjorie wants comfortable world of ideas, thoughts, and feelings.
living room furniture today. Jung found that the extraverted and
When it comes to money, most introverted attitudes combine with the
people want to use it to attain the good four functions of sensing, intuition,
life. However, because we are propelled thinking, and feeling to create eight ba-
to that life by different motivations, sic mental processes that are central to
people find themselves going there in the functioning of the human mind.
opposite directions. With the four basic functions modi-
Jung's initial typology was based fied by opposing preferences for extra- Linder is the CEO of Good-
upon two opposing directions, or atti- version and introversion, each of the stewardship.com and the author of three
eight function-attitudes represent dif- books, including Vhat Will I Do With My
Money?, published by Northfield in June
ferent patterns of psychologically satis-
Jung's Dialectical fying behavior, generating radically dif-
2000. (ray@goodstewardship.com)

Personality Theory ferent meaningful money management
practices. The result is eight distinctively
to them, resulting in strong store and
Continued from page 3 brand loyalty and specific stores for
different paths to the financial good life. specific needs. "I hate not finding what
APT needs to work on one- Extraverted Sensing (ESTP, ESFP) I want, and I must know where every-
sidedness. Our biggest typological Captivated and dominated by the thing is in the store and who the sales-
weakness is the relative lack of the sens- need to participate in the moment, people are:'
ing preference among our members and money is a means to by which extra- Extraverted Intuition (ENTP, ENFP)
leadership (see Tom Penderghast's ar- verted sensors satisfy strong personal Extraverted intuitives are natural sav-
ticle, 'fi Case Study," in the last issue of
ers whose ability to enjoy the present is
the Bulletin, p. 4), but there are other
potential problems. Our age distribu- Opposites contingent upon being financially pre-
pared for the future. Today's issues are
tion, for example, is skewed towards the
older end of the spectrum.
SaJISOddO less important than tomorrow's goals
and they will sacrifice in the present to
We need to have more theoretical desires: "I want it, so I get it, even if I achieve their future plans. ''I'm saving
diversity. Ironically, too much devotion can't afford it," says one. To them, plan- for a trip to Israel next year, so other
to the Jungian model can make us one- ning and saving are impractical. "It's things will have to wait;' says Sonya.
sided. Too much focus on application our chance! Thy wait and miss the mo- Extraverted intuitives dislike being re-
rather than research and theory (or vice ment?" Prior experience means little to stricted by not having enough money
versa) can also. Too much reliance on extraverted sensors, so they have little to respond to different options. But
the MBTI to the exclusion of other in- store or brand loyalty. ''I'm here, so I they can be paralyzed by too many pos-
struments does not promote balance,. may as well buy it, even if it's cheaper sibilities and will often resolve the in-
The defining of orthodox positions elsewhere. vVhy waste time?'' ability to decide by buying all the
about type diminishes diversity of opin-
Introverted Sensing (1STJ, ISFJ) choices. "I don't spend money too of-
ion and makes us a less vibrant organi-
Handling money responsibly is criti- ten, but when I do, look out!"
zation.
cal to introverted sensors. "I pay close Introverted Intuition (I NTJ, INFJ)
It is in the creative interplay of op-
attention to what I'm spending;' says "Champagne tastes" or "the best
posing ideas and personalities that APT
one, who plans and saves for most pur- money that can buy" reflect the finan-
can be a dynamic organization. We
chases. Uncomfortable with credit, in- cial heartbeat of introverted intuitives.
don't want to be as bland or unipolar
troverted sensors will generally go with- Monev has meaning when it is used to
as the trait theories, do we?
out something if they can't afford it enjoy ~he aesthetic side of life: elegance,
today. Past experience matters greatly Continued on page 6

4 SUMMER 2000 BuLLETIN OF PsYCHOLOGICAL TYPE 23:4

Type & Money/Counseling & Psychotherapy

Which Way to the Good Life? Masquerade
Continued from page 4
class, ambience, beauty, and taste. tlhen verted feelers. "I use money to make of the Inferior
going out to dinner, "I envision the am- people feel loved, especially people who
bience first, then make my selection of
where to dine," says Fran . They are ide-
have done nice things for me;' says
Tina. "Or if someone is having a bad
Function
alistic shoppers who seek perfection and day, I'll buy them an encouraging card. By Paula McDonald
will do without unless they find it. But I also feel very responsible about tak- It's not unusual to see clients pre-
they are decisive when they do, because ing care of people, especially family and senting their inferior functions in
the ideal is more important than cost. therapy. This least preferred function,
They are also insightful gift givers with opposite the dominant preference, is
an uncanny ability to disce rn what While all of the eight naturally the most unconscious and the
people will want or like. function-attitudes most likely to erupt with primitive ma -
Extraverted Thinking (ESTJ, ENTJ) terial. As the function over which we
Whether they use envelopes, boxes, are legitimate styles of have the least control, it is usually hid-
notebooks, folders, or software, extra- money management, the den and shadowy, and when it emerges,
verted thinkers are easily the most or- it shows itself prominently as the op-
ganized in their approach to money.
ones we prefer can send us posite of what we expect to see in a
First, every piece of financial data must in the opposite direction of healthy individual.
be arranged into an orderly system, tlhat might be going on when we
the financial good life. encounter such a phenomenon? I've
storing years of records, receipts, state-
ments, and cancelled checks. Then, all identified two possibilities:
cash must flow through a methodical close friends, and I'll go without if it One possibility is that the client is
tracking system so they know where means making sure others have what in the grip of her or his inferior func -
every dollar is and where it's going. One they need." extraverted feelers detest tion. Naomi Quenk (1993) uses this
extraverted thinker describes his sys- categorizing people by income or fi- language to describe an episode in
tem as his emotional comfo rt zone. nancial status. which conscious control is disrupted by
"tlhen the house is disorganized, I feel Introverted Feeling (ISFP, INFP) an eruption of the inferior function.
financially burdened, which makes me To introverted feelers , morals mat- This can be triggered by a variety of
go back to my financial system to see if ter more than material goods, and eth- circumstances, with the result that the
everything is okay." ics are more important than expendi- individual is thrown into primitive un-
Introverted Thinking (ISTP, INTP) tures. Of all types, money matters least conscious processes.
Introverted thinkers are highly ana- to them. They feel no pressure to keep In the Grip
lytical comparison shoppers, accumu- up with the Joneses, which makes their Any of us can find ourselves in the
lating data for mental models to estab- lifestyle highly individualistic. "I don't grip of an inferior function eruption
lish what an item is intrinsically worth. care if I have money, but if I do, I want from time to time. Usually we work
Prospective purchases are evaluated for to use it to do things I like or buy things our way out of it, sometimes even ex-
their utility and then analyzed to de- I want." for the introverted feeler, periencing it as a positive growth expe-
termine the right price for that utility. money is merely an external tool that rience. If one is stuck in the grip of the
"If I'm not sure what the value is, I reflects their inner values, none of inferior function, however, the severity
have to investigate it further. Even if I . which have anything to do with money. and the length of the episode might
want it, and recognize that others may Each of the eight function-attitudes bring someone into therapy.
pay the market's price, I may not if I represent legitimate styles of money tlhen a client presents the inferior
don't think the value's there." Price is management but the ones we prefer can function, a second possibility is that he
not a selling feat ure to introverted send us in opposite directions in our or she lives everyday life as if the infe-
thinkers, who will buy an expensive search for the financial good life. In- rior functio n were primary. It's as if
item once they understan d it well creased awareness of the psychological the inferior masquerades as the domi -
enough to determine it's intrinsic value. needs we use money to fulfill should nant preference. My experience has
Extraverted Feeling (ESFJ, ENFJ) result in more financially satisfying be- been that when we see such a masquer-
Using money to make personal con- havior. ade, usually something has happened
nections is what matters most to extra- Contin ued on page 8
.,,
6 ��-: ' SUMMER 2000 BULLETIN OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TYPE 23:4

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Which Way to the Good Life?

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