“The stage is set, but the actors have yet to play”

Personality type contributes to the way we see the world – so do various other factors, for example, our upbringing – but it does not completely determine it. The extent of the influence of our personality type is determined by our awareness of its role in influencing our thinking and experience. Thus, it is consciousness of our predisposition and its role that will ultimately determine our ability to constructively work with its influence.

Hence, in the MSS methodology, free will is endorsed and determinism is mediated by our freedom to choose based on our self-awareness. The words “The stage is set, but the actors have yet to play” (Source unknown: to be attributed) to varying degrees describes this notion.

Related topics (tags): unconscious, unconsciousness, Shadow, self-awareness, predisposition cognition, inferior function/mode

Personality type projections – an avoidable cause of conflict

Many of us, if not most of us, tend – under the influence of our predispositions – to assume that others see the world the way we do. Otherwise put, we are predisposed to assuming that others see and experience the world the way we do.

When we are unconscious of the influence of our predispositions, our judgments can be said to be subjective, if not prejudiced. These uninformed assumptions and judgments are the basis of misperceptions and consequent misunderstandings, which can occur in individual and group relationships. These conflicts can lead to disastrous consequences, which often could be avoided.

On the other hand, our differences (in our psychological modes, or functions) can facilitate harmony, when we understand that they can be the basis of complementarity.

We all have a primary (optimally functioning) psychological mode, or function, as well as a quarternary (suboptimally functioning) psychological mode, or function. For the characteristics of each psychological mode, or function, refer to the 'Knowledgebite' and 'Insight' blogs on this topic.

When we expect others to perform as well as we do or to see and experience the world the way we do based on the predominance of our primary, or conscious and well-functioning psychological mode (or function), we are projecting our personality type unto others. When we do this collectively, as a group, the effects – misunderstandings and conflict – are amplified.

Similarly, when we see others as being deficient or 'bad' based on the projection of our own deficiently, or poorly, functioning quarternary psychological mode, or function, conflict will be the result. Again, when we do this collectively, as a group, the effects – misunderstandings and conflict – are amplified.

The good news is that with an awareness, or consciousness, of our predispositions and conscious management of ourselves and our relationships using this knowledge, conflict can be reduced and harmony increased.