The Mode State Stage (MSS) model (the MSS-J16) reflects psychiatrist Dr Carl Jung’s four functions (Sharp 12) – feeling, intuition, sensing, and thinking – as quadrants of the circle (for this diagram, see modestatestage.com/mode-state-stage-an-overview) representing the whole of cognition and Jung's psychological functions – otherwise described as personality inclination and mindset. The model also incorporates Jung’s two attitudes, introversion (subject- and inner-world inclination) and extroversion (object- and outer-world inclination). This means that the two attitudes, introversion and extroversion, apply for each mode, or function – for example, introverted feeling and extroverted feeling.
In the Mode State Stage model (MSS-J16), the two attitudes and the four functions, or modes, are represented as the four quadrants of the circle of awareness and functioning, as follows:
The above classification reflects Jung’s eight types, based on combining the previously mentioned two attitudes and four functions.
To these primary modes are added the secondary modes, or functions, possible in each quadrant, for each mode. In the case of the example given, that is, for the feeling mode, the secondary mode could be either intuition or sensation (the two adjacent quadrants). The diagonal quadrant, in this case, thinking, is the least available, or conscious, mode. (Note that this applies for all of the quadrants, so that one’s diagonal mode is one’s least available, or conscious, mode.)
The notation used in the Jungian 8-type personality typology models is expanded here to include the secondary mode, or auxiliary function, resulting in 16 types. Hence, the four types with feeling as the dominant mode are introverted feeling-intuition (IFN), introverted feeling-sensation (IFS), extroverted feeling-intuition (EFN), and extroverted feeling-sensation (EFS).
Thus, the 16 Jungian types for each of the quadrants are as follows (the MSS-J16 personality type model):
Those who share a primary mode, represented by a shared quadrant of the mode-representative circle, are best positioned to form sustainable close relationships, both romantic and platonic – put another way, they mostly just ‘get’ one another. Thus, we could say that those who share our primary mode are those with whom we have primary compatibility.
We have secondary compatibility with those whose primary mode is in a quadrant adjacent to our primary mode, or quadrant, on the mode-representative circle. Their modes could be said to be complementary to ours, in that communication with them may not be as natural and easy as with those with whom we share a primary mode or quadrant, but communication – while sometimes challenging – is possible, especially when we are aware of our modal disposition. With the added awareness that complementarity is the basis of optimal individual and collective functioning, we are well positioned to people our lives mostly with those in our shared quadrants and complementary modes, and quadrants.
Communication with those in the quadrant diagonal to ours will typically be the most challenging (Pascal 41-43). Yet, communication with those whose mode, or quadrant, is diagonal to ours will be optimized with an awareness of our modal disposition. The potential for constructive communication will be amplified with specific acquired communication skills and the involvement, where and when necessary, of a person from one of our adjacent (or complementary) modes (or quadrants), acting as an intermediary, or ‘personality-complementary intermediary’.
References
Pascal, E. 1994 Jung to Live by
Sharp, D. 1987 Personality Type
Note: The publications in the above 'References' list (and more on personality typology) are available for purchase from the 'Publications' page of the Mode State Stage website.
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