Achilles Tendencies

Understanding Human Strength and Frailty

By Roger E. Bissell

Volume 1: Personal Attitudes and Skills

1.  Judging Attitudes (T/F + J/P) – communication and relationship styles – this section is based on my 1999 APT International paper exploring dysfunctional communication and relationships and the Judging modes.  In this section, I explore the relationship of certain unhealthy behaviors to type.  Defensive communication and codependent behavior are extremely widespread in our society.   This presentation reveals that they result from the breakdown of normal Judging and Perceiving styles of relating.  The foundation of my approach is a new characterization of the Judging and Perceiving preferences in terms of “engaged” and “disengaged.” I describe the normal ranges of these preferences and define four behavioral variants (which I call Judging modes) in terms of the Thinking and Feeling functions:  a. extraverted Thinking (which I abbreviate as TJ) and extraverted Feeling (FJ) are relatively “engaged” Judgment modes.  b. introverted Thinking (TP), and introverted Feeling (FP) are relatively “disengaged” Judgment modes.   Following Virginia Satir and various “recovery” (codependency) writers, I view the various kinds of defensive communication and codependency as falling into four distinct groups. I maintain that the primary connection between such groupings and type lies in the four Judgment modes -- i.e., in the four modes of Thinking and Feeling. Because each type is a dynamic, shifting constellation of all eight functions, the connection between behavior and type is merely one of probability or likelihood. The true causal connection is between behavior and function. Specifically:  a. Blaming and “persecuting” behavior result from unhealthy use of the relatively “engaged” TJ (extraverted Thinking) mode -- whether or not persons doing so have these letters in their MBTI profile. Similarly, Placating and “door matting” stem from unhealthy “engaged” FJ (extraverted Feeling) functioning.  b. On the other hand, Computer (or Super-Reasonable) and “freeze-out” result from unhealthy use of the relatively “disengaged” TP (introverted Thinking) mode. In parallel, Distracter and “walk-out” stem from unhealthy “disengaged” FP (introverted Feeling) functioning.   We all engage in all four of the Judging modes to some extent.  a. Thus, we all have the potential to engage in any of the behaviors that derive from unhealthy use of those functions.   b. This potential, however, varies from type to type. That is, while any type can fall prey to any of these behaviors, each type has a tendency to be most vulnerable to certain of them, specifically, the ones associated with the Judging mode that type most strongly prefers. (The likelihood of that tendency winning out over others may prove to be directly proportional to the strength of that preference.)  The cause and remedy of such unhealthy functioning are inversely related.  a. The cause seems to lie in the overly narrow use of a particular Judging mode. When a Judging mode is used without the needed relevant input from the other Judging modes, a person becomes somewhat blinded or tunnel-visioned and operates at a more-or-less severe handicap.  b. The remedy is found in more cooperation and balance between the various Judging modes, which will lead to a broader awareness and expression of one’s thoughts and feelings.

1. Perceiving Attitudes (S/N + J/P) – learning styles – in this section, which is a sequel to section 1 to my 1999 APT International paper on dysfunctional communication and relationships and the Judging modes, I explore the relationship of certain unhealthy cognitive activities to type. The foundation of my approach is the Judging and Perceiving preferences, their normal ranges, and the four cognitive variants (which I call Perceiving modes) in terms of the Sensing and Intuiting functions: Extraverted Sensing (which I abbreviate as SP), Extraverted Intuiting (NP), Introverted Sensing (SJ), and Introverted Intuiting (NJ). We all engage in all four of the Perceiving modes to some extent. Thus, we all have the potential to engage in any of the cognitive dysfunctions that derive from unhealthy use of those functions. This potential, however, varies from type to type. That is, while any type can fall prey to any of these cognitive dysfunctions, each type has a tendency to be most vulnerable to certain of them, specifically, the ones associated with the Perceiving mode that type most strongly prefers. (The likelihood of that tendency winning out over others may prove to be directly proportional to the strength of that preference.) The cause and remedy of such unhealthy functioning are inversely related. The cause seems to lie in the overly narrow use of a particular Perceiving mode. When a Perceiving mode is used without the needed relevant input from the other Perceiving modes, a person becomes somewhat blinded or tunnel-visioned and cognitively operates at a more-or-less severe handicap. The remedy is found in more cooperation and balance between the various Perceiving modes, which will lead to a clearer and broader awareness of one's inner and outer worlds of experience.
2. Sociability Attitudes (E/I + J/P) – behavior or interaction styles
3. Mental Skills (S/N + T/F) – gross motor, fine motor, verbal, intellectual

Volume 2: Secular and Religious Belief Systems

1. Libertarianism and other political philosophies
2. Objectivism and other philosophical systems
3. Alcoholics Anonymous and other spiritual systems
4. Humanism, atheism, and organized religion