A cognitive function “grip” refers to a psychological state in which a person experiences an overwhelming or unhealthy dominance of their inferior cognitive function—one of the four main functions (thinking, feeling, sensing, or intuition) in Carl Jung’s theory of psychological types, often used in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).
In Jungian psychology, individuals have a “primary” or dominant cognitive function, supported by auxiliary and tertiary functions, while the inferior function is the least developed and often remains unconscious. However, the inferior function can take over under stress or specific conditions, leading to a “grip” experience. This can cause feelings of being out of control, irrational, and uncharacteristic behavior for the person, as they are operating through a cognitive process they are least comfortable with.
These grip experiences are often associated with stress or exhaustion, highlighting the tension between a person’s dominant way of interacting with the world and their lesser-used inferior cognitive processes.
Introverted Intuition (Ni)
Dominant Types (e.g., INTJ, INFJ)
- Inferior Function: Extraverted Sensing (Se)
- Grip Experience:
- Ni-dominant types may become overly absorbed in sensory experiences when in a grip. This could manifest as binge eating, impulsive shopping, or becoming obsessed with physical indulgence. They might focus excessively on what’s happening in the moment, losing their usual long-term vision and insight.
- They could also become fixated on minute details, losing track of the broader context or the future-oriented thinking they usually excel in.
Extraverted Thinking (Te)
Dominant Types (e.g., ENTJ, ESTJ)
- Inferior Function: Introverted Feeling (Fi)
- Grip Experience:
- In a grip, Te-dominant types might experience a sudden surge of intense emotions, feeling uncharacteristically vulnerable or even guilty. They may struggle with self-worth and become overly sensitive to criticism.
- Instead of their usual decisiveness and logic, they may make irrational decisions based on emotions, feeling overwhelmed by subjective concerns like personal values, which generally take a backseat.
Introverted Feeling (Fi)
Dominant Types (e.g., INFP, ISFP)
- Inferior Function: Extraverted Thinking (Te)
- Grip Experience:
- Fi-dominant types may become rigid and obsessed with structure, rules, and external systems. They might start over-planning and micromanaging, losing their usual flexibility and spontaneity.
- They may feel a desperate need to control situations and make decisions quickly, overriding their typical preference for considering deeper values and emotional harmony.
Extraverted Intuition (Ne)
Dominant Types (e.g., ENFP, ENTP)
- Inferior Function: Introverted Sensing (Si)
- Grip Experience:
- Ne-dominant types may become unusually focused on routine, past experiences, or specific memories when in a grip. They may get stuck on old traditions, feel overly nostalgic, or even become perfectionistic about minor details.
- Instead of their usual creative and idea-oriented thinking, they may feel paralyzed by memories of past failures or become overly cautious about moving forward.
Introverted Thinking (Ti)
Dominant Types (e.g., INTP, ISTP)
- Inferior Function: Extraverted Feeling (Fe)
- Grip Experience:
- Ti-dominant types might be overly concerned with how others perceive them, feeling an unusual and intense need for social approval. They might start worrying about group harmony or emotional dynamics, which they usually find distracting.
- They may experience bursts of emotional expression that feel out of control, struggling with interpersonal conflict in ways that seem alien to their typical preference for detached logic.
Extraverted Feeling (Fe)
Dominant Types (e.g., ENFJ, ESFJ)
- Inferior Function: Introverted Thinking (Ti)
- Grip Experience:
- Fe-dominant types may become overly critical or nit-picky, focusing on analyzing things in an uncharacteristically detached, even harsh, manner. They may become obsessed with logic, trying to pick apart details or facts to an unhealthy extent.
- They could lose touch with their usual focus on harmony and connection, retreating into cold, analytical decision-making and rejecting emotional input.
Extraverted Sensing (Se)
Dominant Types (e.g., ESFP, ESTP)
- Inferior Function: Introverted Intuition (Ni)
- Grip Experience:
- Se-dominant types might experience a sudden and overwhelming dread about the future, getting lost in catastrophic thoughts or abstract, often unrealistic, possibilities. They may feel paranoid or preoccupied with hidden meanings and long-term consequences.
- Instead of their usual in-the-moment, action-oriented mindset, they may withdraw into excessive introspection and overanalyze the future in a foreign way.
Introverted Sensing (Si)
Dominant Types (e.g., ISFJ, ISTJ)
- Inferior Function: Extraverted Intuition (Ne)
- Grip Experience:
- Si-dominant types may become overwhelmed by a flood of possibilities, feeling anxious or paralyzed by too many what-ifs. They might start imagining worst-case scenarios, becoming irrationally fearful of potential outcomes that are highly unlikely.
- Typically grounded in routine and tradition, they may find themselves trying to adapt to every new idea or change, but in a chaotic and disoriented way, without their usual structure.
In each case, individuals in a grip feel like they are acting out of character because they use the cognitive function they are least comfortable with. This experience is often triggered by stress or burnout and can be a sign that they must step back and take care of their overall well-being.
***