The researchers · Dr. John Beebe
Why the same function looks different in different people: John Beebe's model of eight positions, each carrying its own role in the personality.
From Beebe to OnType
John Beebe, a Jungian analyst and psychiatrist, extended Jung's types into a model where every type uses all eight function-attitudes in a fixed order. He linked each position to an archetypal role, beginning with the Hero: the dominant function, and the part of the personality a person leads with.
The first four positions form the conscious ego. The last four form the shadow: the same four functions with the opposite attitude, which surface under stress or in defensive moments. This explains why two people who share a function can use it in completely different ways.
OnType calls these positions the cognitive attitudes. Each attitude changes how a function is expressed, and pairing the two gives a cognitive expression. An ENTJ's Te in the Hero position is heroic with what others think; the same person's Fi in the Aspirational position is afraid of how they feel.
The model at a glance
OnType's name for each position, with its expression.
Positions 1–4 form the ego. Positions 5–8 form the shadow: each shadows the position four places above it.
In OnType's model
In OnType's model, awareness and optimism fall as you move down the stack, and the lower positions carry more worry and doubt. The Hero is the most capable and confident, though it can be overused. The Aspirational begins as the weakest ego function, yet with humility and practice it can become a person's greatest strength.
More on the model: Jung: functions · Keirsey: temperaments · Berens: interaction styles · C.S. Joseph: four sides
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