Carl Jung's Psycological Types and Personality Styles
While individuals have many similarities, personalities are marked by their differences. Since everything perceived through our senses must be interpreted and organised by each persons unique brain, it is surprising that people get along as well as they do. Since communication in 
a professional setting must involve interactions with the complete span of personalities rather than just those whom we seem to get on with, adaptability is a fundamental asset.
Having a model or learning framework that provides a means of recognising and adapting for differences, helps those with a less than perfect intuitive grasp of interpersonal communication, a means to develop their ability.
Since we use a personality based model to teach communication skills in many of our courses, it seems appropriate to reference the underlying material here. Our preference is to use a model based on Dr Tony Alessandra’s excellent Platinum Rule which in turn leverage's Jungian thinking.
Since Carl Jung's psychological theory is the basis of the most validated personality systems in use today and underpins the model we use, the following facts may be useful.
Carl Jung:
His work continues to be the basis of leading psychometrics assessments in use today including Myers Briggs® and Keirsey.
In addition to inventing the concepts of introvert and extrovert perspectives, Jung defined four types of personal function, known as functional types. These are 'Thinking', 'Feeling', 'Sensation', and 'Intuition'. He classed thinking and feeling as rational functions because they involve evaluation and judgement. Jung referred to the other two functions of sensation and intuition as irrational because they involved perceiving rather than evaluation or judgement.
The following are definitions of the four functions as used by Jung:
Thinking
The rational process of understanding reality in a logical and analytical way. The systematic evaluation of evidence to determine truth. The process is objective to the extent that it is based on intelligence and comprehension. 'Thinking' is the opposite of 'Feeling'.
Feeling
Feeling prompts judgements on a subjective basis. It is a rational way of forming opinion about the acceptability of something and whether it is circumstantially right or wrong. 'Feeling' is the opposite of 'Thinking'.
Intuition
Intuition unconsciously gathers up related and unrelated experiences and details and represents them in ideas and imaginings. It is not constrained by logic and truth. 'Intuition' is the opposite of 'Sensation'.
Sensation
Sensation is concerned with tangible evidence from ones senses translated into factual information. There is no evaluation or assessment of meaning, only perception of what is. 'Sensation' is the opposite of 'Intuition'.
Jung's assertion that each of us use all four types to different degrees is self evident in the differences we perceive in each other and has been shown to be valid by the different responses to the numerous questionnaires designed to evaluate preference. We each have a preference for either thinking or feeling and favour either sensation or intuition. In addition, we have a dominant function, the one that we are most adept at using or most comfortable with.
Combining the his Introvert/Extrovert concept with the four functions led Jung to define eight psychological types. He went on to describe sixteen personality types, based on a dominant function associated with an auxiliary function and biased by either introversion or extroversion.
For the practical purpose of using a model to guide interpersonal communication in routine interactions, some simplification is worthwhile. This led to the model defined in Dr Tony Alessandra’s Platinum Rule and Relationship Strategies books.
The resulting four quadrant model fits nicely into our learning frameworks concept and provides an easy way for students to learn the model. Once learnt, it provides accessible and practical help with interpersonal communication at all levels.
The four quadrants of the model are labelled Dominant Director, Interacting Socialiser, Steady Relater, and Cautious Thinker. The leading letters make up the acronym DISC. This is not the DiSC® model marketed by Inscape however, there are clear similarities with the DISC model developed by Dr William Moulton Marston who wrote 'Emotions Of Normal People' wich was published in 1928.
We use the DISC model in several of our training and coaching courses. It helps people quickly recognise personality differences between themselves and others. Having a way to better understand the way others are experiencing the world creates empathy. Knowing how to adapt allows students to create greater rapport and trust with others.
Article by Clive Miller
Questions and comments to clive@salestrainingservices.co.uk