It is hard for people new to Jung/Myers theory to understand the concept of preference, for example coming out as a Thinker only means you have a preference for Thinking and you also frequently use your ability to use your Feeling function. This idea of ‘both/and’ rather than ‘either/or’ runs all through Jung’s works.
In the last while I have been trying to get a grasp of the concept of the Shadow sufficiently so I can convey it to others. John Beebe is one of the main Jungians who has combined the concepts of the Shadow and Jung’s archetypes. Unfortunately, Beebe has not yet published in a book form his ideas. In Living with Paradox Singer outlines Beebe’s theory relating an archetype to each of the dynamic functions of a Type: Dominant - Hero, Auxiliary - Good Parent, Tertiary - Puer/Puella, and Inferior - Anima/Animus; and the Shadow Functions: 5-Opposing Personality, 6-Witch/Senex, 7-Trickster, and 8-Demon/Daemon. It’s a start, but I still need much more detail to have a comfortable understanding of the theory and its applications.
Jungian theory advocates individuation, the constant development of all one’s possibilities, but never perfection. Developing all of the eight functions helps in this process. Jung wrote Psychological Types relatively early in his study of the mind. In his later life archetypes were more important to him. He did not focus on determining someone’s Type as practitioners of Jung/Myers theory do. Jungian therapy is not a technique but rather a habitual way of relating to a client and the world in general.
Jung was a very complex man and Singer has tried to present Jung’s theories in relation to his life and personality. Jung discovered his theories from his own struggles with life and from trying to help his patients. The author also tackles the three main criticisms of Jung’s work: his seeming anti-Semitism, his relationships with his female patients, and his ideas relating to gender.
Having read several books on Jung, including the cartoon book Jung for Beginners, I do not find his theories easy to understand. Singer has covered a lot of territory in this introductory book that is well worth the effort of reading. She clarifies many of Jung’s concepts, but it would take a great deal more that one book to grasp Jung. You may find that this book entices you to do more study on Jung’s ideas.
A tip: As you read this book, write down the definitions of new words. It will help you keep them straight as you meet them over and over again. (Quick, what does ‘enantiodromia’ mean?)