Defense Mechanisms and Cognitive Distortions in the 9 Types

Introduction

As humans, our ways of life, philosophies and perspectives on life act as a lens that we filter and distort everything through, these distortions are not necessarily wrong or dysfunctional, they are rather survival strategies and tools we create in order to aid us make our decisions and maneuver life, the complexity of personalities give way to a certain perceptual or cognitive distortion that is unique to each and every personality, these cognitive distortions show us the perceptual field that each individual experiences, what they register and what they do not register, the 27 subtypes will have their nuance and blend of perceptual distortions however they can be summarized in the 9 types, each type centers around a certain blend of distortions and essentially, life philosophies.

Given our complex nature and the fact that we consist of a multitude of mechanisms and patterns of cognition, understanding ones own cognitive biases, distortions and life philosophies will allow each individual to grasp self awareness and will offer a certain objectivity that can be valuable.

What are these distortions made of?

The essence of these distortions are all cognitive and affective, meaning that they are a result of thoughts, emotional management and the subconscious affects of our psyche, think of it as a lens that each individual has and that in which they view the world and themselves in, its their “eyes” in a sense, one of if not their most valuable tool, in the following document, I will parse each of the 9 type’s cognitive profile along with its distortions, biases and blind spots.

Before we do so, I have to explain what these distortions are caused by and made from, essentially they are caused by the following:

trauma -> reaction -> defense mechanism -> life philosophy and cognition

Our defense mechanisms, irrational fears (neurosis) and environment causes us to develop these distortions and while they do have their important uses, such as allowing adaptation and survival, transcending them is the ultimate goal of our efforts in life, as doing so will open the horizon to the truth of life and its true nuances and will set us free of our own chains.

The Type 1

Trauma:

For the over idealistic type 1, their trauma is a constellation of impressions they got from their formative environment that can be summed up by the following: “My needs need to be suppressed”, instinct, emotion and their body gets abruptly suppressed, in a rather ruthless fashion, they fragment such parts of themselves and identify with a certain intellectual superiority, a variant of intellectualism that over controls their psyche and body, along with the environment around them, the thought is, if I over control then all will be “safe”, this trauma forces their intellectual “fragment” to rule over, regulate and suppress all other parts of their psyche and body, this black and white perception is reinforced with similar traumatic experiences until the psyche adapts with said defense mechanisms and the pattern eventually solidifies.

Defense Mechanism:

The arsenal of defenses that the type 1 utilizes is in its essence, is an overidentification with the super-ego and the profound devaluation of the ego and the ID, what this means is that the individual adopts the "transcended" aspects and philosophies of morality and believes that if they enforce them, they will overcome the “lesser” aspects of existence, such as rage, eroticism and impulse, as doing so will free them of their own sense of anguish, a sense of anguish that resulted from their needs not being met. Thus, the type 1 similar to their counterparts the 9 and 8, minimize their needs and deafen them with over control and over regulation. As one can understand, this creates the most compulsive and hyper regulated personality of all the personalities, if clinical, can overlap with conditions such as OCPD and OCD.

Resulting Perception:

Understanding these defense mechanisms, one can understand the extent of the cognitive distortion that this type exhibits, they develop a certain life philosophy and value system that prioritizes certainty, correctness and self control over ambiguity, chaos and spontaneity. Their perception focuses on the procedural, systematic and intellectual aspects of life, whilst dismissing the chaotic, emotional and sentimental aspects of life, this creates a certain dry, principles based and pragmatic cognitive distortion that misses all the recreational aspects of our lives, they are in a sense, blind to the meaningless, recreational and spiritual aspects of our lives, they systemize themselves and their cognition to a point of a profound imbalance that is unique to the type 1.

Life Philosophy:

Life philosophy centers around perfectionisms, correctness of action and the relentless importance of self control, discipline is the only true way of being and the succumbing to impulse and pleasures are the biggest sin of all, in a sense, discipline becomes a passion and an identity that this type embodies, whilst looking down on the animalistic and irrational aspects of life and other humans, a certain intellectual superiority arises, the compulsion to correct what is “wrong” and to mold life around them to a set of principles using zeal and determination.

Strengths and Weaknesses:

While this individual can be the enforcer of order against chaos, they might become blind to the beauty, irrationality and simplicity of life and its sensations, this disciplinary life mission can run the risk of devaluing the spirituality and simple pleasures that life can bring about, nonetheless, their life philosophy is an essential and needed force in life, they are the gatekeepers, principle setters and law enforcers that our society needs. The hypertrophied intellectualism and over controlling aspect of this type can create unforeseen side-effects, such as somatic complaints such as headaches and bodily ailments.

The Type 2

Trauma:

The trauma for the type 2, like all other types is complicated, it is not necessarily a single event that causes the creation of defense mechanisms, it is rather, their experiences with the “economy” of relations, the push and pull of being loved as opposed to unloved, needed against not needed and desired against being undesirable, they very early on, get an impression that rejection and competition for love is inevitable, and so the only way to circumvent this is to become needed, to in a sense, become the distributor of this economy rather than it being distributed on them, they are the ones to set relational distance, by a multitude of tools such as seduction, provision and entitlement.

Defense Mechanism:

The type 2 distorts their early concept of “need”, instead of “needing” to be loved, they burry this sense of need and deny it from their psyche, instead, distorting reality and proclaiming to themselves and others that they are in fact, already needed, they develop a certain narcissistic self perception in the hopes of staving away the idea of need itself, rather, they are already needed and desired, with a certain unconscious need for a supply that sustains this perception, a supply of validation, acceptance and desire. The type 2 subconsciously feels worthless, yet consciously operates as non deficient and as if they know no concept of need for love or belonging.

Perceptual Change:

In the lens of the type 2, their cognition and attention shifts to the ever changing dynamics of relations, the underlying economy that governs attraction, fame and acceptance, they develop a certain relational prowess that is centered around the manipulation of sentiment and desire, they form into hyper social creatures, gaging their own and other people’s share of the distribution of the social economy, thus, they can be keen in denouncing attraction and repulsion. This relational hypertrophy however stunts the other aspects of cognition, they substitute the logical and practical in favor of the relational, instead of self reliance, its cooperation, instead of logistics, its their image and instead of intellectualism, its emotional intelligence, making the type 2 one of the most anti-intellectual of the types.

Life Philosophy:

The life philosophy of an individual becomes centered around popularity and being needed, they measure theirs and others value with how needed they are, how respected and appreciated are and how much of the social economy do they hold, this creates an indirect blindness in true value, the value of one’s character and unspoken actions, quiet strength and dignity gets substituted with the superficial values of popularity, validation and desire.

Strengths and Pitfalls:

Type 2s are essential for a working societal structure, they are the judges and distributors of relational matters, they are able to win over opinions, influence consensus and perhaps, possess the biggest capability for enacting social impact, however, their narcissistic patterns can mislead themselves and others, instead of the denial of need and the subsequent unconscious search for validation, type 2s need to redefine their definitions of value and be contempt in their own self perceived value, far from narcissistic exaggeration and over inflation.

The Type 3

Trauma:

For the type 3, it can be the hardest of all the types to isolate their perceived trauma, however it is nonetheless profound and as significant as other personalities. The type 3’s trauma revolves around the erasing of oneself in favor of conformity, “If I conform to the ideal and erase myself, I will be valued”. This Trauma focuses on the identity in its most intrinsic aspects, thus in some aspects, it can be the most severe of the types, even though the defense mechanisms and adaptations make for a rather typical external presentation.

Defense Mechanisms:

The type 3, in their formative years, undergo the gradual erasure of oneself in favor of adopting the social ideal, thus, their presentation is perhaps the most prosocial and typical of all the types, however, its important to note that the more this individual appears typical and congruent, the more that this alludes to the strong grasp of their neurosis. Their defense mechanisms revolve around the conforming to the social ideal for acceptance and validation, this means conforming to femininity, masculinity and all the other ideals that our society holds. This defense mechanism is perhaps the most self forgetting and the most chamelionic of the types. Making them a mirror reflection of our society, for better or worse.

Perceptual Change:

The type 3 is perhaps, the most pragmatic in the literal sense of the word, their cognition and focus shifts to what works, what is rewarded. This makes for a profound deficiency in true self expression and the perception of value in the non pragmatic aspects of life, making the individual but a pragmatic husk of what one should be, this over valuation of what works can make for the most superficial of the types, valuing success and beauty whilst devaluing the opposite in all aspects of life, in many ways, they can miss the point of life.

Life Philosophy:

Their life philosophy become hinged on the pragmatic and practical, what one might realize is that in the type 3, the ends justify the means, thus for the type 3, they are susceptible to a certain machiavellian and dishonest way of life, where intrinsic morality and a moral compass is not rewarded, thus is perceived as devalued and not important, as opposed to traits that are valued by our society, such as financial success, beauty and status, this can create a false sense of superiority once these rewards are achieved, creating a possibility of social isolation which for the type 3, is one of its biggest irrational fears.

Strengths and Pitfalls:

The type 3 is the dynamic glue that keeps our social reward systems and push for success possible, they embody the ideals of our society but at the cost of their true selves, they replace their true selves with what is rewarded in society, creating perhaps one of the most superficial personalities that end up missing the joys of true self expression and individualism.

The Type 4

Trauma:

The type 4 experienced a certain wound in one of the most important aspects of our human psyche, that would be belonging, they experienced a profound lack of social belonging that overpowered the formative psyche, this leads to a certain personal insecurity in their worth and value in the eyes of others, creating a self perception of a lacking, deficient and essentially ugly self that stands out from the rest. The type 4 perhaps, experiences the most loneliness and isolation from all the types, since they had a profound feeling of lack of belonging. The type 4 in an objective sense, experiences the worst self image, they introject early rejections and abandonment into an identity that is unescapable.

Defense Mechanisms:

The type 4 in a clinical sense, experiences something called internalization, neuroticism and affective negativity is internalized and cemented into their self perception, they absorb negativity and solidify it into their identities, explaining the “ugly” self perception, this however, fuels a profound overcompensation that is driven by envy, an overcompensation revolved around the concept of “elitism”, they turn deficiency into pride, thus normalizing their introjective world view into a more sustainable and stable presentation, this feeling of lack however is hiding a way a pervasive insecurity, one of a feeling of not fitting, a sense of deep and psychological alienation that is as significant as it is hard to escape.

Perceptual Change:

The perception of the type 4 follows the isolationist existence they embody and ends up producing a unique and non typical cognitive distortion, their cognition focuses on the “unique”, “macabre” and non typical aspects of life as a whole, they embody imperfection with pride and this cognitive bias is showcased in the interests and preferences they hold.

Life Philosophy:

The type 4 as a result, has perhaps, the most individualistic life philosophy of all the types, this life philosophy is anchored on self expression, the going against the grain and the appreciation of imperfection, the introjective and internalizing nature of the type can create certain overcompensative philosophies such as “being different is good”, “norms are boring” and “standing out is better than fitting in”.

Strengths and Weaknesses:

Whilst the type 4 can experience true self perception and expression, it can make for a rather non pragmatic and non conducive life philosophy. In opposition to the 3, they lack the necessary pragmatic prowess that allows one to succeed in everyday life, however, it is important to note that with some type 4s, their individuality was powerful enough to shine through and trump norms, establishing new standards of thought and self expression.

The Type 5

Trauma:

The type 5 experienced a certain trauma with the “contact” with life, either due to an indifferent or invasive parental figure, they learned that contact with life is painful and undesirable, this constellation of traumatic experience distances the individual from life, creating a phobic response from sensorics and emotionality. They in a sense, were dealt with an overstimulating and dangerous environment that causes for isolation.

Defense Mechanisms:

The type 5 forms a schizoid defense mechanism that devalues contact and values insulation, they create a cognitive boundary that minimizes the sensoric and affective, relying solely on the cerebral aspects of their being, in a sense, if they understand the world, it is much safer than contacting it, this makes for the schizoid basis that they form themselves on, in a sense, the type 5 subscribes to a concept called “cognitive sovereignty” where they govern their contact with life, insulate it and regulate it.

Perceptual Change:

Cognition becomes introverted, subjectivity trumps extroverted objectivity and a certain rich and deep internal world arises, the sensoric is substituted by ideation and subjective thought, they essentially become perhaps the most introverted type, isolating themselves neurotically from life and falling deep into their own psyche, substituting true experience with ideation, substituting the hard learned lessons of experience with “knowledge”.

Life Philosophy:

A certain philosophy of "knowledge is power” arises, in this philosophy, emotionality and the sensoric is devalued in favor of intellectualisms, this makes for deep thinkers and philosophers, however, it reduces the perceptual range into intellectualism alone, dismissing the other main aspects of life.

Strengths and Weaknesses:

Whilst the type 5 is the most subjective, this fact can however allow the type 5 to conjure up original philosophies and frameworks that are novel and new. The introverted nature can however detach the individual from life and cause a certain hermetic lifestyle that can be hard to escape. The type 5 can also neglect their bodies and spaces, due to the cerebrally reclusive nature of their personality.

The Type 6

Trauma:

The type 6 experienced an introjection of the phobias displayed to them in their formative years, in a sense, fear or phobia for what they stand for, molded the type 6 and became the center emotion that guided their formative years, it can be a fearful parent that instilled the sense of uncertainty and danger that the world could hold, or an insecure environment that cemented phobia in the psyche of the type 6.

Defense Mechanisms:

The type 6 introjected fear and allowed it to be the guiding principle in their lives, they undergo extreme manifestations of behavior restricting fears, where their behaviors and need for exploration gets denied because of the fear of the possibilities that such actions and exploration might bring. In a sense, the type 6 weaponizes fear and allows it to shape and mold them. The type 6 transforms the protective role of the parent to authority in adult life, they believe that authority will ensure their needs and protection will be guaranteed, the same way it was guaranteed by their protective parents, in a sense, the type 6 learns over-dependance and harbors a profound phobia for independence. In the case of the counter-phobic 6, they purposely go against this fear and try to instill independence by the use of courage.

Perceptual Change:

The type 6 develops a hypertrophied sense of threat detection, they live life on edge and wary of all the dangerous possibilities that can arise, thus, they can be the first to sound alarms, this perception however is anxiety inducing and can cause cognitive exhaustion to the individual, they can miss the wonder of life because of their phobic life stance. Type 6s are the most sensitive the changing of social dynamics, they possess powerful scanning abilities and utilize this in spotting danger, they can denote true power and harbor a natural respect for it.

Life Philosophy:

The life philosophy of the type 6 will center around the minimization of threat in favor of stability by any means necessary, a philosophy built on loyalty to authority and the confirming in return of safety and security. This life philosophy is perhaps the most conforming to authority and is embodied by the perfect follower, they however, are not deficient in their self perceived value, their self esteem remains intact in many cases, they are however driven by practical survival instead of the need for validation for its own sake.

Strengths and Weaknesses:

Since the type 6 contains a hypertrophied sense of threat detection, this can make for a most conducive life survival strategy, it will however limit the possibilities for success since life is usually over scanned, with the path of least resistance usually taken. The type 6 can also live in a constant underlying sense of anxiety, a sense of anxiety that fuels all their circumventive attitudes in life.

The Type 7

Trauma:

The type 7 experienced a profound sense of deprivation in the formative years, this sense of deprivation was so profound that it constitutes for the building of their psyche around it. This deprivation could have been material and affective as contrary to what some might think, thus creating a sense of urgency and fear of further deprivation, a fear greater than the need for joy or satisfaction, contrary to what is usually thought of this type, it is rather the fear of deprivation that drives this personality, instead of it being the search for joy.

Defense Mechanisms:

The type 7 uses the dopaminergic effects of enthusiasm and creative ideation in order to combat their fear of deprivation and pain, thus, they will either knowingly or unknowingly, create a cognitive detachment from reality, equating reality with deprivation and pain, this creates an imbalance in the psyche and an over reliance on the cerebral, as opposed to the affective or somatic. This defense mechanism makes the type 7 experience the most cognitive bias out of all the types, bridging a certain gap with schizotypal traits. It can be said that the type 7’s defense mechanism therefore creates a minor “psychosis” that is sustained throughout life. For the type 7, it is not uncommon that they formulate self sustaining dopaminergic loops that sustain their escape from pain, such as the gravitation towards psychedelics or excessive novelty.

Perceptual Change:

This causes the type 7 to equate the possible with the contemporary, they in a sense, view the possible and the real as one in the same, creating a certain impaired component of reality testing in their psyche, they use this dysfunction to stave off the mundaneness of life and the pain that can arise from it.

Life Philosophy:

As opposed to the type 1, the type 7 can create a certain life philosophy centered around escapism and pleasure, not for their own sake, but for their anesthetic properties, this creates a certain cowardice in the face of life, a certain escapism that can bring on the most interesting ideas but runs the risks of making the individual too detached from life.

Strengths and Weaknesses:

The type 7 can bring on the most attractive and intoxicating of perceptions to life, they might be the first to spot the potential in things, given their intuitive preference, but they also run the risk of running so far away from reality, that it creates a dangerous set of unrealistic expectations and a dissatisfaction with the present in favor of what could be, anticipation in a sense, can become significantly more rewarding than having. The type 7 is a dreamer, dreamers are usually rewarded bountifully for their courage, or suffer the very same pain they try to avoid.

The Type 8

Trauma:

The type 8 out of all the types, experienced a sense of profound helplessness and powerlessness at the face of subjugation and injustice, they were likely overpowered by a parental figure and were faced head on with a sense of fragility, causing a certain fragmenting of concepts related to power and powerlessness.

Defense Mechanisms:

The type 8 embraced their impulses as a tool to stave off further powerlessness, they identified with retaliation as opposed to cooperation, making them isolated and independent from greater social existence, they collapse into their own being, creating a sense of narcissism and detachment from others. They identify with “powerful” concepts and devalue “weak” concepts that remind them of their felt fragility, creating a false sense of invincibility.

Perceptual Change:

The type 8 effectively decapitates all sensation and affect which creates a profound inner deadness that is treated with lust, this castrated affective range creates a sensation of “deadness” and inner emptiness that drives the need for stimulation and satisfaction. They adopt a psychopathic life perception that is centered around dominance and subjugation, all in the hopes of survival in a world they perceive as cruel and dangerous. They also have a hypertrophied sensoric and somatic orientation that overpowers all other methods of cognition.

Life Philosophy:

This antisocial life philosophy idealises strength and power over weakness and powerlessness, creating a potent “dog eat dog” mentality that is devoid of humanity, leaving them with a profound affective and spiritual deficiency. Their cognitive patterns revolve around the removal of guilt, the facilitation of oppression, subscribing to a might is right way of life.

Strengths and Weaknesses:

While this life philosophy can facilitate the feelings of invincibility and false confidence, while insuring the deterrence of subjugation, it nonetheless strips the individual away from life itself, its beauty and spirituality, making the individual “dead” amongst the living, a psychological zombie of some sort, with a castrated affective range and spiritual capacity.

The Type 9

Trauma:

The type 9 experienced a traumatic sensation of being overwhelmed by life in their formative years, this feeling stripped them away from their identity, it collapsed their ego and caused the type 9 to neglect their needs fully, since if they have no needs, they essentially cannot be deprived of them. The type 9’s trauma could have been physical in nature or emotional, nonetheless it causes the collapse of their ego and the subsequent traits of self forgetting and psychospiritual inertia.

Defense Mechanisms:

The type 9 adopts the “play dead” defensive strategy that is best seen in the animal kingdom, since if they play dead, then they will not feel or experience anything that can crack their psyche and cement itself as trauma. This in the type 9 creates a deficiency of the self, a deficiency of an inner world and like the 8, a deficiency in spirituality. The type 9 can live life with such a strong anesthetic affect resulting from inertia, that they might practically register no further trauma, this defensive strategy can be best described as the sedation from life.

Perceptual Change:

The type 9’s cognitive focus in a general sense, becomes diluted and muted, stunted in a sense, they can have little emotional awareness, a certain disconnect from their intrinsic needs and a certain self forgetfulness that is pathological in many ways, their experiences of life can be numb and muted, experience life in muted colors as opposed to the wide spectrum, in similarity with the 8, they can live life “dead”.

Life Philosophy:

The type 9 can adopt certain life philosophies that remove the urgency and commitment from life, a life philosophy that is passive and non engaging, reminiscent of hedonism or epicurism, this life philosophy can be extremely adaptable and and conducive to social cohesion, it however lacks substance and meaning.

Strengths and Weaknesses:

Type 9’s can be extraordinary resilient, calm in the face of pressure and don't require a constant source of attention or validation, these resilient qualities can however cause the type 9 to miss out on the meaning and urgency of life, preferring to watch it from the sidelines as opposed to experiencing it fully and fully engaging with it.