Type 7: Notepad for the Collective

[Animal]

Share your ideas, questions and musings about Type 7.
Discuss the meaning of the type & how it manifests.
Address misconceptions.
Debate is welcome.

Discussion of Exemplars is welcome - but if it turns into a typing thread for someone, the mods can move the posts to a separate thread.

[Animal]

7s and Depression

Old perc post - 07-20-2016

7s primary defense mechanism is rationalization. If they're depressed right now, they might tell themselves "It's ok, things will get better" or "last time I was depressed, I got through it. " They can also crash down REALLY REALLY damn hard because of all the pain they've been avoiding... coming down like an avalanche.

Moody temperament & mood swings & severe "down" episodes every few days can be very 7ish. Also, the 4-like attitude of "pleasure in wallowing" is actually more 7-like than 4-like. 4s wallow because it's authentic, not because it's pleasurable. 7s do everything for pleasure. I saw a 7 on another forum writing "Even my pain is an escape from my pain." They can love emotions and wallowing because it's better than being empty, bored, and stagnating. Intensity is always preferable to a 7 than boredom or stagnation, whether it's positive or negative at surface. The moody fluctuation between joy and pain is characteristic of Sx 7, especially 7w6. Though it can affect other 7s too.

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Editor's note: I want to elaborate on "7s do everything for pleasure." I don't fully agree with myself 4 years ago. ;D I will say more later but the bottom line is that 7s can be very intense, dramatic, and deep in their own suffering - but they won't stay with it to the point of stagnation. Fours reach the sublime through expressing and exploring their suffering, being at one with death, sorrow and pain - but they have no plan to escape it. 7s may dive into these topics, but ultimately this is another intense experience that helps them avoid stagnating. Sylvia Plath for instance is a 7w6 with a 4 fix, often mistaken for a four.