Why do equally intelligent people see the world so differently? In Psychological Types, Jung argues that durable “attitudes” (introversion or extraversion) and four core functions—thinking, feeling, sensation, intuition—shape how we perceive and judge reality. He situates this map within philosophy, theology, and literature, showing how type colours arguments, faith, and art across centuries.

Each of us leans on a dominant attitude and function, supported by auxiliaries. For instance: the inferior function gets sidelined, then surfaces in dreams, slips, and stress. Jung separates rational (evaluative) functions from irrational (perceptual) ones, and uses clinical vignettes and cultural readings to show how typology clarifies creativity, conflict, and the work of individuation. Crucially, it’s a descriptive compass, not a cage.

Jung’s framework helps you read your own biases with more charity, navigate other people’s behaviour with less friction, and place modern type systems in deeper, more nuanced context.