The best way to think of complexes, is that just as the ego is itself a complex, and our main sense of "I"; complexes can be thought of different "ego-states", or lesser senses of "I" partially dissociated from each other (Dissociation is what becomes the familiar "multiple personality" disorders when it is too great, yet is quite normal in lesser degrees. This concept is from an Austrian psychologist Paul Federn, who also articulated a “Two Energy Theory” that basically corresponds to the attitudes. This paper: http://www.ptintensive.com/images/Journal_3-2_Ego_Surrender.pdf ("Ego Strengthening and Ego Surrender" Diane Zimberoff, M.A. and David Hartman, MSW) and the book Ego States: Theory and Therapy, John G. and Helen H. Watkins, W. W. Norton & Company, New York, 1997 explain this well). One ego state can be anger at someone, and another can be happiness, or sadness, amorous, etc. These all are kinds of "ruling patterns" (archetypes) connected to the limbic system of emotions. Through them, we can have different expressions of "I" that feel different things.
So we can think of lesser senses of "I" that constellate and tend to "use" these other functions, at certain times. Thus "we develop an inferiority complex around the inferior function, a superiority complex around the superior function, a 'best auxiliary' complex (the caretaker) around the auxiliary function, and an 'eternal child' complex around the tertiary function." (Beebe)
So to sum it up, the so-called "type stack" consists of the eight functions-attitudes being carried by eight different "complexes", or "parts of ourselves", representing different senses of "I"; each having its own "agenda", which it seeks through the associated functional perspective:
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Extraverted Sensing Obviosity |
Introverted Sensing Familiarity |
Extraverted iNtuition Implications |
Introverted iNtuition hunchery |
Extraverted Thinking authority |
Introverted Thinking expedience |
Extraverted Feeling Fellowship |
Introverted Feeling contentment |
|
|
Hero Ego’s dominant achiever |
ESP Lives to experience the current tangible world |
ISJ Lives by known experience |
ENP Lives to imagine possibilities of objects |
INJ Lives by internal impressions |
ETJ Lives by externally necessitated logical order |
ITP Lives to relish internal "truth" |
EFJ Lives by external personal harmony |
IFP Lives to relish internal values |
|
Parent The part of us that seeks to impart ego’s knowledge |
ISP Seeks to share physical experience |
ESJ Seeks to share familiar knowledge |
INP Seeks to share ideas for objects |
ENJ Seeks to share insights |
ITJ Seeks to share means’ of logical order |
ETP External engagement colored by internal logic |
IFJ Seeks to impart social harmony |
EFP Seeks to impart sense of "humanity" |
|
Child The part of us that seeks relief and nurses old wounds |
ENJ Finds relief through physical activity |
INP Finds relief through nostalgia |
ESJ Finds relief through imagining with objects |
ISP Finds relief through internal impressions |
EFP Finds relief through establishing logical order |
IFJ Finds relief in logical frameworks |
ETP Finds relief in social harmony |
ITJ Finds relief in internal values and likes |
|
Inferior The part of us that feels inferior and looks up to life |
INJ Feels inferior in physical reality |
ENP Feels inferior regarding factual information |
ISJ Feels inferior in totally "open" situations |
ESP Feels inferior in pondering deep meanings |
IFP Feels inept with logical order, but aims to serve others |
EFJ Feels inferior with logical principles |
ITP Feels inferior in social situations |
ETJ Feels inferior regarding personal integrity |
|
Warrior /Amazon [OP]The part of us that attacks obstacles to ego’s drive |
ISJ Sees emergent reality as an obstacle |
ESP Sees reliance on prior knowledge as obstacle |
INJ Sees "open" ideas as obstacle to vision |
ENP Sees internal closure of ideas as obstacle |
ITP Sees external logical authority as obstacle. |
ETJ Sees ‘subjective’ logic as hindrance to goals |
IFP Sees external values as hindrance to the self |
EFJ Sees internal needs as obstacle to harmony |
|
Senex/Crone ("Critical parent")The part of us seeking to be negative and find fault |
ESJ Looks for faults in sensory environs |
ISP Looks for faults in history |
ENJ Looks for faults in open ideas |
INP Looks to find fault using internal impressions |
ETP Looks to find faults in logical order |
ITJ Looks to find fault in others’ subjective logic |
EFP Looks to find fault in social values |
IFJ Looks to find fault in personal values |
|
Trickster The part of us that seeks to get out of double binds, and reverse them onto others |
INP Seeks tangible reality to seek or create distortions of facts |
ENJ Uses past knowledge to seek or create distortions of fact |
ISP Would use objective ideas to find or create traps |
ESJ Uses internal impressions to prove negative thoughts or feelings |
IFJ Uses objective authority to seek or create distortions of truth |
EFP Use internal principles to seek or create distortions of truth |
ITJ Pays attention to social values to anticipate traps or trap others |
ETP Uses internal values to seek or create distortions of right and wrong |
|
Demon The part of us that hates ourselves, God, others, and wants to destroy |
ENP Will take impulsive action when threatened |
INJ Ignores past until using it to undermine someone else’s position |
ESP Objective possibilities are a threat and are imagined under stress |
ISJ Will use hunches to undermine self or others |
EFJ Will order the environment in a rash way that causes disharmony |
IFP Will undermine self and others with internal principles |
ETJ Will wield social values as a weapon against others |
ITP Will react to universal violations of values and regard life as worthless |