Let’s be clear, the unconscious functions are more difficult to identify than the conscious ones, therefore, if you have already identified the Second and Third functions for yourself, it will be easier for you than identifying the Fourth function from scratch. But even here, there is a possibility of confusing the Fourth and the First functions. In this situation, a reliable indicator will be a person’s behavior in a stressful situation. In all other cases, the First and the Fourth functions can be indistinguishable. How does each of the Fourth functions behave in stressful situations and in ordinary life?
Fourth Physics
Fourth Physics in critical situations become indifferent to the physical world – they don’t eat, sleep, shower, etc. However, for some of them, this is also typical in ordinary life, but there they can be taught to cook for themselves and take breaks from sitting at the computer for sleep. But if 4F gets passionate about feelings, goals, ideas, then they can’t even swallow a piece of food, and there is insomnia, and in general – why distract oneself with the ephemeral world when there is so much more interesting stuff around? There is a stereotype that 4F is “logs,” and it is not so far from reality. They can be moved, fed, dressed, and they may not even notice it. But at the same time, Fourth Physics are prone to “infecting” themselves with someone else’s physical energy. In the company of subjective Physics, they can become athletes, hedonists, passionate lovers, or greedy wealth accumulators. But their motivation requires constant replenishment from outside, otherwise, it will run out.
Fourth Volition
Fourth Volition becomes will-less, waiting for decisions and active actions from others. At this moment, it can be forced to do anything, stubbornness disappears somewhere, but if you don’t make it do anything, it will hang in an apathetic state and “detach” itself by its upper functions: eat goodies, have tantrums, or contemplate. In the usual state, 4V is a cute, relaxed person who allows others to be themselves in his company. He can take on leadership, but only if it is “assigned” to him by others, and hardly by his own will, because he dislikes the effort and responsibility. It is believed that Fourth Volitions have no ambitions – this is not true. But they find it easier to realize their ambitions alone, without responsibility “for the common cause.” Moreover, 4V can “infect” you with their dreams and plans with prolonged exposure, then they will help you in their implementation.
Fourth Emotion
Fourth Emotion individuals are surprisingly calm in critical situations. That is, they think rationally, act and understand the situation. They are very stress-resistant. At such moments, it seems that they have no weaknesses and nothing can touch them, as if they were robots rather than humans. But this approach does not always justify itself: for example, if a stressful situation is a relationship clarification, a partner may expect some emotional reactions, but 4E does not show them. On the other hand, in a relaxed state, Fourth Emotion individuals are capable of absorbing other people’s emotions and vividly reflecting them on their faces, becoming a “meme person.” They can be very loud and noisy, to the point that they can be mistaken for First Emotion individuals. But if you take a closer look, you can notice that for 1E, emotions are a reflection of their inner world, energy that breaks outwards, while for 4E, it is a reflection of the atmosphere created by the feelings of those around them. 4E will never be sad in a cheerful company – they will easily join in the general fun.
Fourth Logic
Fourth Logic individuals are those who are lazy to think. They tend to adopt someone else’s opinion, and in everyday life, they filter their sources of information, choosing the most authoritative ones. But in a stressful situation, 4L become capable of believing anything without any filters. Such people usually create panic because of absurd rumors, as Physics, Emotion, and Volition, which are higher up in the function stack, immediately come into play and act based on the received information. In a normal situation, Fourth Logic individuals can look like smart interlocutors, at least, they have clear and simple formulations and a similar simple understanding of the world. But if you ask 4L to explain or argue their opinion, you immediately realize the lack of cause-and-effect relationships in their worldview, simply because they are too lazy to strain and think them through.