Typological models of Karen Horney and Carl Jung
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The narcissistic type >>>
As part of the project "Personality Typology in the Work of a Psychologist," we are launching a series of articles "Typological models of Karen Horney and Carl Jung." In these articles, we will compare Karen Horney's psychoanalytic types with Carl Jung's types.
One of the objectives of the project "Personality Typology in the Work of a Psychologist" is to show the connection between Jung's types and psychoanalytic types and personality disorders.
We decided to start the review of psychoanalytic types with the descriptions of Karen Horney, since in her works the types are described in an easy to understand language.
In her last book, “Neurosis and Human Growth” (1950), Karen Horney describes various neurotic character types (or structures), which she divides into three groups: Expansive, Self-effacing, and Resigned. She includes the Narcissistic, Perfectionist, and Arrogant-Vindictive types among the Expansive types.
• NARCISSISTIC type
• PERFECTIONISTIC type (Obsessive-Compulsive)
• ARROGANT-VINDICTIVE type (Sadistic)
• SELF-EFFACING type (Masochistic)
• RESIGNED type (Passive-Aggressive)
Within the Self-effacing group, as well as within the Resigned group, two autonomous types can be distinguished. Thus, Karen Horney describes approximately 7 autonomous personality types.
Horney believed that several neurotic types could be combined in a person.
Carl Jung, in his book “Psychological Types” (1921), describes the dynamics of neurotic processes for 8 character types. The 8 types are combined in a certain way, and their combination gives 16 subtypes.
Both Karen Horney and Carl Jung believed that effective therapy requires an understanding of the client's personality structure, or psychological type.
Horney wrote “In the framework of my psychological theories the NEUROTIC CHARACTER STRUCTURE is central. And so my criteria for "types" cannot be this or that symptomatic picture, or this or that individual trend. It can be only the peculiarities of a whole neurotic structure.” (1)
She emphasized: “For the analyst a knowledge of the basic characteristics is of great help in sizing up the whole picture quickly. When one or another of them strikes our attention we must look for the others; and we are reasonably sure to find them… They are not a series of unrelated peculiarities but a closely interknit structure. It is, at least in its basic composition, a picture of great consistency and unity, looking as if it had been painted in one hue.” (2)
“We could almost predict in a neurotic individual the kind of difficulties he is likely to have in his work — provided we are familiar with his character structure.” (3)
Jung believed that knowledge of typology could help a practicing psychologist "avoid many serious blunders in dealing with his patients." (4)
Jung notes: “For I have frequently observed the way in which a physician, in the case for instance of an exclusively intellectual subject, will do his utmost to develop the feeling function directly out of the unconscious. This attempt must always come to grief, since it involves too great a violation of the conscious standpoint. Should such a violation succeed, there ensues a really compulsive dependence of the patient upon the physician, a 'transference' … But the approach to the unconscious and to the most repressed function is disclosed, as it were, of itself, and with more adequate protection of the conscious standpoint, when the way of development is via the secondary function.” (5)
Narcissism is one of the most confusing concepts of psychoanalysis. This term has multiple meanings. In this article, we will not explore the different definitions of the term or the various theories regarding the origins of narcissism. We will examine the narcissistic type described by Karen Horney and the corresponding type described by Carl Jung.
It is important to distinguish between narcissistic character traits and a narcissistic character structure. Any personality type can exhibit narcissistic character traits; however, only one personality type possesses a narcissistic character structure. The approach to a patient with a narcissistic character structure will differ from the approach to a patient with a schizoid character structure who exhibits narcissistic traits.
Horney writes: “I use term narcissism with some hesitation, because in the classic Freudian literature it includes rather indiscriminately every kind of self-inflation, egocentricity, anxious concern with one’s welfare, and withdrawal from others. I would be inclined to differentiate now between self-idealization and narcissism, using the latter in the sense of feeling identified with one's idealized self. Self-idealization occurs in all neuroses and represents an attempt to solve early inner conflicts. Narcissism on the other hand is one of the several solutions of the conflict between expansive and self-effacing drives. More precisely: the person is his idealized self and seems to adore it. This basic attitude gives him the buoyancy or the resiliency entirely lacking in the other groups. It gives him a seeming abundance of self-confidence which appears enviable to all those chafing under self-doubts. He has (consciously) no doubts; he is the anointed, the man of destiny, the prophet, the great giver, the benefactor of mankind.” (1)
We cannot examine the narcissistic character structure in general; we can only analyze the description of the narcissistic personality provided by a certain author, since different authors use the word "narcissism" to characterize different personality types. Therefore, in this article, we will examine the narcissistic character structure according to only one author—Karen Horney. In other articles, we may examine descriptions of the narcissistic personality provided by other authors.
Karen Horney describes the narcissistic character structure in her last book, “Neurosis and Human Growth” (1950), across two chapters: 8 and 13. In Chapter 8, "The expansive solutions: the appeal of mastery," the narcissistic type is described in general terms and could correspond to several of Jung's types. In Chapter 13, “Neurotic Disturbances in Work,” the characteristics of the narcissistic type are described in greater detail, making it possible to be associated with a particular Jungian type.
Horney's description of the narcissistic type is here >>>
This description of the narcissistic personality corresponds to one of Jung's eight types — specifically, the extraverted INTUITIVE type (Ne). A modern description of the Ne type at different levels of harmony — ranging from the norm to neurosis — can be found here >>>
Jung discovered that the human psyche has a dual nature, the main function of a type is always balanced by an opposite psychic function. Jung called this complementarity of opposite functions COMPENSATION. More on this here >>>
When we say of an "Ne type," we mean a personality type whose main function is Ne, which is complemented and balanced by an inferior (compensatory) Si function.
In his book “Psychological Types”, Carl Jung describes a form of neurosis in which an individual seeks stimulation for their main psychic function while repressing the compensatory (inferior) function. This results in one-sidedness and a loss of compensation from the unconscious.
For the Ne type, this manifests as a search for stimuli to satisfy the main function — extraverted INTUITION (Ne) — and the suppression of the compensatory function — introverted SENSATION (Si).
The Ne function is driven by search for novelty (new ideas, adventures, people), excitement, a constant stream of new impressions, fantasizing, and a sense of enchantment and limitless possibilities. Conversely, it involves avoiding anything that hinders this — such as monotony, a lack of change, repetitive work, prolonged focus on a single thing, a lack of lightness, or the restriction of possibilities. The Si function is responsible for contact with the physical world, and a sense of being grounded. As a result of the suppression of the compensatory Si function, a person begins to live in their fantasies, loses contact with reality, has lacks awareness of their body and the physical world, and becomes ungrounded.
It is interesting that Alexander Lowen specifically highlights a lack of grounding when describing the bioenergetic characteristics of this type. Lowen refers to this type as the Oral character (Description of the Oral character here >>>). Lowen’s Oral character corresponds exactly to the Jungian Ne type. Lowen notes that while narcissistic traits are present in the Oral character, they do not constitute the core of this character type: " This is true despite the superficial narcissism which marks their behavior, just as it is true of the child despite the egocentricity of his demands." (6) Meanwhile, the type Lowen calls the "Narcissistic character" corresponds to another Jungian type.
How to work with the Ne type
Psychoanalytic literature describes various strategies and nuances involved in working with narcissistic and oral character types.
In this article, we examine the optimal approach to the Ne type, taking into account the psychic functions of this type. Jung’s typology describes the internal functional structure of each type; understanding this structure enables the therapist to work more effectively with the patient.
* Main function – Ne – Intuition Extraverted
Therapeutic approaches resonate differently depending on personality type. Intuition endows a person with a vivid imagination; consequently, intuitive types favor techniques involving visualization and active imagination. Various active imagination methods are suitable for the Ne type — ranging from a simple "empty chair" technique (the patient visualizes a problem, places its image on an empty chair, and engages in a dialogue with it) to more complex methods, such as Jungian active imagination, katathym-imaginative psychotherapy (Symboldrama), the guided imagery exercises of psychosynthesis (Assagioli), and so on.
The Ne type is distinguished by a tendency to avoid painful feelings and psychological tension more than other types do. Therefore, at the early stages of therapy, it is important to avoid directly confronting negative feelings. Active imagination techniques meet this requirement, as they allow painful experiences to be lived through indirectly, but indirectly, through the safe form of a symbol.
It is important to note that active imagination techniques can be highly effective at the beginning of therapy but may lose their effectiveness entirely over time. This happens because Ne types can become overly engrossed in the process. Such patients stop listening to the therapist's instructions and, instead of working on the problem, may use active imagination techniques to fantasize about their own greatness and omnipotence, which only hinders the therapy.
* Inferior (compensatory) function – Si – Sensation introverted
As noted above, in a cases of neurosis, due to the repression of the compensatory function Si, the Ne type begins to live in their fantasies, loses contact with reality, has lacks awareness of their body and the physical world, and becomes ungrounded. In such cases, therapy should also aim to "ground" the patient, which means establishing a contact with the earth, the physical world, and their own body.
These may include body-oriented therapy techniques (such as Lowen’s technique for the oral character type), breathing, art and crafts therapy (pottery-making), occupational therapy (light gardening, cooking), animal-assisted therapy, and so on.
A therapist might help a client explore boredom and the constant shifting of attention through the bodily sensations. "What is the sensation of boredom? How does boredom feel in your body?" "Notice when your attention has wandered to something else. Are there physical tensions that are also triggers? Does hunger, tiredness, or anxiety cause you to get distracted?"
Since the Ne type’s compensatory Si function—which is linked to bodily sensations and the physical world—is weak and partially unconscious, the strain placed on it should be regulated. In other words, grounding techniques should be applied in small doses, as prolonged focus on physical sensations can be exhausting for the Ne type.
It should be noted that Ne types do not always need grounding. They may find themselves in situations where there is too much sensory input— a lot of physical labor or sports. In such cases, conversely, the Ne type needs to reduce contact with their body and the physical world, while increasing stimuli that foster their intuition.
* Auxiliary function – Feeling (F) or Thinking (T)
A psychological type is a combination of different psychic functions. One of the functions always surpasses the others in strength, speed of reaction and meaningfulness of this reaction. It is called the main one. The function ranking second in strength after the main function is the auxiliary function. Jung also refers to it as the secondary function. Each of the eight types can manifest in two variations, depending on the auxiliary (secondary) function. More on this here >>>
The auxiliary function of an Ne type can be either the FEELING (F) function or the THINKING (T) function. In other words, the Ne type is divided into two subtypes: the Ne type with F (Ne-F) and the Ne type with T (Ne-T). These two subtypes differ significantly in both behavior and internal psychic structure.
- The Ne(F) type—an Ne type with an auxiliary Feeling function—may also exhibit neurotic traits such as histrionic and hyperthymic tendencies.
- The Ne(T) type—an Ne type with an auxiliary Thinking function—may also exhibit neurotic traits such as narcissism (as described by Lowen) and antisocial tendencies.
The approach to the Ne type and the therapist’s compatibility with the Ne type depend on the nature of the auxiliary function.
Jung wrote: "For I have frequently observed the way in which a physician, in the case for instance of an exclusively intellectual subject, will do his utmost to develop the feeling function directly out of the unconscious. This attempt must always come to grief, since it involves too great a violation of the conscious standpoint… But the approach to the unconscious and to the most repressed function is disclosed, as it were, of itself, and with more adequate protection of the conscious standpoint, when the way of development is via the secondary function.” (5)
In this passage, Carl Jung explains that an effective approach to a patient's psyche can be found through the secondary (auxiliary) function. That is, for the Ne(F) type, the additional approach would be through the feeling function (F), while for the Ne(T) type, it would be through the thinking function (T).
Understanding the structure of the client type can enhance engagement, reduce resistance, and accelerate therapeutic progress.
- For the Ne(F) type (with feeling), the Gestalt approach and other techniques and approaches that focus on emotional experiences, interpersonal relationships, and values clarification may be effective, since the Ne(F) type’s decision-making process centers on feelings and personal values.
- For the Ne(T) type (with thinking), previous approaches are usually ineffective. Since Thinking is their second-strongest function, CBT and other approaches that appeal to the patient’s logic may be effective. At the same time, such methods are usually ineffective for the Ne(F) type, as logical analysis may seem cold and invalidating to them.
Sometimes, a therapist's type is completely incompatible with a client's type. In such cases, it is best to refer the client to another therapist. To determine whether a therapist and client are compatible, one needs to know the main and auxiliary psychic functions of both the therapist and the client.
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Here is how American psychiatrist and Jungian analyst John Beebe — who identifies as the Ne type — describes his therapy process:
“My discovery of my superior function, intuition, came in the first year of my analysis. I had come into therapy at the age of 26, a few months after graduating from medical school, complaining of ‘depression,’ … the manifest symptom being the inability to finish any professional book I started to read. In the third or fourth session, while I was in the midst of reiterating these complaints, my analyst asked, “Do you ever dream when you’re depressed?” It was as if a light had been turned on in a dark room. Of course I dreamed; I had always dreamt, and in fact that’s where my mind was when people complained I wasn’t paying attention. I was dreaming! No wonder I couldn’t keep track of practical things. In a flash I knew that what I was superior at—dreaming—was the cause of what I was inferior at—paying attention—something that in turn my mother, my father, my teachers, and my peers had all tried, with little success, to shame me into being more responsible about… I had a tendency to get too excited. I sometimes imagined my superior intuition was like the head of a rocket ship, ready to take off. I needed desperately to hold myself to the earth, to stay with the tasks associated with medical training…
A few months later, I had the Jungian words for those processes that had defined my gift and its accompanying limitation: I was an intuitive type, with inferior sensation…. Introverted sensation, I knew by this time, lives on the inside of the body, and seeks to keep it from getting overstimulated, overheated, too tired, too hungry, or too filled with the wrong foods, etc…
Still further years into the analysis I was often beset with migraine headaches and accompanying states of severe exhaustion… I looked at what was happening with my patients in my developing psychotherapy practice. I was very excited to hear everything they were telling me, so much so that I was listening with bated breath, neglecting even to breathe properly. No wonder I came home to migraine headaches: I was retaining carbon dioxide. I made up my mind that I would have to attend to my breathing while listening to patients. This opened a series of spaces that allowed me to be aware of my body as I practiced therapy. I then noticed that in my body, as I attended to it, were clues to what was going on in my patient beyond anything dream interpretation could have revealed. If my stomach or chest felt tense, that was a signal that my patient was feeling ‘uptight.’ I found if I attended to these sensations, and eventually took up with the patient the feelings I was introjectively identifying, relevant material would emerge which would move the therapy forward. When I succeeded in getting the patient to express the feelings that my body had picked up, I wouldn’t leave the session with a headache, and I would end the day of doing psychotherapy energized, not depleted.” (7)
Angelika Zabava
Last updating 29.09.2026
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1 - Neurosis and Human Growth. Chapter 8. The expansive solutions: the appeal of mastery
2 - Neurosis and Human Growth. Chapter 11. Resignation: the appeal of freedom
3 - Neurotic Disturbances in Work. Lecture, 1950
4 - Carl Jung “Psychological Typology”. Feb. 1936
5 - Carl Jung “Psychological Types”, 1921. Chapter X. 11. The Principal and Auxiliary Functions
6 - Alexander Lowen “The Language of the Body: Physical Dynamics of Character Structure” 1958. Chapter 11. The Masochistic character – 2.
7 - John Beebe “Understanding consciousness through the theory of psychological types” 2004. Type as a method of analysis.