Show Notes:
Exploring the concepts of the "trickster" and "demon" archetypes in the personality model
Understanding how our unconscious shadow traits can manifest in ourselves and our relationships, especially reflected in our children
Recognizing unhealthy patterns like self-punishment, excessive complaining, and egocentrism, and how to work on them
Practical advice for developing more healthy creativity, authenticity, and vision through the personality function model
Navigating the Trickster and Demon/Daemon Cognitive Functions
As I've been delving deeper into personality models, I've started to recognize certain unconscious patterns emerging - not just in myself, but also reflected to me through my 8-year-old stepson.
He's an ISFP, leading with introverted feeling, while I'm the opposite as an INTP. I'm seeing how my own "trickster" and "demon" functions are getting activated by his behaviors right now, which are very reminiscent of some of my own shadow tendencies.
The trickster archetype is associated with the 7th cognitive function. For me, that's extraverted sensing, a function focused on our present experience manifesting through The Trickster as heightened physical activity and sudden bursts of excitement. The demon, on the other hand, is the 8th function - in my case, introverted feeling, a function focused on motivations and narratives. For me, it's my inner critic, the self-punisher, the one who wants to wallow in a narrative of unworthiness.
My son is currently in a phase of a lot of self-criticism, protests, and a general sense that he's not "good enough." As I see this mirrored in myself, it's triggering me and making me hyper-vigilant, when what he likely needs most is calm presence and compassion to work through these developmental challenges.
The trickster in me wants to "fix" it by injecting energy and disrupting the pattern. But the demon questions my worth and authenticity, making it hard for me to consistently hold space. It's a dance I recognize all too well.
Developmentally, the 1.5 and 2.0 stages (in the STAGES model) are where these dynamics often take root. As young children, we start reaching out and asserting our agency (1.5 projection), only to then have to learn boundaries, reciprocity, and theory of mind in the 2.0 stage. If that process gets disrupted, we can end up stuck in more immature, selfish patterns.
For me, I see how I never fully learned to balance my giving and taking. I have a tendency to unconsciously manipulate and "take" rather than offer genuine value. And when that gets reflected back, I often assume the other person is the one taking or imposing on me.
This is where the trickster and demon come into play - trying to disrupt the situation through silly antics or self-flagellation, rather than face the deeper work of developing true authenticity, creativity, and vision.
My son's journey is pushing me to look at these blind spots more closely. Where am I still caught in inflexible rules, fear-based thinking, or a desperate need to get my way? And how can I model the healthy expression of my personality functions to support his growth, while also fostering my own?
It's messy, vulnerable work. But I'm realizing that the only way out is through - by developing more self-awareness, creativity, and the ability to truly witness myself and others, without judgment. The goal is not perfection, but an ever-expanding capacity for presence, flexibility, and generosity.
If any of these themes resonate with you, I encourage you to explore the cognitive function model further. Identify your own trickster and demon, and start to notice how they may be operating unconsciously. With compassion and courage, we can integrate these shadow aspects and unleash our fullest potential.
As always, I'm here if you have questions or want to explore these ideas more. Wishing you insight and growth on your own path.
The full audio contains a breakdown of how each function shows up in an unhealthy to healthy state and the transitional energy needed to move things along.
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