At first glance, the phrase "the best type is no type" may seem provocative, especially within the world of personality types. After all, many who first delve into personality typing are excited to discover their "true" type, seeing it as a tool for self-understanding and growth. However, as this article will explore, the ultimate goal of any fluid typology system like CPT is not to confine us within a specific type but to facilitate integration—a process that psychoanalysts and Jung-enthusiasts often refer to as individuation.

The Role of Typology: Regulating and Protecting Our Parts

In CPT, a single type represents just one of the many ways we regulate our nervous system and protect our mental and emotional well-being. Our type is essentially a familiar way of thinking and behaving that helps us manage stress and navigate life’s challenges. However, the types and cognitive functions we struggle with the most often represent the most sensitive and underdeveloped parts of our cognition.

This sensitivity is not a weakness, but a clue. By exploring and nurturing the parts of ourselves that feel foreign or difficult, we begin to develop a more integrated and adaptable sense of self. This is where the motto "the best type is no type" comes into play. It’s not about rejecting or abandoning the type we’ve identified with but about expanding our cognitive flexibility and integrating other parts of ourselves.

Internal Family Systems and Parts Work

A helpful analogy for this process comes from Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, a model of psychotherapy that views the mind as being made up of different "parts" that function somewhat like an internal family. Each part has its own role, whether as a protector, a manager, or a wounded child. Just as in CPT, where we can rely on our dominant cognitive functions to guide us, in IFS we might rely on certain parts of ourselves to protect or manage our overall psychological health.

The goal in IFS therapy is not to eliminate or repress any part of ourselves but to integrate them into what is referred to as the "true self"—a core self that is calm, compassionate, and curious. This true self is not tied to any one part but embraces all parts, helping them work together harmoniously; it's the self behind all the other selves. Research has shown that IFS can be an effective approach for treating a wide variety of psychological issues, including trauma, anxiety, and depression, because it fosters this sense of internal balance and wholeness.

In the context of CPT, this concept of "true self" aligns with the idea that the best type is no type. Integration in CPT doesn’t mean we become "typeless" or abandon our core cognitive functions. Rather, it means we work to integrate all our cognitive networks into a cohesive whole, just as IFS helps us integrate all our parts into the true self.

Cognitive Networks: Sensitivity and Adaptation

From a more mechanistic standpoint, parts of our cognition that are used less frequently tend to remain highly sensitive. This is backed by biological research on neural desensitisation—when certain neural pathways or cognitive networks are overused, they become desensitised and habitual, while those that are underused remain hypersensitive and reactive. The nucleus accumbens - the part of our brain most implicated in reward-seeking behaviour - is a good example of this, as is the treatment of addiction.

If we truly care about our central type, it’s essential to give it time to "resensitise." Just as overworking a muscle can lead to burnout, over-relying on our dominant cognitive functions can dull their effectiveness. By consciously engaging with the cognitive networks we typically avoid, we not only desensitise those areas but also allow our dominant type to "rest," making it more effective when we return to it. This process leads to greater flexibility and the ability to draw upon different parts of ourselves when needed.

Integration is Not Self-Betrayal

It’s important to remember that working on all parts of ourselves is not an act of self-betrayal. In CPT, your type is the "point of origin and return." This means that, although we journey through different cognitive networks and functions, we always return to our core type with new insights and a broader perspective. Much like the hero’s journey, we venture out to explore unknown parts of ourselves and return home wiser and more balanced.

The real self-betrayal occurs when we remain fixed in our type, using it to handle every situation, even those for which it was not designed. In doing so, we deny ourselves the richness of perspectives and experiences that can only be gained by actively living in other cognitive networks. By stretching beyond our default type, we nurture the neglected parts of ourselves, fostering a more holistic sense of self.

The Message of Self-Love and Exploration

Ultimately, "the best type is no type" is a message of self-love and exploration. It’s not about forcing yourself to be someone else or adopting the cognitive patterns of others. You are always fundamentally you, but by exploring and integrating other aspects of cognition, you become a fuller version of yourself.

It’s important to note that there is always a difference between, for example, an INFJ accessing their ESTJ cognitive network and someone who has spent their entire life in an ESTJ mode of thinking. While exploring these networks allows us to experience new perspectives, we don’t become "that person" simply by adopting their cognitive style temporarily. There is a fundamental difference between cognitive exploration and long-term conditioning that comes from living in a particular cognitive framework.

Cognition vs. Conditioning: What Shapes Our Behavior

In CPT, the cognitive networks we engage in shape our behavior, but long-term conditioning and lived experiences create a deeper behavioral framework. While we can access other cognitive networks, we will always retain the unique behavioral patterns shaped by the default type in which we spend most of our time. This reinforces the idea that integration is not about changing who we are but about expanding the tools we have available to us.

Conclusion: Types of Cognition, Not Types of People

It’s crucial to view personality types not as labels that define "types of people" but as "types of cognition." This perspective reminds us that we have more control over our cognition than we often realise. Often, we simply don’t think to step outside our habitual patterns until something in the outside world nudges us to explore new ways of thinking.

The beauty of this exploration is that you are multitudes—far more complex and capable than any one type can encapsulate. By embracing all parts of your cognition and integrating them into your life, you discover the depth of your potential. Indeed, the best type is no type at all, for the most integrated self transcends any single label.