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psychological and cognitive processes explained

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Extroverted and Introverted Functions:
Extroverted and Introverted functions are functions that can easily be described as “Outer world” and “Inner world” functions respectively. However, their functionality is a bit more complex than to be so specific. It would be more accurate to say Extroversion correlates with Objectivity, and Introversion correlates with Subjectivity. Extroverted functions focus on something Objective, that is to say: something that is apart from the subject. They are impersonal and reference and objective (sometime external) source. Extroverted functions do not necessarily engage only the “external world”, it is possible for an extroverted function to be abstracted inward while used in tandem with an introverted function. This is actually how introvert usually use their auxiliary extroverted function. For example, Ne perceives objective patterns, and these patterns could possibly be seen within a person’s internal thoughts and feelings. Ne can view the internal analysis or point of view that the person is using, objectively; and thus perceive patterns within one’s own internal thinking or feeling process. Introverted Functions stem from the internal and subjective world. These are all functions that are personal to the person who uses them; it could be their personal logic, convictions, or worldview. They are functions that exist only for the benefit of the person who is using them, and cannot be seen or understood by anyone else, unless translated into something objective by an extroverted function.



The Extroverted type:

Despite popular belief, being an extrovert has nothing to do with how much you talk. Any personality type at all is going to be stimulated by their dominant function, and if their dominant function is an extroverted function, then they are considered an extroverted type. The extroverted type is a personality type that is stimulated (gains energy) by interfacing with a certain element of the external world. This can come in the form of social engagement; however it is not exclusive to this. For instance, Fe is stimulated by the social connection made with other people through social interaction, but Se is stimulated by the sensations of the external world, thus their stimulation could be gained outside of social interaction. The act of extroversion is simply engaging with the external world, this could be in the form of listening to a person speak, being aware of your senses, being aware of the present patterns, or even drawing a picture.


The Introverted type:

A personality type that has an introverted function as a dominant function is an introvert. In other words, it is a personality type that is stimulated by interfacing with the dominant element of their internal world. This however does not mean that an introverted type cannot interface with the external world, it is just draining task for them. This is also not suggesting that an introvert cannot be “talkative”, as the amount a person is talking is not an indicator that they are being stimulated by it, but rather that they are well versed in the activity. It is also possible to use external engagement as a catalyst to stimulate the internal world, if this engagement is allowing the introvert to go back into their internal world, and gain moment come back out for more engagement. For instance, an INTP is a Ti dominant, meaning the social engagement and articulation required to use Fe will be the most draining activity for them. However, if this engagement is in the form of a debate for example, they can use this engagement to go back into their Ti, analyze the information taken from the other person which allows them to be stimulated by its use, and then use this energy gained to articulate their answers; making an overall very stimulating experience for the INTP.


Adaptive and Directive functions:

An MBTI Judging type is a personality type that has directive functions as their dominant and auxiliary functions. An MBTI Perceiving type is a personality type that has Adaptive functions as their dominant and auxiliary functions.

Directive functions all either have an agenda that wants to be pushed into reality (Worldview) or are meant to translate internal data into an objective and structured action (Dynamics). The Directive types are considered the most structured and schedule oriented, although different directive functions yield different manifestations of directivity. Directive types are action oriented, even when not directly taking action; they are mapping out what actions need to be taken. If we were to split Directive and Adaptive into the Yin and Yang, the directive types and function would be Yang, as directive functions are oriented toward creating an agenda, than pushing toward that agenda.
Adaptive functions all either take in information as it is currently happening, or processing information that is occurring in the present. The adaptive functions harbour a person’s concept of present, and change as it is occurring now. These functions are all reactionary in that they “go with the flow” as opposed to directing the flow. The adaptive functions and adaptive types would be “yin”, in that are oriented toward moving with an agenda as opposed to pushing their own.

Directive types have a concern for where things are going; “is this going in a direction that I don’t want it to go in?” They set boundaries to direct others to move in certain directions, and avoid other ones. If personality type’s dominant and auxiliary functions are directive functions, then they are considered Directive (Or J) types. The Directive types must reach over to their right brain functions in order to adapt and freeform when they need to, although this is draining for them.
Adaptive types have a curiosity for where things are going; “Is this going to go somewhere interesting?” They can be much more inviting and disarming in their pursuit of free formed and open ended flow of what is happening now. If personality type’s dominant and auxiliary functions are adaptive functions, then they are considered Adaptive (Or P) types.

Perception and Judgment:
Perception functions feed a person’s apparatus a stream of pure and unrefined data to be processed by their judgment. This information could be coming from the objective external reality (Extroverted perception), or the person’s subjective worldview (Introverted perception). Discernment functions take information from the perception, and then use it to make decisions. These decisions could be the subjective and reactionary analysis of how one feels or considers the information they are getting (introverted Judgment), or the setting of objective courses of action (Extroverted Judgment).


The Four Considerations:


In order for a person to function at all, they must be able to have a way to engage the external world (Extroversion), a way to engage the internal world (Introversion), a means of gaining information (Perception), and a way to make decisions (Judgment.) Therefore, Extrovert Judgment and Introverted perception, or Introverted Judgment and Extroverted Perception would be the minimal criteria to have a functional apparatus. However, while this minimum is technically functional, a person must satisfy the 4 priorities to actually have a mature and adaptable apparatus.

The Four Priorities:


Dynamics (Extroverted Judgment):

Dynamics is what a person reaches into when they need to output objective external structure, or take in objective external structure. Dynamics functions are directive functions that focus on the objective dynamics of an external system. Fe focuses on the system of social dynamics, how everyone feels about what, and how they can be directed into feeling something else. Te focuses on the dynamics of the objective systems of logical protocol, how something is working, and how it can direct others to operating an objective system. There is a “Push” and “Push back” that occurs when the Dynamics functions are being used. “Push” is what happens when the an action is taken by an external decision, and “Push Back” is the detection of how the external dynamics are currently operating. The Dynamics functions also serve as a person’s articulator, as it takes a person’s subjective thoughts and perceptions and turns it into a structured, objective, and external language. Because of this, personality types with dominant dynamics functions, such as the ENTJ or ESFJ for example, will be able to articulate with the most ease and types with inferior dynamics functions will have the most trouble with articulation. It is also the Dominant Dynamics types that need this articulation in order to help clarify their own thoughts and understandings. They start by “pushing” their perspectives onto others, and then when they are pushed back by the outside world, they introvert to check with their worldview to see why they got the “Push back” reaction that they did. Once they see the solution then they “Push” again, and the cycle continuous.


Worldview (Introverted Perception):


A person’s worldview is their own personal and subjective perception of the way the world works and the way it should work. This is where a person’s personal map of life is held; their understanding and knowledge of all that is true in the world. The Worldview functions are both Directive functions, as they are a preset agenda that serves as the homeostasis of internal information for a person’s psyche. Si is a worldview that is based on a person’s history and memories of how things were in their past, and it’s agenda is to make the present match this past image. Ni is worldview that is based on a person’s map of abstract patterns, natural law, and how things will unfold in the future, and it’s agenda is to turn the present into this future model. The worldview is what a person looks into when they check to see where things are going. When a pattern or event happens in real time, then a person must check their worldview to be able to recognize what is happening now and where it is going to go. When anyone makes plans, or sets timetables for courses of action, it must be logged into their worldview function so they can set a time based playlist of actions. Personality types with dominant worldview functions, such as the ISTJ or INFJ, use their worldview to see the best course of actions, and then use their dynamics function to execute these actions. However, they put far more time and focus into the internal planning phase, which why when a dominant Worldview type “Pushes”, their push is much harder than a dominant dynamics type. For a dominant worldview type, the act of “pushing” is a draining action and would much rather have it only take one shot, so they are not looking to dance, they are looking to win.


Stimulus (Extroverted Perception):


Stimulus functions are how a person takes in new objective and/or external information as it is happening now. These functions that a person uses to be “in the now” so to speak and they gain awareness for present change and flow. Stimulus functions are adaptive because they only follow information as it is coming. They ride the wave of new emerging external data, instead of try to direct where it is going. Se takes in objective information gained by the five senses, exactly as the details are in a literal sense. Ne takes in information based on emerging patterns, possibilities, and trends that are emerging in real time. When something occurs in the present, Ne detects its patterns and then jumps to where the next step could possibly be. Personality types with dominant stimulus functions, such as the ENTP and ESFP, live in the moment and are most energized by experiencing the events emerging in real time. The surf the waves of the changing external environment, and use their Auxiliary Introverted Judgment function as a rudder to guild how they process the information gained.


Compass (Introverted Judgment):


The Compass functions are how a person weighs new information gained by a perception function, based on a subjective model of personal values or logic. The Compasses react to inputted information through a process of “resonation”. They will resonate in such a way that tells the psyche whether they agree or disagree with the information. The compasses are adaptive in that they are reactionary and interface with information that is thrown at them in real time. Ti will resonate with information when it aligns strongly with it’s personal logic, and reject information when it’s logic is weak. Fi will Resonate with information with it aligns with its personal values, and reject information that does not. Both Ti and Fi have a very “yuck” sort of reaction when posed with disagreeable information, that tells a person right away where they stand on it, and what problems they have with it. Personality types that have a Compass function as their dominant function, such as the INTP and ISFP, are very reflective, and gain most of their energy by modeling their internal logic or values. They can also augment their Compass functions when met with other types that have compass models that they agree with. Effectively, and INTP for example can agree with a piece of an ENTP’s logical model, and then integrate that into their own. However, the models created by the compasses are amorphous and unstructured, which is why they are the hardest to describe and turn into structure and articulated language.



The powers of the Cognitive functions:


Se (Extroverted Sensing):


Scanning Environment: Se is noticing changes and opportunities for action, by scanning for sensual reactions and data. It notices relevant facts and occurrences in a sea of data and experiences, learning all the facts we can about the immediate context of area of focus and what goes on in that context. An active seeking of more and more input to get the whole picture may occur until all sources of input have been exhausted or something else captures their attention.

Sensual Experience: Se is experiencing the immediate context, and accumulating experiences. Se occurs when we become aware of what is in the general world in rich detail. Se types have a zest for living life to the fullest by way of multiplying experiences. Always on the alert for what needs immediate attention or what might provide a bit of action, excitement or entertainment, they engage quickly with their environment. Se types are attuned to the environment and the myriad of colors, textures, sounds, beauty and the sensuousness of it all. Their attention will always go towards whatever provides the keenest impression on their senses. With Se, data is accepted without discrimination and is only later subjected to sorting and selection through their introverted judgment functions. This, in conjunction with the immediacy of their perceptual process, may underlie their natural affinity for sensual and aesthetic experience.

Active Energy: Se is taking action in the physical world; it is operating when we freely follow exciting physical impulses or instincts as they come up and enjoy the thrill of action in the present moment. A oneness with the physical world and a total absorption may exist as we move, touch, and sense what is around us. The process involves instantly reading cues to see how far we can go in a situation and still get the impact we want or respond to the situation with presence. Se types often have an uncanny ability to respond appropriately in cases of an emergency, often having excellent reflexes, and they can act without thinking. Se comes into play when events are changing so rapidly that linear analysis is impossible. They respond immediately, on the basis of visual and tactile information, guided by what they done before. Se types are pragmatic and realistic with a talent for being whatever they need to be in order to make a situation work for them.

Fun Loving: Se types seek and enjoy freedom, are good-natured, direct, tolerant and often the ones who provide levity. They also tend to have natural mediating skills. Se types have a way of dealing with people on a very equal platform and are not easily star struck. Rank, celebrity, and status mean little when they are face to face with another individual. Se types love variety and are curious and adventurous, enjoying the unexpected. As long as things are moving along, they are happy. They like to keep things simple and immediate, going with the flow. Se types are helpful in a very concrete ways, providing the correct tools or specific service the person requires. They love having fun and if things are too quiet they may provide the entertainment or distraction.

Stage Presence: The Se types have a “feel” for atmosphere, style, and image. They know what people are interesting in and like being recognized as paradigmatic of the trend. ESPs often speak of that peculiar thrill of knowing their game, knowing when luck or timing or the cards or and audience is “with them”. An ESP assesses what’s going on, plays on it, and takes pleasure in the escalating sense of mastery. You can always tell by the ESPs in the crowd exactly what pop culture currently regards as admirable, stylish, fascinating, outrageous, or exciting. They become the experiential standard by which others’ image and attitude are measured. Some ESPs have a kind of moving-star quality—a self-assurance, a charisma, an appetite for life—That others enjoy and find infectious. It should be granted that ESPs don’t feel unduly vulnerable to external influence. Indeed, they cherish freedom and individuality. The worst fate they can imagine is to be trapped by others’ ideas about normal or typical behaviour. ESPs can therefore become paradigms of what can be acquired, said, done, not withstanding accepted social wisdom. ESPs are magnetic, clever, full of energy and enthusiasm, they make a room come alive, thrive on attention, and are attentive in return.

Suppression: Se and Ni have a suppressive relationship. When Ni is attempted, it pulls one out of the sensations of the present outer world and into the theoretical and abstract world of Ni. Se dominants prefer to be in the here and now, and sometimes find Ni to be overwhelming, in that it can give them a feeling of losing their footing, and lifting them off steady ground.


Ne (Extroverted Intuition):


Pattern Surfing: Ne involves interpreting situations and relationships, and picking up meanings and interconnections, seeing patterns emerging. Ne is useful in getting the gist of a situation very quickly. It has an uncanny instinct for spotting trends and possible future developments, often before others are even mildly aware of them.

Brainstorming: Ne involves entertaining a wealth of possible interpretations from just one idea. Using this process, we can juggle many different ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and meanings in our mind at once with the possibility that they are all true. By using this process one can really appreciate brainstorming and trust what emerges, enjoying imaginative play with scenarios and combining possibilities, using a kind of cross-contextual thinking.

Improvisation: Words, ideas and possibilities spew effortlessly from Ne using types. They are keen improvisers, and they are rarely caught off guard; there is always something up their sleeve.

Change Initiation: Ne initiates change and often is prone to trespassing a few known boundaries to take themselves and others where no one has been before. Their faith in possibilities and belief in the benefit of change often inspires others to follow. They are challenging, ingenious and innovative. They will give their best to what appears to be an impossible challenge, a place unknown to man or beast. Ne also can involve catalyzing people and extemporaneously shaping situations, spreading an atmosphere of change through the emergent leadership.

Inspirational Energy: Ne types, when inspired, are fearless and tireless. Their energy will know no limits. They possess the ability to go without food or rest, beyond other personality types’ limits. Ne types are easily inspired and their enthusiasm is contagious to others around them causing them to become inspired as well.

Suppression: Ne and Si have a suppressive relationship. Si wants plant everything down to what is known, and Ne wants to bounce to new possibilities. Si shuts down Ne when demanding that there are no other possibilities besides what is already known.


Ti (Introverted Thinking):


Clarification: Ti involves clarifying definitions to get more precision. This often involves finding just the right word to clearly express an idea concisely, crisply, and to the point. Using Ti is like having an internal sense of the essential qualities of something, noticing the fine distinctions that make it what it is and then naming it.

Principle Understanding: Ti involves figuring out the principles on which something works and then evaluating according to these principles and whether something fits the framework or model. Ti ponders the apparent chaos of the world in order to extract from it the universal truths and principles that can be counted on. These principles, once extracted, will provide the logical structure on which to build strategies.

Situational Logic: Ti is not conceptual and linear. It’s body based and holistic, and it operates by way of visual, tactile, or spatial cues, inclining us to reason experientially rather than analytically. Ti, with its all-at-once approach to life, doesn’t require exact predictability before it takes action. Its decisions are based on the probabilities and it leaves room for the random and unexpected. Ti uses hands-on experience to recognize, in the midst of action, which variables are best taken into account and which are irrelevant to our goal. Thus, Ti always involves perceptual skills. Ti is not just a matter of responding to immediate perceptual stimuli. It’s a decision-making process. When one is thinking in an introverted way, they are coordinating their behaviors with the variables in a situation related to our intended effect. Ti helps to understand what it means to be I harmony with the parts of a situation that are still in flux. When we’re involved in something that interests us, we don’t distinguish our thoughts form the tacit level of information we’re relying on. We’re part of the process, changing its nature by changing ourselves.

Dispassion: Ti types are usually level-headed, objective, impersonal, yet intensely involved in problem solving. They are rigorous with their thoughts and analysis, choosing the exact words that convey precisely what is meant. Ti types maintain the utmost objectivity. They approach people and events as dispassionate observers, with the goal of arriving at the most comprehensive truth possible. Ti types typically do not take constructive criticism and disagreement personally. They often welcome tough, unrelenting critique as an aid to achieving the highest levels of accuracy and objectivity.

Situational Analysis: Ti is analyzing and categorizing; this involves an internal reasoning process of deriving subcategories of classes and sub-principles of general principles. These can then be used in problem solving, analysis, and refining of a product or an idea. This process is evidenced in behaviors like taking things or ideas apart to figure out how they work. The analysis also involves looking at different sides of an issue and seeing where there is inconsistency. In so doing, we search for a “leverage point” that will fix problem with the least amount of effort or damage to the system. We engage in this process when we notice logical inconsistencies between statements and frameworks, using a model to analyze situations, find root causes and foresee consequences. They are curious and capable of explaining complex political, economical or technological problems, Taking great pleasure in explaining all the factors and intricacies.

Suppression: Ti and Fe have a suppressive relationship. While one must withdraw and be dispassionate of the feelings of others in order to use their subjective personal logic, Fe ignores the personal one’s personal logic and focuses on the feelings and needs of others.


Fi (Introverted Feeling):


Essence Reading: Fi is considering importance and worth. It allows one to decide if something is of significance and worth standing up for. It serves as a filter for information that matches what is valued, wanted, or worth believing in. There can be a continual weighing of the situational worth or importance of everything and patient balancing of the core issues of peace and conflict in life’s situations. It helps Fi types know when people are being fake or insincere or if they are basically good. It is like having an internal sense of the “essence” of a person or a project and reading fine distinctions among feeling tones.

Moral Compass: Fi is clarifying values to achieve accord. Fi types have high personal moral standards and are particularly sensitive to inconsistencies in their environment between what is being said and what is being done. Empty promises of adhering to something they value set off an inner alarm and they may transform themselves into a powerful crusading force.

Empathy: Fi types are usually gentile and kind. They are sensitive to others’ pain, restlessness or general discomfort and strive to find happiness, balance and wholeness for themselves in order to help others find joy, satisfaction and plenitude. They are deeply empathetic, and they are usually tolerant and open-minded, insightful, flexible and understanding. They have good listening skills, are genuinely concerned and insightful. At their best, they inspire others to be themselves. These types focus on the good in others, so they tend to downplay others faults, often forgiving them for the slights of minor hurtful behavior. Their habitual approach to people is nonjudgmental, understanding and forgiving. They seek to affirm all parties in a controversy and thus readily the validity of contradictory points of view. Underlying their characteristic tolerance is an overarching natural curiosity. They find the diversity in the world immensely appealing.

Devotion: Intense and passionate about their values and deeply held beliefs. They are quietly persistent in raising awareness of cherished causes and often fight for the underdog in quiet or not-so-quiet ways.

Idealism: They live life in an intently personal fashion, acting on the belief that each persona is unique and that social norms are to be respected only if they do not hinder personal development or expression. Moral choices prompted by the Fi types are not derived from legal principles or the social obligations that accrue to our roles in the world. They’re derived from the subjective experience of being human, our will to deal with a situation in terms of human ideal. Fi bypasses structural considerations and puts human value first. They place a high value on affirming both their own and others’ individuality and uniqueness.

Suppression: Fi and Te have a suppressive relationship. Te is the protocol that everyone must abide by, and it ignores the values of the individual. Te suppresses Fi in that it makes no acceptation for anyone and holds everyone to the same standard. While Fi ignores structural protocol and puts their values first.


Si (Introverted Sensing):


Reliability: Si types are dependable, reliable and trustworthy. They like to belong to solid organizations that have reasonable in their ambitions and loyal to their employees. They are thorough and conscientious in fulfilling their responsibilities.

Practicality: Once an Si type accepts a project, they will see it to the end. They manage their time well and are realistic about how much time and resources will be needed. They derive great pleasure from perfecting existing techniques with the goal of maximizing efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Memory: Si is reviewing past experiences and recalling stored impressions. Si often involves storing data and information, then comparing and contrasting the current situation with similar ones. The immediate experience or words are instantly linked with the prior experiences, and we register a similarity or a difference. Si is operating when we see someone who reminds of someone else. Sometimes the feeling associated with the recalled image comes into our awareness along with the information itself. The process involves reviewing the past to draw on the lessons of history, hindsight, and experience. Si types tend to have a good memory for specific facts that are necessary in their day-to-day life at work and at home. When one uses Si, we don’t adjust to our surface impressions; we package them and take them with us—in the form of facts, numbers, signs and memories. We don’t remember, or even notice, everything that we see, hear, taste, touch and smell during the course of our lives. Only some things strike us as important, useful, familiar, or exciting enough to convert into mental content—that is, into facts that we retain over time. Si guides in this selection, and it prompts us to reconcile our new impressions with the ones we’ve already stored.

Attention to Detail: Si types are careful and orderly in their attention to facts and details, Si is accumulating data and seeking details information and links to what is known. With Si, there is often a great attention to detail and getting a clear picture of goals and objectives and what is to happen. Si is recognizing the way things have always been.

Stability: With Si there can be a oneness with ageless customs that help sustain civilization and culture, and protect what is known and long-lasting. The Si type tends to be rather modest, traditional and conventional, to like sensible clothing, to be thrifty, careful and wise with both money and possessions. They may keep possessions for a lifetime and treasure those that were given to them. Si types have a developed sense of citizenship and accountability. From an Si viewpoint, immediate conditions have no stable meaning. They’re just an influx of data impinging on the senses, and the response to these impressions depends on mood, state of mind, desires and feelings. It’s our commitments and priorities, the facts we hold inalienable that give our circumstances enduring significance. Knowing what matters, what’s worth keeping or building again, gives a sense of continuity and security. It gives direction in the midst of a crisis, or helps to weather a loss of faith that immediate feelings would not equip us to handle. All things flow away like water, but the ground of our self-experience remains. Si types are typically seen as well grounded in reality, trustworthy, and dedicated to preserving traditional values and time-honored institutions.

Suppression: Si and Ne have a suppressive relationship. The chaos on unpredictability of Ne renders the reliance of the past data obsolete in that it cannot be reliably trusted if the environment is constantly changing.


Ni (Introverted intuition):


Perspective Shifting: Using Ni a person can shift their perspectives, view and understand things from different angles and in different ways, each giving insights, synthesizing information and trying to get to the best outcome for the problem at hand and accomplish a vision of the future. Perspectives are often evoked by focusing on physical symbols, archetypes, totems, and other abstractions like visual models. This ability allows the Ni user to see the underlying meaning and universal truths of natural law behind symbols and abstractions, and then apply them in other places that appear unrelated or contradictory.

Meaningful Insight: Ni involves synthesizing the seemingly paradoxical or contradictory, which takes understanding to a new level. Using this process, one can have moments when completely new, unimagined realizations come to them. Quite often during times of relaxation after concentrated intellectual activity, when the mind is allowed to wander freely, the Ni seems to take over and can produce the sudden clarifying insights. Ni is a way of seeing things that rise above competing views. Engaging this process starts with entering a state of withdrawal from the world in order to purposefully gain an insight or realization. These insights may manifest as "aha!" experiences, the kind of thing that "pops" into your head while you're taking a shower. Once these insights come to pass they can align them with their global model transforming it into an updated perspective of the world and future.

Prediction: Ni is always looking for implications of how the future will unfold. Ni types often find themselves laying out how the future will unfold based on unseen trends and telling signs. Because of this curious power that Ni users have, they tend to be seen as having a “psychic” or prophetic quality to them.

Visionary Drive: The sense of the future and the realizations that come from Ni have sureness and an imperative quality that seem to demand action and help us stay focused on fulfilling our vision or dream of how things will be in the future. The Ni user can hold the ideal future society or system within their Ni, and rigorously drive toward this goal to turn it into reality.

Independence of Mind: Ni dominants confidently trust their intuitions, insights, ideas, and inspirations - often no matter what others say. Their thoughts become part of who they are, and they are completely independent of the world the live in. Ni dominants are the most independent minded of all other types, the insights they pick up on in their lives are completely original and subjective. For this reason, many Ni dominants feel like aliens, as if they perceive a completely different reality from everyone else.

Suppression: Ni and Se have a suppressive relationship. Ni causes the person to withdraw from the active sensual environment in order to work effectively. The slightest nudge, impulse noise, or visual flash can knock a person completely out of Ni and derail their train of thought. Because of this, Ni dominants can’t stand being interrupted, and prefer to surround themselves with only the most pleasant of sensations.


Fe (Extroverted Feeling):


Personal Connection: Fe is connecting with others. The process of Fe often involves a desire to connect with (or disconnect from) others and is often evidenced by expressions of warmth (or displeasure) and self-disclosure. They carry conversations well, finding common ground with their speaker. They tend to find the correct and gracious way to respond in any given situation, no matter how tense or uncomfortable it is. Fe types typically radiate goodwill and enthusiasm. They are optimistic about life in general and human potential in particular. They prefer to focus on the positive, harmonious and uplifting aspects of people and human relations, paying little attention to negative, pessimistic, limiting, and divisive messages, situations and conclusions. Their primary goal is to create and maintain good feeling and harmony among people.

Personal Consideration: Fe is considering others and the group – organizing to meet their needs and honour their values and feelings. Adjusting to and accommodating others, and deciding if something is appropriate or acceptable to others. The “social graces,“ such as being polite, being nice, being friendly, being considerate, and being appropriate, often revolve around the process of Fe. Laughing at jokes when others laugh, and trying to get people to act kindly to each other also involves Fe. Using this function, one responds according to expressed or even unexpressed wants and needs of others. Fe types are careful not to hurt others’ feelings and try to take others’ well-being into account. If they cannot avoid telling someone an Unpleasant truth, they will carefully soften the message by putting it in an affirmative context. For Fe types, unconditional positive regard is a strongly held value. They are always focused on the other person, feeling a glow when those around them are happy, and troubled when something is amiss.

Ritualizing: Fe is maintaining societal, organizational, or group values. “Family”, “friend”, and “co-worker” aren’t states of emotion. They’re categories of human alliance, organized by degree of relatedness. What we are doing, when we use these categories, is accommodating our specific experience of people to the conceptual shapes the terms offer. This is a rational process, not a sentimental one. These standards constitute one aspect of our societal value system. They set up conventions that tell us how relationships are “supposed” to be conducted and what responsibilities they entail.

Social Awareness: Fe is conceptual and analytic. It encourages us to make rational choices, to measure our options for relationship against external standards of behaviors. [Customs] Fe prompts in this regard are not a matter of emotion, impulse, or doing what we learned in kindergarten. These are secular rituals—visible signs that mark a participant’s membership in the community at large. Such rituals can touch us, but they aren’t occasions of sentiment. They’re a vocabulary, part of our feeling lexicon. They submit to collective form an experience ordinarily confined to individual history, allowing us to express the kinds of relationships important to us as people. Social values mark these wares of decision making that go beyond one person’s immediate experience to affect the community as a whole. Apart from questions of moral rectitude, our behaviors toward others have implications, whether we intend them or not. Fe types seek continuity through harmonious relationships and collective values. They excel at picking up on the tone of a situation and acting accordingly, adding warmth to a cool setting or turning sour into sweet.

Team building: They will naturally seek to know what people do well, what they enjoy, where and how they work, and understand what they need in order to make the appropriate connections with other people. They weave and strengthen the collective fabric of social conventions and interactions. Fe types seem to have an infinite of acquaintances from all walks of life and are always on the lookout for people in need and those who can help out. Inclusiveness is important and they are particularly sensitive to those who are excluded. As team players and project leaders, they have a gift for rallying their players, focusing on what is being done right and each member’s strengths. They are loyal and they expect loyalty. They are natural cheerleaders, often expressing support, gratitude, and encouragement, and heaping praise onto those they appreciate. They take note of what is being done and what needs doing, offering their help and assistance wherever necessary.

Suppression: Fe and Ti have a suppressive relationship. Fe devotes itself to the feelings of the collective, and must ignore one’s personal logic in order to satisfy the customs of the tribe.


Te (Extroverted Thinking):


Thirst for Challenge: ETJs love a challenge, especially one that will allow tangible improvement in productivity, efficiency or profitability. They are direct, finding the quickest, most direct path between what is and what should be. ETJs love a problem, especially one that will make full use of their competencies, their logic and sense of order, justice and fair play. Many Te types find competition to be stimulating and fun. Fairness and respecting the same set of rules, so may the best one win. And since they readily acknowledge that there will be a winner and a loser, they would simply much rather be the winner. So they hone their strategies on the fine knife of experience and sharpen their skills to meet the next challenge head on. ETJs love having greater challenges bestowed on them as a result of having successfully met the last, as this attests to their competence and skills.
Directness: Te types are direct and honest with most things that displease them and expect others to do the same. Their communication style is honest direct, and to the point, and the prefer others to be similarly candid with them.

Planning & Decision Making: Contingency planning, scheduling, and quantifying utilize the process of Te. Te types enjoy making decisions, and the like to be in control of things and value efficiency and effective decision making. They are comfortable in leadership positions and readily accept responsibility for making things happen.

Organizing: Te is segmenting, systematizing, structuring and organizing for efficiency, Te helps us to organize our environment and ideas through charts, tables, graphs, flow charts, outlines, and so on, ETJs excel at implementing ideas and are often on the lookout for good ideals worthy of their attention. They are quick to organize, orchestrate, find resources, coordinate, and follow through to the end of a project. Te types are seen by others and see themselves as having rigorous standards that typically take precedence over both their own, and others’ personal needs.

Protocols: Te is checking for consequences, monitoring for standards or specifications being met and deciding if something is working or not. Te is setting boundaries, guidelines and parameters. In written or verbal communication, Te helps us notice when something is missing. Te harmonizes us with the general ideas about reality, so most the standards of order we employ are collectively determined. When one uses Te, they are recognizing that certain principles of order are “always true”. The “truth” of Te, in this respect, is not its scientific accuracy but its rational utility. It doesn’t matter that other cultures have conceptualized times, space, and seasonal progression differently than we do. The bottom line is that our Te principles are reliable enough to use as consensual benchmarks, thereby freeing us from the dictates of immediate experience. Te is a social language—a vocabulary that creates common ground, rights, and expectations among people whose life experiences may be very different.

Suppression: Te and Fi have a suppressive relationship. The individual personal values of Fi can get in the way of the standard protocol that Te has everyone abide by.



Decoding the MBTI acronym into the Cognitive functions hierarchy:


The MBTI code is meant to be a short hand method of indicating a personality type’s top two functions. The best way to understand a personality type is to understand their use of cognitive functions, and in order to see these, one may have to decode them from their MBTI.


INTP


We will take INTP as our example for this exercise. The first thing we can see is this type is an introverted type, this means that this types’ dominant function must be an introverted function. The J and P dichotomy refers to whether the judgment and perception located in your top two functions are extroverted or not. Therefore, if you have an extroverted perception function in your top two, then you are a P, and if you have an extroverted judgment function in your top two, you are a J. The INTP is a P, that means that their base form of perception must be extroverted, and from the N and S dichotomy, we can see if the person gathers their information from the Senses or Intuition. Thus, at this point we know that the INTP must using Ne in their top two functions. From the T and F dichotomy we can see if a person’s base form of judgment is thinking or feeling, the INTP is a T, and since the INTP already has an extroverted function in their top two, their Thinking function must be Introverted. Going back to knowing that their introverted function is dominant, we can conclude that there dominant and Auxiliary functions are Ti and Ne, respectively. The tertiary function will always be the suppression function of the Auxiliary, and for Ne, it must be Si. The Inferior function will always be the Suppression function of the Dominant, and for Ti, it must be Fe. Therefore, the INTP’s top four cognitive functions hierarchy is
Ti-Ne:Si-Fe.