weirdfella:
*WARNING:
Wall of Text*
Jung observed two types of general
cognition:
1. Perception – perceiving that something is
there, that something exists
2. and Judgment – assessing, evaluating, judging
information
He said that there are two styles of Perception
- Sensing, which deals with tangible information, the physical,
immediate, sensory, concrete; and Intuition, which deals with
non-tangible information, generalizations, abstraction, hidden relationships
between people, things, and concepts. There are also two styles of
Judgment: Thinking, which deals with impersonal logic and
structure; and Feeling, which deals with more personal kind of
information.
Furthermore, each of these four processes can be
directed inwardly i.e. introverted, which means it’s conceptualized
subjectively in terms of the self; or externally i.e. extroverted,
which means it’s conceptualized objectively in terms of not-self. Introverts
view the world in terms of what reflection external objects, people, and events
evoke within themselves; they internally mirror the external. Thus their
understanding is subjective but also attentive of implicit, inferential
perspectives and judgements. Extroverts’ perception isn’t dependent on the
point of view of observer, so their inner world is similar to the external
world. Their perception is thus more objective, mirroring things as they are,
but it is surface-based and thus more shallow. Extraverts attempt to see the
world primarily as it is instead of paying attention to their inner personal
reflections and judgments about it.
In MBTI type codes, the first letter indicates
Extraverted or Introverted attitude; the second letter indicates Sensing or
Intuitive preference; the third letter indicates Feeling or Thinking
preference; the last letter indicates Judger or Perceiver orientation of the
type. All the other functions snap into their places once the first two have
been specified. The E/I and P/J letters in Myers-Briggs types are not actually
cognitive functions in themselves; they simply point out in which directions
the other functions are oriented. I/E designates the orientation of the
dominant function, whether it is introverted or extraverted. J/P indicates
whether the highest order extraverted function is a judging (rational) or
perceiving (irrational) one. For example, if your type is xxxP then your first
extraverted function is a perceiving one.
Short glossary:
Pe – extraverted perception (Ne and Se)
Perceive what exists externally to oneself.
Responsible for gathering outside information: “what is out there”
“what exists outside of me”. Direct person’s attention to the
outside.
Pi – introverted perception (Ni and Si)
Perceive what exists internally within oneself.
Responsible for perceiving internal states: “what exists within me”.
Direct person’s attention inside.
Je – extraverted judgement (Te and Fe)
Gather external cause-effect relationships,
progression of events A->B->C->D, and algorithms: “how something
occurs” “what is the effect” “how to enable
something”. Direct person’s attention outside to external causes and motivations.
Ji – introverted jugement (Fi and Ti)
Build internal organization frameworks.
Responsible for perceiving internal relationships and motivational factors:
“why is something” “why bother”. Direct person’s attention
inside to internal causes and motivations.
Each of these eight functions represents a
complete worldview or attitude about life, the self, the outer world the
relationship between them. As you learn you will start to see these value
systems at work everywhere in everyone all the time, influencing all of their
behaviors and ideas so profoundly that most people are entirely unaware of
their own biases. Think of these as lenses that color your perceptions and
judgments to a far greater extent than you may even realize.
Common beginner misconceptions of MBTI and
MBTI types:
1. Cognitive functions are not
“tools”, skillsets, or behaviors that can be improved or learned.
They are passive perspectives through which one perceives and evaluates
information about the external and internal world. Think of yourself as a “photographer”
and your mind as a “camera”. The functions could be seen as different
“colored filters”. Each type combines several of these colored
filters (functions) to achieve a unique shade in which the world appears to the
person of this type.
2. There is no such thing as a borderline T/F or
S/N, as these are not sliding scales (even though some MBTI tests misrepresent
them as such). For each type that has N/S ‘close together’, the main difference
between them is the extro-intro orientation of these functions. For example:
the Feeling function of ENTPs is extroverted (Fe), while for ENFPs it is
introverted (Fi). Thus it is not only functional ‘strength’ and order that
determines the type, but primarily it is the E/I orientation of the Feeling and
Thinking functions the differentiates an ENTP from an ENFP.
It is easier to avoid mistakes such as this by
learning to view types primarily in light of their cognitive functions rather
than their four letter codes. The it becomes easy to see that the functions of
each type have a specific orientation - they are either introverted or
extraverted - and this is what distinguishes similar types. MBTI four letter
codes are only secondary representations of the underlying
order of cognitive functions. It is the cognitive functions that define and
essence of each of the Jungian types, while the four-letter codes are merely
shorthand designations.
3. 'J’ and 'P’ letters do not represent any
cognitive functions in themselves. They represent one of MBTI’s main
dichotomies: Judger / Perceiver. Whether the type is Judging or Perceiving is
determined by its highest order extraverted function. All types
that extravert a judging, rational function (Fe/Te) as their primary or
secondary one, are assigned the letter J and called “judging” types.
All types that extravert a perceiving, irrational function (Se/Ne) as their
primary or secondary support, are assigned the letter P and called
“perceiving” types.
3.1 J/P letters do not operate on a sliding
scale, thus “borderline J/P” types do not exist. If we take a look at
the cognitive functions of types that differ only in last letter, we see that
flipping the last letter changes the extro-intro orientation of all of
their functions as well as their functional order. On example of INFx types:
for INFJs cognitive functional line-up is {Ni,Fe,Ti,Se} while for INFPs it is
{Fi,Ne,Si,Te}. Even though the four-letter code of these types differs only by
a single letter, J/P, they share no functions in common and
are thus very different in their perceptions and evaluations.
In general, when studying MBTI, it is better to
learn to conceptualize types in terms of underlying cognitive functional order
rather than their four-letter codes.
On the same note, any MBTI studies that ignore
cognitive functional basis of types and instead use four-letter codes to
collect their data are rather questionable. A study that groups all NF types
together irrespective of whether they value Fi/Ne (xNFP) or Fe/Ni (xNFJ) is not
going to yield meaningful results, because such a study has grouped types that
are cognitively dissimilar. The four-letter codes are meaningless if they are
taken and used out of context of the underlying functional order of types that
they are supposed to represent.
4. Percentages displayed on MBTI tests do not
indicate the strength of a dichotomy. They represent the certainty
level of the dichotomy. So if you get 100% Introvert, it doesn’t mean
you’re necessarily more introverted than someone who gets a 80% - it just means
you can be more certain of being introverted.
Descriptions of MBTI functions from various
sources:
Extraverted Intuition
Ne, Extroverted Intuition: Ne is a connector - when perceiving information,
those using Ne are capable of constant connection from one item to the next,
making them capable of creating and employing unique solutions in dealing with
the world. Ne is a very present-oriented function, using the present as a lens
for viewing the future. Those who use Ne may be viewed as 'hyper-active’ or
'random’, and may even trip up others in conversation, including fellow Ne
users who may not follow their exact chain of thought. One classic example of
how Ne perceives and connections information is the letter example. Assuming A
is the beginning and Z is the conclusion to something, Ne follows a trail not
unlike this: A-C-L-S-U-Z. As such, Ne users may be perceived as jumping around
from wall to wall with nothing to anchor them. Ne corresponds with: Dominant
(ENFP, ENTP), Supportive (INTP, INFP), Tertiary (ESTJ, ESFJ), and Inferior
(ISFJ, ISTJ). If you determine Ne is your dominant or supportive function, you
can then determine that you are an xNxP.
Ne - Extraverted
Intuition scans the external world to explore new ideas, new people,
and emergent possibilities. The Extraverted Intuitive mind is imaginative,
inventive, and innovative - seeing and describing ways things can be reshaped,
altered, or improved. It naturally energizes people and engages action towards
a vision of what could be … of future possibilities.
Ne is
perceiving abstract patterns and connections in response to stimuli (either in
the external world or in the mind). Ne generates new information starting from
something existing. Ne focuses on future possibilities.
Ne: Extraverted
Intuition - Ne immediately converts “What is” into “What could
possibly be”, interpreting meanings and interconnections, recognizing
synthesis between ideas and using new information for new and multiple
simultaneous possibilities which coexist.
Ne –
Extraverted Intuition – Sees possibilities, multiple strands of possibility,
seeing hidden meanings, seeing may representations of reality at once.
Entertain multiple ideas, beliefs, realities and seeing how they can all work
together and be true. Seeing connections when there aren’t any. Lateral
thinking. Creativity, strategy and concepts emerge in the here and now not as a
whole beforehand. Brainstorming and trust what emerges. Enjoy imagination, play
with ideas and multiple possibilities. Liking change and differences. When Ne
walks into a room they could see many ways the room could be and be used.
Ne Extraverted
iNtuiting: Interpreting situations and relationships; picking up meanings and
interconnections; being drawn to change “what is” for “what could possibly be”;
noticing what is not said and threads of meaning emerging across multiple
contexts. Noticing the possible meanings of what you might wear: “Wearing this
might communicate…”
Ne -
This process is primarily obsessed with Possibility. Ne perceives the environment
wanting to find stimulation, energy, and most importantly: Innovation. It
thrives on finding alternatives, and is a catalyst for Change. Note that the
things Ne comes up with aren’t necessarily logical - they’re actually quite
wacky. Essentially, Ne has little embarrassment, and no idea is a bad idea –
some ideas are just better than others. It enjoys being silly, expressive and
playful without shame.
Extraverted iNtuiting involves noticing hidden meanings and
interpreting them, often entertaining a wealth of possible interpretations from
just one idea or interpreting what someone’s behavior really means. It also
involves seeing things “as if,” with various possible representations
of reality. 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. This is like weaving themes and threads together. We don’t know the
weave until a thought thread appears or is drawn out in the interaction of
thoughts, often brought in from other contexts. Thus a strategy or concept
often emerges from the here-and-now interactions, not appearing as a whole
beforehand. Using this process we can really appreciate brainstorming and trust
what emerges, enjoying imaginative play with scenarios and combining
possibilities, using a kind of cross-contextual thinking. Extraverted iNtuiting
also can involve catalyzing people and extemporaneously shaping situations,
spreading an atmosphere of change through emergent leadership.
Ne,
or extroverted iNtuition, is dominant for ENxP, secondary for INxP,
tertiary for ESxJ and inferior for ISxJ. It is an outwardly exploratory
attitude that encourages us to change, reinvent and experiment with the
external world in order to find new and interesting combinations and patterns.
Ne looks for novel outcomes and imagines how the things around you could be
changed into other, more interesting things. Ne sees new information as part of
a larger, emerging, as of yet unseen pattern that extends far beyond the self,
and whose meaning will continue to change as the context grows and we discover
more of the all-encompassing pattern. Rather than directly confront an issue,
Ne will often broaden the context until the issue seems insignificant by
comparison to the much bigger and more expansive ideas it imagines.
As with all extroverted functions, Ne needs to
be validated by external/objective information to have meaning. So Ne users
will often have many ideas very quickly but not know if they’re good until they
hear other people’s reactions to them, or have a chance to experiment and see
what happens. Ne wants very badly to be understood and appreciated by others.
Note that Ne songwriters (e.g. Brandon Boyd, ENFP) will typically write enough
context clues and such into their work that you can put the pieces together and
infer what they were thinking when they wrote it. They want others to put the
pieces together and get it.
Introverted Intuition
Ni, Introverted Intuition: Ni perceives information and looks for patterns
in the outer world, relating the perceived info to the inner world. Much like
Ne, Ni has an eye for the future, but in the reverse sense of how Ne functions:
Ni uses the future as a means of looking at and perceiving the present. Ni is a
very unconscious function, and as such, those who use Ni may be perceived as
relying on their 'gut feeling’ too much, as they often have a hard time
explaining how they arrived to a certain conclusion. One classic example of how
Ni perceives information is the letter example. Assuming A is the beginning and
Z is the conclusion to something, Ni follows a trail like this: A-C-L-S… Z!
Instead of the conscious connections that Ne makes, Ni is more of a quiet
analyzer, coming to a sudden conclusion all at once, skipping ahead as the
pieces all fall into place. This can be thought of as an 'ah-ha!’ moment, but
not quite so dramatic. Ni corresponds with: Dominant (INTJ, INFJ), Supportive
(ENFJ, ENTJ), Tertiary (ISFP, ISTP), and Inferior (ESTP, ESFP). If you
determine Ni is your dominant or supportive function, you can then determine
that you are an xNxJ.
Ni - Introverted
Intuition reflects on patterns, relationships, symbols, meanings, and
perspectives on matters from complex phenomena to magical connections to
practical problems. The Introverted Intuitive mind typically creates a unique
vision and arrives at unique insights about things, phenomena, or people. It
strives to discover the essence of things and fill in the missing pieces of a
puzzle. Introverted Intuitive types frequently will have complex visions or
perspectives that they are unable to explain with clarity to others.
Ni is
the creation of mental imagery independent of outer stimuli. Ni generates
abstract structural images of a given problem domain that a person can view
from different points of view at will. Ni focuses on the structure of things
from a timeless point of view.
Ni: Introverted
Intuition - Ni immediately converts “What is” into “What will
be”. Ni perceives symbolic gestures, “rules”, and generalizations,
comparing new data to known information to perceive new probabilities.
Ni –
Introverted Intuition – Deep vision and understanding. Can make sense of what
others see as paradoxical, capricious and contradictory. Has deepest conceptual
understanding. Often peridime shifting moments that float from the
subconscious. Will often see at a new level, beyond and above what first
appears rational. The mind is vortexed in to the subconscious, as if the brain
is using processing and a “Eureka” moment ensues. The sense of the future gives
confidence and seems to assist those with Ni keep on track and not get
discouraged. They see the light at the end of the tunnel and can then do what
it takes to get there. Others with out this vision will get discouraged.
Developed and use symbols only known to the user of Ni that are compacted
packets of massive data, like matrixes.
Ni Introverted
iNtuiting: Foreseeing implications and likely effects without external data;
realizing “what will be”; conceptualizing new ways of seeing things;
envisioning transformations; getting an image of profound meaning or
far-reaching symbols. Envisioning yourself in an outfit or maybe envisioning
yourself being a certain way.
Ni -
This process is primarily obsessed with The Unknown. When Ni perceives it is
looking to identify “what is missing from this picture” by referencing
the patterns-based-worldview it knows. Ni goes about reality trying to identify
the underlying themes/patterns that define how it all ticks together. Unlike
Si, who bases “how reality ticks” on it’s own personal exposures, Ni
bases “how reality ticks” on the themes of the experience it
undergoes – which are not specific to them as much as a universal thing.
Introverted iNtuiting involves synthesizing the seemingly paradoxical
or contradictory, which takes understanding to a new level. Using this process,
we can have moments when completely new, unimagined realizations come to us. A
disengagement from interactions in the room occurs, followed by a sudden
“Aha!” or “That’s it!” The sense of the future and the
realizations that come from introverted iNtuiting have a 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. Using this
process, we might rely on a focal device or symbolic action to predict,
enlighten, or transform. We could find ourselves laying out how the future will
unfold based on unseen trends and telling signs. This process can involve
working out complex concepts or systems of thinking or conceiving of symbolic
or novel ways to understand things that are universal. It can lead to creating
transcendent experiences or solutions.
Ni,
or introverted iNtuition, is dominant for INxJ, secondary for ENxJ,
tertiary for ISxP and inferior for ESxP. It is an inward sense of abstract
perceptual shift. Rather than imagine different ways we could change the
outside world, Ni acknowledges many different ways we could change the
subjective meaning of things to ourselves by looking at them from different
angles. Rather than directly confront an issue, Ni will often solve problems by
simply looking at them from a different angle. Doing a bunch of community
service sucks? Just think of it as an opportunity to get lots of exercise! Note
that Ni doesn’t think about how to change the outer world the way Ne does; it
only thinks about how to change *the way we interpret* the outer world. Ni
leads you to try and see “through the smoke and mirrors” to what is
REALLY going on below the surface, that other people are not perceptive enough
to pick up on…so in its unhealthy form, it turns into conspiracy theories, a
la Dale Gribble from King of the Hill.
Strong Ni users like being the person behind the
scenes who pulls all the strings (even better if most people don’t even realize
it) and understands the dynamics of everything on a deeper level than everyone
else. They are threatened by the idea that there might be any perspective or
angle they cannot see, and as such they sometimes overestimate their own
ability to fully grasp and work around the attitudes of others.
As with all introverted functions, Ni doesn’t
pay attention to external conditions outside the self so it doesn’t care if
anyone else grasps the ideas the same way the Ni user does. To Ni, I get the
significance and that’s all that matters. Ni songwriters (e.g. Thom Yorke,
INFJ) will often write lyrics that could not possibly make any sense to other
people without a direct explanation from the writer, but they don’t really care
because Ni considers intuition such a personal thing that it can’t make its perspective/ideas
clear to others very easily at all, and frequently doesn’t even bother trying.
For another example, Isaac Newton (INFJ)
invented calculus and didn’t bother telling anyone about it for 20 years. Ne
would have been out showing the idea to others and changing it based on their
reactions–but not Ni!
As a result Ne is typically much better at
putting its abstract ideas into terms that others will understand than Ni.
On a side note: Ni appreciates definitional
freedom (and thus is often annoyed by Ti) in the same way Ne appreciates
freedom to change its plan of action abruptly (and thus is often annoyed by
Te.) Ti users will tend to frame debates by first assigning precise definitions
to terms, but Ni often objects to this by wondering: “How are we
unconsciously limiting our understanding by assigning such rigid definitions in
the first place?” Ni always seeks to escape the unconscious assumptions
that limit its understanding of as many different conceptual viewpoints as
possible.
Extraverted Sensing
Se, Extroverted Sensing: Se is often misconstrued as the function that
always needs excitement, always involved in some zany activity or another. This
is not usually the case, but can be in more extreme situations. Se, as a
perceiving function, perceives the present 'as is’, and can actually be
energized by taking in information that way. Se also seeks stimulation to keep
perceiving, which may lead those using Se to involve themselves in risky or at
least odd activities. With Ti as a partner, Se may seek stimulation through
such objective experiences (or anything interesting), or with Fi as a partner,
may seek stimulation through connections with others. Se corresponds with:
Dominant (ESTP, ESFP), Supportive (ISFP, ISTP), Tertiary (ENTJ, ENFJ), and
Inferior (INTJ, INFJ). If you determine Se is your dominant or supportive
function, you can determine that you are an xSxP.
Se - Extraverted
Sensing is about seizing the moment, becoming immersed in the here and
now, pleasurably and spontaneously interacting with people, things, and
situations of interest. It is being aware of, fully tuned into, and energized
by the options and impulses of the moment. It is making “work” into play,
learning by doing, and enjoying the creative process. It is being attuned to
the variety, quality, and esthetic appeal of sensory experiences. Extraverted
Sensing notices tangible realities and relates to them in a pragmatic fashion.
Se is
indiscriminant awareness of the physical environment. Se prefers to indulge in
that which exists in the present moment.
Se: Extraverted
Sensing - Se Experiences the immediate context, noticing changes and
opportunities for action, being drawn to act on the physical world, eager for
experiences, scanning visible reactions and recognizing “what
is”.
Se –
Extraverted Sensing – Being aware of the here and now. Seeing, feeling
touching, smelling the physical world as it is. Physical perception. Can now
see what is going on and its direct result. Drawn to immediate cause and
effect. Notice relevant facts and occurrences in a see of data that others may
will miss. Processing what is going on and pulling out the most relevant facts.
Seeks more input to get whole picture until Se can see the entire picture or
something else captures attention. Se is operating when we freely follow
exciting physical impulses or instincts as they flow from the back of the mind.
At peace, at Zen in the action and movement of the present moment. This Zen,
this oneness occurs when we become absorbed in what we do, move, touch, sense
around us. The biggest thrill comes when we can instinctively read and react to
cues to see how far we can push things in the situation and get what we want.
Se Extraverted
Sensing: Experiencing the immediate context; taking action in the physical
world; noticing changes and opportunities for action; accumulating experiences;
scanning for visible reactions and relevant data; recognizing “what is.”
Noticing what was available, trying on different items, and seeing how they
look.
Se -
This process is primarily obsessed with The Sensual. Se vividly perceives it’s
surroundings and takes them in as they are. Unlike Ne who glances once at it’s
surroundings, then begins to hop around to different places in it’s head - Se
stays on the tangible moment and lingers in it. It is also motivated toward
stimulation and enjoys thrills, excitement, aesthete, aroma, taste, sex, etc.
Extraverted Sensing occurs when we become aware of what is in the
physical world in rich detail. We may be drawn to act on what we experience to
get an immediate result. We notice relevant facts and occurrences in a sea of
data and experiences, learning all the facts we can about the immediate context
or 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 our attention. Extraverted
Sensing 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,
or extroverted Sensing, is dominant for ESxP, secondary for ISxP,
tertiary for ENxJ and inferior for INxJ. It is the attitude that what is
directly apparent in our immediate physical surroundings is the most important
thing to go by. Se leads you to follow your gut instincts, pay very close
attention to what’s going on around you, and respond to things in the moment in
whatever way will make the strongest and most immediate guttural, sensory
impact on others. Se users are so present-focused that they’re often on the
cutting edge of new trends because they place so much emphasis on what is
current and new. They like to learn things via a hands-on, figure-it-out-by-experimenting-as-you-go,
direct experiential approach (in this way they are similar to Ne) but they are
more focused on what is immediately tangible than on what their surroundings
might be changed into. They usually pay a lot of attention to their physical
appearance and are very good with reading body language and using it to
immediately size up a person or a situation and respond instinctively. They can
be quite impulsive and prone to overindulgence in sensory pleasures, but they
also know how to work a crowd and they tend to make themselves into reflections
of current popular trends–whatever will make an impact.
Se is the opposite of Ni because it
intentionally focuses on the literal surface meaning of exactly what is going
on right in front of you right now, whereas Ni tries to ignore that and see the
hidden meaning in what is not directly apparent.
Introverted Sensing
Si, Introverted Sensing: Si is, at its basics, associated with past
memory and recollection. Si does not actually correspond to memory, however. Si
perceives information in the present through a 'lens’, one of that of the past.
What that means is that Si is always situated in the past, and uses those
experiences to perceive and draw information from what is going on in the
present. This can give those who use Si a 'worn’ feel to others, in that they
seem to focus too much on the past instead of what’s going on right now. That
is how Si naturally functions, however, so it ought not be discouraged. Si
corresponds with: Dominant (ISTJ, ISFJ), Supportive (ESFJ, ESTJ), Tertiary
(INTP, INFP), and Inferior (ENTP, ENFP). If you determine Si is your dominant
or supportive function, then you can determine that you are an xSxJ.
Si -
The Introverted Sensing mind attends to, enjoys acquiring, and
relying upon an internal library of detailed personal knowledge, facts,
feelings, sensations, and information gleaned from experiences. Information and
impressions from present experiences are archived in an orderly way into memory
- which is typically a vast internal storehouse of data, details and
impressions. The Introverted Sensing mind seeks rhythm, reliability, and order
in its internal library and in its relationships with people and the outside
world.
Si is
awareness of concrete forms and categories of sensory perception. Si interprets
stimuli in terms of the past. Si stores and recalls facts, figures and past
situations.
Si: Introverted
Sensing - Si immediately converts “What is” into “What
was”, Si wants to explain or evaluate new information based on the past,
based on what is known and the way things have always been.
Si –
Introverted Sensing – Memory and relating past cause and effect to the present.
Stores vast amount of data and feelings and comparing them to the present
situation. Words, smells, sights sounds each relate in to past experiences.
Noticing little details of difference from times long ago to the present. Often
people will touch off plethora of memories. Feelings become permanent
attachment to objects and past events. Memories can be so strong that the body
physically reacts. As memories come into our mind we can see their linier
progression of recall like a video in fast forward or rewind. With Si, there is
a great attention to detail. And getting a clear picture of goals and
objectives of what is about to happen. There can be a oneness with customs and
traditions that seem to allow us to recall past experiences and feelings from
generations ago. Si wants to protect what is known and long lasting even if new
things may be more efferent or practical. What is new can sever Si’s
connections.
Si Introverted
Sensing: Reviewing past experiences; “what is” evoking “what was”; seeking
detailed information and links to what is known; recalling stored impressions;
accumulating data; recognizing the way things have always been. Remembering the
last time you wore a particular item or the last time you were at a similar
event—maybe even remembering how you felt then.
Si -
This process is primarily obsessed with The Familiar. Introverted Sensing
internalizes experiences in their concrete form and uses them as anchors for future
reference. That which is not familiar is observed and absorbed and added to
it’s internal database. These stored sensations act as a type of map the Si
user follows when in new situations. If the experiences stored into Si are
pleasant, Si will also seek to recreate those experiences in the present.
Hence, Si is deeply associated with Nostalgia.
Introverted Sensing 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—for example, noticing that some
food doesn’t taste the same or is saltier than it usually is. Introverted
Sensing is also operating when we see someone who reminds us of someone else.
Sometimes a feeling associated with the recalled image comes into our awareness
along with the information itself. Then the image can be so strong, our body
responds as if reliving the experience. The process also involves reviewing the
past to draw on the lessons of history, hindsight, and experience. With
introverted Sensing, there is often great attention to detail and getting a
clear picture of goals and objectives and what is to happen. There can be a
oneness with ageless customs that help sustain civilization and culture and
protect what is known and long-lasting, even while what is reliable changes.
Si,
or introverted Sensing, is dominant for ISxJ, secondary for ESxJ,
tertiary for INxP and inferior for ENxP. It’s related to Se in that it deals
with sensory experience, but rather than constantly scan for everything about
what’s going on now, it relies on internalizing those experiences into an
extremely detailed internal map of highly vivid *memories* of those past sensory
experiences. This dependence on reliving past experience and using it as a
guide for the present leads to an extremely good memory for detail, and a
general attitude that going with what we know for sure from having experienced
it before is usually best.
Si is the opposite of Ne because rather than
relate new information to some larger external, constantly changing pattern, it
tries to relate all new information to something it already knows, some sensory
data that it’s absorbed from its past experiences. This leads to the classic Ne
vs. Si battle: Ne wants to try something new just for the sake of doing
something different and finding something interesting; Si wants to stick to
what we’ve done before because its vivid memories of direct experience allow us
to relate the new information to that past information we’ve already absorbed.
It’s a common misconception that Si users are
traditionalists on principle. In my experience, many older Si users (xSxJ types
have Si as dom/secondary) are traditionalists because the only source of
information they had was their parents and the traditions they were raised
with, but these days many younger SJs are much less traditionalist in nature
because information is so much more freely available than it was just a few
generations ago. Si is not into tradition just for the sake of tradition; it
just likes to relate new information to something it already knows. Rules and
traditions can be a convenient way to do this, but it’s a mistake to believe
that Si always leads to traditionalism for its own sake.
Si also does some really cool stuff like perfect
pitch…I have one ISFJ friend (Si dominant) who can tap into his past
sensations of what a particular note sounded like and use it to identify some
note he hears now as a G#. That’s amazing to me…as an Ne dom I only
understand notes in terms of their relationship to other notes in a larger
pattern; Josh just taps right into his detailed sensory memory and can identify
the note by remembering what it sounded like before, on its own.
Si doms like to collect objects and facts that
evoke pleasurable memories from the past. An Si who’s into history will collect
books, photos, stamps, etc…an Si who’s into music will collect instruments,
sheet music, photos of concerts, and so on. Many Si types love scrapbooking
because looking back at those old photos evokes those powerful, highly detailed
sensory experiences from the past.
Part 2 to come…
References:
(X), (XX), (XXX)