A Simple-ish Explanation of the Cognitive Functions

            For a blog that is supposedly about writing, life, and MBTI, I've posted a lot about life, less about writing, and twice about MBTI.

            As I discovered the MBTI system, I looked up everything I could on everything (like I do when I have a new obsession– I've learned it's a Ni trait, but I digress). But for awhile, I ignored the cognitive functions. Why? Because they were just too darn complicated. I couldn't figure it out, and I couldn't fathom how I'd memorize each type's function combination. I could not for the life of me get a straightforward explanation of them. So, now that I'm older and wiser and actually kind of know what I'm talking about, I'm going to write that explanation.

            There are eight functions. Each has an abbreviation, which is listed below. I've also included a short explanation of the basics each function.

Extraverted Sensing- Se- Often stereotyped as the adrenaline junkie function. Se is all about taking in information in the present moment. It pays attention to the five senses and is aware of the external world.

Introverted Sensing- Si- Si is most closely linked to memory, and to being aware of sensation within one's own body. Si types tend to put trust in the past and what has worked before, which lends towards their reputation of being stubborn and bad with change.

Introverted Intuition- Ni- Ni gets a really good reputation in the MBTI community. It's known on tumblr as "psychic powers." In reality, Ni is all about picking up patterns and applying them to the future. It's used mostly unconsciously, assembling bits of information and putting them together like puzzle pieces, all below conscious understanding.

Extraverted Intuition- Ne- Ne is focused on possibilities- all of the possibilities. My best friend's little sister uses Ne, and hasn't yet developed her second function, and you can see that in the way she talks. She'll jump from idea to idea exhaustingly quickly, with seemingly no connections between them. Ne gathers as much information as possible and looks for relationships between things.

Extraverted Feeling- Fe- Stereotypically hugs and emotional manipulation, Fe seeks external harmony between people. It tries to read the dynamics of a situation and bring people together. Fe focuses on community values, but this doesn't necessarily mean that it uses traditional values. Fe takes the values of the community they belong to to heart, and try to help everyone feel included within them.

Introverted Feeling- Fi- Fi is all about internal values. It's about exploring one's own thoughts and feelings and staying true to them. Fi users tend to work through their feelings internally rather than look for external companionship. They live with the idea of not being able to control everything, but controlling themselves.

Introverted Thinking- Ti- Ti cares about internal logical consistency. It makes an internal framework for how the world works, adjusting when necessary for new information. Ti is analytical and enjoys taking things apart and figuring out why they work. It loves learning and finding the best possible solution, regardless of time.

Extraverted Thinking- Te- Te cares about structuring and ordering the external world through rational thought. It's decisive and efficient, and is very action-oriented. While Ti is content to sit and think about options for hours, Te likes to make a decision and execute it as quickly as possible. Te users tend to be good leaders because of this quality.

            The Judging function are the thinking/feeling ones– Ti, Fi, Te, and Fe. Perceivers will have the introverted versions of these functions, while judgers will have the extraverted versions. These functions primarily affect decision making– passing judgements. The Perceiving functions are Ne, Ni, Se, and Si. They affect how we process and experience the world, and having an extraverted perceiving function makes you a perceiver.

            Everyone has four functions in their stack, but you only need to figure out the first two, and the last two will be the opposite (Opposites are Ni/Se, Fi/Te, Si/Ne, Ti/Fe). Figuring out the functions can be a little complicated, especially if you don't know what they are, so here's a brief sketch of each function.

            Now, on to figuring out your functions! I'm going to use myself as an example. So, because of my obsession with this system, and because I overanalyze things, I got into this black hole of self-doubt a few months ago. What if I'm not actually an INFJ? What if everything I think I know about myself is a lie? So I resolved to determine the problem mathematically. (My method only fed into my doubt at first. My main problem was what if I'm actually a thinker/perceiver because Ti?) I found five different function tests across the internet, and took each of them, writing down my percentage for each function. Then I took the averages of each percentage to figure everything out. I discovered I am, in fact, an INFJ, I just have really strong Ti and social anxiety that impacts my Fe. You don't have to go to these lengths, but it helped me.

            Anyhow, in order to figure out which functions you use, it would be good to take at least one function test, to get a feel, and you kind of need to study the system. A lot. You don't necessarily need to find your dominant function first. I usually figure out thinking/feeling first, then figure out if the function is introverted or extraverted, then determine if the person is more introverted or extraverted. Your dominant function will be introverted if you're an introvert, and vice versa. Your secondary function will be extroverted if you're introverted.

If your dominant function is-

Te or Fe, your secondary function will either be Si or Ni

Ti or Fi, your secondary function will be Ne or Se.

Ni or Si, your secondary function will be Fe or Te.

Ne or Se, your secondary function will be Fi or Ti.

Figure out which dominant and secondary functions best fit you, and then put them together to find your type.

Ni, Fe, Ti, Se- INFJ

Ni, Te, Fi, Se- INTJ

Ne, Fi, Te, Si- ENFP

Ne, Ti, Fe, Si- ENTP

Se, Ti, Fe, Ni- ESTP

Se, Fi, Te, Ni- ESFP

Si, Te, Fi, Ne- ISTJ

Si, Fe, Ti, Ne- ISFJ

Ti, Se, Ni, Fe- ISTP

Ti, Ne, Si, Fe- INTP

Te, Ni, Se, Fi- ENTJ

Te, Si, Ne, Fi- ESTJ

Fe, Ni, Se, Ti- ENFJ

Fe, Si, Ne, Ti- ESFJ

Fi, Ne, Si, Te- INFP

Fi, Se, Ni, Te- ISFP

I'm not sure how much sense this makes, so if you have any questions, please ask them in the comments. I hope I've cleared up some of the confusion around the functions and made it simpler for you. If you want an explanation of the four-letter system and how you can use it for characters, check out my previous post here.

The Types of Ravenclaws

    I'm sure I've mentioned how I'm obsessed with Harry Potter before. I've adored the series since fourth grade. And I love the house system, trying to figure out deeper meaning behind it, reading and coming up with my own headcanons, and figuring out exactly what the house does and doesn't account for.
    As a proud Ravenclaw (with more pride for my house than my high school), I think it's important to remember that there's more to Ravenclaw than good grades. We usually associate Ravenclaws with being smart. That's it. But when a narrow, traditional view of intelligence is used that it becomes all about academic performance, any person who is intelligent will think they are not. Albert Einstein once said, "Everybody is a genius. But when you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." When discussing intelligence, we need to keep this in mind. Therefore, using Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, I'd like to present a picture of Ravenclaw House. Remember, you probably use at least three of these well. Every Ravenclaw is different, and realizing that and embracing it is what gives our house its trademark quirkiness.
       Think about linguistically intelligent Ravenclaws, who keep painstaking journals and and write stories and poems and keep lists of their favorite words. Ravenclaws with ink-stained hands, who learn languages easily and adore identifying the latin roots in spells, and pride themselves on their huge vocabularies, but are so busy writing their own projects that their formal schoolwork never ends up getting done.
      Musical Ravenclaws who learn everything they can about their favorite composers and instruments, who write notes on the back of sheet music. Musical Ravenclaws who form bands, orchestras, and choirs, because dang it, there important things to learn besides magic and *long rant on the positive effects of music. . .* Ravenclaws who drive their roommates insane by playing music at night when they can't sleep, who devour new sheet music and spend hours composing their own. Ravenclaws who study by writing songs and rhythms for the information, if they ever get to studying.
     Intrapersonal Ravenclaws who can't focus in class because they're too busy exploring their own souls. Ravenclaws who work to find their flaws and fix them, who are more often than not lost in their heads, who see self-knowledge as teh most important knowledge. Ravenclaws obsessed with personality tests, who can tell you their Myers-Briggs type and Enneagram and Color Code and Archetype, but can't remember what that eighteen-inch essay was supposed to be about.
      Naturalistic Ravenclaws who always keep their windows open, much to the annoyance of their roommates with loose papers. THey're right up there with the best of the Hufflepuffs in herbology, and ace care of magical creatures. The ones who stare at the lake to observe the giant squid or linger at the edge of the forest, hoping to catch a glimpse of a bowtruckle or niffler. Ravenclaws who own dozens of books on plants and animals, who study best outside, and learn everything they can about Biology. Ravenclaws who argue ethics with their defense against the dark arts teachers, debating current regulations on magical creatures.
      Logical Ravenclaws who hate essays and busy work, but adore gathering statistics, who keep charts of the house points and figure out exactly the average amount of points each house gains per month. Ravenclaws who write and solve complicated equations because they were bored. Ravenclaws who love solving puzzles and riddles, who create their own, who ace the door question so long as it's logical (the more philosophical ones are harder), but never do their schoolwork because they don't see the point of it.
     Interpersonal Ravenclaws who hate classes, but thrive in between or after. Ravenclaws who don't read as often as their less socially conscious housemates, because there are people to be talked to and observed and learned from. Ravenclaws who are social butterflies, who talk to the intrapersonal ones about personality, who take the theories to heart and apply them everywhere. Ravenclaws who draw even the most introverted out of their shells, who know just how to put the new first years at ease. Ravenclaws who don't see the use of History of Magic, but adore learning about people and how they think and feel and act.
     Ravenclaws with Spatial intelligence, who fill their shelves with sketchbooks and own more paintbrushes than quills. Ravenclaws who doodle all through class, who draw detailed portraits of their experiences at Hogwarts to send home to their families, whose robes are stained in paint and fingers caked with clay, who can perfectly capture their roommate's faces or the common room or the great hall, but cannot for the life of them brew a potion.
     Ravenclaws who are kinesthetically intelligent, who are shocked to be Ravenclaws, since they can't even sit still through class, much less to study. Ravenclaws making up active games to remember facts, skipping class to practice quidditch or devise the next brilliant strategy for the upcoming match.
      Ravenclaws stressing out because they can't get perfect Os, sitting alone in the common room, convinced that the sorting hat made a mistake. Older Ravenclaws coming to them, sharing their experiences, and how intelligence isn't just in grades.
     The stereotypical nothing-but-studying Ravenclaws make up maybe 1% of the house. At the end of the day, Ravenclaws aren't just the smart ones. We're the ones with a passion for learning about our interests, who are creative and always seeking new ideas. Yes, we are smart. But we are so much more.