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.
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