misconceptions
➜ the dichotomies are not important. it's best to forget about them moving forward, because it's hard to type people properly without falling under stereotypes because of it.➜ what mbti defines is the way you perceive, process information and might act on it in result. it influences many personality traits, but it shouldn't be the main approach➜ introverted people can be sociable, sensors can have a strong intuition, thinkers can be emotional, judging types can be messy. the only purpose of the mbti acronyms is to put a label on people's cognitive function stack to simplify things for them.➜ jungian introversion and extraversion differ from the popular definitions of both terms. in this case, being introverted means that you prioritize your internal processes over external ones, and being extraverted means that you prioritize external processes over internal ones.➜ we all use functions of both kinds, and will utilize extraverted functions the most when interacting with other people, which is why you might feel like an 'ambivert'. truth is: we all are to a certain extent.➜ the most popular test (16personalities) isn't actually an mbti test! it just applies the mbti acronyms to an entirely different personality model: the big five. this is their own approach, which has little to do with mbti per se.➜ jungian cognitive functions are the core of mbti, what matters the most and what will give a deeper insight into people's minds.➜ sadly, no test is reliable. you will have to study the functions to figure out your type, but you might find out that it's much less time consuming than taking five different tests to do so.➜ tests will generally rely on stereotypes and generalizations because that makes the job way easier, but people are more complex than that.➜ getting different results might make you think your personality type changed, but it always remains the same. you just develop your inferior functions over time.➜ no one can fake nor manipulate their personalty outside of their function stack, because it defines how their brain processes information. they will just present a seemingly healthier version of their type or make more use of certain functions.➜ a lot of other factors like enneagram types, instinctual variants, temperaments, and the context people grew up in can make individuals of the same type act very differently and interact with others in distinct ways.➜ for this reason, there's no such thing as mbti compatibility! but you'll soon know that seeing how different types and functions complement and clash with each other is way more fun.
introduction to functions
➜ there's a total of eight cognitive functions, which will determine how your brain perceives and judges information.➜ there are four extraverted functions and four introverted functions, as well as four perceiving and four judging functions.
➜ we all use all eight of these functions! but we will fancy four of them most.➜ our order of preference will be what we call the function stack, and this is what defines our mbti type.
➜ your dominant function will be the strongest, the secondary function will be a helping hand.➜ your tertiary function supports your secondary function, but might take longer to develop. over time, it'll work as your 'comfort' function.➜ your inferior function is what you will have to work on the most, and it might appear in unhealthy ways.➜ every person will prefer:› two extraverted and two introverted functions.› two judging and two perceiving functions.› one feeling function, one thinking function, one intuitive function and one sensing function.➜ one judging function should be extroverted and the other one introverted, and the same applies to the perceiving functions.➜ introverted and extraverted functions should alternate in the function stack (e > i > e > i or i > e > i > e).➜ functions come in pairs because introverted functions need an extraverted function to complement them. if you spot one of them, you know the other one will also be there.➜ the pairs are: Si + Ne // Ti + Fe // Fi + Te // Ni + Se➜ now that we have that down, let's move to the functions!
cognitive functions
click for descriptions
Si ≠ Se
Ni ≠ Ne
Ti ≠ Te
Fi ≠ Fe
introverted sensing (Si)
you pay attention to the memory of an event in your mind, rather than real time.
introverted sensing (Si) often involves storing data and information, then comparing and contrasting the current situation with similar ones. its users will generally be able to recall a good deal about their environment or past events. Si is concerned with internal bodily sensations; what its users will remember aren’t just factual, impersonal details, but what they were experiencing and physically feeling.
the immediate experience or words are instantly linked with prior experiences, and they register a similarity or a difference. sometimes a feeling associated with the recalled image comes into their awareness along with the information itself, which can be so strong that their body responds to it as if reliving the experience.
Si has an immense potential to recall details and facts with little effort, provided it is something that interests the user. they desire to learn raw information and to store it away so it can be accessed again in the future. the amount, type, and relevance of information being stored away will vary from user to user and the information won’t always be important.
with Si, there is often a great attention to detail and getting a clear picture of goals and objectives. there might be an oneness with ageless customs that help sustain civilization, and a tendency to lean towards traditions.look for an Si user to:
• speak in a very detail-oriented way.
• get stuck on the details.
• reference the past, the rules, the directions, etc.
• have a strong aversion to change.
• take things at face value or not be able to read between the lines.dominant Si types: istj | isfj
auxiliary Si types: estj | esfj
tertiary Si types: intp | infp
inferior Si types: entp | enfp
extraverted sensing (Se)
you pay attention to what the five senses are telling you about the real world in real time, right now.
extraverted sensing (Se) users become aware of what is in the physical world in rich detail. a oneness with the external world and a total absorption may exist as they move, touch, and sense what is around them. they desire to experience life with all of their senses, and look to taste, feel, smell, hear, and see new things. they tend to freely follow exciting physical impulses or instincts as they come up.
as an objective, impersonal function, Se users are just observing, experiencing and reacting. instead of focusing on storing sensory data, they use sensory data to respond in the external world. they will focus on remembering only information that is deemed relevant, useful or practical. they might know a lot about what they do, a hobby, or some topic that specifically catches their interest.
they notice relevant facts and occurrences in a sea of data and experiences, learning all they can about the immediate context or area of focus and what goes on in that context. Se users tend to be drawn to act on what they experience to get an immediate result. they instantly read cues to see how far they can go in a situation and still get the impact they want.look for an Se user to:
• have bright, darting eyes as they soak in everything going on around them.
• be easily distracted.
• want to touch, taste, smell, etc.
• be bored of theoretical discussion when they see no purpose for it.
• want to do rather than talk.
• emphasize living in the present.dominant Se types: estp | esfp
auxiliary Se types: istp | isfp
tertiary Se types: entj | enfj
inferior Se types: intj | infj
introverted intuition (Ni)
you get insights that seem to come out of nowhere through subconscious analysis.
introverted intuition (Ni) involves synthesizing the seemingly paradoxical or contradictory. its users can have moments when completely new, unimagined realizations come to them. this presents a sense of sureness that seems to demand action and helps the Ni user stay focused on fulfilling their vision of how things will be in the future.
Ni users interpret what they observe into impressions, meaning, symbolism, patterns, or an overarching conclusion, and then store that away. Ni is subjective, focused and precise. it will naturally zero in on one singular conclusion or solution.
their memory will be more impressionistic or big picture focused. most of what they observe will be subconscious sensory data translated into their interpretation of its meaning. later on, they’ll subconsciously recall the patterns and meanings. when a similar event comes up, they’ll ‘just know’ how it’s going to play out and figure out a probable outcome.
they might find themselves 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.look for an Ni user to:
• declare their conclusion or point before explaining the reasoning or support for it.
• talk about symbols, destiny, perspectives, how life is a grand chess board, the big picture or other abstractions.
• just want you to get to the point, not caring much about the details.
• when discussing a concept, carry it out to its farthest possible conclusion (if this, then it’ll lead here, which means this, which will go here, etc.)
• focus on one thing so narrowly that they miss something that clearly contradicts it.dominant Ni types: intj | infj
auxiliary Ni types: entj | enfj
tertiary Ni types: istp | isfp
inferior Ni types: estp | esfp
extraverted intuition (Ne)
you can easily make connections between different information and are prone to brainstorming.
extraverted intuition (Ne) takes in information about the external world and uses it to come up with many different possibilities. it allows its users to jump from one thought to the other in a seemingly random way, but in their minds there will always be a connecting string (no matter how slight this connection may be).
Ne is comparable to a gigantic, ever expanding web of connections. Ne users can juggle many different ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and meanings in their mind at once, with the possibility that they are all true. they will likely get bored of one particular thing once it’s been entertained for so long, since they enjoy thinking about every possibility there might be.
they really appreciate brainstorming and cross-contextual thinking. they’ll produce many ideas, which can range anywhere from very likely to happen or not likely to happen at all. then, they’ll be forced to narrow them down by other functions in their stack.
Ne takes everything it’s been given and figures out many different ways to put things together to see how many different outcomes it will provide. in this way, it has the ability to offer up unique and insightful ideas that others would have never even thought to entertain.look for an Ne user to:
• make tons of references (whether it be a pun, a quote, movie reference, etc.)
• produce off the wall comments.
• span multiple topics quickly.
• struggle to get to the point.
• talk when they have nothing to say.
• create fantastical scenarios and ask “what if” a lot.
• seem scatterbrained.dominant Ne types: entp | enfp
auxiliary Ne types: intp | infp
tertiary Ne types: estj | esfj
inferior Ne types: istj | isfj
introverted thinking (Ti)
you make decisions based on data, categories and theories inside your mind. you have your own personal logical model.
introverted thinking (Ti) involves an internal reasoning process, in which its users notice fine distinctions between things and name them, creating categories and subcategories. their brains are wired to take concepts apart and look at different sides of an issue to see where there is inconsistency. this way, they search for a way to fix problems with the least amount of effort.
the workings of Ti are like a giant jigsaw puzzle. Ti users take the information they receive via their perceiving functions (Ne, Se, Ni, Si) and compare it to search for inconsistencies. they find what makes or doesn’t make sense, get rid of what doesn’t fit, and build a mental model of consistent information. the more they learn, the larger and more elaborate the puzzle becomes. if something is considered consistent, it’s stored in their internal database of knowledge. if not, they’ll deepen their understanding of it to learn where it belongs.
problems arise when they notice one piece of trustworthy data is inconsistent with something else within their database. at this point, they will have to rethink their mental model and figure out exactly where the chain of consistencies failed so they can fix their inner logic. the Ti user will be forced to reevaluate all of the interconnected data and recreate a more accurate puzzle.look for a Ti user to:
• frequently say “maybe”, “probably”, “perhaps”, or any other word that prevents their statement from seeming absolute.
• not want to explain their thinking process out loud or state an opinion until after being given time to completely process it.
• be accidentally sharp, taking others by surprise.
• have logic that others struggle to follow.
• to try and re-figure out something that has already been established.
• only accept what makes sense to them, possibly in spite of established facts.dominant Ti types: intp | istp
auxiliary Ti types: entp | estp
tertiary Ti types: infj | isfj
inferior Ti types: enfj | esfj
extraverted thinking (Te)
you make decisions based on objective facts and data.
extraverted thinking (Te) is about organizing and monitoring people and things to work efficiently and productively. Te is when we challenge someone’s ideas based on the logic of the facts in front of us or lay out reasonable explanations for decisions or conclusions made, often trying to establish order in someone else’s thought process. it allows its users to compartmentalize many aspects of their lives, so they can do what is necessary to accomplish their objectives.
all learned facts must be verified by an external source before they accept them. when one of their facts is contradicted, the basis and support for this new fact must present a logical reason as to why it opposes known information. once the new information has been verified, old opposing information is discarded and considered incorrect. everything to a Te user is either right or wrong, with little gray area.
Te users take the objective logic and facts that they have learned and apply it to their external world, and the external world of those around them. this forms the basis for all their decisions. they are concerned with order and efficiency, in the sense that every task has an ideal order of operations, and they will find it and apply it.look for a Te user to:
• be frequently rigid and intense.
• look not completely comfortable even when relaxed.
• state most things as facts or absolutes, even when they’re not.
• quickly declare when someone is incorrect.
• try to tell you how to fix your problem.
• explain their logic out loud.dominant Te types: entj | estj
auxiliary Te types: intj | istj
tertiary Te types: enfp | esfp
inferior Te types: infp | isfp
introverted feeling (Fi)
you make decisions based on your own personal values and you're more concerned with how things impact you personally.
introverted feeling (Fi) serves as a filter for information that matches what is valued, wanted, or worth believing in. Fi users focus on how the external world, people, or situations make them feel personally, and develop their own internal value system of what they have deemed to be good or bad. all information they receive through their perceiving functions (Ne, Ni, Se or Si) is then judged against it, and accepted or discarded based on how it measures up.
most of the time this process works ‘in private’ and is expressed through actions. their values are often associated with images, feeling tones, and gut reactions more than words. it’s like having an internal sense of the ‘essence’ of things and reading fine distinctions among feeling tones.
their self-worth becomes wrapped up in whether or not they are remaining true to themselves. Fi users are constantly analyzing their own feelings and values in order to determine their own identity. if necessary, their values may be adapted, but only if they deem new information to be in accordance with their true self.
this inward emotional focus can lead to them projecting their own emotions onto others. there’s a positive side to this, and it’s that they might have a great capacity for empathy, because they attempt to process other people’s feelings by looking to relate to them and their experiences.look for an Fi user to:
• be idealistic.
• hold themselves (and possibly others) to a very high standard.
• be sensitive and understanding towards others.
• encourage others to just be themselves or remain true to self.
• express strongly held values/beliefs.
• may take criticism (of themselves or their work) as a personal attack.dominant Fi users: infp | intp
auxiliary Fi users: enfp | entp
tertiary Fi users: intj | istj
inferior Fi users: entj | estj
extraverted feeling (Fe)
you make decisions based on an objective value system and tend to follow accepted social norms.
extraverted feeling (Fe) often involves a desire to connect with (or disconnect from) others. it is often evidenced by expressions of warmth (or displeasure) and self-disclosure. using this process, the Fe user responds according to expressed or even unexpressed wants and needs of others. they may recognize and adhere to shared values, feelings, and social norms to get along.
this tendency to focus on other people’s emotions rather than their own is why Fe is often considered to be a more ‘objective’ form of feeling. Fe users don’t have to personally identify with a situation someone else is going through. they recognize the feeling in the other person, and due to their ‘sensitivity’ to extroverted emotion, they mirror the emotion.
the line between their emotions and others’ can be blurry. they naturally take what the other person feels and make it their own. if the other person in the room is happy, an Fe user will feel happy; if the other person in the room is sad, an Fe user will feel sad.
Fe users’ self worth and identity may become wrapped up in other people’s perspectives of them. they might feel pulled to be responsible for other people’s feelings, sometimes to the point of not separating their feelings from others’.look for an Fe user to:
• be very emotionally expressive and possibly dramatic.
• seem motherly and caring, or do frequent, thoughtful things.
• tell you what they think you should do or what they think is best for you.
• speak for the group.
• express a strong distaste of conflict or avoid it altogether.
• appeal to your emotions or emotionally persuade.
STACK SHORTCUTS
P = Se or Ne in top 2
J = Te or Fe in top 2SP = Se in top 2
NP = Ne in top 2ESXP = Se dom
ENXP = Ne domISXP = Se aux
INXP = Ne auxTJ = Te in top 2
FJ = Fe in top 2EXTJ = Te dom
EXFJ = Fe domIXTJ = Te aux
IXFJ = Fe aux
istj:
isfjestpesfpintjinfjentpenfpintpistpinfpisfpenfjesfj
recommended sources
this carrd was also inspired by the mbti thread by @okeydokidoki