donis' socionics blog

Information Elements

Irrational elements (because they perceive, not reason):

Se - extroverted sensing: Force (F)

Accumulation of external involvements

Force: strength or energy as an attribute of physical action or movement. In physics, understood as an influence tending to change the motion of a body or produce motion or stress in a stationary body.

Si - introverted sensing: Senses (S)

Integration of external involvements

Senses: faculties by which the body perceives external stimuli.

Ne - extroverted intuition: Ideas (I)

Accumulation of internal abstractions

Ideas: thoughts as to possible courses of action or outcomes.

Ni - introverted intuition: Telos (T)

Integration of internal abstractions

Telos: ancient Greek term for an end, fulfillment, completion, aim or goal. Ethymologic source for the word 'teleology', the explanation of phenomena in terms of the purpose they serve rather than of cause by which they arise.

Rational elements (because they reason, not perceive):

Te - extroverted thinking: Pragmatism (P)

Accumulation of external abstractions

Pragmatism: an approach that evaluates theories or beliefs in terms of the success of their practical application.

Ti - introverted thinking: Laws (L)

Integration of external abstractions

Laws: the system of rules which a particular country or community recognizes as regulating the actions of its members and which it may enforce by the imposition of penalties.

Fe - extroverted feeling: Emotions (E)

Accumulation of internal involvements

Emotions: strong feelings deriving from one's circumstances, mood, or relationships with others.

Fi - introverted feeling: Relations (R)

Integration of internal involvements

Relations: the ways in which two or more people or things are connected; a thing's effect on or relevance to another. Also the way in which two or more people or groups feel about and behave towards each other.

Each of the eight information elements fit into and fill one of the eight cognitive functions that make up a person's personality type. The different assortments result in the 16 different types.

Cognitive Functions

1. Leading - most capable (4D), valued, public, and stubborn. Automatic, confident, and comfortable first approach that sets and programs the base objectives of the personality. Also called Base, Dominant, or sometimes Program function

2. Creative - highly capable (3D), valued, public, and flexible. Complements the leading function's set program and takes it into actions, brings it into the world. Also called Auxiliary function.

3. Role - less capable (2D), unvalued, public, and flexible. Conscious adaptation to respond to outside expectations. Sometimes called Reluctant function.

4. Vulnerable - least capable (1D), unvalued, public, and stubborn. Source of insecurity, least resistance to external pressure, and inflexible lack of comprehension of its given information element. Sometimes called Exposed function or Path/Point of Least Resistance (PoLR).

5. Suggestive - least capable (1D), valued, private, and flexible. Search for intimate reassurance and/or influence of others, appreciation and enthralling of the presence of the element in them, feels calmed by it. Also called Accepting or Seeking function.

6. Mobilizing - less capable (2D), valued, private, and stubborn. Highly personal need for being independently capable in this element, but is overconfident. Consistently clumsy in its effectiveness or overcompensating in its expression. Its usage energizes the person. Also called Activating function or Hidden Agenda.

7. Observing - highly capable (3D), unvalued, private, and stubborn. Non-participation in the usage of its given element outside of scrutizing from the sidelines and sometimes consistently critizicing or questioning its validity. Traditionally called Ignoring function.

8. Demonstrative - most capable (4D), unvalued, private, and flexible. Unconscious and persistent leading utilization of the element, even when it would rather not be used. Willingly let go of when asked of by overwhelmed people due to its unvalued and flexible nature, yet it still assists in the achieving of the type's goals.

Each of the eight functions fit into one of four Blocks within the model, creating Rings of information metabolism:

Blocks

Public and conscious blockings: the Mental Ring

Ego Block: valued and "strong" functions

Super-Ego Block: unvalued and "weak" functions

Private and unconscious blockings: the Vital Ring

Super-Id Block: valued but "weak" functions

Id Block: unvalued but "strong" functions

Inert functions: stubborn, intransigent, bold, assertive, and energetic functions

Contact functions: flexible, collaborative, subtle, and reluctant functions

The "strength" or "weakness" of a given function is explained through the qualitative parameters with which they are able to process information to elaborate conclusions and internalize lessons. Each set of which are called Dimensionality of a function:

Dimensionality

Each function processes information and grows by taking into account the parameters of:

1-Dimensional (1D): experience. Referred to as least capable, "weakest".

2-Dimensional (2D): norms and experience. Referred to as less capable, "weak".

3-Dimensional (3D): situational, norms, and experience. Referred to as highly capable, "strong".

4-Dimensional (4D): time, situational, norms, and experience. Referred to as most capable, "strongest.

Commonalities can be discerned between types depending on strengths and values, called small groups or quaternions:

Small Groups

Quadras: according to valued elements

Alpha: value Ti, Fe, Si, Ne - Acceptance and Togetherness

Beta: value Ti, Fe, Se, Ni - Calling and Order

Gamma: value Te, Fi, Se, Ni - Aptitude and Independence

Delta: value Te, Fi, Si, Ne - Growth and Hope

Clubs: according to dominant primary information

Researchers: intuitive and logical (NT)

Socials: sensing and ethical (SF)

Pragmatists: sensing and logical (ST)

Humanitarians: intuitive and ethical (NF)

Temperaments: according to primary extroversion (E or I) and rationality (P or J)

Flexible-maneuvering: extroverted and perceiving (EP)

Linear-assertive: extroverted and rational (EJ)

Receptive-adaptive: introverted and perceiving (IP)

Balanced-stable: introverted and rational (IJ)

Communication styles: according to primary extroversion (E or I) and rational preferrence (F or T)

Bussinesslike: extroverted and logical (ET)

Passionate: extroverted and ethical (EF)

Cold-blooded: introverted and logical (IT)

Sincere/Soulful: introverted and ethical (IF)

Alpha Quadra

ILE (ENTp, IL): Intuitive Logical Extrovert

SEI (ISFp, SE): Sensing Ethical Introvert

ESE (ESFj, ES): Ethical Sensing Extrovert

LII (INTj, LI): Logical Intuitive Logical Introvert

Beta Quadra

SLE (ESTp, FL): Sensing Logical Extrovert

IEI (INFp, TE): Intuitive Ethical Introvert

EIE (ENFj, ET): Ethical Intuitive Extrovert

LSI (ISTj, LF): Logical Sensing Introvert

Gamma Quadra

SEE (ESFp, FR): Sensing Ethical Extrovert

ILI (INTp, TL): Intuitive Logical Introvert

LIE (ENTj, LT): Logical Intuitive Extrovert

ESI (ISFj, RF): Ethical Sensing Introvert

Delta Quadra

IEE (ENFp, IR): Intuitive Ethical Extrovert

SLI (ISTp, SP): Sensing Logical Introvert

LSE (ESTj, PS): Logical Sensing Extrovert

EII (INFj, RI): Ethical Intuitive Introvert

Socionics incorporates possible shorter codes for each type as opposed to the more widely known 4-letter codes of MBTI. It also changes the way in which Perceivers and Judgers are coded.

Perceivers and Judgers

Perceivers are understood as those who lead with an irrational element (Sensing or Intuition) in their Base function. Judgers are understood as those who lead with a rational element (Thinking or Feeling) in their Base function.

Should stand to reason that Perceivers would be coded with a P in their letter codes and Judgers with a J. Instead, in MBTI this is not the case, it only defines Perceivers/Judgers based on what the highest extroverted function is. This makes absolutely no sense.

For instance, using the MBTI's ISTP as an example, they are coded as Perceivers by MBTI even though their base function is a Judging one (Ti, Laws). This makes no sense when explaining their attitude and behavior. Ti Base implies Se (Force) Creative, which makes no sense for a Perceiver instead of a Judger.

Therefore, Ti Base-Se Creative types are coded as ISTj under Socionics, and explains Ti-Se's harsh and enforcing attitude. The lower case Perceiver/Judger letter helps differentiante from MBTI and emphasizes the main importance of the N/S and T/F dichotomies, with P/J as auxiliary.

The "actual" ISTp, rather, leads with Si (Senses) and creates with Te (Pragmatism). This comprises a type much more in line with the understandings of Perceivers, a lot more laid back than their counterparts. An ISTp is someone who emphasizes physical well-being, comfort in their surroundings and attention to detail, assisted by an energy-minimizing yet methodical and informed logical framework.

The four-letter codes

The four-letter codes, then, are defined by filling the eight cognitive functions of the model with each information element. Afterwards, with the lower numbered functions understood as the "higher" functions, the highest function in the stack determines the extroversion/introversion first letter and the perceiving/judging fourth letter. The two highest functions determine the following two letters, with the irrational element determining the second letter, and the rational element determining the third letter.

Let's look at the ENFj for a different case. We start with an empty code, xxxx. The ENFj has Fe Base (first function) and Ni Creative (second function). The Base is extroverted feeling. It's an extroverted (E) and rational (j) element, so the code becomes Exxj. And we know its highest elements are feeling (F) and intuition (N), so the code becomes ENFj.

With my Cheatsheet/Summary finally completed, I consider this blog of notes officially, publically, up. Over these next posts weeks, I aim to write entries for each of the subjects covered in the Cheatsheet. Once those are done, I intend to start writing a little more freely, sometimes making case studies for a specific type, or a character or public persona, or discussing a more detailed aspect of the theory.

The next posts should be the following:

The Basics: Part One (Information Elements), divided in multiple posts for readability

The Basics: Part Two (Cognitive Functions), divided in multiple posts for readability

The 16 types

Small Groups: Quadras, Clubs, Temperaments

This blog will be a repository of my notes on Socionics, hopefully so you all (my friends🫶) can better know what the hell it is that I keep rambling about.

I assume that most of you have seen the now typical MBTI personality profiles. Those ENFP and ISTwhatever and so on. Well Socionics presents a system that while it matches a lot of MBTI's appearance, (i.e., four-letter codes, functions) it makes them actually connect through the inner workings of the system.

So instead of random traits just belonging to certain aspects of a type (like ENFJ and ISTJ both being organized and bossy because they have a J), it first takes care of defining what the J means, what it connects to, what that connects to, and finally, realizing those connections create an observable trait in a person's character. And all this is just an example of how it approaches that one little J letter.