#perceiving functions

1. North (Top) = Se (Extroverted Sensing)

Se is about the immediate physical world, high adrenaline, brute force, aesthetics, and "living in the moment." It is high-octane energy.

The Vibe: Aggressive, loud, physically imposing, "do first, think later."

The Celebs: The Rock, Jason Momoa, Cardi B, Tom Cruise.

Why it fits: These people are defined by their physical presence and intensity. They are the avatars of "Action."

2. West (Left) = Ne (Extroverted Intuition)

Ne is about expanding possibilities, connecting unrelated ideas, randomness, and divergence. It is "mental chaos."

The Vibe: Eccentric, weird, colorful, scattered, trolling, surreal humor.

The Celebs: Eric Andre, Robin Williams, Russell Brand, Bjork.

Why it fits: The left side of the chart is full of people whose brains seem to move in a million directions at once. They break social norms not because they are mean, but because they are "abstract" and unpredictable.

3. East (Right) = Ni (Introverted Intuition)

Ni is about narrowing down possibilities to a single vision. It is convergent, focused, intense, and often associated with willpower and long-term planning.

The Vibe: Intense stares, controlling, perfectionist, "The Mastermind," singular focus.

The Celebs: Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Christian Bale, Anna Wintour.

Why it fits: The right side isn't just "Lawful" in a police sense; it is lawful in a controlling sense. Ni users are often seen as intense visionaries who want the world to fit their specific internal structure. They are the opposite of the scattered "Ne" celebrities on the left.

4. South (Bottom) = Si (Introverted Sensing)

Si is about internal bodily sensation, memory, tradition, stability, and comfort. It is grounded and "slow" energy.

The Vibe: Cozy, sleepy, traditional, safe, storytelling, "Grandparent energy."

The Celebs: Queen Elizabeth II, Morgan Freeman, Tom Hanks, George R.R. Martin.

Why it fits: The bottom of the chart represents low energy and preservation. While the top (Se) burns energy, the bottom (Si) conserves it.

The "Corners" (Combination of Functions)

The corners represent the collision of these functions:

Top Left (Se + Ne): The "Manic Pixie Nightmare." (e.g., Gary Busey, Courtney Love). This is physical impulsivity mixed with mental randomness. Pure chaos.

Top Right (Se + Ni): The "Conqueror." (e.g., Kobe Bryant, Gordon Ramsay). This is physical intensity directed by a singular, perfectionist vision. This creates the "Alpha" archetype.

Bottom Left (Si + Ne): The "Abstract Stoner." (e.g., Snoop Dogg, Wes Anderson, David Lynch). This is a very specific vibe—physically chill and comfortable (Si), but mentally abstract and weird (Ne).

A brief explanation on cognitive functions. As I'm still learning about MBTI myself, I may update/change this.

If you are interested in kpop and typology, I do typology analysis for idols

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The cognitive functions are what each personality type uses to work through the world. How they make decisions and take action, how they process information and perceive the world. There are 4 extroverted functions and 4 introverted functions, a total of 8 functions. They are split between Judging and Perceiving functions.

Introversion/extroversion in MBTI is NOT the same as social introversion/extroversion. A person can be introverted socially and extroverted MBTI wise as they lead with a dominant extroverted function and vice versa.

All 16 types use all 8 but will have 4 in their main stack. The other 4 are in the shadow stack, which may used under stress and/or facing really new/unfamiliar situations.

Main stack: Dominant - Auxiliary - Tertiary - Inferior

Dominant function is the most comfortable function to use.

Auxiliary supports the dominant function.

Tertiary is a neutral spot. It can help the dominant and/or aux function but may also be a little awkward to use.

Inferior is most confusing function to use. Usage can be improved over time and with a lot effort though.

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Judging functions: Functions that show how we make decisions and take action.

These would be Feeling and Thinking functions:

Fe, Fi, Te, and Ti

Fe - Extroverted Feeling (ExFJ, IxFJ, ExTP, IxTP)

Values human connections

Values group harmony; dislikes conflict

Tries to see what's best emotionally for others; recognizes other's feelings

May care about other's perspective of them

Fi - Introverted Feeling (IxFP, ExFP, IxTJ, ExTJ)

Focused on own emotions, personal values and morals; analyze decisions against their own beliefs

Constantly analyzing their own emotions and morals to see if they need to improve their own character

Wants to be authentic and genuine

Te - Extroverted Thinking (ExTJ, IxTJ, ExFP, IxFP)

Objective and fair

Focuses on efficiency and order

Uses knowledge in the external world

Relies on established facts and sources; doesn't care to pick it apart as long as it's true and usable

Ti - Introverted Thinking (IxTP, ExTP, IxFJ, ExFJ)

Subjective thinking

Picks apart info to see what makes sense logically to them. Then creates an internal system for consistent info

Very logical and analytical

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Perceiving functions: Functions that show how we think and process information

These would be Sensing and Intuitive functions:

Se, Si, Ne, and Ni

Se - Extroverted Sensing (ESxP, ISxP, ENxJ, INxJ)

Uses the 5 senses

Present minded

Observe, experience, and react in the moment

Realistic and grounded

Si - Introverted Sensing (ISxJ, ESxJ, INxP, ENxP)

Makes an inner perception of the outside world

Relies on personal experiences

Prefers familiarity and structure

Tends to be detail oriented

Ne - Extroverted Intuition (ENxP, INxP, ESxJ, ISxJ)

Gains ideas from the external world; creates and sees many future possibilities

Makes external connections and patterns

Theoretical, experimental

Ni - Introverted Intuition (INxJ, ENxJ, ISxP, ESxP)

Focused on personal insights, impressions, and ideas

"Hunches". Ni picks up info subconsciously and the answer may pop up "randomly"

Convergent; may have a few ideas here and there but it all comes down to one idea/answer

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The pattern of functions can go

JPPJ or PJJP

E.g

ENTJ (Te - Ni - Se - Fi) - JPPJ

INTJ (Ni - Te - Fi - Se) - PJJP

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Depending on where the function is in the stack, it is used and expressed differently. E.g Te doms (ExTJ) will often have no problem initiating and finishing tasks as Te is focused on reaching goals. It is natural for them to be able to get things going. However, Fi doms (IxFP) have Te as their inferior; they may struggle to finish projects or take initiative. May struggle to separate feelings from situations that require being objective.

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Loops and Grips can occur when under stress.

A type in a loop can be stuck cycling between their dominant and tertiary function, completely ignoring their other functions.

A type in a grip can be stuck using their inferior function in a very unhealthy way. They are very unlike their usual personality.

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Perceiving functions(Intuition and Sensing) are what we use to observe the world and process information.

Functions: Ni, Ne, Si, Se

Pattern recognition, on the other side, means fusing much data into fewer, like deriving an equation.

Both thinking tendencies are used alternately and paralelly in my broad band thinking

Also, there happens to also be a "Mischfrequenzdenken" (mixed frequency thinking) with high frequency, low frequency pattern recognition, and high/ low frequency combinatorics.

Plus, I throw in another item of interest: the cognitive functions of the MBTI (Myers Briggs Type Indicator), specially the Perceiving functions;

introverted Sensing Si: (lives in the past, recreates experiences afterwards) theoretical practice, low frequency pattern recognition

introverted iNtuition Ni: (lives in the far future, plans ahead) practical theory, low frequency combinatorics

extroverted Sensing Se: (lives in the present, directly experience things without much cognitive iterations) practical practice, high frequency pattern recognition

extroverted iNtuition Ne: (lives in the many possibilities of the closer future, recreate the outer world in the imagination) theoretical theory, high frequency combinatorics

What does low and high frequency mean in these cases:

LOW frequency means the "wavelength" is longer, the process is more subconscious, but persists far longer and is more stable. It is a slight "gut feeling"

HIGH frequency means the "wavelengths" are ultra short, high energy, thoughts persist for a shorter period of time but are more intense and conscious. Likely unstable, but "piercing the veil", possible "Eureka"-moments.

This diagram I made covers these ideas a bit:

The dots are thoughts/impressions: the extroverted functions are high frequency, thus persist shorter but have more branches and crossings, the low frequency ones, the introverted functions' thought processes, last longer, but have less branches and "focus more on themselves" whilst the high frequency ones spread all their energy around.

Simple guide to understand the purpose and goal of each perceiving function.

Sensing (S) - Intuition (N) | (i)ntrovert - (e)xtrovert

S: defines real or abstract object, the beginning and the end, to establish what it is about.

-> Perceive the clear lines (apsects) of the object. Definition. What it is.

N: plays with the boundaries of real or abstract object, goes beyond and in between to see until where it remains what it is

-> Perceive the blurry lines (aspects) of the object. Indefinite. The relation in between.

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Se & Ne = Explore the lines of the object

Si & Ni = Reference the lines of the object

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Se = Explore the clear lines of the object

Ne = Explore the blurry lines around the object

Si = Refere the clear lines of the object

Ni = Refere the blurry lines around the object

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Se - Explore information; defines real or abstract objects as they are, as they are explored. See how it is defined ; where it stops and starts.

Ne - Explore information; play with the definition of the given real or abstract object ; how it relates to one another, as they are perceived in an indefinite way, thus the indiscriminate correlation Ne is known for making.

Si - Worldview, referential ; contains defined informations, and defines real or abstract objects through predetermined and known values (ex: date, month, time, color, event, ... ). Use definite references.

Ni - Worldview, referential ; contains indefinite references, in the sense the information is inferred and then related into indefinitive categories ( such as themes ; war, psyche, moral, ethics, thinking, ...)

Si and Ni use the known, while Se and Ne go into the unknown. Si and Ni are more comparative while Se and Ne are more "raw", "as it is or can be".

Yes and no... I'd say filling the blanks is more a Pi thing and so is attributing meaning. But Ne does fill a space between objects. I am a bit playing with words there, but I think it is a nuance worth making to distinguish Ne and Ni better.

Ne in itself is not so much about filling blanks more so that it is about exploring possible and plausible relations between each object within a given environment. Thus, it does create a bridge within those objects, which in itself is filling some sort of space. However at its fundament it is not actually filling a missing piece, so it doesn't actually fill blanks. As I said, it creates something that wasn't existing beforehand anyway, so it cannot fill something that wasn't actually a thing or even absence of thing. Si will be the one actually filling those blanks that Ne ironically creates by making those indiscriminate relation, as Si is a referential function filled with information to actually define and refine those relations. It gives ground to it.

Therefore, both Ni and Si are the one actually concerned with filling the missing pieces as both are meant to contain, revisit and recall known information as a mean to complete the picture. They are a mental library of either definite (possess a clear beginning and end, such as a date, an event, color, number, etc.) or indefinite (open ended, such as a theme, like the concept of war, ethics, nihilism, ego, psyche, etc.) references, as a mean to tailor the object, either to define its contour or extrapolate its in between.

So, to come back to Ne and Ni, Ne is more concerned about exploring spaces and creating a relation between objects, while Ni is concerned about filling blanks within the objects.

And for the attribution of meaning, it is not an S vs N, but more an introvert vs extrovert process. Therefore, it is also more a Pi thing, as Pi is all about kinda making sense of what lacks either substance or definition, by referencing the known and familiar, which is literally using what has meaning. They are both responsible to make sense of what is seen, by using the familiar as a mean to guide the self around the given objects. Meanwhile, Ne and Se are not so much concerned with the sense or meaning of things, since they care about exploring, so about the amount of things they can find. Pe is all about exploration, about the expansion, and so Pi is all about the substance, about revisiting and deepening the gained knowledge.

the thought process in it is very much based on going through all the possible moves and then narrowing down to which one is the most useful or least costly. what i ended up doing was trying to imitate that process, but because i don’t use ne, i was always sticking to one type of path and then not noticing details that were past move 2 on the opponents part or simply failing to consider that one piece can move in some other way than what i considered

it’s not that i can’t construct scenarios in my head, i can, it’s just that i always fail to consider some possibilities because either they aren’t obvious or they don’t do the thing i want then to do

I must admit that as a Si dominant, it took me a bit of a while to realize I had this function as my dominant, mostly because all of the descriptions I read seemed to define it simply as “taking the past into account, valuing it a lot and frequently accessing memories”; it basically gave a huge role to memory, and I wasn’t sure my memory was that good to be able to consider myself a Si dominant. But as I found more and more descriptions detailing its role, especially here in our blog, I realized it’s my dominant, (despite sometimes I question whether it might be my auxiliary instead but either way, it’s high in my stack). Seeing characters I could relate to typed as Si doms helped me a lot too. I understand what you mean, seems like we’re so lost in our world of dreams you wonder how we can even recognize it as a world of dreams. I think the answer is looking at other people and seeing they think or feel differently from us, they don’t share this highly subjective view of the world, so when they question it or think it’s strange or different from their perceptions, then we look around and realize we’re living in a world of dreams. I think this can apply to both Si and Ni. We can recognize the pattern we follow to perceive things and why we do it this way using judging functions, I think. Most of the time, the answer will either be “we’re used to it” or “we think it’s better in this way for whatever reasons” or “it has a specific meaning to me that makes me want to do it this way”. I think you can step out and say: “Okay, why do I perceive this this way?” or “how would other people perceive this differently?”

So to sum up, I think comparing your subjective perceptions with other people’s and noticing the differences plus a pattern in your own way of perceiving may help you realize your dominant is an introverted perceiving function.

Hope this answered your question and made sense. If any of the other mods feel like they would respond to this better, feel free to reblog adding your answer.