In the previous article, we discussed how information aspects are arranged. Naturally, not everyone will have enough theory to understand what is related to some form of information. Therefore, in this article we will try to give a number of concrete examples that will help you learn to find in people’s speeches each of the existing aspects more quickly. We’ll start with sensing:
Introverted Sensing (Si)
Si aspect includes information about the feelings we receive through the senses. This is all we see and hear, as well as tastes, smells and tactile sensations. We can also include information about our physical well-being – for example, if we are in pain, this is information about Si. Accordingly, the source of this information for us is the material world and the material objects in it.
Si is an irrational, dynamic and introverted aspect. It means that we perceive information on it from the world directly, not synthesize it with the help of our psyche. Si information can be concretized, i.e. identified in space and time (“at this moment I hear a sharp sound”).
IMPORTANT: Si aspect does not include human skills (ability to cook or to dress harmoniously); people’s preferences (love to eat or lying on the sofa); abstract concepts (quality or reliability).
Extroverted Sensing (Se)
Se aspect refers in a broad sense to information about impact, how some material objects or phenomena may affect others. Its source is the material world. In addition to information about direct perceived impact, Se also includes information about potential impact (for example, I know that I am stronger than this person, so I can hurt him more than he can hurt me).
Se is an irrational, static, extraverted aspect. It means that we receive information about impacts directly from the material world, rather than creating it through the psyche. One can feel the impact on oneself or by observing the world. At the same time, information about impacts is abstract, not concrete, as opposed to information about sensations. This is the secondary aspect of Se in relation to Si. For example, if something heavy fell on our leg, then our pain and other tactile sensations from it will be related to Si aspect, and information about the negative impact that occurred, which can cause harm and destroy the integrity of the body – this is an aspect of Se. Another example: health as well-being, lack of discomfort – this is information about Si, and health as a force, the ability to influence the world – this is information about Se.
IMPORTANT: Se aspect often refers to certain properties and tendencies of a person – his/her aggressiveness, authority, ability to subordinate people, a positive attitude towards violence. This is all fundamentally wrong, because Se itself is invaluable (it’s just information about the impact, but not about how you like to influence and whether you like to influence at all). For example, when we build houses or protect the weak, it is also a certain impact on the world. Impacting changes the properties of objects, but doesn’t necessarily mean destruction – it can be a creative action.
Introverted Intuition (Ni)
This is an interesting aspect to which almost mystical properties are attributed. Sometimes it is responsible for the ability to foresee, sometimes it determines the luck of a person (a successful combination of circumstances). In fact, everything is much closer to reality.
As we remember, the source of intuitive information is what happens to the world. Ni aspect includes information about specific changes in the world around us, which we can observe directly. We can say that Ni is a transition from one Si information to another. Just now we were cold, and now it is warm – this is a change in the material world (“warmed”) and there is information on Ni aspect.
Of course, it can manifest itself more globally – for example, information on Ni can be obtained by observing how epochs are changing, political regimes are collapsing and being built, and different periods in the life of an individual and society are passing. Also on the basis of Ni information we can see different trends in the surrounding world (i.e. distinguish recurring events). An example of such a trend: a sound repeating after equal intervals of time is a rhythm. Future events can also be predicted based on trends, which is why Ni is often described as an aspect responsible for forecasts.
We remember that Ni is an irrational, dynamic and introverted aspect. This is manifested in the fact that we perceive information about Ni aspect directly from the world through observation. An introverted intuition is a concrete change in the material world that can be defined in space and time. This aspect is also primal because we do not need any additional information to interact with it.
At the same time, it is worth remembering that the aspect of Ni is NOT ACCOUNTED FOR: magic, predictions, dreaminess, a tendency to fantasize, esotericism, concentration on one’s inner world, self-immersion and other unexplained phenomena and personal qualities of a person.
Extroverted Intuition (Ne)
This aspect seems to be more understandable than Ni, but many myths are also associated with it. The most famous of them: “Ne is the essence of the phenomena”, “Ne is human talents and abilities”, “Ne is an assessment of viability”.
I hope you understand how absurd and unrelated to reality these formulations are. Ne is an aspect of information, so it describes the information that exists in nature, not the qualities of people and their skills. To be precise, the source of information on Ne are the events that occur and may occur in the world. This is the so-called “space of variations” – everything that was, is and may be. Moreover, Ne itself is not connected with understanding of probability of events (this is the sphere of Ni aspect responsible for the vision of trends); these are “pure” variants, both real and unreal. Perception of information on Ne aspect allows inventing alternative realities, making new ideas, seeing different ways out of the situation.
At the same time, it is wrong to say that Ne helps to assess a person’s talent and inner potential because Ne is information about events, not about material objects (people). Well, if we consider an assessment of how likely the option where a person is implemented and will achieve success, it is already a Ni (forecasting).
You can also see that Ne is described as the perception of a holistic picture of the world, and this is somewhat correct, because the aspect of Ne refers to information about events as a holistic “picture” (this is determined by the property of static). However, these events can be both real and fictional. But it is fundamentally wrong to link Ne with the understanding of the essence of “without thinking”, because understanding is always associated with the interpretation of the information obtained (and this is a sign of rational aspects). Here, Ne is attributed to the characteristics of the aspect of Ti, which we will talk about further. Ne is an irrational aspect, and we just “see” the information on it, if I may say so.
Also Ne is an extraverted aspect, which means it is secondary to Ni. Indeed, in order to form a holistic picture of the events, we need to build on the specific changes that we can observe. To present an alternative event – we need to present the whole set of changes in the world that must happen for it.
Introverted Ethics (Fi)
Fi aspect firstly includes information on assessments. “It’s good”, “I like it”, “it’s what I want” or “it’s bad”, “it pushes me away”, “I want to avoid it” – these are all our assessments or, to put it differently, our attitude towards different objects and events. Our values are also formed on the basis of assessments (what is important for us and what we are indifferent to, what is desirable or unacceptable for us).
One can often hear that Fi refers to information about human relationships, and in a sense it is true, because people’s relationships are their mutual evaluation of each other. “This is a close, important, good person”, “this is a bad, hypocritical, mean person”, “this person I do not care about”. However, our behavior in relationships no longer refers to Fi information as it manifests itself in concrete actions (i.e. it is dynamic information – Fe).
Fi is a rational aspect. Accordingly, the information about it is formed in the process of interpretation of the information that we receive through the aspects of sensing and intuition. For example, we see some changes in the world and determine if they are good or bad for us. Or we perceive feelings, and we conclude whether they are good for us or not.
Assessments, relationships, values are abstract concepts, and we can only understand a person’s attitude through the reactions he or she exhibits by summarizing them. Despite this, evaluation is primal, and it triggers certain behavioral reactions (for example, if we like someone, we will often call or ask to meet). This is how static introverted aspects are manifested.
And, of course, Fi as an aspect does not define a person’s moral qualities, kindness, politeness, and ethics. Fi has to do with morality, because morality is a system of values, but it does not depend on the characteristics of IM, which moral norms will be closer to a person.
Extroverted Ethics (Fe)
Fe aspect includes information about how we show our attitude towards something in the outside world. These are our reactions, actions, behavior in general. For example, if we dislike a person, we ignore them or communicate with them coolly. If a person is pleasant to us, then we do everything to interact with them more often, start a conversation, show affection.
Fe aspect is rational, dynamic and extraverted. How it works? First, reactions and actions of a person are regulated by his psyche, and are based on his interpretation of information about the world around. Secondly, a person’s reactions can always be concretized in space and time. Thirdly, behavior is secondary to our attitude towards something. First of all we evaluate a phenomenon or object, and then we decide how we should behave in accordance with our evaluations.
The most important MYTH about extraverted ethics is that Fe is human emotions. However, if we assume that socionics studies information, it is easy to conclude that emotions are not information at all. It is only a state in which we are experiencing inside ourselves. But various emotional manifestations, such as laughter, tears, smile, etc., may well be classified as information about Fe. From them we can determine a person’s attitude to the situation.
Introverted Logic (Ti)
Practice shows that most people have a more or less adequate understanding of this aspect, but in addition to the basic meaning it is attributed a lot of additional, which bring mistakes in the theoretical part of socionics.
Thus, we have previously said that logical information is information about cause-and-effect connections. In this case, the information about the causes of the phenomena is specifically related to the Ti aspect. It is also correct to say that the information about regularities also refers to this aspect, because the causes of events are the laws according to which the world works. And, accordingly, we can say that Ti is information about the way the world is organized.
But often other concepts, such as structures, classifications, schemes, hierarchy, systems, order, law (in the juridical sense), truth, justice, etc., are attributed to Ti, without any theoretical substantiation. In this case, it misses the main point of the aspect, and there is a connection of Ti aspect to randomly selected concepts that are not bound by a single unifying feature.
Therefore, let us remember that Ti is:
– causes;
– regularities;
– world order.
And this is an exhaustive characteristic of this aspect.
Introverted Logic is a rational aspect, respectively, the information on Ti (about the causes and regularities) is created after our interpretation of sensing and intuitive information. For example, we see that objects fall to the ground and come to the conclusion that the cause is the law of gravity.
Also Ti is a static aspect. In other words, to highlight the regularities of what is happening, you must always abstract from specific details and see something in common, not tied to a particular moment. In addition, Ti aspect is inherent introversion property, and this means that it is primary relative to Te. The functioning of the world is based on regularities, and their individual manifestations are the consequence of their existence.
Extroverted Logic (Te)
As it was already said, Ti is information about the causes. So, information about the effects refers to the Te aspect. What is “effect”? These are particular manifestations of the laws of the world existence. There is a law of gravity – this is the cause, and the fact that specific objects fall to the ground under the influence of this law is already an effect. Such an example clearly shows why the Te aspect is secondary to Ti.
It is true, however, that we can only produce general patterns when we have collected enough information about their individual manifestations in our daily lives. The regularities are derived from the observation of reality by generalization and abstraction: that’s why Te is always concrete information.
The other side of the definition of Extraverted Logic is that if we understand what will follow our actions, we can form a certain technology (for example, if I click this button, the computer will shut down). Te is a way to achieve the result we want (certain consequence of our actions).
As Te is a rational aspect, the information about it is not perceived directly from the world, but is formed in the course of interpretation of sensing and intuitive information. So, if we observe how the clouds get thicker and then it starts raining, the conclusion is formed: the rain is the consequence of the thickening of the clouds.
MAIN MYTHS about Te aspect:
– Te is facts;
– Te is money, prices, market, wealth, etc;
– Te is profit, efficiency, benefit, etc.
Why are these myths? In the first case we are talking about real facts, which are opposed to suggestions or false information. But information in socionics is not divided into false and real. Can a person always be sure of the reliability of information? And if he was sure of it, and then found out that the information is false, then it will be other aspect? Sometimes the term “facts” in socionics is used in the meaning of “specific data” – dates, events, object characteristics. In this case you need to approach each case individually, checking whether the information is a particular manifestation of regularities.
In the second case, there is a mixing of the aspects of Se and Te, because money and material goods are a resource that gives us the opportunity to influence the world (influence – Se aspect). If desired, we can characterize the mentioned concepts from the perspective of other aspects – Fi, Ni, Ti.
In the third case we can see with the naked eye that the above concepts refer to abstract information, not concrete. They have a certain indirect relation to Te, but in fact they refer to a static Fi aspect because we see the evaluation of the technology (how good is it? How good does it justify its application?).
Thus, information about Te aspect includes:
– effects;
– technologies;
– specific manifestations of regularities.