I got into thinking about my own understanding of some of the functions earlier and decided that this would be an interesting exercise.

In this topic, explain your own explanations or understandings of Socionics functions in whichever way that you'd like. There are no particular rules here; just put out what flows in.

see quaternary model.

These are what I used for that "choose your functions" thing I made. (With current thoughts added in blue)

I see what could be, my thoughts run in scattered directions, web-like or branching. Rather than just see what is, I think of what might be. I see the potential in people or objects.

I am most aware of the physical world, what is, and observable qualities of a person/object. I don't get lost in what-ifs or could-bes, but see things as they are now. I easily size people up.

I see the direction things are headed, my thoughts run path-like or as vectors, and where something is leading is easy for me to determine, not as tangible physical connections, but in an intangible and intuitive way.

I'm most aware of how physical things connect to each other, gears, aesthetics, machines, the human body etc. Cause and effect of tangible processes is easy and natural for me.

I have a very good feel for the connections between people/things, easily make value judgments or character determinations, and notice the closeness/distance between people.

I am very aware of the underlying process, what's going on 'beneath the surface' of an individual or group, and the 'vibes' or atmosphere of a group. The political atmosphere, or general sentiment is easy for me to pick up.

I most notice the concrete processes, as in what's happening and events, the how, what and where something is happening. (Also, what Joy said once, "what works" as in actual function)

I form definitive, categorical connections between people/things, and easily deal with laws, or structure, or mentally organize data

confused. do you want Functions or IM elements?

It doesn't matter, there are no particular rules. Put down any ideas about Socionics if you'd like.



Interesting, your Ni/Ne diagram is kind of similar to how I pictured Ni. Kind of similar to matter drifting in outer space.

I'll put my ideas down later after I finish.

oh no! put it back. that was good even if it was unrelated.

Model A:

1: "Who you are"; the eyes through which you automatically see the world (often without even realizing it); the area you are most confident in

2: "What you do"; a tool you use in conjunction with your first function

3: What you feel like you're supposed to do; at best, it's used to supplement your first function; at worst, it's an area you resentfully submit to other people's demands in, which causes internal conflict

4: The thing you suck at but don't generally feel is all that important, anyway. It's an area that it's difficult to maintain balance in... you either ignore it too much or go overboard with it. Usually there just isn't much of a focus on it unless the situation calls for it.

5: "What you need"; or more specifically, what you need from others. Without this, you're like a body without a skeleton, but you're completely incapable of providing it for yourself.

6: "What you want"; while you're attracted to this function in others, what you most want is for outside sources to make you feel like you're good at it.

7: An area that you generally give as much attention to as is necessary and no more. You unconsciously know that it's important and use it to support your first function, but if someone suggests that you should be giving more attention to this area, you either ignore them or tell them that they're wrong, that you're already giving the right amount of attention to this area, and you don't really care if they disagree.

8: A hobby. It's fun and all, but it's not as important as your 2nd function.

Information elements:

Te: the pragmatic aspects of a situation; what's working, what isn't, how it could work better, what could steps could be taken to improve the situation, what information would be useful for making progress in a situation

Ti: the structure created by logical connections between things/people/ect.; systems of classification and measurement, hierarchy and rule systems (whether scientific, mathematical, governmental, religious, corporate, social, household, etc.), objective moral values (as opposed to Fi's subjective moral values)

Fe: largely related to emotional changes in people/situations

Fi: underlying relationships between people/things; likes and dislikes, attraction and repulsion, the states of interpersonal relationships, subjective/personal moral values (as opposed to Ti's objective moral values)

Se: the outward characteristics of a person/thing/etc.; color, size, strength, etc.; with Se ego types, there seems to be a focus on strength in one form or another

Ne: the inward potential or possibilities of a person/thing/etc.

Si: immediately apparent (especially physical) cause and effect relationships; Si ego types tend to have a particular focus on comfort and (from my observations) a mechanical aptitude (however, I've known more male Si types than female Si types... I imagine that things like sewing and practicing medicine would fall under this "mechanical aptitude" as well for those who are more interested in those things than in metal machines)

Ni: underlying cause and effect relationships; a focus on what this situation is really the result of and what this action will result in; probabilities (as opposed to Ne's possibilities)

Or how about a combination? I'm generally not a very self-aware person, so I'm not making any promises that this is going to be particularly enlightening or all that descriptive, but I'll give it a shot.

1st function, Te: To quote what I said in my previous post, for me it's a focus on "the pragmatic aspects of a situation; what's working, what isn't, how it could work better, what could steps could be taken to improve the situation, what information would be useful for making progress in a situation". I'm a very solution oriented person.

2nd function, Ni: I focus more on long term cause and effect relationships than on present or short term stuff. I'm also far more inclined to take a philosophical perspective on the reasons things happen and people's behavior than most people I know. I butt heads with Si ego types I know, one LSE in particular, who seem to assume causation where they see a correlation and totally miss the actual causes of a situation. With an SEI I know, the cause and effect relationships he sees are just... bizarre. With the Si creatives, I can sort of see where they're coming from, but (from my perspective) they're too quick to make assumptions instead of looking deeper. They don't respond well when I try to explain what I see as the real reasons for something, either (and even worse when I try to explain why their reasons are wrong).

3rd function, Fe: Sometimes my pragmatic/practical advice falls on deaf ears because I've failed to focus enough on how people are feeling in a given situation. I mean, people aren't going to go gung ho towards a solution when they're feeling like crap about the situation. I try to avoid this by being aware of and addressing people's emotions and pride/ego. I've found a certain amount of this to be pretty effective. There's a negative side to it too though... sometimes I get stuck on how I should do something that I really don't want to do because someone's going to feel bad if I don't. I've also always felt really awkward in atmospheres that are particularly Fe in nature and end up just wanting to shrink away.

4th function, Si: My focus on the underlying and long term cause and effect relationships in a situation is often at the expense of the immediate. This has sometimes resulted in behavior that others saw as "risky"... putting immediate needs at risk through actions that I saw probable long term rewards for. I also have an embarrassing history of bad choices in hair cuts and clothes... but for the most part, I just go with something tradition. I'm not one for taking "fashion risks" and feel silly in clothes or with hair styles that are trendy, even if they're popular. I used to feel confident that I looked good, not because of some innate ability to understand what looks good and what doesn't, but because I had been provided with enough empirical evidence that suggested such. These days I feel more like I did as a teenager though in that I feel less secure in my appearance.

5th function, Fi: I don't have much of a concept of "right or wrong" when it comes to most things. I just look at the likely outcome of an action and evaluate whether it's going to cause problems for anyone (basically, I try not to harm anyone). I try to find "win win" solutions precisely because I'm not comfortable deciding who should win and who should lose. This is part of the reason for my focus on efficiency/effectiveness. If a solution that's both efficient and effective and be worked out, it may be possible to see that everyone involved gets what they want/need. I'm also not one to decide that someone should be punished or take revenge. Also, I suck at initiating and maintaining friendships. I don't usually even know if someone IS my friend unless they tell me... otherwise I just assume they're a friendly acquaintance. Also, if someone is physically/romantically attracted to me, I never have any idea whether it's just a mild, passing attraction or something deeper (hell, for all I know, they could just enjoy flirting!). In romantic relationships, I depend on the other person to tell me if things are okay. Without Fi, I'm useless. Like I said in my previous post, I'm like a body without a skeleton. If I feel I'm alone (whether I am or not), I'm totally disheartened and unable to put forth my best efforts in whatever I'm attempting to do, whether it's related to rest, recreation, or work.

6th function, Se: Ugh. I don't even know. I know in the past I've focused too much on this area (too much of a "can do" attitude, too optimistic about being able to put the time/effort necessary into a project, too focused on money/wealth, too pushy, too much confidence, etc.), but these days I don't think I focus on it enough. It sort of sucks. I guess I'm more productive these days though. Also, some of the most "feel good" compliments I've received have been from people who have told me that I'm scary (for various reasons) and bold (as in, people in my male dominated field telling my that the general consensus among my peers is that they're impressed with how bold I am, and one person even told me that I have more balls than most of the guys in the organization, ironically).

7th function, Ti: It's easy for me to grasp the Ti structure in whatever I'm dealing with, but I see it as pretty much an underlying support structure. It's never "the point". I've also noticed that it's somewhat difficult for me to clearly articulate Ti explanations. I don't know if it's because it's an unconscious function or if it's because I just don't have the patience for it, but either way, if someone asks me for a detailed Ti explanation of something, I inwardly groan. Part of me feels like, "Who cares? You're missing the point!" At the same time though, I can sort of see where they're coming from. If they don't see the Ti structure the that I'm seeing, it's natural that they may not be comfortable with my related conclusions. At the same time though... it usually feels like it's just not worth the effort. I'd often rather they disagree with me than have to get into a belabored discussion about the minute details of a Ti structure that I'm going to have to put a fair amount of effort into finding ways to articulate (maybe since in my mind it's usually understood from a more conceptual perspective?).

8th function, Ne: Fun times, but in my mind it pretty much amounts to small talk.