mbtireallife:

Alright people, here we go, MBTI. 

I’ve been getting questions about choosing your type and what some of the abbreviations mean, let me explain. 

First off: The online tests are not accurate. They go off simply the eight letters E or I, N or S, T or F, J or P, when that is only the end result of a long equation. 

Basic Building Blocks- The cognitive functions (basically how people function and work). 

There are eight: Fi, Fe, Te, Ti, Se, Si, Ne, Ni

The first letter in these abbreviations stands for one of the middle letters in the four letter type- X_ _ X  and the second letter stands for extrovert (e) or introvert (i). 

So, Fi= introverted feeling,

Fe= extroverted feeling, 

Ti= introverted thinking, 

Te= extroverted thinking, 

Ne= extroverted intuition,

Ni= introverted intuition, 

Se= extroverted sensing, 

Si= introverted sensing. 

Now everyone uses four of these functions, or to be more precise, everyone uses one F function, one T function, one S function, and one N function. Which means we all have feelings, we all think, we all use sensing, and we all use intuition, what makes up the types is how much of each we use.

Each of these functions we use falls into a place: Dominate (1st function), Auxiliary (2nd function), Territory (3rd function), and Inferior (4th function).

These four functions make up a function stack. Which is basically arranging the functions Dominate-Auxiliary-Territory-Inferior 

What makes an introvert an introvert and an extrovert an extrovert is their Dominate function. If it’s an introverted function then they are an introvert and if their Dom function is extroverted then they are an extrovert.

The stack always alternates.

Introverts function stack goes. Introverted function, extroverted function, then introverted and lastly an extroverted.

Extroverts function stack goes. Extroverted function, introverted, extroverted and lastly an introverted one.

Is everyone following? Good.

Now the Perceiving functions (P) are Ni, Ne, Si, Se

Then the Judging functions (J) are Ti, Te, Fi, Fe

If your stack has a P function as either a dominate or an auxiliary EXTROVERTED function then there is a P at the end of their four letters. 

If your stack has a J function as either a dominate or an auxiliary EXTROVERTED function then there is a J at the end of their four letters.

Also you can’t have a J function and another J function in your top functions or have two P functions in your Dom and Aux function. You must have one J and one P. 

If you have a J Dom then you have a P aux and vice versa. 

A function stack drawn out looks like this 

(This is one for an ISFP)

Now draw a line through the center to see what two letters go in the center. 

(I said earlier you need one T, one F, one N, and one S which means you can’t have two of any of them.) 

So whichever two functions are in your top two places are the two letters in the center _XX_

The Perceiving letter (N or S) comes first and then the Judging (F or T).

So here are all the possible stacks.

Ti-Se-Ni-Fe (ISTP)

Ti-Ne-Si-Fe (INTP)

Fi-Se-Ni-Te (ISFP)

Fi-Ne-Si-Te (INFP)

Ni-Te-Fi-Se (INTJ)

Ni-Fe-Ti-Se (INFJ)

Si-Fe-Ti-Ne (ISFJ)

Si-Te-Fi-Ne (ISTJ)

Se-Ti-Fe-Ni (ESTP)

Se-Fi-Te-Ni (ESFP)

Ne-Ti-Fe-Si (ENTP)

Ne-Fi-Te-Si (ENFP)

Te-Ni-Se-Fi (ENTJ)

Te-Si-Ne-Fi (ESTJ)

Fe-Ni-Se-Ti (ENFJ)

Fe-Si-Ne-Ti (ESFJ)

There’s the math of it, now for what it all means.

Si and Se. On is past and one is present. They are both observant and take in experiences around them but they do it differently.

Si- takes in facts and adds it to their web of past memories  Its mind is always in their past experiences. It use the facts and observations and make them personal, then later it will use them to create ideas about the future through (Ne). Si can relive experiences and holds onto important details. Its like the ultimate database that is actually used regularly not just put away for never

Se-  takes in facts and keeps them facts. It’s clear and direct and lives in the present moment. While Si’s mind is in the past, Se is all about its five senses and what it’s experiencing right then and there. It is active and always wants something to be occupying its outside world. It can be fun and playful- or strict and cold. But what makes it Se is the thirst and impulse for all things that catch their eurt or attract their senses. Its like putting on a pair of 3D glasses in a 4D movie, everything has life and you are in the center of it all- hearing, seeing, feeling, smelling, tasting everything. 

Ne and Ni. One is taking one idea and expanding to a thousand other ideas and the other is taking one idea and diving deep into it.

Ne lives in a world of what ifs. It deals with abstracts and possibilities; from one idea it can generate a million sneers and a thousand more ideas. It is never satisfied with one topic because with it everything seems to connect. It jumps from A to Z in a heart beat. Its random and brilliant and can sometimes annoy people. Because of these quick ideas they are great at brainstorming and throughly enjoy it. It can always be relied on to come up with some crazy theory and present it with excitement.

Ni is taking one idea and examining from several different angles all the while looking deeper into it for something more. After hanging with Ni one sentence of explanation has expanded into a book of information. Sentence to book. It doesn’t rabbit trail like Ne, it holds onto only one thing. A lot of it is subconscious, causing people with it to experience flashes of insight (when all of this idea examine comes to the forefront of their mind) and because of this, gut feelings are pretty trustworthy (they have after all thought about it almost too much).

Fe and Fi where our feelings stem from- one follows personal morals and has a drive to stay true to its self while the other follows group morals and has a drive to create group harmony. 

Fe is feeling outward. It is hyper aware of everyones emotions and can feel them personally as if they were their own. If everyone in the room is crying, Fe will cry as well. If everyone is laughing and having a good time, Fe will feel inclined to laugh as well.It puts others before themselves not because its right (though thats a reason) but also because that is what makes it feel at peace. This means it is big about “keeping the peace with all” and upholding group morals so everyone will be happy. Because of all this outward feeling Fe feels, people who use it seem (in appearance) to have a wider range of emotion and be in slightly different moods everyday. 

Fi is the exact opposite. It creates peace by first dealing with emotions inwardly. It does not express a wide range of emotion but prefers to hold onto just one type of mood and feeling and project that. It relates to others not by feeling their emotions but by relating to them personally. It has a set of inward morals and values that it must uphold in order to keep peace within itself. It holds strong to these values and dares not to violate them. 

Te and Ti these functions are the logic of human beings. One is all about analyzing and coming up with plans while the other is all about executing them in a direct, no nonsense fashion. 

Ti is like the ultimate puzzle solver. It not only can solve them but enjoys it. It thrives on analyzing things, breaking them down with logic, figuring them out backwards and forwards. Even stupid things that don’t really matter, it enjoys playing with it. It approaches life asking How? and Why? It wants things to make sense, hence why it analyzes. It has a desire to understand things.

Te may enjoy a puzzle, but it wants things to be useful. It isn’t one for entertaining a logic play that won’t have any results or accomplish something worthy. It is the one to ask What?- what is this? what can I do with it? what is its use? What is its worth? It strives for efficiency and order. It can take charge and organize chaos and prefers it this way. It is also direct (since it is always with Fi) it has no problem believing what it believes and sharing with anyone it sees. If it thinks something should be one way, it will say it. 

Now here is what can be important to remember when typing yourself. You may be able to use Ti and Te or see yourself using Ne and Ni, but what determines your type is what you prefer. Its what you enjoy. These are you functions people, its how you work, its how you live! Sure a pianist may be able to pick up an accordion and understand it- maybe even play it, but they are a pianist. They were made for piano. 

You may see yourself using more than one of the functions that you should only use one of. When that happens, take a step back and think. What do I actually like? What do I thrive on?

For me, I could sit around and play off Ne doms ideas and do the whole explosion of ideas thing for a while, but what I like is talking for hours about one thing. Diving into it and figuring it out from every angle, finding what it means and how it can help the future. And then after I’m done talking, I wait a while, then come back a week later and talk about the same thing again. Its what I love to do. Its what makes me Ni dom instead of Ne aux. I have a foot in both doors but given the choice- I’m Ni all the way. One idea not a bunch. 

In addition to all these things there are function pairs (Ti-Ne, Ne-Ti, etc…) which is just about how all these functions lay off each other. To figure it out you just have to sort of think about it and figure it out logically. (Ti-Ne. analyzes ideas and abstract theories while Ti-Se analyzes the puzzles right before their eyes- the ones involving reality and a sense of usefulness) if you have any questions about pairs just ask.

Also there are function loops which is when someone is stuck using just their 1st and 3rd function and not their 2nd. Its not good but it happens. (You can figure out how those work like the pairs) 

Last thing, “in the grip” is when a person is immersed in their inferior function and is acting as if it is their dominate one and as if the others don’t exist.

Hope this post helps everyone, I tried to just do the basics here and give you the basic building block. If you need any help you can ask of course:) 

(Im waaaaaaaaay backed up for all you who haven’t gotten a response…im going to regret saying this but honestly I answer from newest ask oldest because I’m lazy and dont want to scroll for a over a hundred asks so if its really important *deep breath* go ahead and ask again.)