1) Type is formed from:
•a dominant orientation (introversion/extraversion; yielding the first letter; I or E) and
•two functions; one dominant and the other, "auxiliary".
Of these two (out of four) functions, one will be "dominant", which makes it the ego's main perspective. Another will be "auxiliary". These are the "preferred" functions.
2) The two preferred functions are the two middle letters of the four-letter type code.
3) Of the two functions, one is "perception" or "information" gathering (S, N), and the other is "judging" or for rational conclusion or decision-making (T, F).
•The auxiliary will be a function of the opposite rationality from the dominant (judging T/F if dominant is perceiving S/N, or perceiving S/N if judging T/F is dominant), and also in the opposite attitude. [More]:
•This is what defines the MBTI® type, with the middle two letters of the four-letter code being the two functions (S or N, followed by T or F), and the outer two letters indicating their position and orientation. (These are called "pointer variables").
•The other two nonpreferred functions will become the tertiary, which is the opposite function from the auxiliary, and the inferior, which is the opposite of the dominant.
4) The functional perspectives:
•Sensing (S) and iNtuition (N) are the information-gathering ("Perception") functions.
—Sensing deals with experience of what's tangible (often called "concrete"), in which we consciously register reality as picked up by the senses as significant in its own right (rather than taking it for granted or reading other meanings into it).
—iNtuition deals with implications drawn from reality, or inferring what's intangible or conceptual, such as "larger contexts", "ideas" of things, and symbols (often called "abstract").
•Thinking (T) and Feeling (F) are the decision-making ("Judging") functions.
—Thinking deals in evaluation based on simply how things work, which is also known as “technical” or "mechanical", and more popularly, “logic”, which can be expressed in terms of what's “true” or “false” (regardless of emotional "affect" on us). Our reactions to things will tell us simply about the object itself.
—Feeling evaluates or sorts out our personal feelings or emotions (though it's NOT the actual emotions themselves), which are determined by the affect of things on human souls. Our reactions will tell us about the state of our souls. Thus it will often deal in values and ethics which have more of a "humane" dimension; often determining "good/bad".
5) Dominant I/E orientation:
—Introverts (people with a dominant introverted orientation) are overstimulatable by the external environment, and thus turn inward, to the “subject”.
—Extraverts (dominant extraverted orientation) are understimulatable and thus tend to turn outward, to external “objects”.
6) Because of this, their dominant function takes on the dominant orientation
(called “attitude”, while the auxiliary bears the opposite one).
7) The functions thus end up becoming oriented internally or externally themselves, or designated "introverted" or "extraverted".
•extraverted functions directly engage external "objects" (think "not I"), or the environment itself to experience or respond to situations.
•introverted functions filter situations through an internal "model" of them referenced individually by the "subject" ("I").
[More]:
With judgments (T/F) in particular, introverted perspectives will be what one has learned also through nature (hence often dealing in "universals"), while extraverted perspectives are generally acquired from culture (such as consensus).
• This changes certain aspects of the four functions, generating eight different functional perspectives (called "function-attitudes" or "processes") that define type; (denoted by the capital function letter S, N, T or F followed by the lowercase e or i attitude).
•All eight perspectives are implicit in every situation; (they are not "skills" within the person). Different complexes (ego states) within the ego structure simply pay more or less attention to one or the other, beginning with the dominant and auxiliary, which are what determine the type.
8) The last letter, J or P, indicates which of the two preferred functions (denoted by its “Judgment” or “Perception” class) is "extraverted" (that is, externally oriented),
which Myers determined would be significant in personal interaction.
—If the first letter is "E", the denoted [extraverted] "J" or "P" function is identified as "dominant", and the other function is introverted and auxiliary
—If the first letter is "I", the denoted J/P function (as extraverted) is the auxiliary, and the other function is introverted and dominant.
• So this factor changes the orientation of both functions when the middle two letters are kept the same; and what looks like a type that is similar from sharing the first three letters is actually very different in perspective.
• It also has some meaning of its own as a standalone factor (and hence why it is measured as such by the MBTI instrument), as functions sharing the J/P attitude (extraverted Thinking or Feeling with introverted Sensing or iNtuition; or extraverted Sensing or iNtuition with introverted Thinking or Feeling) do have some things in common.
—This dichotomy has been generally been associated with "openness" (P) vs "closure" (J), and different organizational skills, even though this cannot be generalized too much.
There are thus sixteen possible combinations of function attitudes using these measures. This is by any combination of: E/I + S/N + T/F + J/P
(Function attitudes and types):
The eight function-attitudes (you can think of them as "yes/no" reactions):
Se: what's “known” or not (tangibly) determined by whatever is physically before you; "apparent reality"
Si: what's “known” or not (tangibly) determined by whatever you remember physically experiencing; "self-referenced reality"
Ne: what's inferred ("pattern" of where it “could be” heading) determined by the objects involved themselves; "apparent implications"
Ni: what's inferred ("pattern" of where it “could be” heading or not) determined by internally derived imagery; "self-referenced implications"
Te: what's "correct" (i.e. impersonally) determined by environmental mandate or necessity; "revealed truth"
Ti: what's "correct" (i.e. impersonally) determined by individual reflection: "self-determined truth"
Fe: what's desirable (i.e. to people) determined by environmental mandate or necessity: "revealed good"
Fi: what's desirable (i.e. to people) determined by individual reflection; "self-determined good"
Here are the 16 types and their definitive dominant and auxiliary functions:
ISTJ: SiTe
ISFJ: SiFe
INFJ: NiFe
INTJ: NiTe
ISTP: TiSe
ISFP: FiSe
INFP: FiNe
INTP: TiNe
ESTP: SeTi
ESFP: SeFi
ENFP: NeFi
ENTP: NeTi
ESTJ: TeSi
ESFJ: FeSi
ENFJ: FeNi
ENTJ: TeNi
(The other six function-attitudes for each type are basically ordered by their complex position within the ego, as reflections of the two shown).
Summary of Function and function-attitude definitions:
The eight function-attitudes:
What it does
basic product
passive product
active product
S
registers tangible reality as real and reacts accordingly
material; what is seen, heard, etc.
actual
behold
N
registers the implications of reality; filling in one situation from another
hypothesis; what things mean or possibilities
potential
infer/imagine/guess
T
assesses, understands, and responds to the way things work
mechanics; technical evaluations (impersonal)
true/false
correct/incorrect
F
assesses, understands, and responds to emotional affect
soul-affect; Evaluations of what affects us as emotional beings
good/bad
like/dislike
The basic "function-attitude" definitions:
Se registers tangible reality as it emerges in the environment
Si registers tangible reality filtered through individual recollection
Ne registers implications of things from the 'environment' of consciousness
Ni registers implications of things by the individual's subconscious
Te responds to how things work according to an environmental necessity
Ti determines how things work according to individual understanding
Fe sorts out emotional affect based on an environmental necessity
Fi sorts out emotional affect based on individual understanding
