This website is currently under construction. Soon, many more features will be added to the main page. In the mean time I have written an article to kick off construction of the new main page. - rmcnew
What is the deal with socionics ... ?
Socionics is a type theory created by Ausra Augustinaviciute that combines theories from Carl Jung, Sigmund Freud, Antoni Kapinsky, Aristotle and Platonian Philosophy. It was developed primarily in middle and eastern soviet satellite states before the fall of the soviet union and has been growing to some degree of popularity in the west, although slowly as it seems that socionics has seen some resistance in light of other methods such as the Enneagram and MBTI. The first to introduce socionics successfully in the west via the internet was probably Sergei Ganin, webauthor of socionics.com. Others soon followed, such as Dmitri Lytov, Rick Dulong and others. Also came Jimmy Caretti, the origional owner of the16types.info who previously devoted this website to a discussion between oldham and socionics styles. While there has been some hugh controversy over the way that socionics has been presented to the western world, all have played a legitimate part in spreading socionics information and provide a wealth of resources for anyone looking for good socionics information.
On the western end, a hugh criticism towards socionists who attempt to spread socionics to the west is that with a few exceptions, while it is often a complaint that western socionics has been influenced and distorted by MBTI, a counter complaint is that practicing sociontist who represent socionics in the east typically lack the understanding necessary to facilitate enough interest in the theory for many to take note of it without appearing to be infultrated by MBTI, which what has been [atleast until now] a somewhat successful strategy done by Sergei Ganin to popularize socionics in west among would-be interested crowds. For starters, the problems stem partly from the the fact that many of the classical socionics books and other texts have not been professionally translated and distributed in english beyond amature machine translations, partly because of a subtle east and west culture clash, and partly because socionics has been seen as either silly or a threat to those who have professionally studied and implemented MBTI in the west. This is true especially in western countries such as the United States, primarily because of the inability of those practicing socionics in the east to adapt the theory to the taste of american and other western cultures. Until socionics material is properly translated, this culture conflict is resolved and socionics is adapted to the taste of american and other western based cultures in a way that seems beneficial to these cultures and in a way complementary comparable to theories such as MBTI without it seeming distorted, socionics is unlikely to become anything other than a cult phenomenon studied by a select few. While many people have attempted to spread socionics to the west and to the United States, such as Sergei Ganin, Dimitry Lytov, and a few others probably the closest to ever bridging this gap and spreading legitimate classical socionics is the american english language teacher in Kiev, Ukraine Rick Dulong, who has given a few classes and lectures in the United States, Europe, and elsewhere. It is the opinion of the author that anyone who wants to learn serious classical socionics and has a chance to attend his lectures to do so. They are few and far between, but worth it.
A constant criticism often seen in this forum of this website is that there is sometimes a general confusion when it comes to the difference between classical and more modern alternative style of socionics. This is the recommended solution in the opinion of the author of this website. Those interested in learning classical socionics as a basis should first aquaint themselves with the initial psyche model created by Ausra Augustinaviciute called "Model-A," The sixteen Extratim types [LII (INTj), ILE (ENTp), ESE (ESFj), SEI (ISFp), IEI (INFp), EIE (ENFj), SLE (ESTp), LSI (ISTj), SEE (ESFp), ILI (INTp), LIE (ENTj), ESI (ISFj), LSE (ESTj), EII (INFj), IEE (ENFp), SLI (ISTp), the Extraverted or Intraverted functions [listed as shapes] that drive them [Intuition (triangle), Sensing (circle), Thinking (Square), Feeling (L shape)], the Quadras they are in [Alpha,Beta,Gamma,Delta], and all 14 intertype relationships. Beyond a few now seen as defunct ways to distinguish personality typing [physiognomy], an understanding of these things is virtually the only and primary core of understanding original legitimate classical socionics. Once you have done this, you should have the knowledge to study more alternative and recently developed forms and sub-theories in socionics without confusion to what is classical socionics and what is not. This confusion between what is classical and what is not has in the past lead to a number of unnecessary personal clashes, conflict, and disputes that have sometimes ended in complete and utterly unreasonably lose-lose ways such as throwing personal insults or following specific dynamic, confusing, or pompous sounding posters around in the forum to discredit them. While this may sometimes happen in the forum here, as the author of this website takes more steps to resolve these issues it is beginning to occur less and less as more steps are taken to facilitate and give the various factions proper respectful recognition. Eventually, all will have places and all will have representation of some sort of another.
Beyond classical socionics, in socionics theory there are some alternative forms introduced by Reinin, and others. One distince sub-theory popularized by Reinin is the theory of the existence of 2 subtypes for each Extratim; that is, that there are 32 subtypes for all 16 Extratim types. In the forum of this website, alternative theories such as this have been discussed. In fact, Reinin based typology has lead to the development of two distinct styles of socionics that have evolved primarily in an english speaking context on the forum of this website, that being the Smilexian and Dual-type [sometimes referred to as Cross-type] theories. Both the users "Smilingeyes" and "Tchaullldig" have been credited by the website author as the most influential in the spreading of these specific theories. Smilexian is an adaptated Remix style of reinin theory, while Dual-type takes Reinin theory one step further with a bold claim that there are more than 16 types, upwards to 64 or more. It is the opinion of the author of this website that these alternative theories are acceptable for discussion so long as they are specifically stated to be alternative and further also on behalf of the fact that classical socionics has historically incorporated some radical elements that are no longer seen as valid, but are worthy of discussion. One example of this is picture and photo identification, often commonly termed physiognomy. If these radical classical elements are to be discussed on a historical basis or otherwise, then discussion of more radical modern theories should also be discussed, as they are a part of socionics.
Some practicing socionics have sometimes used a type of physiognomy for type identification, which was developed early on by some leading pioneers using photograph trait comparison techniques; however, most serious socionists now consider these techniques defunct, controversial and therefore do not use this technique as a basis for type identification. Nevertheless, typing methods using photographs and trait identification do yet exist in socionics and therefore it is impossible to avoid learning such theories if one is interested in learning the history of classical socionics and all it has to offer. The author of this website is neutral on the issue and recommends all readers to make up their own minds what is best for them to use in all aspects of type identification and has no real set recommendation for you one way or the other.