I just got back yesterday from 11 days of field school. Socionics-related or not, it was another experience that helped me learn something about myself.

I find that living in close quarters with people I know is something I enjoy very much. I like the fact that I can always just shoot the breeze with someone, and that because we're all basically doing the same thing work-wise, there's always a conversation-starter (e.g. "I hate this rain!" "How did your traverse go?" "Going to the campfire?" "Check out this rock..."). I imagine this is similar to what goes on in boot camp.

That said, I find the striking need for my own space and downtime. At least an hour or two a day.

I also further confirmed that if I think something is being done wrong, I won't hesitate to make an enemy over it. For example, one of the drivers (INTj? INTp?) wanted to drop off a couple of kids on their traverse without a GPS. The guy, ESTp, was hungover and didn't argue. The girl, ISFp, told the driver straight up that she was not getting out of the vehicle without a GPS, because on the first day that same driver dropped them off in the wrong spot and they spent a day wandering through the bush lost (I got them unlost via cellphone tag). The driver didn't turn around until I called him on it and mocked him publicly for getting lost walking down a logging road (i.e. "You expect them to navigate dense bush without a GPS when you got lost on a fucking road?").

I'm not a tough guy at all, but I can't stand stand bullshit, which it really was. It's easier to expect someone else to just 'find their way' when you can drive back to camp and spend the rest of the day doing crosswords and not actually being lost in the wilderness. The ESTp later pulled me aside and thanked me for sticking up for them.

I also realized how quickly people will abandon a plan. Now, if everyone's on board and there are no consequences, fine. But when you can't communicate and one of the consequences may be getting lost or injured in the bush, you need to follow the agreed plan. And most people won't. That really bugs me. Breaking your word can have serious consequences. If you say you're going to be at a certain spot in 20 minutes, you'd better fucking be there.

The whole experience was also another reminder of how important leadership is. A simple task such as doing joke awards with 15 people around a campfire can turn into a gong show if someone doesn't take the initiative to lead. And what's more interesting is that a leader always arises... and it's not always who you think, either. Then come the subtle challenges to leadership: person A takes initiative, then person B criticizes the method... then persons C, D, and E weigh in with various reasons for supporting their candidate until person F tells them to all shut up (usually a friend of A), allowing A to continue.

...But in the end, everyone usually turns out to be friends. Emotions get heated, but apologies are made, and people move on.