Any insights into my functions, por favor?
This is a form from another forum, though I thought it might offer a fairly decent insight into my socionics 'type'. It's a lengthy read but any information would be hugely appreciated... I'm struggling like you wouldn't believe. Cognitive function results are posted at the bottom of the page.
Many thanks.
0. Is there anything that may affect the way you answer the questions? For example, a stressful time, mental illness, medications, special life circumstances? Other useful information includes sex, age, and current state of mind.
I am currently in somewhat of a rut in life. I have been diagnosed with mild depression, though I have been battling it for a couple of years now; other than a (rarely) debilitating sense of “What’s the point?”, it doesn’t have that much of a hold on me. I’d say that it’s slightly harder for me to get excited about things these days and I most definitely have less energy than I used to. It brings occasional mood swings though I am mainly ‘fair – middling’. Peaks and troughs, etc.
I am well aware of how this depression came to be and I am trying to fight it off. Due to my often stubborn nature, I have declined the opportunity to start medication / counselling. Mastery of self, and all that. It might take me a little while longer, but I’ll conquer this problem alone. Don’t get me wrong – I don’t see it as weakness and I most certainly accept the validity of its effects on people; it is a real problem. The reason I turn down help offered is simple – I know what’s causing it, and I know it’s well within my power to change. Thus, I see little point in relying on drugs or external input… with all due respect, I doubt a counsellor would be able to get in to my head anyway. Most likely I’d be the one piercing their veil, rather than the other way around.
Oh, and I drink far too much coffee. On average I’m hitting 8-10 strong black cups per day, which really messes with my attention span. If I don’t meet my quota, I get incredible headaches. I am a slave to the bean.
Potentially Useful Information:
Male; 27; currently ‘fair’ of mood erring ever so slightly towards ‘vague optimism about the future’, which is hinting at a welcome return to my default modus operandi.
Onwards.
1. Click on this link: Flickr: Explore! Look at the random photo for about 30 seconds. Copy and paste it here, and write about your impression of it.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mandz-i...ore-2012-12-22 (I was provided with a selection, so I went with the fist).
Initially, I thought ‘Narnia’. I was immediately transported back to childhood; I felt a great (overpowering, even) sense of enchantment as I recalled various tales of myth and magic in a coalesced format, giving the sense of an all-encompassing overtone, or vague abstraction rather than actual specific memories. Perhaps the time of year also encouraged this (Christmas being ‘magical’ and all). I then turned my attention to the road. I noted that it veers off to the left, though much more enticing is the cliff edge (ish) you would meet if you carried on straight ahead. I find myself drawn to that point. From there, I could better see the bigger picture (what lay ahead, what is above and below) and bathe in the golden glow of the sun.
It all breaks down here, because we’re basically dealing in the currency of wild imaginings – I can’t even begin to get across what I feel. Think along the lines of euphoria sweeping over me as I tilt my head back and close my eyes, outstretching my arms. A sense of being at one with the Universe (and whatever may lie beyond or even alongside) and finally a sense of transcendence as my consciousness detaches from my physical being and soars, leaving this ‘false’ place behind, evolving its awareness to encompass what lies beyond. In that moment, I’d like to think that there is a ‘spark’ which travels around the world, touching people globally. Perhaps for a fleeting moment, they feel a sense of kindness and compassion sweeping over them. Maybe they will act upon it and decide to (for example) help out a stranger in need. Perhaps they will forget about it as it leaves them as quickly as it came.
Whatever their response, I’d like to think that in spite of how separated we are in our day to day lives, when it comes down to it… we’re all in this together. Life is too short and too fragile to be concerned with petty affairs. We should be working together as a whole, propelling our race towards greater understanding and compassion.
I’m not sure how I got there, but I did.
2. You are with a group of people in a car, heading to a different town to see your favourite band/artist/musician. Suddenly, the car breaks down for an unknown reason in the middle of nowhere. What are your initial thoughts? What are your outward reactions?
This one is easy. Without a question there would be people flipping out, so I’d do what I always do – calm people down, rationalise, get them to see the bigger picture. I’d fire the internet up on my phone and find the number of a pickup service. I would take control of the situation, basically. Mediating peoples’ moods is what I do. You need interpersonal harmony up in this bitch? Give me a call.
3. You somehow make it to the concert. The driver wants to go to the afterparty that was announced (and assure you they won't drink so they can drive back later). How do you feel about this party? What do you do?
I’d very likely feel extremely uncomfortable at the thought of having to attend a party. I wouldn’t be too happy about going to a concert in the first place, truth be told. Loud music and loads of people? No thanks. If I couldn’t get a ride home, I’d leave the driver (and whoever else) to enjoy the party. You’d find me hanging around outside in a quieter area, likely making polite conversation with people in similar situations (which seems to happen a lot).
…. Unless I was drunk, in which case I’d be living it up and most likely the centre of attention for better or worse. Thankfully, I avoid alcohol these days at all costs. It causes me to hug people and declare my undying love.
Nobody wants to be that person. Nobody.
4. On the drive back, your friends are talking. A friend makes a claim that clashes with your current beliefs. What is your inward reaction? What do you outwardly say?
It really wouldn’t bother me unless they were being offensively stupid. If they were, I’d ask them to justify their opinion and secretly delight in their ineptitude as they proceeded to spew unintelligent drivel. If it was a close friend I knew very well, I’d be tempted to make fun of them a little, but only in good humour. If I didn’t know the person very well, I’d just sit and smile inwardly.
Conversely, if they backed their belief(s) up with a well-rounded, insightful argument I’d take their opinion on board and weigh its validity against my own beliefs. That unfortunately doesn’t happen very often, though.
5. What would you do if you actually saw/experienced something that clashes with your previous beliefs, experiences, and habits?
A perfect example of this would be science Vs spirituality. Right up until being about 23 / 24 I was a fairly spiritual (not religious – never religious) person. Fortunately, science. Upon discovering that Science isn’t as boring as I’d previously believed, I quickly put aside my spiritual system and delved headfirst into scientific books, magazines, television programs, web clips, etc – anything I could get my hands on. For a while, I was hardcore science. Now however my views have become more balanced. Whilst I still hold rationale in high regard, I do think there is room for the metaphysical. Not the silly ‘new age’ stuff, though.
So basically, if I hold a belief and something challenges it, I’ll weigh my conclusions against the newly proposed way of looking at things and either adopt it or disregard it dependent upon whether or not I see validity in it. Mainly because I often consider most angles of a subject anyway, so if somebody suggests something that I haven’t yet considered I tend to be highly intrigued and even a little bit excited / grateful.
6. What are some of your most important values? How did you come about determining them? How can they change?
Values? Hmm.
I always try to be as kind to people as I possibly can. I’m not one to impose on anybody; I used to hate the idea of someone going out of their way for me. Even retail assistants doing their jobs were subject to my pity and shame. I always felt somehow guilty that I was putting them out. I have been scalded time and time again for this over the years by my friends and family – they have told me that I am too “Soft” with people. Basically, I never have been (nor will I ever be) somebody who is comfortable marching up to another individual and demanding things. You’ll rarely (if ever) hear me say something along the lines of “Hey, you – do this for me”. If I do need to ask a favour of someone, I do so in an apologetic tone.
I do my best to ensure I don’t inconvenience anyone either. For example, when out in public I always navigate around people efficiently, minimising risk of hold ups or unnecessary farting about. If I’m driving somewhere and another car gets up my backside, I begin to feel uncomfortable and worry that I’m holding them up, so I increase my speed a little to accommodate their needs.
However, people who do not extend this courtesy to myself or others can, put simply, burn in hell. There’s nothing worse than a stupid piece of shit blocking the way in to a shop, for example. I once saw a family of dimwits blocking the entrance to a busy shop in a heavily crowded area with a pram. The look they received from me must have made their toes curl. The immediate and intense rage I feel in those moments would see me quite happily set them on fire. Or beat them with a shoe. Whichever is preferable at the time.
Anger isn’t usually an issue with me though. Honest.
7. a) What about your personality most distinguishes you from everyone else? b) If you could change one thing about you personality, what would it be? Why?
A: My apparent disconnectedness from reality. It’s something that only really started bugging me as a young teenager (prior to that I thought it natural) but the older I get, the more noticeable it is. Obviously I don’t talk about this in public, but put simply I am utterly convinced with every fibre of my being that this… ‘place’ isn’t real. There’s something about it that doesn’t add up. I block it out as best I can, but some days it catches me off guard and reality seems to unfurl before me. I can’t even begin to put it into words, so I’ll just say that such events are accompanied by a ‘static’ feeling and a feeling of intimate understanding. It’s as though everything hangs suddenly – time stops and I become conscious on a new level. Sometimes, I feeling of euphoric transcendence also occurs.
I feel like a fish out of water, basically. I’m waiting for the dream to end. It’s as though I’m trapped in an incredibly persistent illusion with walls that I cannot see or feel, but I can sense them. There is far more to this ‘existence’ than meets the eye; of that I am certain. Obviously I can’t prove any of this… so /apathy.
Oh, and I seem to be fairly astute at determining thought processes in people, or what leads them to certain actions / conclusions / what have you. For example, just last night my girlfriend started crying for apparently no reason. I asked her what was up and she replied “I don’t know… I just feel upset”.
At a lightening pace, I said “Well, I think I know what’s up – you’ve just been to visit my grandparents and have seen their ailing health. This has made you think of your own grandparents and how you haven’t been to see them since Summer (her home is thousands of miles away) and you worry for their health as you have realised how quickly people can deteriorate in old age, this in turn snowballed into a feeling of missing home; the current festivities probably add a great deal of weight to these feelings blah blah”.
Her jaw dropped and she couldn’t believe how hard I’d hit the nail on the head. The best thing is that I just pull this ‘knowing’ out of my backside. It comes from nowhere but it is very, very rarely wrong.
The example I illustrate above isn’t the best, but you get the idea. I see ‘obvious’ things that aren’t at all obvious to other people. I just ‘get’ it.
Finally, I can often see things from multiple viewpoints. So much so that I struggle to take a stance on a lot of things; I can see the validity in most approaches, so arguing a point always seems rather ridiculous and fruitless. That said, I do enjoy the occasional debate.
B: If I could change one thing about my personality, I’d like to be able to find my place in the world. At present I’m struggling to get on the right career path, or even identify what I’m good at. The fact that I have little to no staying power doesn’t help matters. I tend to be immensely interested in something one minute and then drop it like a hot potato the next. A recent example would be my silly attempt at learning databases:
“Shit, I know! I’ll design and implement a database at work!”
*runs out to purchase relevant reference materials / consults friends who create and maintain databases as their jobs for advice*
Fast forward two weeks and I’ve completely forgotten about the whole ordeal. I’ve thrown money at various resources that will get packed away and completely disregarded for the rest of eternity.
I do this with pretty much everything. I am a dick and my brain hates me.
8. How do you treat hunches or gut feelings? In what situations are they most often triggered?
It depends. I’m a bit bull-headed, so I sometimes ignore them and inevitably suffer the consequences. Sometimes I listen and share my insights with people… who only ever pay attention when it’s too late. For example, a few years back we were passed over to a new manager in work. Within seconds of meeting this person I was utterly convinced that something was wrong… there was something I didn’t like about the person. Something dark, menacing. Something that was hidden almost expertly, but not quite well enough. It was like a thorn, a vaguely muted stabbing sensation (as I say, I have trouble putting my perceptions into words).
Obviously, I warned my workmates of this feeling and they scoffed. I felt foolish for sharing my thoughts and left it at that.
Weeks later, we all got shafted in a big way (for lack of a better phrase) by said manager. “Oh, you were right!” is what I heard quite a lot of. “Yes”, I replied. “I usually am, but nobody bothers to listen”.
B: Situations? None, really. If I’m experiencing life they just come and go as they please. If I need insight into a particular subject, I find that clearing my mind of everything helps. Or, better yet, having a quick 15 minute nap. If something is really nagging me and I can’t navigate my way through the fog, a 15 minute sleep often sees me awaken with a strange sense of euphoria sweeping over me and incredible new insights into whatever was I found troubling.
9. a) What activities energize you most? b) What activities drain you most? Why?
A: Interesting discussions. I have only come across people of my apparent temperament once or twice in life, but when I do it typically entails incredibly lengthy discussions (often continuing late into the night / early into the morning). We talk about subjects of interest, exchange ideas, speculate, and expand upon our understandings, all of that lovely stuff.
That aside, staring at a clear night sky in awe (one of the only things that can move me in life, actually); doting on my girlfriend with an uncharacteristic amount of caring and affection; reading (fiction or non-fiction); expanding my knowledge to better understand the bigger picture and what we are a part of. Almost ANYTHING metaphysical.
B: Dealing with trivial day to day matters bores me the most. As horrible as it sounds, I typically find myself surrounded by people who operate very differently to myself (cognitively speaking). I spent a great deal of time believing myself to be an incredibly boring individual when growing up. It wasn’t too bad as a child – I liked to do all the typical childhood things such as playing with friends, riding bikes, running, climbing, all that sort of stuff. The world was an enchanted place back then, full of possibilities. I was always fascinated by what I couldn’t see. What is lurking in the shadows? Is that strange old tree actually a gateway to a parallel world? Could my dreams come to pass as reality? Could I really soar as high as a bird and escape the mundane? I had a very active imagination.
As a teenager however, I quickly found that I wasn’t at all interested in typical ‘teenage’ things. I never wanted to go to the park and binge drink, smoke weed, have casual sex, etc. I was far more interested in staying indoors and reading a book or playing on my consoles (no internet back then!) When I did eventually get a PC (and a year later, the internet) that was my social life pretty much over. I did re-emerge between the ages of 16-19 for a few years of parties and the like, but I ended up shutting myself away for the following 4 years because I just couldn’t be arsed with people. It got to the point where I had so many contacts that my phone was constantly ringing and invites to parties were too many to handle. I ended up burning out in a big way.
These days I typically enjoy a mixture of socialising with friends and alone time. I like to strike a balance if possible, though if push comes to shove I’ll always elect to have more ‘me’ time.
Wait… I digress. Massively.
So yes, ‘typical’ things bore me. I have no interest in chatting about fashion, celebrities, gossip, ugh. The mere thought of it makes me want to curl up into a ball and die. Small talk makes me want to kill everyone. I’m not even joking – if someone is chatting trivial bollocks to me, my brain feels like it’s trying to escape my skull.
I equally detest maintenance type tasks. Cleaning my car? Pft, once every 8 months perhaps. No more than that. Paying bills? Yeah, I usually get to it on time but it’s always last minute. Taking care of finances (budgets etc) HELL NO. I leave that to the girlfriend. Cleaning? Sure! I’ll get to it… sometime.
10. What do you repress about your outward behaviour or internal thought process when around others? Why?
I repress how much of a dick I am. Also, I took the liberty of correcting the spelling of ‘behaviour’ in that last question.
People who don’t know me very well assume I am a nice person. I am told this. ALL the time. People who know me well (good friends) call me a likeable dick. They appreciate my often over the line humour. I can get away with saying pretty much anything owing to the fact that I can be fairly charming, so I push the boundaries. Family often tell me I’m too distant or cold. I’m not, of course – I do care. I just don’t show it because… meh, emotions. There are bigger things in this life than people. That may sound harsh, but it’s also the truth. People are important of course. Cough.
So yes, I typically repress the inner dick.
I don’t really repress anything outwardly. Oh, apart from when I’m around my girlfriend. I never, EVER fart around her. It really kills me at times, but she’s worth it.
If you made it to the end of this, bravo.
Any questions? Please don’t hesitate to ask.
Cognitive Process Level of Development (Preference, Skill and Frequency of Use) extraverted Sensing (Se) **************************** (28.5)
average useintroverted Sensing (Si) ******************* (19.6)
limited useextraverted Intuiting (Ne) ******************************** (32.7)
good useintroverted Intuiting (Ni) ************************************** (38.9)
excellent useextraverted Thinking (Te) ******************************* (31.5)
good useintroverted Thinking (Ti) ************************ (24.6)
average useextraverted Feeling (Fe) ***************************************** (41)
excellent useintroverted Feeling (Fi) ********************** (22.6)
limited use
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(Ni) 
(Fe)
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(as per tcaudilllg)
Originally Posted by pmj
