Filatova's SEI-ISFp description from Understanding The People Around You
Ekaterina Filatova, Understanding The People Around You: An Introduction To Socionics (Hollister: MSI Press, 2006), pp. 51-54, 115, 30
-- Self-perceptive Sensing. Spatial harmony, contentedness, well-being (I, Personality Program).
-- Emotional Feeling. Emotionality, open emotional influence, immediate emotional reaction (II, Productive).
-- Practical Thinking. Pragmatism, efficacy, expediency, technology (III, Vulnerable).
-- Potentiality Intuition. Ability to assess inner capacity and potential of a phenomenon (IV, Suggestible).
THE EPICUREAN:
Sensing-Feeling Introvert (SFI)
General Appearance
The face and silhouette are soft and round-shaped. The figure lacks a distinct waist and is often plump. The imaginative taste of the Epicureans (SFI) shows up in refined, even stylish, attire. Epicureans are very friendly in their interactions with others. They are informal, easygoing, but not inopportunate [or inopportune]. The amount of independence in their lifestyle may be surprising. They enjoy casual conversation, with their own colorful details added.
Characterization According to Strong Channel Functions
I. Personality Program Channel (
Epicureans’ major credo is that humans were made to be happy and enjoy life—not some day, but every day. Hence, they need comfort and easy living conditions in order to be happy. A messy workplace makes it impossible for Epicureans to concentrate. So, they begin a work day by cleaning up their study, preparing a comfortable light level, and, relieved and contented, finally doing their job with great delight. The same applies to cooking, washing, and other housekeeping chores: everything around them has to be neat, so as not to get on their nerves. Defective tools, such as a leaky pen, or an overly blunt pencil are yet another source of distress. If there is no choice but to live with a mess, they feel lethargic, discouraged and consider themselves failures.
Epicureans revive memories of their past by the feelings they experienced at those moments:
I remember myself a toddler climbing a playpen with my friend. I fell down and hurt my head. I remember this pain very well, and what followed it: I sat on the floor, feeling pain mixed with distress. I was mad that I couldn’t do things as well as my friend. When I started crying, my mom rushed to comfort me from the kitchen and gave me a hug — I remember that very vividly. I recall my friend’s heels right under my nose, the rails of the playpen, huge Lego blocks — they don’t seem so big now.
It may be that while walking in the street, an Epicurean is struck with a strong scent of, say, a man’s cologne. If this is a familiar scent — a friend’s cologne, even if the friend used it only once, then Epicureans are caught by the feelings tied to the friend: attraction, antipathy, boredom, or embarrassment. Sometimes these feelings are so overwhelming that Epicureans may find themselves talking with this person in their mind.
Epicureans’ perfect artistic taste helps them to choose nice clothing, find cosmetics to wear, and so on, all by themselves.
II. Productive Channel (
Epicureans are skillful in recognizing human emotions and managing them. They don’t usually argue and rarely get mad: if the disputed issue is not important, they back away. If they feel their words may hurt someone’s feelings, they will turn them into a joke. Epicureans try to escape scandals at any cost. A quarrel in the family is a real tragedy for them. To avoid this, they try to talk to everybody individually, carefully and seriously consider each person’s behavior, try to comfort each member of the family and divert them from the argument, and, in the end, convince everybody of the benefit of peace. If they do not accomplish their goal promptly, they would find another way to do it, with less effort and tension.
For a long time I have dreamt about having a cat, but my parents were against it saying that our guinea pig was enough. Once, when I visited my aunt, I saw him—a small fluffy ball with huge eyes, all black with three white spots. I decided at once that he would be mine.
When my dad opened the door to let me in, he didn’t notice anything because I hid the cat in a bag. I let him go in the kitchen, and he meowed pitifully. My Dad got furious and demanded that I get rid of him by tomorrow! I talked him into leaving the cat until the next weekend, promising to bring him back to my aunt then. Next Sunday I said that my aunt was expecting guests and it was not the right day to return the cat. By that time, my mom had gotten used to the new family member, and I kept looking for reasons to get his return postponed. A month passed, and the kitten, who is still with us, found its way into even my father’s heart.
Epicureans are attracted to love in all its many forms. A teenaged Epicurean would fall in love to see <what kind of passion he/she has for me>, rather than have a real crush. If no passion is noticeable, the Epicurean seeks another admirer. In family life, Epicureans are also concerned with keeping feelings alive and would take prompt steps to achieve this goal (i.e. parting for a while) if needed.
Epicureans are not tolerant of betrayal and deception:
We all admired our boss. When he turned out to be a dishonest man, we were very disappointed. We all left, taking with us our memories of good times that we had together. After some time many of us returned to the club. As for me, I was not able to come back in spite of my longing for my old friends, as if some invisible barrier separated us: I cannot stand our boss any more.
Epicureans try not to compel anybody and restrain from punishing anybody, including their own children. If a reprimand takes place, five minutes later they feel deeply repentant.
Epicurean-supervisors strive to create a welcoming emotional climate in their team and to avoid contact with unpleasant people in business relations. They also care about employees’ contentment. In return, Epicureans expect diligence and discipline from them.
Characterization According to Weak Channel Functions
III. Vulnerable Channel (
<Pragmatic logic> is an underdeveloped and fragile function of Epicureans. Its weakness is revealed in the inability to act in a logical, rational way with minimal time and less effort.
Epicureans have a problem with boring, tedious jobs. Doing their best to avoid it, they try to work on something more appealing and enjoyable instead. A promise given by Epicureans may be forgotten and not fulfilled if they get distracted by some fascinating temptation. Afterwards, the Epicurean feels upset and is reluctant to meet the person he or she let down.
As real fans of pleasures, Epicureans are reluctant to demand unpleasant work from others. Epicureans feel hurt if someone points out their inability to work rationally. They are not interested in social standing, preferring the simple delights of everyday life and genial relations with friends.
While establishing business contacts, Epicureans would often take advantage of their personal connections. Epicureans are not skilled at working at a timely manner and therefore prefer to share responsibilities with others. When organizing social events, Epicureans would enjoy a secondary advisory role, suggesting somebody more capable than themselves for the main administrative function.
IV. Suggestible Channel (
Epicureans are not always perfect in assessing the situation and acting accordingly. A woman of this type says:
I used to live by the carpe diem principle. I do not like to make plans for the future: it seems to me that when I plan anything in advance, there will necessarily be something that throws a wrench into them.
They may misevaluate people by overestimating their positive traits. Always in good spirits and ready for pleasures, they live in the present day as if their future is free of problems. It would be wrong to assume, however, that they are not concerned at all about the future. Anxiety about the future is reflected in the way they prepare their children for life’s hardships. Many Epicureans consider that a good education and a reliable occupation are the best guarantees for a safe, happy life. Epicureans are not good at evaluating the possible outcome of any endeavor and therefore rely on different sources of information. They are grateful to anybody who can offer suggestions on this matter.
Job Options
The best jobs for SFIs are in the field of human services. They make outstanding performers, musicians, painters, and can also work successfully in medicine or teaching. SFIs’ abilities can be best utilized in the areas of architecture, interior decorating, fashion design, or productive cooking.
Famous SFIs: actors — Marcello Mastroianni, Danny De Vito, Silvia Kristel; musician — Paul McCartney; writers — Alexander Dumas (the father), Andre Maurois.
The Epicurean
Sensing-Feeling Introvert
Channel I:
Focus on well-being and physical comfort; ability to create comfortable and pleasant feelings; good cooking capabilities
Channel IV:
Seeing the surface rather than the essence; need for help in foreseeing potential outcome of actions and in evaluation of his/her potential capabilities
The key aspect in SFIs’ life is harmony, comfort, and the opportunity to experience pleasure (
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Originally Posted by Maritsa
