• Activity Relations INFj and ISTp by Stratiyevskaya

    Activity Relations INFj and ISTp by Stratiyevskaya


    EII – INFj – Dostoyevsky (Fi-Ne)
    SLI – ISTp – Gabin (Si-Te)

    See also:
    Type and Intertype Descriptions by Stratiyevskaya
    Quick Intertype Chart
    Wikisocion - Vera Stratiyevskaya



    Relations in this dyad are similar to activity relations of Gamma introverts in that they occur between two introverted, constructivist types; however, unlike the Gamma example these relations are between two positivists. That is, both people are expecting only the best from each other, and each wants to offer his help and be of good service. SLI is quite impressed by EII's kindness, tact, and gentleness. Well-wishing, accommodating, and optimistically oriented SLI also initially makes a favorable impression on his activity partner. Relationship takes a very positive turn if the goals and objectives of both partners coincide. They may find themselves to be quite worthy of each other and soon legalize their union, since both of them are strategic types that strive to reach their desired goals quickly. Their mutual positivism prevents them from spending much time imagining and contemplating possible pitfalls, negative outcomes, and potential deterioration of relations.

    Nevertheless, over the course of time this is what happens. SLI begins to move away from EII, to "escape". This occurs for several reasons:

    SLI feels most comfortable in a relationship where there is some distance, while EII strives to keep very short interpersonal distances, from which he tries not to retreat and "lose ground". Over time, EII's emotionality increases, which begins to annoy the SLI, because he is oriented at flexible, manipulative emotional influence of his dual IEE. It is imperative for SLI that his partner is able to emotionally adjust to him and manipulate the interpersonal distance, but EII cannot manipulate and adjust their distance by using his emotions, since EII's aspect of "ethics of emotions" is in inert position. Instead, the EII is oriented to "constantly approach", all the time shortening the distance between him and another person. Thus SLI has no choice but to create this distance himself. This he accomplishes by either moving away from his "activity" partner or by showing deliberate indifference to his feelings and needs.

    Gabin is not only slipping away from his partner - he seems to be "slipping" out of the situation, going out of the relationship, and, as any irrational type, he does so spontaneously and unpredictably. For example, on the aspect of "intuition of time" he can suddenly cancel a date or without any warning disappear for a few weeks. Meanwhile, Dostoevsky, who is subconsciously oriented at the exactness and meticulousness of his dual LSE, is shocked by such lack of tact. He starts thinking about possible reasons, attempting to understand such behavior of his partner, and uses every opportunity to sort out relations with his activator.

    An example: A female student of type EII in anticipation of her friend SLI cleans her apartment, dresses up herself, and waits for his call. Late in the evening, when her mood has been already ruined, he finally calls and without further explanations says that he will not be able to meet her today. The girl is upset by this turn of events. She persuades him to change his decision and promises to wait for him. As a rational type, she is already set on having this date and prefers to not change this course of events. Moreover, as a strongly ethically oriented type, she realizes that this man does not value her feelings and her disposition, but she strongly wishes to save the relationship. She first attempts to softly and gently persuade him to reconsider, which he, of course, does not. Then she tries to find out the true reason behind him not wishing to come over, but he doesn't know himself - he simply feels that he does not want to come and see her today, that is all. She is now offended and voices her accusations and reprimands, which are followed by demonstrative alienation. Now this he tries to prevent, and upon seeing that he is losing her he says: "okay, wait, I will come over," and arrives in the morning.

    So why did the date fall through? First of all, here we have a mismatch in behavior based on aspects of rationality and irrationality. Each of these activity partners is "programmed" for his or her own "script" of how relations should develop. While Dostoevsky as any rational type is set at sequential development of events, Gabin as any irrational has to lead his partner through an entire "maze" of relations that is full of all sorts of tricks, tests, and tangles. Only someone possessing very strong intuition would be able to see behind all this jumble of inconsistent actions of a very definitive strategy.

    Therefore, here, as in any activation dyad, there is some displacement and readjustment of dominant priorities: attempting to predict the behavior Gabin, Dostoevsky has to put more emphasis on his creative function Ne, "intuition of opportunities". His leading function of "ethics of relations" begins to fade into the background for two reasons: EII notices that SLI is very sensitive to any ethical analysis and sorting out of relations, and, in addition, over time, EII becomes more sure that his partner is loyal and dedicated, but not too obligated to fulfill his promises - and this fact makes the EII rely even more on his intuition - that is, attempt to act more flexibly and spontaneously i.e. irrationally.

    Thus, EII begins to take on the subtype of IEE. Still, here are a couple of questions: How well can he take on this subtype? How will this development affect his actions and his behavior? How will this mend his relationship with SLI?

    The answer to these questions is well illustrated by an example of a married couple who had lived in such activity union for over sixty years. Here the woman is of type EII and the man is of type SLI. They met, became friends and fell in love while they were still in early adolescence. They spent time together in a company of mutual friends and very quickly started feeling pulled towards each other. Very soon everyone was thinking of them as the "bride" and the "groom", although the "bride" was still a girl and related to her "groom" as an elder brother (since both of them grew up without parents and were left to themselves). They married right after the revolution - he had just served in the army, and during that time she has grown up.

    Then began a new war, in which he was also involved, and a new life full of stormy events. He has participated in all these social events and led a very active and involved life of an extrovert, fighting, expropriating, revolutionizing, but rarely spending any time back home. In peaceful times he appeared at home infrequently and even then only to eat and to sleep. Even on weekends and holidays there were some urgent matter that required his presence. His wife and children referred to this with understanding. They got used to this and took for granted - such were the times. Thus, in his family, he gradually assumed the role of a lodger - peaceful, quiet, calm - very comfortable and convenient.

    Of course, they have spent some time together - each sitting in his own corner, occupied by his own matters. They never went anywhere together. "Holiday atmosphere" of their relationship has remained in the distant past, in memories of their early youth, in the pre-wedding season. So it happened that each of them "activated" on their own - she took on the household chores, he took on participation in social and public life.

    The question is: where are activity relations within this relationship? They were present here all the time, but only at a large distance, or to be more precise, at the optimal distance for her SLI husband, who has tried to maintain this distance throughout their lives.

    By the time of his retirement, he was a member of many community organizations (the member of the "street committee", chairman "of the neighborhood committee," and so on), such that again he spent very little time at home. When he came over he did it only to immediately leave, as would be expected from a "classical" Gabin.

    And even then, when he grew too old to be engaged in all this social work, he, nevertheless, constantly found ways to "slip away" from home, if only just to wander about. For example, he would take a bag and supposedly go to the market. This particularly upset his EII wife: how can he go to the market without taking the money and without even asking her what he should purchase? She would catch him already by the fence and try to return him back to the house, or at least find out where he is really going. These conversations happened in raised tones, and he would try to quickly "escape" without hearing all of it out.

    And what about his EII wife? Even though she was the sweetest and kindest woman, over time, her character has become spoiled. She started to harass the members of her household with hysterics and temper tantrums, which intensified every time that her husband left to take care of some seemingly trifling errands. SLI doesn't simply leave. First, he starts physically turning away from the person, thus cutting him off from communication, and then he leaves not looking back, being absorbed in his own very closed off world.

    She never learned how to manipulate with her emotions. Thus, to exert some influence on him, she had to "wind herself up" to the maximum. There was only one method that had any effect on him: she would jump up to the level of his face, as she was short by height, and scream while swinging her fists at him - otherwise he simply didn't pay attention to her. The more she spoke and the more she raised her voice - the more calm and unruffled he seemed. This is a typical "complex" of Gabin that has its origins at his problematic "ethics of emotions". To her hysterics and tantrums he also referred calmly and attributed them to their age and poor health.

    His alienation and coldness have caused her immense emotional pain. She always felt that he was slipping away from her, as if he tried to elude their whole life together - but she couldn't do anything about it.

    The last time he "escaped" six months before his death, when he could no longer recognize her. She lived another eleven years, and all these years she regretted and lamented that he once against has left her alone, but recalled the life that they have lived together in positive tones as happy and successful. Now they are together ...


    Source: http://socionika-forever.blogspot.com/2010/06/4.html
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    Comments 27 Comments
    1. Ver's Avatar
      Ver -
      I feel I should write a few words about it as I've been in an activity relationship for a while and it's been the best and the most peaceful relationship I have ever been in. Another thing I want to stress is that I agree with Daftpunk that we don't choose our partners based on their types - love is what comes first and you can't fall in love with a certain type. Sometimes, however, it is a really useful tool especially when something goes wrong...we can realize that communication difficulties are really not our fault and it's really difficult (or rather impossible) to change in such a close relationship.
      From my experience and observations all of the same quadra relationships ( love) are good ones. I know identical couples, mirror, activators and duals.
      My relationship is hmmm... two years ago I would have said it's perfect but since I got pregnant we have had some issues. Our duties are divided - he works and provides for us I do all that is left. I don't mind taking care of home - I love decorating, cooking, planning renovations - all of these things are source of artistic pleasure to me. He appreciates me being less outwardly sociable (what a relief) whereas I deeply appreciate him being the responsible provider. I sometimes feel ashamed that I'm not as succesful as my friends so it's great to feel that he likes me the way I am. What I miss in that relationship is closeness but I quess it's much more related to instinct stackings - I'm sx first whereas he's sx last. It's been a big issue for me but he doesn't seem to understand. He doesn't acively look for cuddling and spending time together or even having sex- whenever he's got free time (that's rare) he's immersed in the internet, does some sports etc. Things complicated since our daughter was born cause he started sleeping on the sofa and night was a good occassion for me to get this cuddling/kissing/ being close stuff. I sometimes feel that I'm waiting and waiting and waiting until he comes back. I questioned his feelings because of that but he seems to show love ina different way...at least that's what he once said after my concerns. "I don't show my feelings but they are there although deeply hidden. Maybe I don't do X but you get fresh juice every morning to your bed and a good morning kiss" I believe him
      Still it's a very pleasant relationship. It gives me a sense of security and protection and it's not easily attainable in my case (enneagram 6). It's difficult to quarell with him. When I'm getting mad he starts joking and it calms me down a bit (a bit. He's got great sense of humor and we laugh at the same things.
      I would never say that activity is a bad relationship. For me it's definitely a good one.
    1. bolong's Avatar
      bolong -
      Quote Originally Posted by Ver View Post
      I feel I should write a few words about it as I've been in an activity relationship for a while and it's been the best and the most peaceful relationship I have ever been in. Another thing I want to stress is that I agree with Daftpunk that we don't choose our partners based on their types - love is what comes first and you can't fall in love with a certain type. Sometimes, however, it is a really useful tool especially when something goes wrong...we can realize that communication difficulties are really not our fault and it's really difficult (or rather impossible) to change in such a close relationship.
      From my experience and observations all of the same quadra relationships ( love) are good ones. I know identical couples, mirror, activators and duals.
      My relationship is hmmm... two years ago I would have said it's perfect but since I got pregnant we have had some issues. Our duties are divided - he works and provides for us I do all that is left. I don't mind taking care of home - I love decorating, cooking, planning renovations - all of these things are source of artistic pleasure to me. He appreciates me being less outwardly sociable (what a relief) whereas I deeply appreciate him being the responsible provider. I sometimes feel ashamed that I'm not as succesful as my friends so it's great to feel that he likes me the way I am. What I miss in that relationship is closeness but I quess it's much more related to instinct stackings - I'm sx first whereas he's sx last. It's been a big issue for me but he doesn't seem to understand. He doesn't acively look for cuddling and spending time together or even having sex- whenever he's got free time (that's rare) he's immersed in the internet, does some sports etc. Things complicated since our daughter was born cause he started sleeping on the sofa and night was a good occassion for me to get this cuddling/kissing/ being close stuff. I sometimes feel that I'm waiting and waiting and waiting until he comes back. I questioned his feelings because of that but he seems to show love ina different way...at least that's what he once said after my concerns. "I don't show my feelings but they are there although deeply hidden. Maybe I don't do X but you get fresh juice every morning to your bed and a good morning kiss" I believe him
      Still it's a very pleasant relationship. It gives me a sense of security and protection and it's not easily attainable in my case (enneagram 6). It's difficult to quarell with him. When I'm getting mad he starts joking and it calms me down a bit (a bit. He's got great sense of humor and we laugh at the same things.
      I would never say that activity is a bad relationship. For me it's definitely a good one.
      This was very interesting to me, I'm also in a very blissful activity relationship, but I'm at the 2 year mark, where you say things were perfect. Once in a while I feel that lack of closeness that you talk about. Like, we're not on the same page even though we thought we were and we're both trying. This is a lot more upsetting than it seems, because a majority of the time this relationship is as perfect as duality, at least in the sense of appreciating each other exactly as they are, and getting completely caught up in each other's company. And then, sometimes, it suddenly feels like our communication is a chore, and maybe you could pin this down to being IP-IJ, different rhythms that don't automatically sync. I also feel sometimes that I'm asking for too much cuddling and attention, except that these things are crucial to our closeness. I'm a little afraid that as we get older these things will kind of decrease on their own, and we need to find some other activity to replace it.
    1. Hope's Avatar
      Hope -
      Thanks for this article, it explains a lot of my interactions with EIIs irl. Its amazing, I never understood why I felt that way with them, but I do now. I was in a rel. with one 10 years ago and I had a long friendship with another one since I was 7 and ppl never believe when I explain how EIIs come to me.

      Reading some comments, I don't know why ppl is so reluctant to accept this scenario, guess they are being somehow unrealistic. And I'm looking that for example Ver is IEE, so that would explain why s/he had an 'activity' relation that resembled to duality, lol. Anyway, what this article and maritsa said corresponds to my own experiences.

      The comic of the cat above is a good example too.
      The way EIIs express love or devote themselves seems creepy and often invasive, servile and desperately needy.
      Phrases like: 'I'll die for you', or 'I'll do whatever you ask me to', are often said as a way to close distance between us, without a true need for me to hear such things.

      This could sound romantic for some, but to me this sounds obsessive, unhealthy or simply a lie (when they being childlike are unable to give any tangible support to their words more than emotional tone).

      When I enter in relations with them, I often end up feeling guilty for not being able to correspond to their feelings in the way they want, cruel for saying the truth or doing as I please without accounting their feels, or double faced (when I cant say the truth because they cant handle it). Their attempts to adjust to me come as unhealthy and fake too. Because they are just pretending to be someone that they are not just to make me stay with them. Its actually similar to the concessions and efforts that LSEs do when someone attempts to leave them, though, LSEs don't go in the emotional/sentimental level, EII does. They basically will try to say anything you want to hear just to make you say what they want to hear too. I find it kinda manipulative.

      Also is troublesome when after chasing after you, EIIs start acting passive aggressive or taking revenge from past or recent mistakes or offenses. They can be jerks in that instance and I wonder, why they were looking so hard after me if they still mad about x and it would push me away again with their nasty attitude and passive aggression? All this ethical games seem unhealthy and mindless to me, but guess its part of their nature.
    1. ooo's Avatar
      ooo -
      Thinking of SLI just makes me sad... my mum was one and she was the best, my secretary, my planner, my confident, all. She used to get so pissed at me for not respecting my duties... I miss that the most. I promised her I would have taken care of my passions, but without her it's like I don't even care about those anymore, not like when she was still here.

      It must be different when relationships are with parents, I've been in an activity relationship with a guy that made me want to take my life when it ended, and I'm still having nightmares thinking about him.
    1. Bertrand's Avatar
      Bertrand -
      I likewise trace back the trauma that lead me to socionics via a SLI EII relationship. it totally destroyed me, but also made me confront things that had been building up my whole life inside me and in the end I was better for it. But apart from being abused as a kid it was the most painful experience of my life

      I would straight up say the stuff slugabed found gross to SLI, in retrospect I can see how it was counter productive but its just who I am. the fact that who I am meant I made the person I love find me unbearable was really hard to sort out...

      understanding how such things can be the case is the essence of the jungian analytic and that series of events is probably the best thing that ever happened to me. which is like Nietzsche says, Joy and Suffering are twins who grow large together or remain small together
    1. Hope's Avatar
      Hope -
      @Bertrand

      what things that I found gross?

      If its about EIIs in my comment above, I don't find EIIs gross. I like them very much as friends, they are usually loyal and funny (and they are introverts as me so we can do introverted stuff together and talk about introverted stuff too lol), however their tendency (guess its more present in EII Fi maybe? dunno), to put ppl on a pedestal (become devoted to the point of lose their own dignity), obsess and seek desperately for love and more and more intimacy when I already have a relationship with them, tends to freak me out and make me put some distance when they start to show unhealthy traits.

      They want to be accepted and loved so bad sometimes (and they can be so stubborn in getting stuff going their own way). In the backside of the coin, you can discover they can hate you as much as they love you, when their ways are contradicted…"oh, I love you so much and you don't love me back? Oh, I always agree with you and you can't agree with me? I always say what you want to hear and you wont tell ne what I want to hear?" then their revenges and grudges start. Sometimes its like when they love you, you are obligated to reciprocate almost like you signed a contract. I mean, the friendship is not burdensome …some parts of it can turns that way when they start doing weird stuff (and I mean really weird stuff, almost fetish).

      Btw, sorry to hear about your past.

      I like you and I'm glad you came back.

      Also there are marvelous ppl in each type and I don't have anything against any particular type. Each type as each person have their good and bad traits, flaws and strengths, its natural. I just have some thoughts about my experiences that I sometimes feel like sharing in here because it can be useful for someone maybe.
    1. Bertrand's Avatar
      Bertrand -
      I wasn't trying to put it on you or anything like that; i just sort of laughed bitterly to myself because I remember saying a lot of cringey stuff that pushed her away but which I really believed (and still do)... its no one's fault. in the end it was her honesty and overall goodness that woke me up from a haze I lived the entire first part of my life in. in that sense it was all worth it and I wouldn't change anything. it just sort of is what it is, which is that we just weren't meant for eachother and that hurts sometimes, but at the same time all that pain is just an illusion because there's no way to force such a thing and the process of figuring that out is a net positive that deserves nothing but gratitude