Si and how it relates to me (as a potential SEI)
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Ryene Astraelis
Could you expand upon your relationship to :Si:? Valuing rest and relaxation doesn't have to mean you're :Si: ego. My understanding of :Si: is that it knows how it feels and what causes it, and it moves to correct those imbalances.
I think that this question that you wrote above is certainly the key question that I need to reckon with in terms of figuring out whether SEI makes sense or does not make sense.
I think that to address this, I should as a question of clarification. (Anyone can answer this one...):
Is loving/craving or hating/avoiding a sensory-based activity or sensation an appropriate usage of :Si:??
Here's an example: Spicy food.
I love spicy food. I crave spicy food. I love the sensations that take me to my absolute sensory limits. I relish/anticipate the activity of going to a nice Indian or Thai restaurant and totally indulging my senses with a spicy dish. In fact, to expand on this, I love Indian restaurants because I feel that my palate is going to be filled with every possible sensation and type of food...sweet, spicy, soothing, etc. To me, the concept of indulging with purely awesome food (however subjectively I define it) is something that excites me. I don't care if people think that I am eating food that may not be ideal for my health..I'd rather savor the moment and love the food and the experience that I am immersed in.
I am also the same about a lot of other sensory activities - a hot tub experience, a nice massage, a relaxing nature hike, aromatherapy-based bubble baths, hearing my favorite Rock band play the most amazing music (Note those three guys to the left of this post! :thumbsup:), the whiff of a coffee cup filled with an amazing coffee, a light-flavored Pinot Noir, even a very sensual sexual/erotic experience. All this is something that I can enjoy and savor. This is how :Si: works for me.
Now, the way that :Si: does not work for me is a bit different:
While at times, I might try to conserve my energy or seek some solitude so that I have more of relaxing space to do whatever I might want/need to do, the truth of the matter is that I do not tend to think initially about how a certain activity would or would not affect my health or my body. I also am more about engaging with the sensory experience rather than being more self-contained in fear that my body would be adversely affected by the experience.
A great example (of the above): Temperature.
My wife will report tomorrow's weather every night to me. I listen but almost half-heartedly since I almost feel that I could cope with whatever temperature it happens to be and that I can simply adapt to the conditions outside as necessary. She, on the other hand, needs to prepare for the weather by preparing the appropriate clothes, etc. I play a much more spontaneous role with regards to the temperature outside.
I also am not a huge health freak (You could probably tell from above!). I do not take vitamins regularly (SHAME ON ME!!! :p ), and I probably need to be warned about certain self-care aspects (like flossing every day).
In terms of the Instinctual Subtypes/Variants, I am definitely self-preservation last. Taking care of my personal body needs play a lesser role than people-oriented needs. However, does being self-preservation last preclude having a strong :Si: (i.e., an affinity/avoidance to flavors, scents, touches, appealing music, or generally anything appealing to the five senses)???
If anyone who has a better sense of :Si: and its boundaries (than I do) could explain to me whether or not what I am writing here fits as an SEI or does not, I would certainly appreciate your feedback.
(Keep in mind that if I am an SEI, I am undoubtedly an :Fe: subtype since everything that I have described above still is somewhat less pronounced than the type of :Fe: that I consistently do).
Looking forward to hearing from some of you.