"Accentuated Functions" by Gulenko

[Krig the Viking]

Original Article in Russian

Accentuated Functions

The concept of accentuated functions, from psychology, is alien to socionics. The term “accentuation” was introduced by the German psychiatrist Carl Leonhard, who wrote the book “Accentuated Personalities” (1976). In it he presented his classification of accentuations, and gave examples of their manifestations in real people, as well as examples of characters in classical literature.

What is accentuation? It is an emphasized, sharpened personality trait, which distinguishes a person from other people by clearly discernable peculiarities of behavior. Accentuation is not a pathology, although it gives a person many inconveniences in life. To be fair, we must note that there is a possibility of accentuation transitioning into a pathological state under unfavorable conditions.

A study about accentuation was used by Aushra in the development of socionics typology. In particular, in the work “On the Dual Nature of Man” she conducted a simple comparison of Leonhard and Licko's accentuations with the 16 sociotypes. There turned out to be more types than accentuations, so Aushra left several lines of the table blank.

In Humanitarian Socionics it is believed that there is no such linear relation; therefore accentuation is not determined by type or its first function. In other words, in each type any function may be accentuated.

Based on my practice, I present the following necessary symptoms of an accentuated function:
· a strong manifestation in behavior,
· an energy imbalance,
· situational inadequacy.

The painfully sharpened function is commonly accompanied by anxiety, and even complexes. To wit, what you are fixated on, what gnaws at you, what you worry about and inopportunely attempt to actualize in your behavior, that is your accentuation. If you systematically and stressfully think about money and get involved in unproductive commercial projects, it's an accentuation of , if you think about unmotivated aggression, which you find difficult to restrain within yourself, it's an accentuation of , etc.

Attention! Do not fall into the error of the supporters of the informational paradigm, who believe that constant concentration of thought on some object or event leads to accentuation. On the contrary, already emergent accentuation is reflected in obtrusive thoughts.

Many especially talented representatives of the abstract sciences (mathematicians, computer programmers) have strong -accentuation (autism, deep sinking into their mental imagery to the point of ignoring of external reality). By all appearances, Russian mathematician Grigori Perelman (see photo) has this accentuation, to whom the Clay Institute (USA) awarded the Millenium Prize for his proof of Poincare's hypothesis.



If accentuation leads to genius, should we fight it? I think not. But in other cases, if one desires to remain in the community, it makes sense to change something, to correct it. One can "treat” unstable-excess mental functions, primarily, by balancing them. , for example, requires its equivalent . How does one establish balance between harmony of the abstract-mathematical and harmony of the concrete-aesthetic? Simply by not allowing slovenliness of clothing and neglect of the body. See this report about the lifestyle of a scientist, resembling the homeless: eg.ru/daily/melochi/9823/

Another way is to vent one's problematic energy outward. An example of this way may be the characteristic behavior of today's young people in many online communities, where many of its members present themselves in a sort of caricature, an exaggerated manner, having little in common with their real selves. In this manner, they remove stress from their accentuated functions for a while.

[Nowisthetime]

So is this the same as "strengthened" functions in DCNH?

[Words]

Great find Krig, I'll try and post more later.

[Airman]

This is very interesting, I do have accentuated although being Delta.
Factors were mainly living among Betas all my childhood/adolescence so I got traumatized and had to become a sort of aggressor.

[pianosinger]

So, if I have accentuated Te, then I can balance it with Fe? So, combat my anxiety about being inefficient and disorganized with some sort of emotional release? Would that really help? Or would it just make me more emotional?

[Trevor]

Is Gulenko implying here that Si is the opposite of Ni? If so then thumbsup.

[Krig the Viking]

So is this the same as "strengthened" functions in DCNH?

No, an accentuated function is more like a painful, hypersensitive function. From what I've seen, it seems to come from bad experiences in childhood, primarily. It's like an obsession or fixation on a particular function, which can result in increased skill in that function relative to others of your type, but it also results in a psychological imbalance and social problems.

Gulenko later expanded his "strengthened" functions in DCNH to a whole second layer of type, so it's a different thing entirely. Essentially, the DCNH type represents the type of your "Persona", while the base type represents your core personality.

So, if I have accentuated Te, then I can balance it with Fe? So, combat my anxiety about being inefficient and disorganized with some sort of emotional release? Would that really help? Or would it just make me more emotional?

Yeah, I think the idea is that if you're fixated on trying to be efficient and practical, the way to balance that out is to relax and "have fun" emotionally, and "let go" of your need to be efficient all the time, at least a little bit.

[pianosinger]

Yeah, I think the idea is that if you're fixated on trying to be efficient and practical, the way to balance that out is to relax and "have fun" emotionally, and "let go" of your need to be efficient all the time, at least a little bit.

Wouldn't there be a bit of Si in there too, then? Maybe that explains my ESTj resemblance...

[Krig the Viking]

Wouldn't there be a bit of Si in there too, then? Maybe that explains my ESTj resemblance...

Not necessarily, though I can see how my description might give that impression.

[pianosinger]

Not necessarily, though I can see how my description might give that impression.

But isn't it true that two functions usually have to work together-- one rational function and one irrational (of the opposite orientation)? So, Te would have to be paired with either Si or Ni? So, when I'm "using" Te, I'll automatically be "using" Si or Ni with it?

I believe this is a tangent from my original question...sorry...

[Krig the Viking]

But isn't it true that two functions usually have to work together-- one rational function and one irrational (of the opposite orientation)? So, Te would have to be paired with either Si or Ni? So, when I'm "using" Te, I'll automatically be "using" Si or Ni with it?

I believe this is a tangent from my original question...sorry...

They would be related, yes. In fact, this seems to be the basis of the whole "plus/minus" concept.

In your case, if you're IEE, your Fe would be linked with Ni, and your Te with Si. When I said "not necessarily" in my previous post, I assumed you were implying that your Fe might be linked with Si. I hope I haven't caused undue confusion.

[pianosinger]

They would be related, yes. In fact, this seems to be the basis of the whole "plus/minus" concept.

In your case, if you're IEE, your Fe would be linked with Ni, and your Te with Si. When I said "not necessarily" in my previous post, I assumed you were implying that your Fe might be linked with Si. I hope I haven't caused undue confusion.

Oh, but you did...If you only knew how much sleep I lost last night, agonizing over your previous posts...

[Krig the Viking]

Oh, but you did...If you only knew how much sleep I lost last night, agonizing over your previous posts...

Haha, well, I am glad to have eased your agony, then.

[Airman]

This thread calls my attention because I see it is a very relevant topic.
I have seen some people who *seem to have a certain IE strong in them, but when I look deeper this is not the case, as an example I have a father who´s INTP but he was traumatized in his childhood because his father beat him a lot, so he displayed - and still displays - lots of , he can be easily taken for ISTJ or ESTP even, from a first contact. But from day to day living it´s very clear he is INTP.

With me I think probably something similar happened so I have strenghtened either Se or Fe. I´m still analyzing to see which one is more strenghtened. As I went through loads of BS suffering in childhood and early adolescence. I became kind of capable of violence and somewhat beta-like. But still, if someone gets to know me, it is clear I´m delta ST, probably ESTj. So I think Gulenko has observed something very factual.

[Airman]

As to opposing IEs:

Si opposite of Ni
Se opposite of Ne

Ti and Te , Fi and Fe, I dunno. Anyone has a guess?

[ashlesha]

As to opposing IEs:

Si opposite of Ni
Se opposite of Ne

Ti and Te , Fi and Fe, I dunno. Anyone has a guess?

Fe and Te
Ti and Fi

matching rationality/irrationality and extroversion/introversion.

[Airman]

Fe and Te
Ti and Fi

matching rationality/irrationality and extroversion/introversion.

yes, that´s it.

this is why people with Ti on egoblock have unvalued Fi, and Te on egoblock unvalued Fe. Se on egoblock makes weak Ne, Si makes weak Ni. and so it goes. interesting to notice Beta quadra has low/unvalued Ne, while Delta has low unvalued Ni. Se and Si are the causes for that. Se dominates beta quadra while Si dominates Delta quadra.

[Creepy-male]

If accentuation leads to genius, should we fight it? I think not. But in other cases, if one desires to remain in the community, it makes sense to change something, to correct it. One can "treat” unstable-excess mental functions, primarily, by balancing them. , for example, requires its equivalent . How does one establish balance between harmony of the abstract-mathematical and harmony of the concrete-aesthetic? Simply by not allowing slovenliness of clothing and neglect of the body. See this report about the lifestyle of a scientist, resembling the homeless: eg.ru/daily/melochi/9823/

This is my only nit to pick with the above writing. I don't think shabby living is related to accentuated . I think I have accentuated , yet I'm almost certainly going to wind up being one of those slovenly scientist types, I'm pretty sure

Question, how would I balance out accentuated with ?

[tcaudilllg]

Krig have fun leading this forum over a cliff.

Oh and the rest of you... I do see rocks down there!

[Cuddly McFluffles]

This is an interesting concept. I would probably fall under accentuation.

[Krig the Viking]

I had a thought on the nature of accentuated functions. Essentially, it's a fear of *not* being good at whatever the function is. Accentuated Fi is a fear of not being nice and likeable. Accentuated Te is a fear of not being useful and productive. Accentuated Fe is a fear of not being fun and entertaining. Etc. To me, anyway, this clarifies the exact nature of the phenomenon.

[mu4]

I think thinking about accentuated functions ultimately leads to some sort of dual type representation of a person.

Base Type - TIM Type, perfect theoretical wave form description of a person's function strengths and values

Accentuated Type - Actual measurable functional strength and mental focuses based on environmental and developmental circumstances.

I'm not sure if fear is necessarily something that is necessary for someone to focus on a accentuated function, love, joy, any passion can also lead a person to pursue the a interest related to this function diligently.

I think that accentuated functions also tend to be evaluatory functions because these functions are where strong judgement are made.

Evaluatory functions are 1/4/5/8 and are the Base, PoLR, Suggestive, Demonstrative functions, which are our weakest and strongest functions.

I think that human personality is best described as a complex waveform which would be able to account for different functional accentuations within that metabolism.

[Krig the Viking]

Hmm. I think Gulenko is talking about something different than simply a strengthened function or a mental focus. As he describes it:

The painfully sharpened function is commonly accompanied by anxiety, and even complexes. To wit, what you are fixated on, what gnaws at you, what you worry about and inopportunely attempt to actualize in your behavior, that is your accentuation.

This isn't just a strengthened function, in the sense that we all grow more and more skilled in the use of our various functions through practice, growth, and maturity. Accentuation is more like a "wounded" function, a sore and hypersensitive function that causes pain and imbalance in the psyche. The increased focus on that function is therefore an effort to escape the hypersensitivity to the pain of negative feedback from that function, and any increased skill in that area is therefore at best a secondary effect of the primary phenomenon.

So in other words, it seems to me that while accentuation can affect the measureable function strength/skill as you describe it, accentuation itself is the pain and fear of that pain which leads to an increased focus, practice, and skill in that area.

[mu4]

Hmm. I think Gulenko is talking about something different than simply a strengthened function or a mental focus. As he describes it:

This isn't just a strengthened function, in the sense that we all grow more and more skilled in the use of our various functions through practice, growth, and maturity. Accentuation is more like a "wounded" function, a sore and hypersensitive function that causes pain and imbalance in the psyche. The increased focus on that function is therefore an effort to escape the hypersensitivity to the pain of negative feedback from that function, and any increased skill in that area is therefore at best a secondary effect of the primary phenomenon.

So in other words, it seems to me that while accentuation can affect the measureable function strength/skill as you describe it, accentuation itself is the pain and fear of that pain which leads to an increased focus, practice, and skill in that area.

Yes, but I disagree with Gulenko, I think any strong passion can cause a imbalance to the psyche, ultimately all psyches are imbalanced because we are not all strictly pure idealized types. I think it's probably was wrong for me to use accentuated in the way I did since Gulenko was refering to disordered psyches.

Pain and pleasure are both imbalances on the psyche. I think Gulenko's focusing on one aspect of psyche imbalance but not focusing on the other. Ultimately passions arising from pain and pleasure both prove as molders of human personality. For sure there are things that are only possible for me when I'm moved by passion but ultimately, they cloud my rationality but perhaps that's the way I like it.

What about fear makes it so unique that it is solely suitable in this task of "accentuating" a function. Perhaps love, happiness, and a myriad of other emotions can cause a similar imbalance.

It is not merely fear that make us fall into pathological states, pleasure, happiness, love are also sources of pathology. Ultimately perhaps we're best at the edge of insanity/chaos.

[Gilly]

Cool, thanks Krig.

[Gilly]

Interesting. I definitely have accentuated Fe, which is probably why some people think it's a weak function of mine, despite my...visible prowess.

[Creepy-Snaps]

The function of hair growth between Gulenko's eyebrow(s) seems to be quite accentuated.

aka I'm too bored right now to read the whole thread and give an insightful comment

[Beautiful sky]

Fe and Te
Ti and Fi

matching rationality/irrationality and extroversion/introversion.

no

S to N (antidotes)

compliments are on the same pole Te to Fi

opposites are on opposite pole

[ashlesha]

no

S to N (antidotes)

compliments are on the same pole Te to Fi

opposites are on opposite pole

thanks, but i have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.

[Beautiful sky]

I'm talking about opposing IE

[Galen]

The fact that he described accentuated as worrying about money and as aggression makes me want to immediately throw this article out the window, but I have kinda noticed these sorts of fixations in some people. They tend to be either on the subtype IE or on the HA, and the person hyper-focuses on that IE to the point of being obnoxious. This seems to occur in more imbalanced personalities, and I do think that some sort of dualizing counterbalance would be necessary to mitigate the problem. I do, however, find it kinda hard to imagine someone fixating on an unvalued IE, unless it's more a worry about being completely unable to engage with it.

[Krig the Viking]

The function of hair growth between Gulenko's eyebrow(s) seems to be quite accentuated.

aka I'm too bored right now to read the whole thread and give an insightful comment

That's actually Grigori Perelman, a Russian mathematician who won the Millenium Prize for his proof of Poincare's hypothesis. Gulenko was using him as an example of Ni accentuation.

The fact that he described accentuated as worrying about money and as aggression makes me want to immediately throw this article out the window, but I have kinda noticed these sorts of fixations in some people. They tend to be either on the subtype IE or on the HA, and the person hyper-focuses on that IE to the point of being obnoxious. This seems to occur in more imbalanced personalities, and I do think that some sort of dualizing counterbalance would be necessary to mitigate the problem. I do, however, find it kinda hard to imagine someone fixating on an unvalued IE, unless it's more a worry about being completely unable to engage with it.

Gulenko does have an annoying tendency to over-simplify the IEs, I've noticed. I like to assume he's using it as a form of shorthand, i.e., describing one of the more common manifestations of the IE as an example, without going into detail explaining all the other ways the IE can manifest.

As for fixating on an unvalued IE, I'm an LII with accentuated Fi. It tends to manifest as a somewhat obtrusive paranoia that people might not really like me, so I spend a lot of time worrying about what people think of me, resulting in shyness and a high level of politeness. Essentially it's a fixation based on fear. It has advantages -- because I'm so polite all the time, there are very few people, to my knowledge, who actively dislike me -- but overall it's painful and unhealthy. Socionics has helped significantly in this area, as it's given me a way to analyze people and relationships with my Ti, helping to balance out my painful fixation on Fi.

Personally, I have a hard time imagining what accentuation on a valued function would be like.

[April]

Thanks for translating, Krig.

Do you know if this all that he has written on the topic? As is, it's a poorly fleshed out idea with little to no evidence, structure, definition, or presented reasoning beyond "somebody is focused on something, therefore it is a demonstration of an accentuated function." And how is this supposed to jive with his other ideas (e.g., persona types)? It's like he took 10 minutes to write this. Gah, Gulenkoooooo!

[krieger]

How many words are we going to invent to denote infinitely divisible subtype with until we have the phenomenon properly covered..?

[Krig the Viking]

Thanks for translating, Krig.

Do you know if this all that he has written on the topic? As is, it's a poorly fleshed out idea with little to no evidence, structure, definition, or presented reasoning beyond "somebody is focused on something, therefore it is a demonstration of an accentuated function." And how is this supposed to jive with his other ideas (e.g., persona types)? It's like he took 10 minutes to write this. Gah, Gulenkoooooo!

This is all I've been able to find on the subject. It was posted on his blog, which I would guess means it's more of an idea he's been thinking about, than a fully-developed theory with evidence, structure, and those other things.

This is how LIIs as Holographic thinkers work -- we come up with an idea as a whole, examine whether it fits with everything else we know, and if it does then we start trying to nail down details and evidence and such, if we get around to it. It's an effective way to break new theoretical ground with a reasonable level of accuracy, but it lacks a certain level of detailed provability that Causal-Determinists (such as EII) are capable of producing and tend to expect from others.

[tcaudilllg]

How many words are we going to invent to denote infinitely divisible subtype with until we have the phenomenon properly covered..?

Let it go. ;_;

[tcaudilllg]

I think that human personality is best described as a complex waveform which would be able to account for different functional accentuations within that metabolism.

I profoundly disagree.

[Galen]

As for fixating on an unvalued IE, I'm an LII with accentuated Fi. It tends to manifest as a somewhat obtrusive paranoia that people might not really like me, so I spend a lot of time worrying about what people think of me, resulting in shyness and a high level of politeness. Essentially it's a fixation based on fear. It has advantages -- because I'm so polite all the time, there are very few people, to my knowledge, who actively dislike me -- but overall it's painful and unhealthy. Socionics has helped significantly in this area, as it's given me a way to analyze people and relationships with my Ti, helping to balance out my painful fixation on Fi.

Personally, I have a hard time imagining what accentuation on a valued function would be like.

Hmm, I think I get it. Wouldn't that generally just be the nature of the super-ego block though?

[Creepy-male]

Hmm, I think I get it. Wouldn't that generally just be the nature of the super-ego block though?

Well, an SEI with accentuated Se (their ignoring function) would still have all the hallmarks of it being their ignoring function (good degree of awareness, resistance to being sucked in to "playing the game" of that particular element, whatever else), but still have a lot of insecurities relating to it, a focus around it (maybe even with lots of mental "ought to" constructs), devoting "too much" energy to it (relative to how your Model A predicts you should be focusing energy), and relatively unskilled usage (even if it's a strong function).

I'd imagine an XEI with accentuated Fi for instance would have the same issues as Krig does with Fi, maybe or maybe not going even further and moralising to "bad people" in an extremely shallow and naïve way.

[Krig the Viking]

Hmm, I think I get it. Wouldn't that generally just be the nature of the super-ego block though?

Yes, just with amplified sensitivity and an unhealthy obtrusive fixation on it.