At one point I played with being an SEI, especially when I thought that a Socionics extravert/extratim relates to social extraversion (and hence, probably wasn't my type). As a result, there was a point when only introverted Socionics types were considered.
In spite of this, I noticed that I did not relate as well to
to the extent that I related to
. For example, I felt that I was not as immersed in moment-to-moment sensory impressions as much as I was deeply related to emotional energy (both my own and of the people around me). I was spending more time assessing the interpersonal cues from other people and trying to either conform to them and/or to modify them than I was in utilizing sensory impressions. Thus,
seemed more right than
.
Also, due to having the impression that I was a rationally dominant type, I knew that SEI would make less sense overall. I definitely could relate more to the 'attack-the-problem-head-on style' of EJ rather than to the more passively oriented IP. However for a few months, I stayed with SEI, thinking that I just had to be an
subtype (using the 2-subtype system). The root of my reluctance to change was that I did not understand that Socionics extraversion is more of an energy and temperament-based measure rather than a socially driven measure.
Once other people asserted that I am a
dominant type (due to my enthusiasm/passion, relatability/likeability, etc.) that got me on the right track towards realizing that I am an ESE rather than an SEI.