#alternate typing

[fluffyoctononesense]

Friend was talking about a fairy/water type camerupt I got inspired

[sometimesumbreon]

Spicy girl

[ill-be-istj-if-no-one-else-is]

On the 4 categories

One more post before I study forever, because I’ve had this rattling around for a bit.

I know it’s not a new idea, but I’ve been thinking about the traditional 4 categories (NT- Rational, NF - Idealist, SP - Artisan, and SJ - Guardian). According to everyone’s favorite source, Wikipedia, these come from Plato’s idea of temperaments.

This is all well and good but it doesn’t make sense to me. Intuitives are grouped by whether they’re primarily thinking or feeling, even though an INTP and INTJ, for example, have no functions in common, and sensors are grouped by whether they use Si or Se (Si means that their highest judging function is extroverted, hence judging, Se means that their highest perceiving function is the extroverted Se, hence perceiving).

I think it makes the most sense to group by highest extroverted function. I relate the most to TJs, since the way we all interact outwardly is Te. Sure, I don’t think like an ENTJ, but I kind of get where they’re coming from in a way that I don’t as much with the Fe-dominant ESFJ. This would give us:

TJs: I’ve heard the term ‘skeptics’ thrown around for this. I’d also consider “leaders” (INTJs and ISTJs somewhat less so; we tend to assume leadership when no one else capable will but not otherwise) or “efficiency experts” though skeptics sounds the most cool and also classical, if we want to stick with the Plato thing.

FJs: So, true fact: I am most unable to contemplate Fe. Don’t get me wrong, I’m quite capable of interacting in groups, but I do this more because a. I’m loyal to and care about people in said group, b. group harmony often makes things go more smoothly, and c. I value having some consideration for other people as a personal trait. That said, I can definitely fall into ‘bossy as fuck and take no prisoners’ habits, especially when something needs to get done and I’m impatient to do so, or if people are doing something illogical/pointlessly against the rules. This all makes sense based on function theory as Fe is low down even in my shadow functions*. Anyway, with that all said, it would be best if an FJ named their group because they would have a much better understanding. The harmonizers? The group dynamicists? The people who hug a lot and I find it confusing but ultimately endearing?

NPs: The speculators/the dreamers. My brother is most likely INFP and we are both comics fans, and our conversations about comics tend to go like this:

Brother: What if Marvel did this? I think this character is still alive! I think this character might be queer! Wouldn’t it be awesome if this and this and this happened?

Me: ...I mean, sure. FYI Jessica Jones comes out 11/20 and I have something that day so I’m trying to plan out when I can binge watch it. I’m not sure that character is alive, but I guess we’ll see next week.

I respect my brother’s intense world of headcanons, but I tend to take what the writers give me at face value. I do love the NPs - they help wake up my inferior Ne, and also have a respect for past experience. Just don’t make me go on a shopping trip with them because I’ll be done in a quarter of the time.

SPs: The explorers. People who seek out new experiences and enjoy the moment. Exploration can be figurative as well: exploration of how things work, how things feel. I suppose we could also just keep the Artisans label.

Another possibility for these groups: by favorite question.

TJs: What? (fact-based)

FJs: Who? (people-based)

NPs: Why? (possibility-based; alternately What if?)

SPs: How? (reality-based)

I’d also make a vote for grouping by the preferred judging and perceiving functions, the way intuitives classically are. This would give us:

ST: the pragmatists. How does this get done, is this possible, is this real. To be honest I’m pretty sure we’re more rational in terms of ‘is this a thing that could actually happen and be useful’ than intuitive thinking perceivers. Plus we are way better at doing things like remembering to shower or sleep or eat, which are all pretty rational things to do to stay alive.

SFs: Also can’t come up with a good name, but you sure as hell want them in your group of friends.

*Technically Ni is my lowest, most inaccessible of all inaccessible functions, but since Ni is so very detached from how people interact with other people, I don’t have that same feeling of “who are these people” as I do for Fe dom/aux. Which means again that INTJs and ENTJs don’t feel so foreign since we all are heavy Te-users in our interactions with others, but I’m pretty sure if you told me to hang out with an INFJ or ENFJ I could do it and enjoy it but would be utterly incapable of comprehending their mind unless they flat-out explained it.