the basics

debunking the myths! mbti is not:

• strictly the four letters that show up in your personality typing.
• a gimmicky definition applicable to every person or character in existence
• incorrect

now that we've got that out of the way.

mbti is a theory of psychology and cognitive process (not scientifically proven - hence the word "theory") based on the jungian thought that the four core functions of the brain are Sensing, Intuition, Thinking, and Feeling; with certain types of each and certain combinations of each, we result in eight functions and sixteen total basic personality types, thanks to the myers-briggs mother-daughter team.

the certain types of any core function are Introverted and Extroverted; so, two types of four functions, and then the math. every personality type has a stack of four particular functions, each function being either Sensing, Intuition, Thinking, and Feeling, with no overlap. at the same time, of these four functions, two are extroverted and two are introverted. all functions have to balance the other. every personality type leads with two particular functions; the other two are Tertiary and Inferior.

Sensing and Intuition are considered the Perception functions, as they have to do with our interaction with the seemingly impersonal: the world. on the other hand, Thinking and Feeling are the Judging functions, as they are more focused on the self, personal, and concrete. Judging/Perceiving, however, is not determined by the function that the personality leads with (their Dominant function); but rather, of their two main functions, which one is the Extroverted one. that is what decides whether a person is a Judger (if their Extroverted function is Judging) or a Perceiver (Extroverted Perceiving.)

Introverted functions are considered the "irrational" functions, as they rely on solely internal processes and humans are always flawed. thus, one Introverted Thinker's perception of "logic" will never be the same as another's, because their brain's pattern of logic differs, even if they may be the same personality type. it is not to say that Introverted functions are individually unreliable or biased, but rather that Introversion draws energy only from the self, which is heavily influenced by surroundings, background, knowledge, and pure brain processes, and cannot ever be viewed objectively: only subjectively.

on the other hand, Extroverted Functions are the "rational" ones, because they interact with the world openly. where Introverted Functions live mainly in the brain, and speaking in a vacuum, Extroversion sees the world, and objectively, and draws energy from it without prejudice.

and a brief rundown of each function:

Fi: Introverted Feeling. personal desires, feelings, and values.
Fe: Extroverted Feeling. awareness and reactive to others.
Ti: Introverted Thinking. internal logic, patterns, and analyses.
Te: Extroverted Thinking. execution, the action of ordering and structure outside the self
Si: Introverted Sensing. establishing & reactive & immediate structure in response to or in relation with concrete practicality, usually with naturalized effectiveness
Se: Extroverted Sensing. experience and action as they exist within a vacuum, external interaction with an uncontrollable world
Ni: Introverted Intuition. mental abstraction and discovery and understanding, usually in response to or relation to but divisively separate from the external world and only internally contained without necessary reason or practicality, just internal establishment
Ne: Extroverted Intuition. fascination, possibilities, ideas as they exist on their own

obviously, in different parts of the stack they'll mean different things. but that's for later posts...

the extrovert is not an introvert

because what better way to kick off this new journal with one of my secret biggest pet peeves of mbti?

i think a significant misconception of mbti is the E/I lettering. i have spoken to a number of people i would pin as extroverts who have told me that they think they are an introvert. and not to invalidate their perceptions of themselves, but i think that their understanding of introversion and extroversion (especially when it comes to mbti) are incorrect.

the thing about introverts - which i can say, i think, because i am an introvert - is that we are fascinated with the world around us. many of us do love going out and spending time with strangers or friends, depending on who we are. we can love partying or taking risks or doing things with people or with our bodies or taking command or discovering something new. my mother, an istj, loves walking around and hiking and getting out of the house. i love socializing and going to parties, if i have a few friends with me. my old infj roommate was always itching to spend time with more people and inviting people to our apartment (and yes, i know infjs are rare but they are very infj.)

see, this is the thing: Introverts love the world, or new experiences, or being with people, or doing things, just as much as Extroverts do. the thing is, it's not our natural state, so a lot of the times it just ends up pushing at us like a desire, and surprisingly frequently we act on it. well, i suppose it's not so surprising as we do have an Extroverted function working auxiliary already. we're constantly living in our internal comfort zone, so we do actually enjoy getting energy from other places, and doing things that we can have no control over. it's new and curious and fun for us.

Introversion is not about needing energy from the inside. listen, okay: everyone needs internal and external energy. just because one likes to withdraw frequently or needs alone time or, hell, spends a lot of time on the internet, doesn't make them an Introvert. Introverts constantly and naturally work inside themselves first - so most of the time, they're actually itching to interact with the world.

on the other hand, Extroverts already do this subconsciously. this is where the discrepancy lies: Extroverts are always working with the world first, so they know that the need time alone, and that is what, i think, makes many Extroverts think that they're Introverts. but it's really the complete opposite: that's their auxiliary Introverted Function at work (or sometimes their Inferior, if they're under critical stress.) where Introverts are much like resting energy ready to move around at any time, Extroverts are more like a constant ball of kinetic energy that they need time to stop and be alone and work internally - if, you know, physics worked that way.

i feel like many people who are pinned to be Extroverts by others actually tend to be. and, anyway, when it comes to determining your mbti type, it's really not reliable at all to determine your I/E at the very least with the definition of the letters themselves. as we've established: Functions! and especially Tertiary/Inferior functions, and which ones suit you best in the certain positions. in the end, I/E may be the thing that you figure out last, once you've figured out everything else that comes with mbti.

(and there's nothing wrong with being an Extrovert. i love Extroverts!)