Type Spotting Guide

People tend to look for traits like “outgoingness” or behaviors like “sociability” as a shortcut, but these are crude concepts that are easily distorted by situational factors. Extraverts process external stimulation more quickly, therefore, they have a higher need and tolerance for stimulation and tend to be more action-oriented in order to create the stimulation that they desire. Introverts process information through a different, longer pathway in the brain, therefore, they have lower tolerance for external stimulation and tend to be more slow and reflective in order to process information fully before taking action. 

• Energy Level: Are they consistently energetic, proactive, responsive, spontaneous, more and more engaged as the pace picks up (E), OR, are they more measured, passive, easily overwhelmed when a lot is happening, more and more fatigued as the pace picks up (I)?
• Action-Oriented: Are they consistently involved, moving, influencing, asserting, participating, organizing, altering, etc, without much prompting (E), OR, do they consistently have to be prompted, pressured, or compelled into action, often requiring some time/distance for reflection before acting (I)?
• Extraneous Factors: Regarding extraverts, is there some psychological issue that is making them more withdrawn than normal? Regarding introverts, is there some stress/pressure that is making them behave more “loudly”, erratically, or impulsively than normal? Anyone can want to withdraw when tired or feel bored when solitary for too long, but what is the natural direction of their flow of mental energy, situational factors aside?

People tend to look for “creativity” or “intelligence” as a shortcut but these do not get at the heart of the dichotomy. Talent, skill, and intelligence fall outside of type. S and N are perceptual processes that describe how people gather information about the world. 

The S/N dichotomy represents a person’s relationship to abstractions. For good reason, Sensors are far less likely to treat abstractions as real, since “the abstract”, by definition, does not exist in the concrete sense. Intuitives are more likely to treat abstractions as real, in that they believe abstractions can/will become real. For example, a common form of abstraction is thinking in terms of “potential”. Ns tend to believe that potential is real because they more readily believe in possibility. Ss, however, have much more stringent standards for accepting an abstract idea about potential because they want to feel certain that it is actually feasible before investing in it.

The heart of the matter is this: When the person looks out into the world, do they mainly see things as they actually exist in their concrete form (and the notion of potential comes later), or do they mainly see things in terms of images/ideals of what those things can/might eventually become (and the notion of factual reality comes later)? The answer is not always readily observable.

Keep in mind that Ns are a statistical minority. They may not always feel free to express their N tendencies and/or they might have been discouraged from developing their N-related strengths. Also, since the N cognitive process operates fairly subconsciously, some Ns may not even be aware of it even if you have the chance to ask them about it. 

• Conversation Habits: Is their speech dominated by richly descriptive details about what is happening, when things happened, how things look/looked, who did what and when (S), OR, is their speech dominated by general ideas, possibilities, speculations, implications, deeper meanings, conceptual connections (N)?
• Time Orientation: Is their mindset mainly present-oriented, naturally focused on the here-and-now, not needing to look very far ahead (S), OR, is their mindset mainly future-oriented, easily detached/drifting/distracted from the here-and-now by visions about possibilities or implications? 
• Practicality: Do they tend to “face facts” and naturally adjust/lower their expectations as necessary, often prioritizing practical/logistical concerns (S), OR, do they tend to display “blind faith” with excessively high/low expectations, unwilling to give up on their ideas about what is/isn’t possible (N)?
• Extraneous Factors: The direction of conversation is heavily influenced by the people involved. If possible, observe the person in groups that are dominated by S vs N participants, because people tend to be more lively conversationalists with their own type and less engaged when there is a mismatch of type. Account for situational factors that force people to focus on the present or the future. Account for personal issues that heavily influence attitude and expectations, e.g., people suffering anxiety or depression tend toward negativity or pessimism, regardless of type.

People tend to look for “emotional expressiveness” as a shortcut, but this is misleading and actually more related to E/I. Everyone has feelings, everyone is driven by emotional needs, everyone has learned their own lessons about expressing feelings and emotions. The concept of emotional stability falls outside of type and is better measured in terms of an individual’s psychological maturity.

The F/T dichotomy describes the main criteria used for making rational judgments and decisions. F and T each has its own “logic” for drawing conclusions. Fs prioritize value judgments that are presumed to maintain/enhance human well-being. Value judgments are often about “worth” or “worthiness”, and whether something is worthy or worth doing often boils down to how one feels about it or the effect that it has on people’s feelings. Thus, Fs treat feelings as important and legitimate because they inform you about what is of value - having good values means making good decisions. Ts prioritize impersonal principles that are applied systematically to obtain consistent results. Principles are universal “rules” or “laws” that govern cause and effect in the world, and they are always true regardless of who you are and how you feel. Thus, Ts rely on dispassionate reasoning for assured outcomes - sound reasoning means making effective decisions. 

• Self-confidence: Do they easily waver when their feelings are conflicted and/or when hearing differing opinions (F), OR, do they only waver when they lack the technical knowledge/skill to address a situation/problem (T)?
• In(ter)****dependence: Do they consistently find themselves in dialogue, negotiation, or consensus-seeking, naturally open to hearing various viewpoints (F), OR, do they consistently proceed independently and only think to hear other viewpoints when they hit an impasse/failure (T)?
• Personal Ethics: Do they tend to frame ethics as being about feeling good, being good, doing good, expressing care and not harming (F), OR, do they tend to frame ethics as being about avoiding problems, solving problems, eliminating problems, being firm and impartial (T)?
• Moral Judgment: Do they first interpret moral situations through people’s needs, desires, feelings, well-being, values, intentions, personal context (F), OR, do they first interpret moral situations through generalized and fixed definitions of right and wrong?
• Moral Learning: Do they tend to prefer moral encouragement to get people to be their better selves, with punitive measures used as last resort or reserved for severe transgressions (F), OR, do they tend to prefer moral punishment as a deterrent to immoral behavior, believing that people will transgress as long as the system allows them to get away with it (T)?
• Extraneous Factors: Account for skill level because anyone will feel confident and be more independent when they possess the right knowhow to handle situations. Account for idiosyncratic upbringing, cultural, spiritual or religious factors that affect how people approach issues of morality. 

People tend to look for “being organized” as a shortcut, but anyone can learn to have good organization skills and implement them when necessary. J/P is about your attitude toward the external world (regardless of E/I): Js require more structure from the world because they like closure and for life to be easily predictable, whereas Ps require less structure from the world because they want openness and space to explore options.

Closure is tied to the concept of “resolution”, such as resolving problems (rather than leaving them be), making a decision (instead of waffling or putting it off), ending a situation properly (rather than leaving things hanging), “cleaning up” after messes (rather than leaving loose ends), etc. Whether a person is able to achieve closure is not the main point; the issue is whether the person really NEEDS closure (i.e. the cognitive motivation is what drives the behavior to obtain it). A high need for closure (J) is incompatible with a high need for openness (P), since “closing” a situation means that it is no longer possible to explore it freely.

• Sense of Time: Do they naturally have a strong sense of time, wanting to use it well, sensing the rate at which it passes, easily feeling time pressure, wanting to complete tasks on time, wanting to follow through with plans efficiently (J), OR, do they naturally have a weak sense of time, easily losing track of things, and often have difficulty keeping up with deadlines, completing tasks punctually, or following through with plans (P)?
• Need for Preparation: Do they display a high need for preparation and dislike being put on the spot by the unexpected, preferring to be in control of situations (J), OR, do they display a low need for preparation, enjoying the unexpected/chaotic, quite willing to wing it in most situations (P)?
• Need for Resoluteness: Do they display a strong desire for plans, decisions, and problems to be settled as quickly as possible, often uncomfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity (J), OR, do they display an easygoing and flexible attitude, able to go with the flow, willing to be spontaneous, quite fine with putting off decisions (P)?
• Need for Closure: Do they often seek a sense of closure, feeling more and more uneasy as something remains unresolved, finding it very difficult to move forward until closure is achieved (J), OR, do they often avoid moving toward closure, feeling more and more uneasy as options disappear, but easily move forward as soon as they spot a new option to pursue (P)?
• Extraneous Factors: Account for situational pressures that force people into being very decisive or time conscious. Account for situational challenges, obstacles, or dilemmas that are difficult for anyone to resolve quickly. Remember that anyone can be super-focused when they are doing something of great importance or easily distracted by interesting stimuli, so look for consistent patterns over a longer period of time whenever possible.

It is often the case that the four functions are easy to identify but the difficult part is determining their correct order. To overcome this problem, it is important to understand how the functional stack works as a whole and obtain enough evidence to prove a function’s position. The whole functional stack is greater than the sum of its four parts because functions continuously interact with each other. These patterns of interaction provide clues about stack positioning (there is more detail about this in the Function Theory Guide). A brief overview of each stack position: 

1. 1st Position: The Dominant function is the main motivator in a person’s life. It heavily influences: their general attitude, the formation of their self-concept, their defining personality characteristics, what they choose to prioritize in life, which paths are most likely to lead to fulfillment, and what their strengths and advantages are. The dominant expresses the “light” side of the personality.
2. 2nd Position: The Auxiliary function is the “parental” function because it introduces a new voice as a counterpoint to the dominant one. It mainly provides guidance for maintaining good balance between the extraverted and introverted sides of the personality. Accordingly, a mature auxiliary function promotes psychological well-being and good decision making, whereas an immature auxiliary function leads to unhealthy personality expression. Many people lack auxiliary function development and are thus unable to use their two higher functions to their full potential. 
3. 3rd Position: The Tertiary function is meant to be the “wise” function that maintains a positive relationship between the dominant and auxiliary functions, but, unfortunately, the tertiary is, more often than not, the “childish” function that keeps the dominant and auxiliary at odds with each other. A mature tertiary function promotes a poised and well-rounded personality. An immature tertiary function, on the other hand, adds exponentially to the problems of an immature auxiliary function. When a person can’t own up to the immature aspects of their personality, they misuse the tertiary function to resist taking responsibility. The dominant function enlists the tertiary function to silence the parental auxiliary voice in an unhealthy cognitive pattern called tertiary temptation or tertiary loop ([read more about it in the Function Theory Guide]). The vast majority of people won’t have a mature tertiary function until at least middle age, though they may display some sporadic signs of positive tertiary function use before that, as circumstances permit. It is often the case that your first impression of someone comes from their tertiary, but you’ll soon realize that it isn’t the true core of their personality upon further inspection. You’ll see that heavy tertiary function use doesn’t ultimately fulfill them, and it is more likely to create problems/failures/setbacks due to its lower and less developed status in the functional stack. 
4. 4th Position: The Inferior function represents the “dark” side of the personality due to its direct opposition to the dominant. For this reason, it is usually out of view and not particularly noticeable except to those (type spotting enthusiasts) who know to look specifically for what is “lacking” or “missing” in the personality. The inferior function is closest in proximity to the unconscious mind, therefore, it is often the function through which underlying or deep-seated psychological issues get expressed (e.g. fears, insecurities, flaws, weaknesses, etc). This means that the inferior function is most visible when someone is under intense stress and starts to behave out of character - a cognitive pattern commonly referred to as inferior grip ([read more about it in the Function Theory Guide]). Intense stress causes the dominant function to falter, which opens up space for inferior grip to flip the mind upside down, allowing the darkest aspects of the personality to burst forth. There are cases where people get stuck in inferior grip for a long time, but it’s uncommon, and there has to be a severe/traumatic reason for it. Generally speaking, most people show sporadic signs of inferior grip as situational stress dictates.

Most generic type descriptions describe the positive aspects of the dominant and auxiliary functions. Lower function expression is much more idiosyncratic and thus harder to capture in generic terms. When a personality is atypical or unhealthy, the lower functions become more important for type assessment, by providing a more complete picture of the personality.

Using the dominant and inferior functions to corroborate each other can quickly resolve whether someone is E or I. Examining the two functions together provides a more balanced approach to assessment. The dominant function is usually most easily observed when someone is at their best (e.g. what they look like when life is going very well). The inferior function is usually most easily observed when someone is at their worst (e.g. during their major failures). 

The following descriptions contrast typical light/dark behavior for each dominant-inferior pair. Remember to account for extraneous factors that might be hindering them from expressing their true type. Not everyone is a typical example of their type. Some people express more light than dark, some more dark than light, depending on personality development and the circumstances they’re facing.

Extraverted functions (Se, Ne, Te, Fe) are about being active or action-oriented in the external (objective) world:

ESTP / ESFP:

• Dominant Se (Light): Se is motivated by a “Just do it!” attitude, so ESxPs maintain a steady stream of positive feedback from the environment, quick to respond to novelty, intrigue, or changes. They tend to be expressive, energetic, interactive, and resilient, quick to get engrossed in a new/fun experience and also quick to move on once a situation is closed or exhausted. They are generally admired for their boldness or adventurousness when at their best.
• Inferior Ni (Dark): “Everything is doomed”. Since Se dominants are usually very easygoing and adaptable, at their worst, they lose their trust in the world and feel overcome with paranoia or misgivings. In low moments of weakness, they become gloomy or cynical. Their frustrations usually involve: being blocked at every turn, being too impatient to choose the right path, or being too easily tempted away from setting and achieving longer term goals.

ENTP / ENFP:

• Dominant Ne (Light): Ne is motivated by a “That’s a great idea!” attitude, so ENxPs explore interesting ideas and possibilities, displaying a sense of excitement/urgency when they want to pursue a new possibility or bring a good idea to fruition. They tend to be imaginative, inventive, and optimistic, wanting to maintain the freedom to go where ideas go. They are generally admired for their good humor or creativity when at their best.
• Inferior Si (Dark): “If only…” Since Ne dominants are usually very open-minded and willing to explore new ideas, at their worst, they are unable to visualize positive possibilities and grossly exaggerate negativity or regret, perhaps feeling as though held back by a lifetime of problems/failure. In low moments of weakness, they become heavily fixated on details of the past, unable to move forward. Their frustrations usually involve: not having good ideas or not knowing how to prioritize/realize the best ideas, carelessness with details that leads to failure, or feeling restricted such that they lack inspiration/hope for long periods.

ESTJ / ENTJ:

• Dominant Te (Light): Te is motivated by a “See a problem, solve the problem” attitude, so ExTJs are very alert to setbacks and want to resolve them as expediently as possible, often offering up useful information if they like you but easily frustrated/critical when seeing signs of inefficiency. They tend to be proactive, determined, formidable, and competitive in getting results. They are generally admired for their fortitude or leadership power when at their best.
• Inferior Fi (Dark): “Why’s the world so mean to me?” Since Te dominants are usually very efficient and capable in everything they do, at their worst, they feel weak and vulnerable and indulge irrational self-pity when they can’t overcome their challenges. In low moments of weakness, they become pathetic or self-indulgent. Their frustrations usually involve: getting pushback for aggressive behavior, taking on too much, or being so focused on bottom line efficiency/results that they neglect other important issues.

ESFJ / ENFJ:

• Dominant Fe (Light): Fe is motivated by a “We’re in it together” attitude, so ExFJs maintain good standing in their relationships and instinctively smooth out social discord, often influencing people to cooperate. They tend to be amiable, helpful, attentive, and supportive, willing to go the extra mile to ensure that people feel at ease. They are generally admired for their compassion or people skills when at their best.
• Inferior Ti (Dark): “If you’re not with me, you’re against me”. Since Fe dominants are usually very attuned to maintaining smooth interactions, at their worst, they disconnect from people and indulge critical/mean judgments. In low moments of weakness, they become lost in themselves or socially wary. Their frustrations usually involve: misconstruing people’s intentions, being unable to handle negative feedback or conflicts gracefully, or being too insecure/conforming/manipulative in their relationships.

Introverted functions (Si, Ni, Ti, Fi) are about reflecting and taking time to touch base with internal experience (subjective):

ISTJ / ISFJ:

• Dominant Si (Light): Si is motivated by a “Tried-and-true is better for you” attitude, so ISxJs stick with what they know and love and cherish, often relying on knowledge/methods that have already been proven reliable. They tend to be steadfast, dutiful, observant, and capable, taking quiet pride in attending to details and discrepancies that people ignore/overlook. They are generally admired for their responsible or conscientious attitude when at their best.
• Inferior Ne (Dark): “Nothing makes sense, so whatever!” Since Si dominants are usually very attentive to details and require time to carefully build a reliable knowledge base, at their worst, they feel unable to sort through details and then give in to their most irrational thoughts and imaginings. In low moments of weakness, they become erratic or unruly. Their frustrations usually involve: being excessively anxious or worried (catastrophizing), being overwhelmed by too much novelty or rapid change, or stubbornly micromanaging situations (due to unwillingness to delegate).

INTJ / INFJ:

• Dominant Ni (Light): Ni is motivated by a “Serious matters only” attitude, so INxJs reflect on underlying implications, often discovering good direction through visualizing potential. They tend to be perceptive, insightful, intense, and focused, taking quiet pride when they finally reach a deeper understanding of what is most important to attend to. They are generally admired for their insight or conviction when at their best.
• Inferior Se (Dark): “Screw it!” Since Ni dominants are usually very attentive to implications, at their worst, they are easily disoriented and then throw caution to the wind. In low moments of weakness, they become very rash or extreme in behavior. Their frustrations usually involve: being unable to realize their ideals (perhaps being too unreasonable/unrealistic in their expectations), having no idea about the best way to proceed, or feeling a chronic lack of direction/purpose in life.

ISTP / INTP:

• Dominant Ti (Light): Ti is motivated by a “Just the facts” attitude, so IxTPs dissect and systematize information to solve/avoid/prevent problems, formulating reliable principles for sensible and coherent action. They tend to be investigative, critical, dispassionate, and self-sufficient in trusting completely in their own judgment. They are generally admired for their rationality or calm problem solving skills when at their best.
• Inferior Fe (Dark): “What is happening to me??!!” Since Ti dominants are usually very confident and cool-headed, at their worst, they feel mentally clouded and unable to think straight. In low moments of weakness, they become uncharacteristically sheepish or volatile. Their frustrations usually involve: not listening to other opinions when they should, being inadvertently insensitive and alienating themselves, or utter lack of emotional awareness that makes it difficult to resolve a personal/interpersonal problem.

ISFP / INFP:

• Dominant Fi (Light): Fi is motivated by a “To thine own self be true” attitude, so IxFPs honor their feelings and act according to their strong moral instincts, often seeking to preserve their dignity or protect the integrity of anyone they feel responsible for. They tend to be gentle, empathetic, and honorable, bucking the system to live on their own terms. They are generally admired for their sincerity or integrity when at their best.
• Inferior Te (Dark): “That’s enough!!!” Since Fi dominants are usually very attentive to honor and integrity, at their worst, they are unable to accept their own vulnerability and/or perceived mistreatment and give in to their darker controlling impulses. In low moments of weakness, they become aggressive or vindictive. Their frustrations usually involve: feeling disregarded or unable to influence moral outcomes in accordance with their strongly held values, not being able to find a place where they can feel at home and express themselves freely, or not being organized/confident/competent enough to achieve their goals.

Assuming that you’ve successfully matched up the dominant and inferior axis, you would then only have two types left to examine.

When you get stuck between two “sibling” types that share the same dominant and inferior functions, it is then necessary to identify the middle auxiliary (2nd) and tertiary (3rd) functions. The easiest path is to return to the dominant-inferior descriptions above and look for resemblances. While the auxiliary is not the same as the dominant function, and the tertiary is not the same as the inferior function, they do often resemble each other enough to help identify the middle functions. 

Example: If you are sure of dominant Fe and inferior Ti, then you are stuck between ESFJ and ENFJ. Go back and compare the Si-Ne and Ni-Se dominant-inferior pairings respectively. Do you observe any similar strengths (light) and weaknesses (dark)? If the auxiliary function is well-developed, you’re likely to see similarities in the two higher functions, e.g., mature ISFJs and ESFJs tend to be careful, dutiful, and detail-oriented (Si); mature INFJs and ENFJs tend to be serious, aspirational, and long term oriented (Ni). If the auxiliary function is poorly developed, you’re likely to see similarities in the two lower functions, e.g., immature ISFJs and ESFJs tend to be anxious, erratic, and fussy (Ne); immature INFJs and ENFJs tend to be rash, extreme, and hedonistic (Se). In short: does the person better resemble ISFJ (Si-Ne) or INFJ (Ni-Se)?

If that method doesn’t quite get you across the finish line, then you have to look at the auxiliary and tertiary pair more closely. These descriptions give a rough idea of how the four functions of the functional stack come together depending on the state of the auxiliary-tertiary (“parent-child”) relationship:

Se or Ne dominant:

• Ti-Fe (ExTP): Balanced Ti-Fe should make an extravert more analytical in correctly calculating which decisions are most likely to produce beneficial results for everyone involved. This prevents ExTPs from being too impulsive and creating an endless trail of destruction. However, a person can childishly resist Ti with tertiary Fe to twist social perception in favor of rationalizing away their missteps/misdeeds. The result is thoughtless or devious behavior that leads to self-inflicted alienation. Tertiary Fe often makes a person seem outspoken or charming, which can easily be mistaken as Fe dominant. However, tertiary Fe often has a calculating underside, more likely to treat people instrumentally as tools/objects for self-centered gain (due to higher Ti). Tertiary Fe is more likely to produce relationship failure and social discord (than dominant Fe). These negative conditions gradually open the door for inferior Ni/Si to wreak havoc via paranoid or neurotic behavior. 
• Fi-Te (ExFP): Balanced Fi-Te should make an extravert more ethical and honorable in how they make decisions in order to avoid unhealthy or sabotaging behaviors. This prevents ExFPs from being too spontaneous and making an endless series of mistakes. However, a person can childishly resist Fi with tertiary Te to obtain immediate but superficial gratification. The result is unethical or destructive behavior that leads to self-inflicted pain and suffering. Tertiary Te often makes a person seem determined or commanding, which can easily be mistaken as Te dominant. However, tertiary Te often has a desperate bent, more likely to be aggressive/controlling as a means to make up for some underlying sense of inadequacy or to band-aid over unpleasant feelings (due to higher Fi). Tertiary Te is more likely to produce unnecessary setbacks or unintended consequences (than dominant Te). These negative conditions gradually open the door for inferior Ni/Si to wreak havoc via paranoid or neurotic behavior. 

Te or Fe dominant:

• Si-Ne (ESxJ): Balanced Si-Ne should make an extravert more careful and thorough in how they approach people/problems in order to manage situations more effectively. This prevents ESxJs from overextending themselves or trampling over important personal boundaries (their own and others’). However, a person can childishly resist Si with tertiary Ne that continually makes excuses for very hasty/sloppy decision making. The result is out-of-hand behavior that leads to self-inflicted discord/disorder. Tertiary Ne often makes a person seem upbeat or clever, which can easily be mistaken as Ne dominant. However, tertiary Ne often has a grandstanding element, more likely to be used as a cover for anxiety or deflection of mistakes/criticism (due to higher Si). Tertiary Ne is more likely to produce bad ideas that fall flat or make situations worse (than dominant Ne). These negative conditions gradually open the door for inferior Fi/Ti to wreak havoc via intense inner turmoil or confusion.
• Ni-Se (ENxJ): Balanced Ni-Se should make an extravert more nuanced and thoughtful in how they approach people/problems in order to set the right objectives and aspirations. This prevents ENxJs from harmful overreach or wasting time with fruitless activities. However, a person can childishly resist Ni with tertiary Se that selectively picks out only what it wants to see in order to justify misguided beliefs. The result is pointless or hasty action that leads to self-inflicted failure or defeat. Tertiary Se often makes a person seem fun or energetic, which can easily be mistaken as Se dominant. However, tertiary Se often has an undercurrent of overreaction, more likely to be irritable and retaliatory when expectations get dashed by reality (due to higher Ni). Tertiary Se is more likely to distort/overlook important factual details or react poorly to unexpected change (than dominant Se). These negative conditions gradually open the door for inferior Fi/Ti to wreak havoc through intense inner turmoil or confusion.

Si or Ni dominant:

• Te-Fi (IxTJ): Balanced Te-Fi should make an introvert more assertive in setting the right goals and correcting faulty behavior. This prevents IxTJs from withering into the background and then suffering regret about having missed out. However, a person can childishly resist Te with tertiary Fi and falsely claim that their decisions are “morally” warranted. The result is ineffectual or negligent behavior that leads to self-inflicted disappointment or retreat. Tertiary Fi often makes a person seem individualistic or principled, which can easily be mistaken as Fi dominant. However, tertiary Fi often tends toward stubborn narrow-mindedness, more likely to grossly oversimplify issues with crude black and white judgment (due to higher Te). Tertiary Fi is more likely to produce a severe downfall due to prideful or self-serving behavior (than dominant Fi). These negative conditions gradually open the door for inferior Ne/Se to wreak havoc via crippling doubt or egregious loss of control. 
• Fe-Ti (IxFJ): Balanced Fe-Ti should make an introvert more outgoing and compassionate in order to integrate well into social environments and accept important feedback for growth. This prevents IxFJs from suffering the pain of loneliness and the low self-worth of having nothing to contribute. However, a person can childishly resist Fe with tertiary Ti and concoct “logical” rationales to disown responsibility for their social failures. The result is guarded or tactless behavior that leads to self-inflicted unhappiness or isolation. Tertiary Ti often makes a person seem knowledgeable or analytical, which can easily be mistaken as Ti dominant. However, tertiary Ti often has a strong defensive tendency, more likely to be used to build walls and rationalize away mistakes/criticism/blame (due to higher Fe). Tertiary Ti is more likely to produce very troubling incoherence in beliefs due to the inability to catch logical contradictions (than dominant Ti). These negative conditions gradually open the door for inferior Ne/Se to wreak havoc via crippling doubt or egregious loss of control. 

Ti or Fi dominant:

• Se-Ni (ISxP): Balanced Se-Ni should make an introvert keen to explore new firsthand/hands-on experiences in order to broaden their outlook on life and make better judgments. This prevents ISxPs from trapping themselves in dullness and apathy. However, a person can childishly resist Se with tertiary Ni and make excuses for refusing new experiences. The result is short-sighted or oversimplistic judgments that lead to self-inflicted fatalism or self-defeatist thinking. Tertiary Ni often makes a person seem dour or brooding, which can easily be mistaken as Ni dominant. However, tertiary Ni often leads to very superficial judgment, more likely to overlook/dismiss positive paths to growth (due to higher Se). Tertiary Ni is more likely to have a dejected or morose attitude about what is possible in life (than dominant Ni). These negative conditions gradually open the door for inferior Fe/Te to wreak havoc via misdirected blame or criticism.
• Ne-Si (INxP): Balanced Ne-Si should make an introvert keen to imagine new possibilities and make improvements to life. This prevents INxPs from trapping themselves in monotony and repetition. However, a person can childishly resist Ne with tertiary Si and stick with old comfort zones (i.e. only rely on past knowledge and experience). The result is wary or stubborn judgments that lead to self-inflicted boredom or stagnation. Tertiary Si often makes a person seem reserved or proper, which can easily be mistaken as Si dominant. However, tertiary Si often has an irrationally pessimistic undercurrent, more likely to amplify negative past experiences and project them into negative future possibilities (due to higher Ne). Tertiary Si is more likely to misuse past knowledge and misinterpret physical signs of discomfort (than dominant Si). These negative conditions gradually open the door for inferior Fe/Te to wreak havoc via misdirected blame or criticism.

If you’re stuck between the E/I versions of the type, e.g., INFP or ENFP, gather evidence for each position of the stack. Sample questions to ask:

• Dominant: Is Fi or Ne attitude the bigger motivating force? Is Fi or Ne attitude the first/default choice when faced with a new or challenging situation? Do they consistently seek personal fulfillment through Fi or Ne attitude most of the time?
• Auxiliary: Is the function healthy? If so, is Ne helping Fi to reach its goals, or is Fi helping Ne to reach its goals? Is the function unhealthy? If so, is there more resistance shown against the Fi or Ne “parental” attitude (and which dominant attitude are they trying to defend)? 
• Tertiary: Do they use Si or Te more often in their stubborn or defensive moments? Is Si or Te more often the root of their self-inflicted problems? Do they consistently retreat from the world as a defense mechanism (introverted tertiary), or do they consistently double and triple down on aggressive action as a defense mechanism (extraverted tertiary)? 
• Inferior: Do they misuse Te or Si more badly/disastrously when under stress? Which dominant function is breaking down to allow for the inferior to flip the personality upside down?

Feeling functions help us deal with issues of humanity. It is important to remember that just because a person is a Feeler, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are skilled or good at handling people, it only means that they pay more attention to people and tend to have more interest in the nuances of human life. We can say that Feelers have more opportunity to build up their people skills simply because they are more focused on that aspect of reality.

People often have difficulty understanding the Feeling functions because they don’t understand the difference between cognition, feeling, and emotion:

• cognition: the ways in which humans make sense of information
• in type theory, cognitive functions process local/specific sets of info
• emotion: affect, physiological responses regulated by the central nervous system
• emotions are mostly unconscious and have global influence in the brain
• feelings arise whenever emotional content reaches consciousness
• feelings are an attempt to interpret the meaning of emotional content
• F functions make cognitive judgments by processing feeling information
• thus, feelings and emotions aren’t equivalent
• thus, F functions aren’t equivalent to emotionality
• everyone is emotionally driven, but not everyone prioritizes feeling information

Both of the Judgment cognitive processes (F and T) are defined as rational processes (i.e. they utilize reason to draw conclusions). However, they process different sets of information and therefore tend to come to different conclusions when making judgments/decisions. The purpose of F functions is to process feeling information and form judgments accordingly. Feelings are the underlying source behind cognitive judgments about value, worth, and integrity. Ultimately, F functions are designed to deal with the human aspects of life and they are usually most concerned with defining value.

People who have not studied philosophy often don’t know the distinction between objective and subjective. It is important to separate the technical definitions of these two terms from their colloquial usages. In type theory:

• objective refers to the world that is outside of one’s psychology (external world)
• subjective refers to one’s personal psychology (internal psychological processes)

Thus, the distinction between Fe and Fi is quite simple. When processing information:

• Fe implicitly relies on and prioritizes objective sources of feeling
• Fi implicitly relies on and prioritizes subjective sources of feeling

Since the unconscious mind is always processing emotional content and only a small fraction of it ever reaches conscious awareness, it is very difficult to know exactly where emotions come from and difficult to understand the exact mechanisms of how they influence behavior. Suffice it to say that whenever unconscious emotions become conscious feelings, the F functions are then prompted to process that information because the feelings might contain important messages that should be taken into consideration when making judgments. The difference between Fs and Ts is that Fs implicitly assign greater importance to feeling information whereas Ts are more inclined to ignore it or even devalue it due to the F function being lower in their functional stack. [It is worth noting that emotional intelligence is a learned skill that anyone can improve should they wish to. The position of the F function in the stack does not influence one’s ability to learn EI but rather one’s willingness to, and unwillingness is easily remedied by exercising conscious will.]

The Source of Feelings

Generally speaking, whenever left to their own devices, Fe types don’t tend to experience much emotion because Fe orients the mind toward external sources of feeling. Therefore, Fe types tend to be emotionally neutral (some might even describe themselves as “empty” or “detached”) until there is some external factor/problem influencing/provoking emotional responses that serve to fill the mind with feelings to process. Fe types tend to be fairly calm individuals when left alone, and the low level of their own feeling means that they aren’t likely to make very strong value judgments unless something dramatic/provocative is happening in the objective world that warrants judgment.

By contrast, the first point of feeling reference for Fi types always lies inside oneself because Fi orients the mind to subjective sources of feeling. Therefore, regardless of what goes on in the external world, Fi types tend to experience feelings with far greater continuity, intensity, and richness than Fe types because feelings are only ever known as “personal” and they are thus very intertwined with one’s sense of identity. Being able to draw from a deep inner well of feeling makes Fi types naturally passionate about their individual preferences and beliefs, so they possess a strong and intrinsically renewable source of power and motivation. Fi types tend to be very opinionated about everything, though they might find it difficult to relate to things that they have no personal connection to.

Direction of Feeling Focus

Since Fe types focus on external sources of feeling, they are naturally more attuned to the feelings of others than their own. This has several implications: they primarily treat their feelings as objective evaluations of the world, they monitor people’s emotions, they monitor changes in the social atmosphere, they do more to adapt to social cues, and they are more motivated to change or resolve negative social environments. However, the degree and level of success to which a person does these things is dependent upon the functional stack position of Fe and its maturity. On average, FJs often possess much more accurate judgment of people and much more nuanced understanding of interpersonal and social dynamics than TPs.

Since Fi types focus on internal sources of feeling, they are naturally more attuned to their own feelings than other people’s. This has several implications: they primarily treat their feelings as indicative of their own subjective state of well-being, they listen to their feelings, they are highly sensitive to changes in their own feeling state, they are naturally attentive to their own emotional needs, and they are motivated to act upon their feelings whenever necessary for maintaining inner-outer congruency. However, the degree to which the above behaviors are true and exercised appropriately is dependent upon the functional stack position of Fi and its maturity. On average, FPs are often much more in touch with themselves and possess far greater acceptance and authenticity of feeling life than TJs.

One’s Experience of Feelings

FJs enjoy feelings, specifically, they like interacting with anything that generates positive feelings for them. Therefore, FJs often try to be positive people and are easily shaken when they don’t feel positive and, worse, don’t know why. FJs are more likely to use feelings as a measurement of acceptability, so when they go through a negative period, they are likely to judge themselves as unacceptable or suspect that something is very wrong. When FJs are forced to navigate negative or unwelcoming social situations, they easily feel demoralized because of perceiving disconnection/rejection at every turn, and such FJs often become socially incompetent because of having to build thick defensive walls to protect their feelings. TPs, being T, do not use feelings as a measurement, so they are more accepting of negativity or they might even take negativity as a normal state since Ti creates a consistently critical attitude. When FJs are left on their own for too long, they start to feel strangely discouraged or “empty” in a bad way and are thus compelled to seek out positive feelings from the world, ideally through warm social interactions that allow them to feel connected/accepted (but, in unhealthy cases, through dysfunctional lower Se/Ne behaviors that attempt to fill the emotional void). TPs, on the other hand, are more likely to desire an emotionally neutral/flat state and are thus less likely to seek out feeling-related stimulation, rather, they are more likely to seek out stimulation through their other extraverted Se/Ne function because it is higher in the functional stack.

FPs live in their feelings because (barring emotional dysfunction/disorder of some kind) they naturally accept the premise that all feelings, positive and negative, are important for good decision-making. Therefore, FPs do what their feelings tell them to do whenever circumstances permit and, as a result, they exercise a natural form of unconditional self-acceptance. FPs are more likely to treat their feelings as fundamental to who they are, so they don’t respond well when their feelings are downplayed or dismissed, since they perceive it as identity erasure. When FPs are forced to exist in an environment that does not respect their feelings, they will have difficulty developing good self-esteem due to being continually forced to doubt their own experience and judgment, and such FPs often develop a craving for validation as expressed through unhealthy lower Te judgment and behavior. TJs, being T, do not define themselves by their feelings, so they are less likely to pay attention to feelings let alone listen to them. When FPs accept their feelings unconditionally, they don’t need to know “the source” because the source is presumed to be oneself and thus legitimate. It is much more difficult for TJs to admit that they have feelings emitting from within because listening to them might force “irrational” behavior and go against sound Te judgment. Therefore, TJs are more likely to rationalize their feelings by looking for a “tangible” external Te reason to justify how they feel, even if they must invent a reason out of thin air, otherwise the feelings cannot be assigned any legitimacy.

Awareness of Feelings

Unless an individual has specifically worked on their emotional awareness skills, Fe types do not tend to have easy and immediate knowledge of their feeling life because of viewing negative feelings as unacceptable and pushing them away. Therefore, they often need to talk out feelings in order to clarify them, and the social feedback they receive is helpful for giving the feelings a more tangible shape. Barring extraneous factors like social danger or emotional immaturity, FJs usually have no difficulty talking about their feelings with people they trust, in fact, FJs have a lot of incentive to talk about their feelings because honest and vulnerable sharing with someone is a natural way to increase intimacy and achieve a sense of mutual acceptance (although, this tends to be more difficult for IxFJs than ExFJs because Fe lacks development in introverts). The lower down and/or the less developed Fe is, the more distance and detachment a person experiences from their feeling life. TPs tend to ignore feelings completely (both in themselves and others) until emotions escalate to obvious and unavoidable extremes and then they usually try to rationalize the feelings away as “unnecessary”. As a result, they often lack the awareness and vocabulary to express feelings and can’t conceptualize what it means to connect emotionally with people and the world (at least not until later in life, assuming eventual Fe development).

Fi types tend to be more in touch with themselves, so they have less need to talk out their feelings than Fe types. However, bottling up negative feelings is often harmful to psychological well-being, so Fi types are also better off talking whenever their feelings can’t be handled alone, in fact, it is a necessary process to ensure that one’s Fi judgments aren’t excessively subjective and unreasonable. Barring extraneous factors like physical danger or self-esteem problems, FPs usually have no difficulty standing up for how they feel, in fact, FPs have a lot of incentive to let their feelings out through productive Te action because it is a great way to achieve authentic self-expression of their cherished values (although, this tends to be more difficult for IxFPs than ExFPs because Te lacks development in introverts). The lower down and/or less developed Fi is, the less accepting a person is of feeling life in general. TJs tend to pride themselves on being hardy and tough and, as a result, they expect everyone to be equally tough as them, often quite unaware that their flippant dismissal of feelings ends up damaging their relationships (at least until later in life, assuming eventual Fi development).

Processing Feelings

When something happens to produce a lot of feeling for Fe types to process, they tend to be easily plunged into confusion because of Fe’s relationship to Ti. Ti naturally wants to systematize information for independent judgment, which means that Fe types are likely to ruminate awhile on their feelings in order to try to “make sense” of them (as opposed to simply accept them and let them be). When Fe types have difficulty making sense of their feelings, usually because of meeting a difficult dilemma, they often become very wishy-washy or indecisive due to “overanalyzing”, which tends to bother FJs much more than TPs due to Js having a greater need for closure. FJs are more sensitive to negative feelings and have more difficulty sitting on unresolved feelings, whereas TPs are usually less aware of negative feelings since they don’t value feeling knowledge, thereby easily brushing them aside or deferring them indefinitely.

When Fi types get overwhelmed by feelings, their first instinct is to dwell in them until the feelings naturally level off and/or one figures out how to get them properly validated, which is sometimes perceived as “self-pitying” by observers. When feelings don’t subside or can’t be managed alone, usually because the root problem hasn’t been resolved, Fi types are likely to display crude Te expressions of power as the feelings spill out, usually taking radical action that feels as though it serves to “right” whatever was done “wrong”. However, big and brash decision-making is usually harder for FPs than TJs since TJs have more practice with successfully strategizing their way out of messy situations. FPs can stew on their feelings longer because of being more accepting of them, but when they do act, they are more focused on quickly alleviating their incongruent feelings and, as a result, might fail to think through the factual consequences of their decision-making. Emotional TJs won’t hesitate to tackle problems very aggressively, again and again, until consecutive failures eventually force them to withdraw, regroup, and reestablish a sense of power.

Emotional Needs

FJs need social harmony because of being easily affected by objective sources of feeling, specifically, they need positive feelings that come from interpersonal acceptance and belonging. FJs are often motivated to nurture relationships to establish feelings of connection, and they are likely to suffer from insecurity or low self-worth when they don’t have good social skills or when they are forced to exist in a social environment that demeans/rejects them. When the Fe function is undeveloped, Fe types are generally unaware of emotional needs and thus cannot attend to them properly (in themselves and others), often because of wanting to avoid the sense of vulnerability or “weakness” that comes with being “needy” for care, which is an attitude that inevitably leads to some form of emotional dysfunction down the road. Immature TPs pay little to no attention to social belonging and might even avoid it or fight against it. Given the presence of Fe in their stack, they are still influenced by social factors though they don’t realize it, to the point where they might even believe that they understand people and relationships far better than they actually do, and this unearned confidence usually does not bode well for their relationships.

FPs need internal congruency because their personal feelings are so “loud”, specifically, they must ensure proper alignment between feeling and behavior at all times in order to function optimally in life. FPs are often very concerned about personal honor and integrity, i.e., making decisions that perfectly express their strong value judgments, and they are likely to suffer from debilitating passivity when the environment disincentivizes or restricts authentic self-expression. When the Fi function is undeveloped, Fi types are incapable of unconditional self-acceptance and the proper self-care that comes with it, so they tend to make inauthentic and incongruent decisions, usually out of fear that authentic self-expression might be met with some form of invalidation, which easily leads them into the bad habit of choosing the easy short-term path to “safety” instead of the harder long-term road to well-being. Immature TJs pay little to no attention to authenticity and congruency, in fact, they often pride themselves on being able to “soldier on” despite how they personally feel about situations, so the concepts of honor and integrity don’t tend to register on their radar because they care more about expediency and results. Given the presence of Fi in their stack, they are still influenced by subjective feelings and values though they don’t realize it, and they might even believe that they are always morally “objective” and staunchly “principled”, but the fact of the matter is that they aren’t able to detect their own selfish or hypocritical behavior.

Defining One’s Values

Since FJs need social harmony, they tend to derive and define personal values in terms of whether they promote/inhibit social harmony, i.e., FJs make positive value judgments when social good/harmony is increased and they make negative value judgments when social good/harmony is decreased. Therefore, FJs only tend to display their aggressive and moralizing side when they believe that the norms for promoting social good/harmony are being violated such that hurt/harm is caused, and they tend to respond forcefully to correct/manage situations that provoke their ire or compassion, even when they aren’t personally affected, since they believe that they are promoting the greater good. This is why FJs often get involved with remedying relationship conflict or social ills/divisions. TPs who haven’t developed Fe are usually quite oblivious to social harmony concerns, even to the point of creating disharmony and enjoying it, and they are far less inclined to make moral judgments until social disharmony negatively impacts them personally.

Since FPs listen to their own feelings first and foremost, they tend to derive and define their personal values in terms of their own preferences, i.e., they use their own judgments of good/bad to extrapolate and apply moral values. Therefore, FPs only tend to display their aggressive and moralizing side when situations disagree with their personal values and preferences, and they tend to act on behalf of anyone who is presumed to share similar values and preferences. This is why FPs often get involved in fighting for justice or moral causes. TJs who haven’t developed Fi are usually oblivious to concerns about moral character or easily rationalize away such concerns in the name of pragmatic efficiency, and they aren’t inclined to act upon moral violations unless they possess very personal experience of the pain and suffering that those violations cause.

Moral Expectations

Since FJs are incentivized to maintain social harmony, they tend to frown upon people who behave in ways that disrupt friendly cooperation and they greatly appreciate those who possess good people skills. FJs often believe in well-defined rules of acceptable and considerate behavior that everyone is expected to abide by, and they are easily triggered when those expectations get dashed, although, this appearance of rigidity is often balanced with a forgiving attitude and a willingness to hear people out and bring them back into the fold. Keep in mind that every individual grows up in unique circumstances, so every FJ learns their own unique set of rules and norms to follow in social situations. For example, an FJ who was raised in an abusive environment might learn unhealthy or destructive relationship dynamics. TPs also possess social expectations, however, they tend to be more basic, minimal, cynical, and far less rigid than FJ values, and TPs are more likely to walk away rather than work to build bridges due to caring less about social connection (i.e. they have a harder time feeling rewards from social interconnection due to lower Fe).

Since FPs are incentivized to honor their feeling life, they tend to develop an attitude of “live and let live” since they hope that everyone has the right and freedom for authentic self-expression, often prone to showing admiration/praise for people’s originality and uniqueness. FPs generally let others be and appreciate interesting differences until they encounter someone who strongly offends their personal preferences and values, in which case they will feel compelled to defend what they believe. Keep in mind that every individual is unique, so every FP possesses their own unique set of beliefs and values to cherish. For example, an FP who was raised in an emotionally unhealthy environment might develop self-destructive tastes and preferences. TJs also possess their own strong personal preferences and values, usually in the form of “pet projects" or charitable service, however, compared to FPs, they have far fewer strong preferences to call their own and they are more likely to keep pet projects well guarded if not completely private (i.e. they have a harder time expressing the most private aspects of themselves for fear that it interferes with their displays of strength and power).

Thinking functions help us with problem solving. It is important to remember that just because a person is a Thinker, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are skilled or good at problem solving, it only means that they pay more attention to problems and tend to have more interest in tackling them. We can say that Thinkers have more opportunity to build their problem solving skills simply because they are more focused on that aspect of reality.

Both of the Judgment cognitive processes (T and F) are defined as rational processes (i.e. they utilize reason to draw conclusions). However, they process different sets of information and therefore tend to come to different conclusions when making judgments/decisions. The purpose of T functions is to process information about cause and effect and then calculate judgments accordingly. Thinking functions are driven by a desire to use factual data to understand a problem and then efficiently derive a logical solution. Ultimately, T functions are designed to understand the world systematically and they are most concerned with drawing valid and sound conclusions:

• clearly explain the line of reasoning behind the judgment drawn
• the premises and the conclusion of an argument must all be proven true

People who have not studied philosophy often don’t know the distinction between objective and subjective. It is important to separate the technical definitions of these two terms from their colloquial usages. In type theory:

• objective refers to the world that is outside of one’s psychology (external world)
• subjective refers to one’s personal psychology (internal psychological processes)

Thus, the distinction between Te and Ti is quite simple. When processing information:

• Te implicitly relies on and prioritizes objective systems of knowledge
• Ti implicitly relies on and prioritizes subjective systems of knowledge

Since the unconscious mind is always processing information about the world and only a small fraction of our perceptual data reaches conscious awareness, people are often unaware of their own reasoning process and how they derived their judgments. Suffice it to say that whenever a person draws a conclusion and thereby formulates a judgment, they should be able to articulate exactly how or why they came to that conclusion in order to prove that it is valid. [It is worth noting that critical thinking ability is a learned skill that anyone can improve should they wish to. The position of the T function in the stack does not influence one’s ability to learn critical thinking but rather one’s willingness to, and unwillingness is easily remedied by exercising conscious will.] The difference between Ts and Fs is that Ts implicitly assign greater importance to outlining their entire reasoning process and evaluating it dispassionately for factualness, whereas Fs are inclined to treat feeling information as being on par with factualness. In other words, disputes between Ts and Fs often boil down to a fundamental philosophical disagreement about whether feelings and values count as “facts”.

Systematic Thinking

Thinking functions build a systematic mental model of the world because this easily generates straightforward formulas for decision making. To perceive the world as a system is to treat it as a collection of parts that make up a whole. In a system, rules of behavior are stable and uniform because every part has its assigned function and every part affects the whole in predictable ways. To make good decisions, one need only understand which part one is dealing with, what its function is, what one’s own function is, and how to manipulate variables to get the end result one desires. Ts are often very critical because they must root out problems in their mental models and they tend to value the knowledge that is gleaned from mistakes and failures. However, when Ts don’t have a well-developed F function, they tend to deal poorly with people because of treating them as objects to manipulate.

Reasoning Process

TJs inherently trust the external world as being a system that behaves predictably and uniformly. Whenever two things are observed to occur together, Te is quick to draw a causal relationship between them, so TJs are quite comfortable making fast and easy assumptions, at least until major counter-evidence arises. Te reasoning is quicker than Ti in spotting and responding to problems because of being well-connected to objective facts and possessing a greater sense of urgency to address problems, but this also makes it less careful, less accurate, and more crude when deriving solutions. When Te is low in the stack and/or poorly developed, a person has difficulty using knowledge of the system to their advantage, and they are likely to jump to the conclusion that the system is inscrutable or insurmountable and then give up.

TPs have less connection to external systems and thus have to model systems on their own, so they feel more “blind” in only knowing of a few obvious parts here and there. Whenever two things are observed to occur together, Ti wonders whether they are causally linked but isn’t quick to jump to the conclusion that they are, so TPs take more time to analyze because of frequently needing to tweak and refine their mental models (i.e. they rely on conditional knowledge of ifs and thens). Ti reasoning is more convoluted and deliberative than Te because of needing to overcome a sense of disconnect from objective facts, but this also makes it more precise and accurate in the long run as well as better able to tailor elegant solutions, assuming that one takes enough time to gather data properly via the perceiving functions. When Ti is low in the stack and/or poorly developed, a person creates woefully unsophisticated mental models and then draws incorrect conclusions that only serve to exacerbate confusion.

Making Decisions

For TJs, decision making is a simple matter of defining the outcome and determining the most direct path to it. TJs care little about “the how” of getting from point A to point B as long as the method works, as defined by immediate empirical results. They value efficiency first and foremost because they want tangible results and also to maximize the frequency of good results. When Te is low in the stack and/or poorly developed, a person isn’t able to work out the most efficient path or even what exact results they should aim for, so they often chase ill-thought-out or misguided goals that produce fleeting or meaningless results.

For TPs, decision making is slower and more complicated because they can’t feel confident until their mental model is as precise as possible. TPs care a lot about “the how” of getting from point A to point B because their naturally holistic view of a system compels them to ensure that manipulating one part of the system doesn’t produce unintended problems elsewhere. They value coherence first and foremost because there are so many different causal relationships between all the different parts of a system to account for. When Ti is low in the stack and/or poorly developed, a person isn’t able to systematize causal information correctly or with enough precision, so they are prone to messy thinking and often have to confront uncomfortable holes/flaws in their own reasoning process.

Confidence in Problem Solving

By learning how to root out every problem that interferes with efficiency, TJs ensure that they continually see positive empirical results from their decision making, thus quickly gaining a sense of mastery over the system and feeling more and more confident that their knowledge is correct and reliable. Ultimately, TJs aim to possess the power to change a system and make everything more productive, i.e., to make the system super efficient in achieving results. They become one with the system once they effortlessly control it, and this grants them a sense of absolute certainty in their belief system. This is why TJs have natural leadership and management aptitude, often concerned with assertively creating conditions for high performance. When Te is low in the stack and/or poorly developed, a person tends to feel quite certain in their beliefs about the world even as they continually display incompetent behavior that arises from those beliefs, such as running from challenges or failing to solve problems effectively.

By learning all of the causal relationships in a system and how the parts come together to form a whole, TPs ensure that they are able to predict every effect before they make a decision, and only then are they confident in maneuvering themselves through the system while avoiding obvious pitfalls. Ultimately, TPs aim to formulate accurate and precise mental models that allow them to be capable and self-sufficient in solving problems. They never really become one with the system because they aren’t able to trust that they have 100% of the information available, so all they can do is calculate high probability outcomes, which means that their confidence tends to waver according to those calculations. This is why TPs have a naturally skeptical and investigative attitude, often concerned with matters of factuality and how to properly establish it. When Ti is low in the stack and/or poorly developed, a person isn’t able to calculate probability very accurately or very thoroughly, so they aren’t able to establish genuine confidence in their own judgment without soliciting some form of outside help, affirmation, or verification.

Moral Reasoning

Effective moral reasoning requires the use of both the T and F judging functions. When Ts attempt moral reasoning without enough input from F processing, they are liable to make inhumane judgments and decisions that inadvertently sacrifice people’s well-being merely for the sake of the end result. When Fs attempt moral reasoning without enough input from T processing, they are liable to do more harm than good because of only enforcing values in accordance with their feelings without fully analyzing the factual/logical outcomes of their judgments and decisions.

When trying to resolve a moral problem, Te types are often quick to assume that they know the right answer because Fi produces a relatively well-defined set of values that easily translate into rules for decision-making. Whatever a person most values is how they eventually decide, very simple and straightforward. When Te and Fi are well-developed, a person is able to think of the most effective solution while respecting the feelings, experiences, and limitations of the individuals involved. When Te and Fi are imbalanced, a person becomes too extreme in judgment, either using the end to justify any means (Te extreme) or getting completely bogged down by one’s inner conflicts (Fi extreme).

When trying to resolve a moral problem, Ti types are often slow to draw a conclusion because Fe makes them open to hearing various viewpoints in order to account for all the factors that might affect the outcome. Whichever option manages to coherently incorporate all of those factors will be considered the best path forward. When Ti and Fe are well-developed, a person is able to think of a solution that minimizes harm or, in the best case scenario, is a win-win for everyone involved. When Ti and Fe are imbalanced, a person becomes too extreme in judgment, either childishly rejecting all viewpoints but one’s own (Ti extreme) or getting overwhelmingly confused and unable to sort out too many conflicting viewpoints (Fe extreme).

According to neurological research, human morality is rooted in a healthy emotional life that makes one capable of feeling empathy and compassion. Therefore, it is difficult to handle moral and ethical questions properly without understanding how emotions undergird human experience. It is often the case that Ts implicitly assume that humans can be entirely impartial and dispassionate in their decision making, so they aim for it, but the evidence strongly suggests otherwise. Humans are emotionally driven creatures and it is necessary to accept this fact or else suffer from it. Similarly, it is often the case that Fs implicitly distrust “cold hard logic” for solving human problems because logic can be twisted to justify anything and it doesn’t honor people’s individuality nor respect the role that feelings and values play in making a life worth living. Famous martyrs in history were often Fs who sacrificed their lives for their moral beliefs, though these extreme examples should perhaps prompt one to critically examine what the most effective method is for getting moral points across.

Sometimes a person’s type can be obvious in what they FAIL to do or fail to do well. When a person misuses/misapplies a function, they are likely to encounter a setback, problem, or failure. Observe whether there are consistent patterns in the way that they misstep or fail, or in the kinds of problems that they seem to attract. 

• Se-Ni Fail (SP): When Se and Ni are well-aligned, a person is assertive in pursuing their goals, very adaptable in working around environmental obstacles and taking advantage of favorable conditions. When Se and Ni are misaligned, a person tends to overlook deeper meaning or misinterpret implications, prone to aimlessness or impulsivity that is long term counter-productive.
• Ne-Si Fail (NP): When Ne and Si are well-aligned, a person is capable of carrying out their good ideas and creating a sense of progress, very resourceful in turning around problems or setbacks. When Ne and Si are misaligned, a person tends to be scattered or miss important details, sabotaging themselves with carelessness or often making unforced/repeated errors.
• Te-Fi Fail (TJ): When Te and Fi are well-aligned, a person sets the right objectives and achieves them competently, naturally leading the charge in efficiently removing obstacles and problems. When Te and Fi are misaligned, a person tends to set the wrong objectives (due to lack of nuanced reflection) or chooses the wrong methods of reaching them (due to believing that the end justifies the means).
• Fe-Ti Fail (FJ): When Fe and Ti are well-aligned, a person accurately assesses the needs of everyone involved, very compassionate and capable in resolving people problems. When Fe and Ti are misaligned, a person tends to be socially insecure/inept and easily misunderstands people, trying to influence social situations with ineffective strategies that later blow up in their face (due to grossly miscalculating cause and effect).
• Si-Ne Fail (SJ): When Si and Ne are well-aligned, a person reliably carries out their tasks and duties in a detailed and thorough manner, often already knowing the best methods for handling logistics and implementation. When Si and Ne are misaligned, a person tends to be too stubborn, narrow-minded, or risk-averse, unable to discover new or better ways because of only seeing/accepting one preexisting/prescribed way.
• Ni-Se Fail (NJ): When Ni and Se are well-aligned, a person has lofty vision, very focused on actualizing a meaningful/beneficial goal, mission, or ideal. When Ni and Se are misaligned, a person tends to be too limited/narrow in vision or unrealistic in their expectations, too blind to see that what they are pursuing is infeasible or will not lead to a positive outcome (perhaps due to overlooking some important facts and details).
• Ti-Fe Fail (TP): When Ti and Fe are well-aligned, a person always seeks to learn the right knowledge for resolving problems skillfully, and their self-sufficient mindset lends itself well to fair and impartial decision making. When Ti and Fe are misaligned, a person tends to be too reductive in judgment, worsening rather than resolving problems because of reflexively dismissing other factors or viewpoints that need to be taken into consideration.
• Fi-Te Fail (FP): When Fi and Te are well-aligned, a person confidently influences the world to be more just, very passionate about creating conditions for people to flourish. When Fi and Te are misaligned, a person easily gets trapped within their own personal experience, unable to make objective judgments about the world, often engaging in futile behavior or getting negative results because of having no awareness of their own biases.

Examine a person’s relationship patterns to get clues about their functions. There is truth in the old saying that “opposites attract” because a person’s lower two functions create unconscious insecurities that make them drawn to people who help compensate for what is lacking in their personality. Therefore, in fiction and real life, common pairings/couplings are often functional opposites or near opposites because they complement each other and make up for what the other lacks (e.g. ESFJ+INTP or ENTJ+INFP). There is also truth in the idea that opposites repel. Since the lower functions create unconscious fears and insecurities, it is inevitable that they get triggered in close relationships whenever differences in perception and judgment cause intense disagreement. This is why opposite types often clash when they first meet. Ideally, they ought to learn from each other, but sometimes they end up demonizing each other.

Observe the traits/characteristics a person admires or dislikes about others as it may reveal something about their function development problems. For instance, someone with lower Si (NP) might exhibit a disproportionate reaction towards someone with higher Si (SJ) depending on how they feel about using that function themselves. If they are unconsciously resistant to Si development, they’ll irrationally dislike SJs, but if they are honest about their Si shortcomings and weaknesses, they’ll admire SJs for their Si-related strengths.

Normal personality development happens in stages that correspond to the order of the functional stack, therefore, examine which stage a person happens to be in because, chances are, they tend to seek out people who have that function higher up in the stack in an unconscious attempt to learn from them. For example:

• a person who struggles with Se development might feel unconsciously drawn to SPs (and sometimes NPs) for their adventurous/carefree attitude
• a person who struggles with Ne development might feel unconsciously drawn to NPs (and sometimes SPs) for their optimistic/imaginative attitude
• a person who struggles with Si development might feel unconsciously drawn to SJs (and sometimes NJs) for their reliable/conscientious attitude
• a person who struggles with Ni development might feel unconsciously drawn to NJs (and sometimes SJs) for their introspective/focused attitude
• a person who struggles with Te development might feel unconsciously drawn to TJs (and sometimes TPs) for their responsible/assertive attitude
• a person who struggles with Ti development might feel unconsciously drawn to TPs (and sometimes TJs) for their sensible/self-assured attitude
• a person who struggles with Fe development might feel unconsciously drawn to FJs (and sometimes FPs) for their kind/supportive attitude
• a person who struggles with Fi development might feel unconsciously drawn to FPs (and sometimes FJs) for their honorable/virtuous attitude

People tend to display consistent patterns in their negative reactions. Whenever there is a mismatch of personality and environment, a person is forced to confront their type’s implicit biases. If they respond poorly (i.e. they want to keep believing that their own type’s perception and judgment are the best), their negative reactions reveal underlying functional conflicts, for example:

• Se often desires pleasurable engagement, which can make a person quite reactive against unsatisfying or tedious situations. Se types tend to value boldness and adventurousness, so they can be reactive against those who seem cowardly or passive.
• Ne often desires mental stimulation, which can make a person quite reactive against repetitive or monotonous situations. Ne types tend to value creativity and inspiration, so they can be reactive against those who seem narrow-minded or pessimistic.
• Te often desires rational expediency, which can make a person quite reactive against ambiguous or disorderly situations. Te types tend to value power and efficiency, so they can be reactive against those who seem weak or lazy.  
• Fe often desires social harmony, which can make a person quite reactive against inequitable or contentious situations. Fe types tend to value being considerate and respectful, so they can be reactive against those who seem selfish or impertinent.
• Si often desires material security, which can make a person quite reactive against disruptive, new, unknown, or risky situations. Si types tend to value authority and precedence, so they can be reactive against those who seem unreliable or improper.
• Ni often desires meaningful purpose, which can make a person quite reactive against unpredictable or pointless situations. Ni types tend to value life calling and long term implications, so they can be reactive against those who seem fickle or short-sighted.
• Ti often desires factual analysis, which can make a person quite reactive against confused or complicated situations. Ti types tend to value being skilled and clear-headed, so they can be reactive against those who seem ignorant or irrational.
• Fi often desires honor and integrity, which can make a person quite reactive against unethical or infringing situations. Fi types tend to value being just and virtuous, so they can be reactive against those who seem callous or corrupt.

A. Upbringing & Social Influence

Spending too much time in a mismatch of personality and environment can serve to impede type development and, the younger the person is, the more severe the stunted development tends to be. For instance, some people grow up in a family that disrespects/devalues their innate personality strengths, some people work long hours in environments that are not conducive to their natural personality expression, some kids succumb to the pressures of falling in with “the wrong crowd”. 

Chronically feeling underappreciated, they might eventually suffer from: emotional dysfunction, repression, depression, anxiety, anger, denial, low self-worth, low self-confidence, or even self-loathing. They might develop the habit of projecting their perceived weaknesses onto others and criticizing them in the same manner they were criticized in the past. Their personality is likely to show dissonance and contradiction, for example:

• Es might become fearful and insecure about taking action
• Is might suffer frequent burn out because of feeling pressed to act
• Ss might lack confidence in their abilities despite being talented
• Ns might become pessimistic as they can’t imagine a better life
• Ts might become short-tempered as they are constantly thwarted
• Fs might sabotage relationships with controlling/unethical behavior
• Ps might become rigid/compulsive as they keep falling behind
• Js might become passive/apathetic as nothing ever goes smoothly

In fiction and real life, the main struggle for such individuals is to find some way of learning self-acceptance before they can continue with their psychological development. They are likely to seek out like-minded people in a subconscious attempt to receive validation and create a social environment where they can better flourish. Such individuals usually enter into relationships with same/similar types where mutual understanding and relatability are prioritized.

B. Gender & Culture

Gender is an important and influential lens through which people assign meaning to identity and human nature. Make sure that gender has not distorted your perception of someone’s type:

• Traditional Gender Roles: Traditional gender stereotypes tend to define the Thinking cognitive process as “masculine” and the Feeling cognitive process as “feminine”, e.g., Ts are called tough and rational; Fs are called soft and empathetic. Therefore, beware of the tendency to automatically default to men as T and women as F. Statistically, Ts and Fs are near 50/50 in the general population. The types who are more traditional-minded, usually Js, tend to adhere more strongly to gender stereotypes, which might obscure their true type. If the person seems like a traditional/conventional person, ask yourself WHY they adhere to the tradition/convention, then the specific functions become more obvious, e.g., Si adheres to tradition for different reasons than Fe.
• Suppression of True Type: Social pressure to conform to gender and/or cultural stereotypes can cause people to emphasize or rely upon the cognitive process that is unnatural to them. For example: male Fs might feel pressured to “toughen up” and be aggressive; female Ts might feel pressured to be more sensitive and deferential. Ask yourself whether what you are seeing is the person’s natural self as opposed to the persona that they use to navigate societal expectations.
• Overcompensation: Because “masculinity” has historically been assigned greater value and importance in society than “femininity”, some people overcompensate in that direction. For example, an F who wants to be valued and accepted by a society that praises and rewards masculine qualities might feel compelled to repress F function development and ramp up unconsciously compensatory expressions of their T function, e.g., they may display greater aggressiveness, outspokenness, ambition, callousness, and emphasis on rationality, competence, intelligence than would be expected for the average F. How to tell what their true type is? Generally speaking, when a person expresses their true type: 1) they tend to flourish because they are fully themselves and self-assured, and 2) they don’t need to prove themselves or convince anyone about their natural and apparent strengths. Therefore, when a person denies their true self: 1) they tend to devolve into dysfunction because of wasting too much energy grappling with inner conflict, and 2) they are often too preoccupied with childish attempts to prove themselves and thus aren’t able to develop in a positive direction. Fs who are “T wannabes” are plagued by low self-esteem despite appearances, and what gives them away is that their decision making is often motivated by desperate and defensive attempts to suppress tumultuous feelings of fear, shame, guilt, insecurity, inferiority, inadequacy, etc. Similarly, but not as common, Ts may feel compelled to soften their harder edges in order to succeed in F-dominated environments.
• Performative Identity: Some people (e.g. those who identify as genderfluid, nonbinary, LGBTQ) might choose to emphasize the expressive or performative aspects of gender and thus exaggerate masculine or feminine characteristics as they deem necessary. This can affect T/F stereotyping as well.

Writers typically utilize the strengths and weaknesses of their characters to move the plot along and every type has a role they frequently play in a story, often referred to as character tropes or stock characters.

• ESxP: As main characters, Se doms are usually bold or heroic, they move things along and face down challenges, they are easily triggered by being told that something “has never been done”. ESTPs tend to be more concerned about achieving personal glory through skill (Ti-aux), whereas ESFPs tend to be more concerned about living life in a way that is true to what they believe is right (Fi-aux). As minor characters, Se doms are often the ones who are playful or adventurous, perhaps providing a distraction or tension release when things get too serious. 
• ENxP: As main characters, Ne doms are usually hopeful or aspirational, they think up good ideas and push for change/progress, they don’t like to be told that something is “impossible”. ENTPs tend to be more concerned with wanting recognition for their innovation (Ti-aux), whereas ENFPs tend to be more concerned about advocating for change along their personal values (Fi-aux). As minor characters, Ne doms are often the ones who are humorous or eccentric, perhaps brainstorming interesting ideas or providing comic relief when things get too stressful. 
• ExTJ: As main characters, Te doms are usually influential or determined, they strive to possess power and often relied upon for leadership or organization, they don’t like when inefficiency gets in the way of plans. ESTJs tend to be more concerned about maintaining the status quo and defending against loss of power (Si-aux), whereas ENTJs tend to be more long-term devoted to carrying out a grand vision of success (Ni-aux). As minor characters, Te doms are often the ones who provide help in desperate times (though they often expect something big in return), perhaps providing the strategy for reaching a goal expediently. 
• ExFJ: As main characters, Fe doms are usually helpful or nurturing, they keep an eye on everyone, they don’t like when people are left behind or put down. ESFJs tend to be more practical in offering advice or support to address specific conflict situations (Si-aux), whereas ENFJs tend to be more idealistic in their goals for how to make people, relationships, or society better overall (Ni-aux). As minor characters, Fe doms are often the ones who step up to offer moral and emotional support, perhaps providing the needed confidence boost to reach the end goal. 
• ISxJ: As main characters, Si doms are usually dutiful or dependable, they matter-of-factly point out exactly what’s wrong and humbly do their part, they don’t like being the center of attention or sticking their neck out without good reason. ISTJs tend to be more concerned with adhering to important rules and principles (Te-aux), whereas ISFJs tend to be more concerned with addressing practical social/relationship problems (Fe-aux). As minor characters, Si doms are often found in assisting roles doing the dirty work that no one else wants/likes to do, perhaps providing the necessary caution and logistical support for reaching a goal through the proper channels. 
• INxJ: As main characters, Ni doms are usually earnest or intense, they observe situations for a long time or go on long personal/discovery quests, they don’t like leading or taking action until the bigger picture becomes more clear and predictable. INTJs tend to be more concerned with figuring out how to live life in a way that allows them to feel on top of every contingency (Te-aux), whereas INFJs tend to be more concerned with figuring out how to make a unique and positive contribution (Fe-aux). As minor characters, Ni doms are often the ones who are quiet but make the occasional insightful or well-timed comment, perhaps providing a change of perspective for tackling a problem with fresh eyes. 
• IxTP: As main characters, Ti doms are usually solitary or fact-finding, they come and go as they please and tend to possess self-sufficient skill sets, they don’t like getting entangled in drama or feeling obligated to people. ISTPs tend to be more concerned with quick and practical problem solving (Se-aux), whereas INTPs tend to be more concerned with brainstorming possibilities for the best solution (Ne-aux). As minor characters, Ti doms are often geeks or lone wolves who help out when they feel like it (though it might take much reasoning with them), perhaps providing very specific skills for overcoming a major obstacle. 
• IxFP: As main characters, Fi doms are usually free-spirited or romantic, they care about justice and making things right, they don’t like insensitive behavior or seeing/feeling helplessness. ISFPs tend to be more concerned with finding their way to a place where they can live freely (Se-aux), whereas INFPs tend to be more concerned with imagining/pursuing romantic possibilities (Ne-aux). As minor characters, Fi doms are often in roles that embody moral commentary, perhaps providing the “heart” or moral compass during important decision making. 

Research has discovered that there are only a handful of underlying themes that writers commonly use, though some plots can explore multiple themes simultaneously. Analyze the main themes of the story to get an idea of where the character should be going (end game) and how they should get there (development arc). Common themes include:

• Challenge: hero must triumph over evil/obstacle/monster
• Quest: hero must overcome challenges/temptations for a goal
• Voyage: hero travels to strange place (learns to appreciate home) 
• Coming of Age: the story of how the hero came to be
• Rebirth: hero learns important self-knowledge for growth 
• Rags to Riches: underdog or sad person finds happiness 
• Comedy: characters overcome crazy happenings for happy ending
• Tragedy: hero undone by fatal flaw (teaches a moral lesson) 

Let’s say that the main theme is coming of age. Generally speaking, a character starts out this kind of story by being quite immature and they are presented with some problems that, when resolved properly, would allow them to mature and grow into a better person. As a generic example, in a superhero origin story, perhaps the protagonist is highly resistant to becoming a superhero and doesn’t want the responsibility of being a savior. The plot usually pushes them into using their superhero abilities to help others and, through experiencing the feeling of being useful and making the world better, they come to accept their responsibilities and willingly assume the superhero mantle.

In personality development, taking one’s worldly responsibilities seriously involves learning how to use the extraverted judging function, so this theme already suggests that Fe/Te development is going to be important to the character because they seem to be struggling with or resisting such development. There are two possibilities: 1) Fe/Te is a lower, usually inferior function that is too often ignored, or 2) they are introverted and Fe/Te could be the “parental” auxiliary function that they are struggling to accept. The main theme of the story is often played out through the psychological conflicts of the main characters, for example:

If the character were ISTP, the general profile would look something like this:

• Ti that is stubbornly/excessively independent
• Se that fears having to change with new experiences
• Ni that is cynical and dismisses positive potential
• Fe that fears being tied down by social obligations

If the character were ISTJ, the general profile would look something like this:

• Si that clings to the comfortable old life at all costs
• Te that fears being on the hook for any failures
• Fi that fears feeling helpless or morally responsible
• Ne that fears the instability of an entirely new lifestyle

Taking these two examples side by side, you can see that the plot would have to move in different directions in order to get the characters to grow into the superhero that they should be at the end of the story. In the ISTP case, plot events would have to conspire to get them to care more about relationships and social responsibility (Fe is the major character flaw). In the ISTJ case, plot events would have to convince them that they should step up because they are indeed capable of handling the difficult change (Ne is the major character flaw).

In a well-written story, the main characters undergo character development that makes them seem three-dimensional. Character growth generally corresponds to the order of the functional stack, i.e., good fictional characters develop similarly to real people (though on a sped up timeline). The difficulty and amount of effort required to develop a function increases exponentially as you move down the functional stack, therefore, not every character will reach the end of their development path depending on their starting point and how much narrative focus they are allotted. Writers tend to craft very specific problems/obstacles to “test” a character and personality growth occurs when the character passes the test; this also means that personality flaws are revealed when the character fails a test.

When a complex character meets a moral dilemma or tough decision, they tend to feel internally conflicted. This is usually a good hint about which opposing functions are in conflict or “arguing” with each other (i.e. Se vs Ni; Fe vs Ti; Si vs Ne; Te vs Fi). Despite their best efforts, main characters tend to make a series of blunders that culminate in an emotional low point just before conflict resolution in the final act of the story. The low point usually corresponds to a major function failure as described in the Function Failure section above, and it provides a good hint about which function they are struggling to accept (usually the auxiliary) or which function is their major character flaw (usually the inferior).

IF the protagonist reaches the end of their development path: 1) they should experience psychological growth that allows them to tap into their personality strengths via auxiliary function development, and/or 2) they should resolve their major character flaw and become the person they are meant to be via inferior function insights. Observe the path of development from beginning to end for clues about function order:

Se and Ne dominants:

• ESTPs might start off impulsive or reckless (Se) and perhaps too reliant on superficial glory/status to inflate their ego (Fe loop), so they would need to develop Ti in order to become patient and precise decision makers, and eventually come to a meaningful Ni vision of how to live life well.
• ESFPs might start off impulsive or impetuous (Se) and perhaps too hungry for immediate gratification (Te loop), so they would need to develop Fi in order to make reflective and honorable decisions, and eventually come to a meaningful Ni vision of how to live life well.
• ENTPs might start off unfocused or impractical (Ne) and perhaps too reliant on fake praise/prestige to skate through life (Fe loop), so they would need to develop Ti in order to patiently calculate the best ideas to pursue, and eventually learn the Si attentiveness that is required for carrying out ideas well.
• ENFPs might start off unfocused or flighty (Ne) and perhaps too quick to chase superficial results (Te loop), so they would need to develop Fi in order to make reflective and honorable decisions, and eventually learn the Si attentiveness that is required for carrying out ideas well.

Te and Fe dominants:

• ESTJs might start off controlling or inflexible (Te) and perhaps too quick to micromanage potential problems when threatened (Ne loop), so they would need to develop Si in order to plan better and solve problems with thorough attention to detail, and eventually get a deeper Fi feel for how to solve problems sensitively.
• ENTJs might start off controlling or pompous (Te) and perhaps too quick to use slapdash/aggressive methods when facing setbacks (Se loop), so they would need to develop Ni in order to accurately visualize the possible implications of their actions, and eventually get a deeper Fi feel for how to solve problems sensitively.
• ESFJs might start off docile or meddlesome (Fe) and perhaps too quick to micromanage people or social perception when feeling insecure (Ne loop), so they would need to develop Si in order to be attentive to interpersonal details that would allow them to navigate relationships successfully, and eventually learn the social competence that grants Ti self-assurance.
• ENFJs might start off docile or overbearing (Fe) and perhaps too quick to resort to detrimental/manipulative methods when feeling insecure (Se loop), so they would need to develop Ni in order to achieve a deeper understanding of human complexity, and eventually learn the social competence that grants Ti self-assurance.

Si and Ni dominants:

• ISTJs might start off conservative or risk averse (Si) and perhaps too quick to come up with flimsy moral justifications for their inaction/lack of involvement (Fi loop), so they would need to develop Te in order to become responsible and competent in solving problems, and eventually learn to tackle new challenges with Ne confidence and optimism.
• ISFJs might start off conservative or meek (Si) and perhaps too quick to rationalize why they can’t participate/advocate more actively in social life (Ti loop), so they would need to develop Fe in order to achieve stronger social influence, and eventually learn to tackle interpersonal issues with Ne confidence and optimism.
• INTJs might start off self-contained or dispassionate (Ni) and perhaps too quick to come up with flimsy moral justifications for their inaction (Fi loop), so they would need to develop Te in order to become responsible and committed to improving situations, and eventually learn to handle life with Se presence and adaptability.
• INFJs might start off self-contained or aloof (Ni) and perhaps too quick to rationalize why they can’t participate more actively as required by social circumstances (Ti loop), so they would need to develop Fe in order to foster meaningful and fruitful interpersonal connections, and eventually learn to handle life with more Se presence and adaptability.

Ti and Fi dominants:

• ISTPs might start off detached or indifferent (Ti) and perhaps too quick to cynically shut down any ideas/attempts to improve themselves (Ni loop), so they would need to develop Se in order to explore new experiences that expand their knowledge and knowhow about the world, and eventually learn how to make a positive Fe impact.
• INTPs might start off detached or oblivious (Ti) and perhaps too quick to use past precedent to shut down the need for a more positive outlook/attitude on life (Si loop), so they would need to develop Ne in order to visualize possibilities for how to live life more effectively, and eventually learn how to make a positive Fe impact.
• ISFPs might start off self-absorbed or aimless (Fi) and perhaps too quick to put themselves down with negative self-talk (Ni loop), so they would need to develop Se in order to explore new experiences that bring out their strengths and capabilities, and eventually learn how to navigate the world in a way that harmonizes their personal values with successful Te action in the world.
• INFPs might start off self-absorbed or over-idealistic (Fi) and perhaps too quick to believe that poor past performance holds them back (Si loop), so they would need to develop Ne in order to visualize positive possibilities for how to translate their ideals into reality, and eventually learn how to express their personal values with greater Te effectiveness.

These are merely generic models, which means that you need to account for where the character is at developmentally when the story first meets up with them as well as any extraneous factors that might be influencing or hindering their growth. A character can already be far along in their development but they struggle with a particular function in a particular situation. A character can be a red hot mess in every functional aspect. A character can be well-adjusted but only suffer because of situational stress. A character can sometimes regress and spiral into total darkness. It is important to examine the entire character arc from start to finish to see: where they began, what happened to them, how they responded to challenges, how they changed and why, and where they ended up.

Stock antagonist types:

• Se doms (ESxP): shallow judgmental bullies who prey upon the weak out of boredom, greed, or momentary displeasure
• Ne doms (ENxP): cunning opportunists or tricksters who manipulate situations to their own advantage 
• Te doms (ExTJ): whiny control-freaks who abuse their position of power to exploit anyone that possesses something they want (and they usually want whatever they can’t have)
• Fe doms (ExFJ): two-faced backstabbers who pretend to be onboard but sow destruction covertly, usually through emotional manipulation or ganging up on whoever they believe deserves a rebuke
• Si doms (ISxJ): human-walls who slow down or halt progress by throwing up a series of infuriating bureaucratic obstacles that suck up everyone’s precious time and energy
• Ni doms (INxJ): pied pipers who lead people astray through strategic deception or persuading everyone to devote themselves to an idea/ideal that sounds good (but only in theory)
• Ti doms (IxTP): abusive asshole whose sole purpose in life is to tear down people’s self-esteem and make everyone feel like shit (as a means to fill their own bottomless emotional void)
• Fi doms (IxFP): childish imp who’s out to prove something to themselves about whether they have the ability/power to confront a challenge or redress an old wound that triggers their low self-esteem, and their destructiveness usually comes in the form of irrational vindictiveness or senseless collateral damage

To understand dark characters, it helps to memorize negative patterns of behavior so that you are always ready to spot them. Consult the links provided earlier about tertiary temptation and inferior grip. Look out for:

• chronic tertiary loop: negative behaviors repeated with poor results
• chronic inferior grip: a flipped personality, consumed by darkness

Loop and grip cognitive patterns produce dysfunctional behaviors that a person resorts to when they are: unable to cope with stress, unable to express the true self, suffering from trauma or abuse, suffering the ill-effects of a stunted childhood, suffering from mental disorder or emotional adjustment problems, etc. Such individuals usually display arrested psychological development that makes them behave more erratically and/or defensively than is characteristic of their type. Sometimes a person experiences a sudden mental breakdown but recovers, or sometimes they become the worst version of who they are indefinitely. In a well-written story, there should be logical reasoning or a background motivation given for why a character is bad or turns bad. If no explanation exists, then it’s harder to type them because their motivations are unclear, and psychological instability muddles the true order of the functions as they get expressed more unpredictably.