The Cognitive Functions In Each Position: Te and Fi

The cognitive functions, Te and Fi, manifest differently depending on which position they hold within the function stack. In this post, I want to go over the Te-Fi / Fi-Te cognitive function pairs. I will go over each of the combinations and how the different positions change their role and effect on each personality type. Delving into the function pairs and figuring out how they affect each type was something that helped me out a lot when first getting into the cognitive functions. So hopefully someone will find this overview helpful. If you’re interested in reading up on how the other cognitive functions manifest in each position (other than just Te and Fi), check out the other articles I’ve written: The Cognitive Functions In Each Position: Ne and Si, The Cognitive Functions In Each Position: Ni and Se, and The Cognitive Functions In Each Position: Ti and Fe

Cognitive Functions In Each Position: Te over Fi

Te-X-X-Fi: ENTJs and ESTJs

In this case, you have a person who is leading with an extraverted thinking function. Usually, these types want to exert control over their environment and the people around them. They want to shape the world to the way they think it should be. They are quick to make a judgment, because Te is an extraverted judging function. They value external logic and will want to see solid proof and evidence to back up everything. That being said, Te is not so much a thought governing trait as much as it is a trait about real, solid, and tangible results and information. Also, because it is an extraverted trait, it is one that spurs its user into action. In other words, this combination is quick to make a judgment and act upon it. The person may or may not reflect on whether it was right or wrong at a later time.

X-Te-Fi-X: INTJs and ISTJs

In this instance, Te is in the auxiliary spot. The users will share similar traits to that of the Te dominants, but everything will be more reserved. They will still be making similar judgments and will still desire the external logic with solid proof and evidence to back it up, but they will be less vocal about it. In addition to this, they may be slower to make a judgment and act upon it. They will desire more information to form a conclusion, or more time to see something play out before acting on things. The biggest difference you will notice is Tertiary Fi exerting more influence over the user’s thoughts, beliefs, and actions. We will delve more into Fi soon. It is also relevant to note that when you have thinking and feeling functions side by side, you may, at times, see a tug of war of sorts between the two. They are two sides of the same coin.

Cognitive Functions In Each Position: Fi over Te

Fi-X-X-Te: INFPs and ISFPs

Here we have Fi as the dominant function. These types will value staying true to self above all else. They will put much more emphasis on finding their true purpose than anything else. This means things like success, riches, efficiency, etc. will all take a back seat to what they feel they really should be doing with their lives. Even if they become very successful, it will not bring them true fulfillment unless they became successful doing the thing they know they were destined to do. In short, they will not be satisfied with settling and will never feel satisfied if they do not pursue their dreams. This same sense of self will cause them to walk away from situations and individuals that make them feel that they cannot be true to who they are. Having Te in the inferior spot leads these types to not be so concerned with taking the most efficient route to accomplishing their dreams and goals. They are usually satisfied just so long as they know they are on the path toward them. Consequently, you may find them having spurts of structured progress, but for the most part they will be much more go with the flow.

X-Fi-Te-X: ENFPs and ESFPs

Those with Fi in the auxiliary spot will still have a strong sense of self and finding a meaningful purpose, but this will not be their primary focus. They will be more prone to plunging ahead and finding themselves on the way. Make no mistake, their deep seated values will still be there, but they may not always be visible. Having Te in the tertiary position will leave these types with a greater itch to get things done, and can lead to a form of bossiness that seems more like coercion than an outright demand. Still, there will not be a very high emphasis on efficiency, but there will be certain areas of life that they will feel the need to have structured to fit their needs.

Conclusion

So, there you have it. Hopefully, this overview was somewhat helpful in giving you an idea of how Te and Fi in different positions change how the cognitive functions operate within the stack. Let me know in the comments down below!