Cognitive Functions Determine Awareness

Just warning you all now that this is going to be kind of rambly… I occasionally get the hankering to ramble on a subject. I have no clue if anyone appreciates it or a not, but I throw it out in the inter-webs in hopes that someone can manage to glean something useful from my streams of thought. But, anyhow…

Our cognitive function stack represents our values. Maybe you’re thinking that Fi and Fe are the functions that are specifically about values, so how can I be saying this? Well, no, every function values something. To attribute all forms of value awareness to the feeling functions would be to fall into the trap of generality. Feeling functions value.. specific types of things, as with any other function.

Ryan and I periodically get into discussions where he looks at me, baffled, like “how can you possibly exist the way you do?” Of course, I’ll respond with something to the effect of, “how could I not?” See, Ryan and I have completely different function stacks, which means we value completely different things. Sure, our world view aligns so in that sense, we do have some shared values. But, our approach to life is, in many ways, completely opposite.

If you’re new this blog or the cognitive functions, I’ll share some brief context really quick. Ryan, my partner-in-crime on this blog, is an ISTJ, so his function stack is Si-Te-Fi-Ne. I’m an ISTP so my stack is Ti-Se-Ni-Fe. While we both share a preference for thinking and sensing, those general similarities only go so far because our function orientations are opposite.

So, back to what I was saying earlier, Ryan, as an Si dominant, will look at me like “how can you possibly be okay with not having Si?” Of course, he’s not necessarily always saying this outright… it’s usually more contextual, like when he can’t understand my more trial and error approach to life. For instance, I’ll just launch into something without giving it as much thought as he thinks I should. Maybe I’ll attempt to move too fast and burn myself on the same cast iron pan once again, or shred my finger instead of the cheese, etc. (Yes, I’m a sensor and I do these things. I typically get good at doing something fast after a certain minimum number of screw ups, ha ha.) I tend to just launch forward with whatever idea I have, not wanting to overthink it, which can make me prone to making mistakes along the way.

On the other hand, I look at him like “isn’t it exhausting being you? Wouldn’t it be so much less stressful to just not think about that? ” Personally, I can’t imagine feeling compelled to prepare for everything, track everything, make everything just so…etc. Of course, for him, these behaviors are natural, and don’t take a second thought.

To give you another example, these past few months, we’ve been working a lot on our new TypeMe Analyses service. I’ll read one of the submitted answers to our questionnaire, and type out a simple “This is X function, due to blah blah blah.” Ryan watches me do this and the conversation that follows will go something like this:

Ryan: That’s it?
Me: Yes…what’s wrong with it?
Ryan: There’s not enough information.
Me: What do you mean?
Ryan: You’re being too vague. Give them more detail.
Me: What else is there to say?
Ryan: You didn’t hardly say anything!
Me: It seems pretty straightforward to me.

-insert more redundant back and forth bickering about whether or not I’m being too vague until Ryan finally gets frustrated and takes over-

Of course, this is a demonstration of my Se/Ni axis versus his Si/Ne axis. Do I think I’m giving detail? Yes. Does Ryan? No. As an Se user, I’m certainly being specific, by giving a straight answer, but I generally lack Si awareness so I don’t realize that I’m not giving very much detail. I could continue on with more examples like how routines, which tend to work well for Si users, are counter-productive for me, but this’ll just start getting repetitive. Bottom line…

We naturally value what our function stack tells us to, which creates an awareness of said functions and a subsequent lack of awareness of the other 4. Now, you may be thinking that we each have all 8 functions, so we should value everything. Well, I tend to disagree with that line of thinking. I think our brains are wired to think specific ways, and to try to reverse your function orientation is virtually impossible. I can’t really fathom Fi. I can understand it on a theoretical level, but I can’t really understand it, and I can’t fathom using it. I’ve also watched Te users claim they can use both Te and Ti, but what they describe as Ti is typically completely… wrong. I think using a function opposite of your preference would twist your brain. People can learn to emulate other functions, but their approach will be based in their personal 4 function stack.

My version of, for instance, Si is ultimately going to be a merging of Ni and Se. Se sees the concrete, detailed world, reacts, and then forgets and moves on with life. I will repeatedly (and accidentally) endure the same physical pain over and over again because I’m not in tune with my past, physical self. When I repeat the same mistake, it sucks, but I’ll quickly move on and forget. Si users are not like that. They will beat themselves up for repeating a past mistake, and actively strive to never repeat the same mistake twice. However, as an Se user, I do observe the concrete world just like Si, but for entirely different reasons. Therefore, Se and Si cross paths at the concrete details, but they quickly part ways from there and go very different directions with that information.

On the other hand, Ni will take different information, but go in the same direction as Si with that alternate form of data. My past outcomes are stored in Ni. I won’t fear the sensory details of something. I’ll fear some vague pattern suggesting an undesirable end result, that perhaps has been unknowingly suggested to me by my past. What’s going to kick my butt into gear is one of those really close calls, not some minor scrapes. (Obviously, this can be a problem.) Ni and Si are both looking to plan for the future, but they can only do that with whatever data they have stored away, Anyhow, this article isn’t about that so I’m getting off topic…

So, as a Ti-Se-Ni-Fe, introverted sensing (Si) is not on my radar. I don’t desire it as a function, nor do I see my lack of it as a weakness. If someone points out my Si blind spot to me, I will likely admit that I’m inadequate in that area, but I’m probably just going to shrug my shoulders and move on with life because I don’t really care. I just don’t value Si, so I’m unlikely to think about this “hole” in my life on my own. However, I’m fully aware of my Fe inadequacies. I’m fully aware when my Se fails me, or my Ti, or my Ni. Although, let me throw out a brief side comment here to say that I don’t hate Si either. People who overly despise a certain function also tend to have it in their stack, just low. They’re focusing on it, because it’s in their stack. Si is something that I’m truly not thinking about until someone else brings it up.

Anyhow, let me try to draw this back to some kind of takeaway otherwise you’re gonna be wondering why you bothered to read this. When thinking about your personality type, you need to consider what functions you’re naturally geared toward or against, outside influences aside. You know that person beating you over the head because they think you suck at something? Do you only care about it cause they’re pointing it out, or were you bothered by that weakness to begin with? What do you naturally feel compelled to excel at. What do you not tend to think about? What do you hate? What do you value?