Exploring Introverted Thinking (Ti)

Introverted Thinking, or Ti, is one of the eight cognitive functions laid out by Carl Jung. The cognitive functions are the basic building blocks for each of the 16 personality types. Exploring Introverted Thinking (Ti) is the seventh installment of this series. If you want to read the previous ones, check out Exploring Extraverted Intuition (Ne), Exploring Extraverted Feeling (Fe), Exploring Introverted Sensing (Si), Exploring Extraverted Thinking (Te), Exploring Extraverted Sensing (Se), and Exploring Introverted Feeling (Fi). We intend to write the final article in this series soon. We’ve also been referencing Carl Jung’s Psychological Types as we work through this. The aim is to provide a realistic picture of each cognitive function, that covers both the core underlying rational and possible external manifestations.

Who uses Introverted Thinking?

Every personality type has a cognitive function stack made up of only four cognitive functions. In other words, since there are eight functions in total, only half of the 16 personality types have Ti, namely the TPs and the FJs. However, with that in mind, the FJs often devalue Ti, since it is either in the third or fourth slot of their function stack. (Their Extraverted Feeling, or Fe, often overrules their Ti.) Therefore, this article primarily applies to the TP types, which are ENTP, ESTP, INTP, and ISTP.

The TP types will be the ones prioritizing Ti, and thus will lean on it heavily in their daily lives. They will have the greatest range of use for the function, in both the positive and negative directions, although they will be the most apt of all the types to use it in a healthy, and positive way.

The Core of Introverted Thinking

Introverted Thinking, or Ti, is an introverted judging function based on thinking. Introverted functions in typology are subjective, which means internally focused. (Read more here: Objectivity vs. Subjectivity) In other words, TPs prioritize their subjective thought process and the subsequent ideas or theories that emerge.

10 Characteristics of Introverted Thinking

Bear in mind, that some of the information below will describe core cognition, while other parts will describe common behavioral trends. You don’t have to relate to everything 100% in order to be an TP.

1. A TP’s logic is detached from the external world

Extraverted Thinking can be fairly easy to identify, in the sense that it is logic oriented to facts or concrete results. In many ways, it’s visible. Introverted Thinking, on the other hand, is oriented to the subject (IE: the person thinking the thoughts). In other words, a TP’s thinking is focused primarily on the user’s internal thought process. In typology, words like “ideas” and “theories” are often used solely in relation to intuitives. However, Jung also uses these words in relation to Ti. Essentially, TPs first form ideas or theories in their mind, based on their personal understanding and intellect, which they then look to the external world to verify.

2. TPs prioritize their subjective ideas over the facts

Since TPs prioritize their subjective logic, they tend to devalue facts, in favor of their logic. In the positive, this type of thinking can be very independent and creative. TPs may stumble across some hidden truth that the facts don’t immediately appear to suggest. In the negative, TPs might force the facts to submit to their logic, resulting in obvious flaws or real world contradictions that they themselves are blind to. Many TPs like to proclaim themselves as the epitome of objectivity, but the reality is that anyone can fall prey to bias.

3. TP are innately skeptical of facts

Due to the Introverted Thinking process, Ti users not only devalue facts, but tend to be skeptical of them. They trust their reasoning far more than the concrete world, which can lead to them questioning any facts that don’t line up with their current understanding. They can be extremely stubborn when it comes to letting go of their internal “framework”, so they’d much rather call the fact into question and find a flaw in it. Of course, as mentioned in the previous point, this can be good or bad. Some TPs end up detached from reality because they refuse to adjust their thinking to the concrete evidence.

4. TPs emphasize their subjective thought process

It’s impossible to fully detach thinking, or any thought process, from the external world, because the external world will always serve as a reference point, to some degree. However, a key distinction with Ti is that the thought process is focused heavily on subjective ideas or facts. Therefore, TPs, when dealing with others, tend to place special emphasis on their reasoning process. Or, they’ll need to hear the reasoning process that someone else followed to reach a conclusion. Either way, the emphasis for the TP will be less on the conclusion itself, and more on the process taken to reach the conclusion. They need to completely understand how that conclusion was reached in order to accept it, or feel satisfied with it. Many TPs will be uncomfortable enacting a solution which they don’t fully understand.

READ MORE: Downside of Introverted Thinking (Ti): An Example

5. TPs are prone to “reinventing the wheel”

This phrase is often used in reference to Ti users, because of how Introverted Thinking focuses on the reasoning process rather than the result. Ti users will often throw efficiency out the window, and recreate something that’s already in existence, rather than just utilize what’s readily available. Granted, sometimes time restraints, employer directives, etc. will overrule their default tendency to do this, but rebuilding a system or product from scratch in order to fully understand it should be their preference. Of course, the intimate knowledge gained from such a project can be extremely useful down the road. However, until then, others may view them as inefficient or impractical.

Bear in mind, sometimes people broaden this tendency to the extent that TPs are physically taking apart every little item they come across in order to “understand” it. That’s a bit extreme. TPs primarily outlet this tendency in their interests, hobbies, vocation, or job. TPs aren’t necessarily going to want to take apart their toaster… although some might.

READ MORE: Q&A: Why Does Ti Reinvent the Wheel?

6. TPs form their identity around their internal, subjective thought process

Usually, the phrase “logical framework” is spammed in descriptions of Ti or any of the TP personality types. I’ve been careful not to do that, because that phrase isn’t exactly the easiest to understand in a practical way. However, someone who fixates on their subjective thought process and subjective ideas, inevitably forms a “logical framework” for their ideas, in which everything fits neatly together. A TP’s sense of self or identity is based on that framework, which is why they can get extremely distraught if a key piece of that framework is proven false. (Naturally, they’ll be resistant to accepting this, and try to fight off the threat.) So, with that being said, it’s important to understand that TPs, due to using Introverted Thinking as their identity function, do not typically think about their identity in the classic sense of the word. Therefore, when asking a TP if identity is something they think about frequently or deem to be important, they will usually say “no.”

READ MORE: Do Ti users lack identity?

7. TPs value authenticity (or purity) of logic

Similar to how FP’s value authenticity in regard to their feelings, TPs value authenticity in regard to logic. Thinkers are often known for being harsh or “mean”, because they don’t instinctively cater to feelings. To be clear, whether someone is mean or nice is not dependent on personality type. However, TPs can come across as sharp tongued, because they default to sharing their unfiltered logic. It can take a lot of conscious effort to adjust what they’re saying in a way that’ll make it more readily accepted by others. In fact, many TPs, especially IXTPs, hate having to do so. The idea of watering down their reasoning or catering it in any way can be a source of great disdain. A good example would be an IXTP content creator who struggles with the idea of catering her content in a way that would make it successful with search algorithms. If the product is good and/or true, it should thrive on its own…or so the IXTP will want to believe.

8. TPs are often detached from their personal feelings

The more one’s thinking functions is prioritized, the more their feeling function is under prioritized. While obviously everyone has feelings, many TPs describe feeling detached from their personal feelings. Once again, this is especially the case for IXTPs. EXTPs often have a general connection with their feelings. The feelings are not usually overthought, but the EXTP can identify and sync up with them more easily. IXTPs, on the other hand, describe emotional delays, due to the greater prioritization of their Introverted Thinking. Their inferior feeling can get largely suppressed, resulting in an avoidance of thinking about their feelings and a struggle to analyze or understand them. This is especially the case for TPs (in comparison to TJs), since their feeling function is Extraverted Feeling, rather than Introverted Feeling. Since Fe’s focus is external, TPs utilize it more via attempting to read the emotional environment around them and mirror the “correct” response (as best as they are able).

9. TPs, due to low Fe, feel insecure about their ability to adapt to a social hierarchy

Fe gives someone a desire to belong to a group, and a desire for social order. This is seen in FJs, who sync up with the emotions in the external environment and strive to create harmony. However, Fe is a weakness in TPs. Many desire to belong, but struggle to adjust themselves enough in order to do so effectively. Some feel incapable, while some just refuse. The idea of having to watch their every statement or action in order to not make waves can feel suffocating. Many actively avoid situations that are heavy on procedure and decorum, especially if there are a lot of unspoken social rules.

10. TPs, due to Introverted Thinking, implement systems that are not easily understood by others

Ti is not as straightforward as Te, because it is not oriented to the external world. Many TPs have systems for ordering their environment, but the system doesn’t always readily make sense to an external observer. I’m certainly not going to claim that all TPs are messy and disorganized, but a good example would be those individuals that exist in a physically chaotic environment (by choice) whilst adamantly proclaiming that every item is exactly where it belongs. They’ll claim to have a system to their chaos, but that system might only make sense to them. This analogy can be extended to projects or solutions that they implement. The systems are often well thought out and nuanced, but difficult to fully explain to others.