The Personality Blueprint: From Letters to Functions

Part 1: The Four Dichotomies (The Surface Layer)

The four letters represent your preferences. Think of these as your "natural defaults."

1. [E | I] Energy Orientation (The Power Source)

Refers to where you direct your attention and how you recharge.

Extroversion (E): Outwardly focused. Energy is gained through interaction and spent in solitude.
Introversion (I): Inwardly focused. Energy is gained through solitude and spent during social interaction.

Note: This is a biological battery, not necessarily a measure of social skill.

2. [S | N] Information Gathering (The Data Collection)

Refers to what kind of data your brain prioritizes.

Sensing (S): Focuses on "The What." Uses the five senses to observe concrete facts, details, and the present moment. (e.g., "The deer is breakdancing.")
Intuition (N): Focuses on "The Why." Uses a "sixth sense" to see patterns, possibilities, and future implications. (e.g., "Where did the deer learn to dance?")

3. [T | F] Decision Making (The Data Processing)

Refers to the criteria you use when making a choice.

Thinking (T): Objective. Prioritizes logic, consistency, and detached analysis. (e.g., "Does this work?")
Feeling (F): Subjective. Prioritizes values, harmony, and the impact on people. (e.g., "How does this affect us?")

4. [J | P] Outer World Orientation (The Task Manager)

Refers to how you organize your life and deal with the external world.

Judging (J): Prefers closure. Likes plans, schedules, and "settling" things. (e.g., Knowing what you want to eat before you get to the restaurant).
Perceiving (P): Prefers openness. Likes spontaneity, flexibility, and keeping options available. (e.g., Browsing the menu at the table).

Part 2: The Cognitive Functions (The Engine Room)

While the letters are a great shorthand, the Functions describe the actual "software" running in your brain. There are 8 total, but each person primarily uses a "stack" of 4.

The Stack Hierarchy

Dominant (Hero): Your strongest, most natural state. You do this without thinking.
Auxiliary (Parent): Your growth function. It balances the Dominant and is how you help others.
Tertiary (Child): Your "play" function. It feels creative but can be unstable or immature.
Inferior (Aspiration): Your biggest weakness. Under stress, you might "fail" into this function (the "Grip").

Case Study: The "INxJ" Mirror

You and Smithy share the same "Bookends" but use different "Engines" for the outside world.

Position	Function	INFJ (Counselor)	INTJ (Mastermind)	Role in the Brain
1. Dominant	Ni	Introverted Intuition	Introverted Intuition	The "Internal Radio" predicting the future.
2. Auxiliary	F/T	Extroverted Feeling (Fe)	Extroverted Thinking (Te)	How you execute plans and talk to people.
3. Tertiary	T/F	Introverted Thinking (Ti)	Introverted Feeling (Fi)	Your internal "logic check" or "value check."
4. Inferior	Se	Extroverted Sensing	Extroverted Sensing	Your "clumsiness" or stress-induced overindulgence.

Part 3: Deep Dive into "Ni" (Introverted Intuition)

As an INxJ, this is your primary mode of existence.

The Synthesizer: Ni takes thousands of data points from the past and present (collected by your inferior Se) and collapses them into a single "hunch" or vision.
The Future Focus: While a Sensor sees a fork and an outlet, Ni sees the result of the interaction before it happens.
The NJ Factor: * N provides the abstract "What if?"
- J provides the drive for a singular conclusion ("This will happen").
- Result: A laser-focused, predictive mindset that is often 10 steps ahead but may miss what is right in front of its face.

Part 4: Practical Interaction Guide

To communicate effectively, you must speak to a person's Auxiliary (2nd) Function, as that is their "handshake" with the world.

Dealing with an INFJ (Fe-Aux): * Approach: Focus on shared goals, "we," and social harmony.
- Avoid: Being unnecessarily harsh or dismissive of human impact.
Dealing with an INTJ (Te-Aux): * Approach: Focus on efficiency, data, and "what works."
- Avoid: Asking how they "feel" about a logical plan or wasting time with small talk.
Dealing with an xSxP (Se-User):
- Approach: Give them something concrete to look at or do. Be direct.
- Avoid: Long-winded abstract theories without an immediate application.

How to use these notes in Obsidian

Tagging: Use #mbti #psychology and #cognitive-functions.
Linking: If you mention "Harrison" or "Aiko," link their names [[Aiko]] to a separate note where you track their suspected type and functions.
Canvas: Use the Obsidian Canvas to map out the "opposite" relationships (Ni vs Se) visually.

Would you like me to draft a "Cheat Sheet" for the other 6 functions so you can start typing people like Aiko or Harrison more accurately?

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