# Functions at their best/worst, an essay of sorts...



## Stevester (Feb 28, 2016)

*Se: Fearlessness vs. Recklessness*









*Fearlessness:* Se is the ultimate realist and opportunistic function that exists. It scans what's happening around it and knows how to exploit opportunities in real time to advance oneself and others. Se is all about taking risks. It is the ultimate _''You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs''_ functions. This is much needed for society to advance. Whereas many types always hesitate to take action because this or that may go wrong, Se makes that leap, makes things happen, tests the waters for all of us. Se is quick, reactive and eager to engage, making a mockery out of anyone who just prefers to be an onlooker.

*Recklesness:* We all know what dark Se is: Self-indulgence, hedonism, damn the consequences. Short-term thinking, inability to see around corners, instant gratification. Taking a risk to benefit others and break new ground? Good. Driving 120 mph on the highway just because it's fun.....not good! There's nothing to gain from that other than possibly killing someone? Unhealthy Se can be self-destructive for oneself but unfortunately, very often for people around them. Dragging others down through the consequences of their irresponsibility. At the very least if it would learn valuable life lessons from it, but unhealthy Se tends to deal with consequences by essentially Se-ing their way out of it, effectively perpetuating negative consequences. 



*Ne: Openness vs. Fickleness *











*Openness:* Ne's most valuable skill is the ability to see both sides of the coin, soak in all perspectives and not discriminate against any of them until they have considered them. Ne is a natural trouble-shooting function. It essentially says let's look at all the possibilities here and try them all. Ne users can help out people by offering them a myriad of solutions to their problems and helping others see their blindspots. Ne is extremely non-judgmental: everything is possible, every belief has merit, every argument is worthy of scrutiny. It constantly wonders why anyone would judge anything so harshly when they haven't given it a fair shake. In short, healthy Ne is a buffet: there should be tons of stuff laid out there and everyone can pick and choose what they like.

*Fickleness: *As open minded as Ne is, however it can sometimes be very shallow and drop everything and anything like a hot rock when something more interesting comes along. Ne is infamous for just skimming through the surface of something and assuming it has thorough knowledge of it. Quiz them on it however and you'll see their lack of understanding, but who cares? It's yesterday's news, right? Unhealthy Ne tends to take interest in something, but then moves on way too quickly and pretends whatever they once had interest in is already played out, has run its course, so why bother anymore? Many projects, cool ideas are often abandoned on a whim and unhealthy Ne gets defensive when you ask them to answer for this,_ ''Whatever happened to.....?''_ Since some Ne musings turn out not be very grounded in reality, it's often just easier to move on and pretend it was never a thing.



*Fe: Harmony vs. Elitism*











*Harmony:* Fe's best feature is reading people and their emotional needs. Fe is the ultimate diplomat function, literally not being able to sleep at night until they figure out how to make everyone around them happy. Fe constantly puts itself on the back burner and attends to other people's needs all the time: It is very self-sacrificing in that way: Others first, Me if we have time left. Fe can size up the emotional atmosphere, group dynamics and respond to them effectively. Knowing exactly what to say, in the kindest, yet most productive way imaginable. It knows intrinsically how to find common ground, get everyone on the same page and have everyone moving in the same direction with one common goal, deciphering everyone's strengths and weakness and knowing how to downplay the former and exploit the latter.

*Elitism:* The dark side of Fe is essentially being a judgmental b*tch. Unhealthy Fe tends to look down on others who don't conform to group settings and social norms and can even go a step further in getting everyone else to ostracize them. They don't gel with us, therefore they are bad! No need to understand them, because good people should just organically fit into a group and behave the way everyone else wants them to. Dark Fe is emotionally manipulative, over-dramatic, yet has this very shrewd way of getting what they want from others, it simply will not stop until everyone tends to them or agrees with them. If people refuse to do, they will be marked as enemies and swift social punishment and shaming is in order.



*Te: Effectiveness vs.Authoritarianism*











*Effectiveness:* Te is a very much needed function for a well-functioning society, because it brings order to chaos, it fixes and repairs social systems that are broken. In two simple words, Te is known as ''Common sense'': The logical thing everyone should abide by to function properly. The smart thing to do to get results. If Te had its way, everyone and everything would flow so smoothly and logically that life would actually be.....boring? Te knows what is the solution to everyone's problems, but.....in a bit of a Draconian point of view. Having trouble with your relationship? Well, either get better or the other person's not right for you, so move on. Though it lacks nuance, may ignore root issues and other complexities, it's hard to argue that it's wrong. People often look up to Te as ''You have a good point there...''. Te is often that harsh truth that people don't want to hear but on a subconscious level know they NEED to hear. It essentially cuts through the bullshit by throwing it in a wood chipper.

*Authoritarianism: *The ugly side of Te however is that it can be a little too forceful and operate under the assumption that it's always right. Te users more than anyone have this inability to admit they're incorrect or made a mistake. Everything they do is logically sound and anyone countering their points is obviously wrong. And then comes this hardcore need to get everyone to fall in line. Te users are natural leaders, but also tend to run amok with this skill, simply assuming everyone should follow them and do what they say. Anyone who objects is being a pointless contrarian. Unhealthy Te rarely, if ever, checks to see if what they did, say or believe is wrong, because in their minds it's simply not.


----------



## Stevester (Feb 28, 2016)

Introverted function coming soon


----------



## Glittris (May 15, 2020)

I just had a really good laugh since I can see myself, not in Ne, but in Ni + Fi, the image with a whimsical nutjob with countless paper on his wall trying to explain..., something, that was me, a long time ago... Remembers me of old episodes, so joke is on me. xD


----------



## MakeItRain (Feb 8, 2017)

I would add bureaucracy to the Te dark side


----------



## tanstaafl28 (Sep 10, 2012)

Stevester said:


> *Se: Fearlessness vs. Recklessness*
> 
> View attachment 871451
> 
> ...


Gotta love ISTJs, they know just how to fit everything into neat little boxes.


----------



## Stevester (Feb 28, 2016)

*Si: Wisdom vs. Dogmatism*










*Wisdom: *At its best, Si is a walking archive, a human library full of facts, data and tidbits of knowledge from the very practical to the albeit, mundane and trivial. Si is both a lens and a gigantic sponge that absorbs everything presented to them in the concrete world, although theories can also be part of its database. Si also traces reference points. While not always 100% accurate, it has this uncanny ability to trace back timelines and put everything in chronological order. What this means is they can be heavily depended on for various expertise on many subjects, recalling events in detail but most of all recalling what has worked and what hasn't and what has lead to negative and positives results. Si famously never does the same mistake twice, a piece of knowledge that can become handy for other types i.e._ ''Remember last time...''_. It can also come off as intuition sometimes because Si retraces patterns and thus can sometimes see where something is going. This fad reminds them of that past fad and it ended quickly, my friend's new boyfriend is awfully similar to her last one and he broke her heart......red flag!

*Dogmatism:* We've all seen narrow-minded people, well unhealthy Si is typically the mascot of obtuseness and narrow-mindedness. It can range from harmless insistence on always eating the same thing at the restaurant because those other meals look yucky, all the way to straight up xenophobia and Burn the witches bigotry, looking down, hating on, harshly judging and flat out segregating from anyone that doesn't fit their set criteria. Unhealthy Si simply wants to live in an echo chamber as this is the only place where they are comfortable. Anything slightly different from their world view need not apply. Si can be very quick to dismiss the unfamiliar as bad, scary and sometimes evil. This means unhealthy Si is highly subject to latch on to philosophies that are misguided from an early age and exclude the option of confronting and questioning it. In short, they can easily follow blindly.


----------



## Stevester (Feb 28, 2016)

*Ni: Insightfulness vs. Delusion*











*Insightfulness:* The most prominent positive feature of Ni is in short, the ability to see things that others can't. Usually this manifests in reading how current situations will develop down the road. Ni serves as a pattern of abstract information that conjectures into one direct tunnel, thus their insight, while not always accurate, is usually valuable and should be taken seriously. This is why high Ni users are very few and far in between as we can't have too many people figuring out forward paths or else we would all step on each others' feet. Ni is a pioneering function essentially. It is not so much about going off the beaten path, but rather carving a new path altogether. Ni can be trusted to size up potential in others and even secret talents and then subsequently advise how to exploit those said talents. Many people are gifted with the ability to think forward and motivate themselves and others, but for Ni this seems to come more effortlessly and naturally.

*Delusion:* In an unhealthy state, Ni is infamous for going down the rabbit hole. It is so convinced about something that no evidence to the contrary will ever change their minds. In fact, may more often than not get them to double down on it and further send them on a wild goose chase. This typically happens when Ni ignores tangible data as it feels its insight knows better than anything. Fabricating conspiracies, becoming scam artists who legitimately believe themselves, sending people they're trying to help off a cliff or even becoming cultist type of leaders and gurus are all possible byproducts of unhealthy Ni. Whether is healthy or not, Ni can often appear as alien and weird to others, but when it is unhealthy, other people are right to question them.


----------



## Stevester (Feb 28, 2016)

*Fi: Authenticity vs. Misguidedness*











*Authenticity:* In a world where people seem to desperately seek fame, follow the crowd and are desperate for popularity or at the very least, fitting in, Fi is a breath of fresh air. Fi is all about self-love, and being okay with itself, recognizing oneself as a unique individual and embracing that. While some non-Fi people may see Fi as detached and self-absorbed, Fi actually does usually strive to be seen as good person, it just refuses to compromise itself in order to do so. _''You take me as I am or walk away''_ is essentially the Fi battle cry. That doesn't mean Fi people are naturally more healthy and confident, of course not, they can be crippled with anxiety and self-doubt, but what they do have however, is this refusal to compromise their character. Fi is extremely principled, it sees itself as_ ''Not for sale''_ it would rather pass up and walk away from fame and success if it means they have to change core parts of their identity. And as admirable as that can be, very rarely will you ever Fi seeking validation for that. Fi can be pretty judgy on what it likes and and what it hates and have a hard time explaining why, but usually it admires or least respect authenticity. If you conduct yourself in such a way that doesn't float Fi's boat BUT are not doing so in order to gain something from it,. Fi is usually very respectful of that and understands everyone's need for individuality.


*Misguidedness:* We all remember what it was like being a teenager, whatever our parents or teacher told us NOT to do we often did it, just to spite them. Fi can unfortunately still subscribe to this philosophy well into adulthood. Immature Fi will gladly jump off a cliff because you told it not to. It can be pointlessly rebellious and defiant because it's so hell bent on proving its individuality and refusing to mold into what it perceives as your controlling standards when in fact you were just giving sound advice. When we think of people that are easily emotionally manipulated, we often think Fe, but the truth is Fi is just as easily manipulated. Any Chad or Stacy can pluck the heartstrings of Fi to the point where they burn every bridge and decide to fully invest in this person despite, logical outside opposition from even close loved ones, all under the guise that _''this person gets me and you don't''_ When Fi is needlessly defiant, it deludes itself into thinking it's affirming itself, standing its ground and making a point, but the rest of the world just shrugs their shoulders as the Fi makes one ill-advised move after another.





*Ti: Intellect vs. Cynicism*










*Intellect:* Ti is very is very intellectually curious and wants to know how everything works, from things, people, systems and philosophies, it seeks to dissect everything and look at the inner workings. Many people find that some things in life are sacred and these stones should never be unturned, but Ti will have none of that and usually be the first ones to turn over those stones to see what's under them. Not to offend you, but because Ti is a truth-seeking function. Ti is driven by what's true and what's false and even it's it's false, it wants to explain why. Unlike Te, it doesn't seek to hammer people over the head with truth or common sense but does it for itself, as a way to comprehend the complex world around it. Ti is also an identity function very similar to Fi, a feature that seems overlooked. It prides itself on having its own logical framework and not giving in to social pressure to adopt something that doesn't make sense. Unlike Fi however, it doesn't take things personally. if you challenge Ti and try to shove it down a mold you will fail to do so, but they will kindly rebuttal as to why it won't submit to your conformity.

*Cysnism:* Ti by its very nature is very detached and analytical so when it is out of control it can get very scary. Unhealthy Ti will see the entire human experience as just one big joke, we're all worm food, what's the point of anything etc. and then spend its time just poking fun at the human condition and berating anyone who shows the least bit of passion for their short time on this Earth. Nothing matters anymore what's the point of anything. Unhealthy Ti loves to see itself as intellectually superior to others yet is extremely lazy and spends its days just criticizing and pointing out inaccuracies from others. It can get to the point where Ti loves to push other people's buttons just to see their reaction, or offend just for the sake of offending, because why not, people are nothing more than lab rats in the damaged Ti mind.


----------



## Nevermindignoreme (Sep 25, 2020)

Stevester said:


> *Fi: Authenticity vs. Misguidedness*
> 
> View attachment 871558
> 
> ...


I really love these posts, very interesting. I would like to add selfishness to the downsides of fi. We know ourselves well, and sometimes that's all we care about, sometimes even to the point of purposely ignoring and neglecting others, or refusing to try and understand them, and being quick to hate on people/things that go against our core beliefs without hearing them out. Also being demanding and stubborn, that "My way or the high way" attitude. 

And then there's our martyr mode when anyone offends us, because it's not us, it's them, how could they treat us like this???
Anyway, those are some common fi weaknesses that are worth a mention IMO, but if you don't want to add them that's cool too, just some things I wanted to point out.  Once again, big fan of this thread.


----------



## Stevester (Feb 28, 2016)

My problem with selfishness is that it can apply to almost every function.

Si and Ni are ''selfish'' in that only my way of seeing things apply.

Se is selfish because it does whatever it wants regardless of outside opposition

Te and Fe are also selfish because they want to control other people's standards to their likings

And so on....



But thanks


----------



## letsrunlikecrazy (Sep 21, 2015)

I really like these essays. You could publish them on a website (that's not PerC), they're already perfectly formatted with the gifs and everything. lol


----------



## Drecon (Jun 20, 2016)

Very well written. I think there is more nuance to some of these, but it's not reasonable to expect more within a single paragraph. I think you've done a great job within the constraints you've set for yourself here.


----------



## Stevester (Feb 28, 2016)

Yes, for every point I wrote, I had four more but I already felt it was tl;dr as it was.


----------



## Catandroid (Jul 9, 2018)

Wisdom comes with the critic function, when developed. (Depth Typology / John Beebe model or C.S. Joseph)


----------



## dylanmanningke10 (12 mo ago)

Thanks for sharing this, it is very well written I wish I could write like this, but the writing was never my strong point. So, after reading the EssayEditor proofreading reviews I have decided to use this service that can always guide me when I have to write an important essay. Plus, I like that I can speak with the editor to see where are my weaknesses and how to work on them in order to write a better essay.


----------



## letsrunlikecrazy (Sep 21, 2015)

Where did Stevester go, anyway?


----------



## Stevester (Feb 28, 2016)

I heard he's still aroud...


----------



## Eren Jaegerbomb (Nov 13, 2015)

I wonder if OP still hangs around here.

Anyhow I was going to say, bad Fi is really selfish and awful.

Edit: I just saw OPs post above. 😂


----------

