# So I'm an ESI, how do I use that fact?



## Inveniet (Aug 21, 2009)

I'm an ESI, known it a while, didn't really care as I had my hands full with other stuff.

Now we have these eight functions/roles/blocks with id/ego/superego and stuff mixed in.
I don't get it really, I know they aren't ordered by strenght, but I don't know what
is really significant about it.

Fi/Se is in the ego.
Fair enough I get that my ego is organized around the two first standard functions of MBTI.

Super-ego is Ti/Ne am I acting like an INTP when I'm strict or something?

Super-Id new concept for me, is this some kind of superindulgent thing?
I recognize it as my tert and inf from MBTI. Ni/Te

And Id is Fe/Si can't see I get how I'm normally indulgent here.

This is just to show you how clueless I'm being with this stuff.
Anyone care to give a half-assed explanation.
Any clue would help a lot.


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## Entropic (Jun 15, 2012)

You got some of the basics right. Your ego is FiSe.

Superego is more like the deamon/trickster function in Beebe's model, except they are a bit switched around where the deamon would be the last function in superego (the function of opposite preference but same attitude as your auxiliary or creative e.g. Ne in your case). The reason why in your case, Ne would be more akin to the daemon function in Beebe's model is the obvious clear negative feelings we tend to project against it. As an ILI for example, it's Fe. 

Essentially, the way I understand superego is similar to how Freud understood superego if you are familiar. So superego is how you think you are supposed to act/are expected to act/how you act in front of society. This is why in some socionics texts you might find that it says that when getting to know someone else, they will first interact through their superego, so if I met you at a party you might seem more TiNe because that's how you think you need to deal with the world.

Super-id is the same as the inferior in Jung and is meant to balance your psyche. You will see a similarity here to Beebe's model in that the super-id functions lead to the id, e.g. the unconsciousness. So super-id is not quite conscious, not quite unconscious, being situated above id. Super means above. 

In socionics, we tend to suck at our super-id functions because they are weakened by our ego functions, being our personal strengths, so in this regard it's no different to Jung. The difference in socionics is that socionics assumes that we also actively seek help with our super-id functions which is the basis of the concept of duality in socionics. Essentially, duality is the idea that there are people who are your duals, those that possess the functions you suck at in super-id. In this case for you being an ESI (ISFP) it's LIE (ENTJ) because they are base Te with creative Ni, or in Jungian terms, Te dominant with Ni as auxiliary. They, being strong at that which you are not, will complement your psyche and help you to grow.

Lastly there's the id block and those functions are functions of the same preference but opposite attitude of our ego block. So in your case, FeSi. These are functions you are good at (because we are good at F and S since F and S are our base preferences if we remove all attitudes) but whose perspectives you find pointless and redundant because why would you Fe if you can Fi?

The id block is essentially something we can do sometimes unconsciously without knowing that we're doing it but it's not common that we do. These are the functions we can find moderately annoying in other people (superego and id blocks are not valued) but overall not too bothered by in contrast to superego. Usually we just filter it all out when someone is communicating through these functions.

I hope that makes sense.


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## Inveniet (Aug 21, 2009)

ephemereality said:


> You got some of the basics right. Your ego is FiSe.
> 
> Superego is more like the deamon/trickster function in Beebe's model, except they are a bit switched around where the deamon would be the last function in superego (the function of opposite preference but same attitude as your auxiliary or creative e.g. Ne in your case). The reason why in your case, Ne would be more akin to the daemon function in Beebe's model is the obvious clear negative feelings we tend to project against it. As an ILI for example, it's Fe.
> 
> ...


Wow yes made a lot of sense.
I can really relate to dealing with these function like this.
I will probably get more into Socionics now.

Do you have any advice what to start on to make entry more easy?


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## Entropic (Jun 15, 2012)

hornet said:


> Wow yes made a lot of sense.
> I can really relate to dealing with these function like this.
> I will probably get more into Socionics now.
> 
> Do you have any advice what to start on to make entry more easy?


Hm, well the basis of all socionics is Model A that I just outlined a bit for you. 

Model A - Wikisocion

Socionics isn't quite like Beebe although it's similar, and it's almost nothing like the MBTI. It's a very complex system in that it calls what you think are functions e.g. Fe, Fi, Se etc as _information elements_, sometimes called IE or IM (information metabolism, I get why it's called like that later), and instead each type consists of 8 functions labeled exactly like that: 1-8. You can see the overview on the link I gave.

Usually it's advisable to start with Model A since it defines the main portion of socionics and get used to how it structures the types. 

Also, in socionics, a lot of the theory is based around energy that's called _metabolism_. An introverted type has an introverted metabolism for example, where most of the energy, or what Jung would call libido, is spent on the self and one's inner world. 

Information Metabolism - Wikisocion

So usually, when we talk about what in MBTI is called functions, they are called IMs or sometimes IEs because it refers to how our psyche metabolizes energy. So I think the best way to start learning socionics is learning the difference between function and information element/information metabolism. 

Do note though, that while when referring to what in MBTI is called functions is often called IMs, it is probably more correct to refer to them as IEs or information elements, because they are the elements that each function operates with. 

Information elements - Wikisocion

So in this sense, socionics is quite technical. Function thus describes the function of our psyche e.g. base function is the dominant function in Jung because it is where we are the most secure, hidden agenda is for example the function that describes our hidden agenda and so on. 

Functions - Wikisocion

So each function can be occupied by an information element or IM. 

There are of course other pages with other explanations than these on the internet, but I think this should give you a decent idea of how socionics works. Then there are a lot of other things in socionics like Reinin traits, intertype and quadra values, but I think it's better learning the core first and understand how that operates.


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