# The eight cognitive functions written from an ISTP's point of view. (part 1)



## DJArendee (Nov 27, 2009)

I'm hoping, as an ISTP, I can give a more concrete explanation for the eight cognitive functions Here they are. I'll bold the functions so you can skim to the ones you're most interested in reading about. The ISTP functions will be significantly longer than the non-istp functions... because I use them on a daily basis and understand them much more. Everyone has the following pairings of functions:
Fi/Te
Ti/Fe
Si/Ne
Se/Ni

The functions above are opposites. Extroverted sensors store data with introverted intuition. Introverted thinkers express feelings with extroverted feeling, etc.

*Ti versus Te
*

*Ti - Introverted Thinking* - People with this function tend to think, "what do I think is the reason this event is happening?" Ti chooses words with the precise meaning. IXTP's will always say what they mean, exactly. The difference is, ISTP's use words loosely, INTP's tend to feel that what they're describing is so complex that it can't be described with words... lol. Yet INTP's still try their best to describe things because Ti tells them that they must.

Ti is the belief in logic. An ISTP can say, "I just saw an airplane on fire fly over my head. Its going to hit that building over there based on its trajectory." In reality, no one knows 100% whether or not the airplane will hit the building. Terrible turbulence could send it off course and everyone is ok. A meteor could fall from the heavens and strike the air plane before it strikes the building. No one knows, but this ISTP firmly believes with all of his heart and is willing to die on this logic that the airplane WILL HIT the building if someone or something doesn't stop it from doing so.

Ti is competence and achievement. IXTP's want to grow constantly, be it knowledge or in physical prowess (N vs S). When Ti is weak (ESFJ, ENFJ) it can cause several things to happen. The user overcompensates and tries to use big words, but actually comes off as pretentious because their word usage is inefficient and lengthy. One example I noticed was an ESFJ that used the phrase "incontrovertible evidence illuminating the..." A much more efficient way to say this is "certain proof." An example of insecure ESFJ's and ENFJ's: My enfj friend would prevent me from doing any of our physics homework because I would make a program into excel, plug the numbers in, and be done with 5 pages of repetitiveness homework in about 5 minutes. The next homework assignment he said, "no, just let me do this. Don't use excel." He then proceeded to do each math calculation by hand, flipping through the book for clarification. At this rate the homework would have taken 2 hours. I responded with, "what is this about pride?" He looked at me, then said, "ok fine." and receded into silence. The point of this story, is that he was trying to prove to me that he was capable of doing the physics homework, and that my ability to make a program in excel made him feel unintelligent, and he felt it necessary to prove to me his competence when I never asked him to, nor cared. In a similar fashion, I have an ESFJ room mate who will withhold the electric bill and tell me I owe a certain amount of money right now. When asking to see the bill for myself, ESFJ will get loud and belligerent to prevent me from doing the math myself.

Ti troubleshoots. Ti users will say things like, "if this... then that must mean..."
Ti is spacial intelligence. ENFJ's can be clumsy because they lack this spacial awareness, as well as Extroverted Sensing (low Se).

Ti is the absolute scientific truth. 1+1=2. Once this is made it is explained as a societal standard (Fe) and adhered to by everyone around it in society. If they do not, they are alien to society (Fe).

*Te - Extroverted thinking - * Extroverted thinking is societal logic. What does society think would make sense in this situation? It neglects the individual and sees the whole unit. Te users gravitate toward environments and groups that show strict order and discipline. For example, when questioned about my faltering grades by 3 XSTJ's (Te Dominants), the following dialogue occured, predictably so:

(paraphrasing)
XSTJ: Why are your grades not as good they could be?
ISTP: I'm a kinesthetic learner and this school is completely auditory and underwhelming.
XSTJ: You're making excuses. You don't care enough.

Now, in the STJ's mind there are two possible reasons why anyone's grades would fail. 
1: they don't care enough or don't give enough effort. Both are faults of the individual.
2: The person is mentally incapable of doing so (dumb, mentally ill, etc)

To XSTJ's, School is an infallible concept produced by society as a place to learn. If you are doing poorly at school, it means you are not willing to learn, or you are incapable of learning. Learning is done at school, right? So you are not making logical sense if you aren't learning at school.

Te is also the ability to think out loud. Te Doms can be very overpowering and scary. (ENTJ, ESTJ). While Te inferior personalities come off as soft spoken and quiet. (INFP, ISFP). An insecure IXFP could be very excitable, but not make a whole lot of sense when talking. They can stutter on their words, and have difficulty defending or speaking up for themselves. They can also have a weaker ability to plan ahead and see future events. Think of the scenario where an ESTJ drill sergeant barks something out very loud to an INFP, and the INFP freezes up and doesn't respond, or stutters on their words. That is an ESTJ completely bulldozing an INFP's weak Te. The INFP is defenseless unless it can get its act together and use its Fi to make the ESTJ feel like a terrible person.

Te is precision measurements (as opposed to Ti spatial measurements). The example I read from another source of which I've long since forgotten was, when rolling through a grocery aisle with a shopping cart:
Pure Te requires that you use a ruler to measure each box to make sure it fits in the shopping cart. It might even require them be weighed and placed in a manner that makes the shopping cart balanced.
Ti is spatial. They look at the box, they look at the cart. The cart has enough space for the box, therefore it will fit. box goes into cart.

Te is long term planning. Thinking out every possible step through flowcharts and logic. Te can see weak spots in other people, it can identify what makes them tick as a system... very quickly and intuitively (if I say this thing they'll behave like that). A genius sociopath (sorry for the terrible example) can see all of these weak spots in someone, take advantage of these weak spots, and long term plan the demise of their victim. Te by itself is excellent for the military and non-person-oriented projects. Its interaction with other people is either a humorous mocking, or used as a weapon. Te organizes the environment in a logical order. If you're wearing a funny hat to a fancy dress party, you are breaking the fancy dress party logic and must be destroyed (that was humor. you may commence laughter).

That's part 1. Keep reading the other blogs for the rest.


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## Happy (Oct 10, 2008)

Promoted to article. 
Articles - Thinking


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## madhatter (May 30, 2010)

That Ti/Te grocery example is from _Personality Type_ by Lenore Thomson, FYI. 

Thanks for the good read.


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## Flatlander (Feb 25, 2012)

Excellent. I hadn't read a good compare/contrast between these two; this definitely helped me clarify what Te actually is, even if I can't seem to imitate how it works for myself.

"Societal logic" stood out as an interesting way of understanding Te.


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