# Definitions of the Cognitive Functions (Mk III)



## Tellus (Dec 30, 2012)

There are three basic goals for human beings: survival, reproduction and survival of offspring. How do we survive? We eat food, drink water etc ... and avoid poisonous plants, predators, enemies etc. It is obvious that we must be able to distinguish between good and bad objects. An "introverted" function defines what an object (or a subject/a person, or a series of objects/an event)* is*. But this is not enough. We must also be able to _use_ objects to cook, hunt, produce tools etc, i.e. we _interact_ with the objects. An "extroverted" function defines what an object _*means*_.


*Sensing *is a cognitive process that interprets what is sensed, has been sensed or will be sensed.

Si: A goat is a furry, medium-sized animal with horns. It is a grass-eater and it produces milk. We have seen this or someone has told us these facts.

Si: "I feel sick". We identify a negative sensation.

Se: Playing football. We interact with the ball, the field, goals and the other players. 

Se: A high jumper mentally rehearsing his/her movements. He/she interacts with the bar.



*Intuition* connects two (previously sensed) objects and creates "a new object". 

Ni: "Can a goat eat bananas?" The new object (i.e. the goat) is: 'a furry... produces milk. + (eat) bananas'. Ni connects one object with another related object in order to define it even further. This is why ILI / INTJ is "the scientist".

Ni: Visualizing a scenario. We define what a future event (i.e. series of objects) could look like. This is why ILI / INTJ (often) likes chess. 

Ne: "Is it possible to use the goat's horns as beakers?" Ne connects one object with another unrelated object in order to find a new application (for the object).

Ne: "Will the goat attack us now?" Ne sees potential behavior of objects.



*Thinking* is an ordering/arrangement of (physical) objects.

Ti: Comparing the sizes, weights, shapes, textures etc. of two oranges.

Ti: Realizing that 5x5x5 equals 125.

Te: A football manager organizes a team. He wants to maximize each player's usefulness.

Te: Logical deduction. 3x=6, and a general rule, therefore x=2. The general rule in this example is that you can divide both sides of an equation by any non-zero number and the equation is still valid.



*Feeling* is a value-based judgement, i.e. an ordering/arrangement of emotional (and other needs, mainly desires) responses to behavior and characteristics of objects/subjects.

Fi: Listening to the tone of voice in a conversation (which shows the emotional state), so we can identify the relationship.

Fi: Making a moral decision. We compare a person's situation or condition with his/her emotional state.

Fe: "I love your dress!" Flattering a person so we improve the relationship. That person is useful to us in one way or another. In particular, we use our friends during coupling (reproduction).

Fe: We emphasize some words in a sentence so our message comes through. 


These definitions correspond with our observations of the types _and_ Jung's descriptions, so I am very optimistic. Do you notice any ambiguities or contradictions?


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## seriousguy (Nov 27, 2015)

Tellus said:


> There are three basic goals for human beings: survival, reproduction and survival of offspring. How do we survive? We eat food, drink water etc ... and avoid poisonous plants, predators, enemies etc. It is obvious that we must be able to distinguish between good and bad objects. An "introverted" function defines what an object (or a subject/a person, or a series of objects/an event)* is*. But this is not enough. We must also be able to _use_ objects to cook, hunt, produce tools etc, i.e. we _interact_ with the objects. An "extroverted" function defines what an object _*means*_.


But, interaction doesn't need to be "physically" for a function to be "extroverted", for example, you mentally doing production with "objects" and then within it expand onto other objects and applying the optimization/efficiency/organization is you doing Te-, i.e., rehearsing about activity/work. Extroverted functions "expand" in my opinion, "IF Object A and Object B, THEN Object C, and THEN Object A with Object B and Object C becomes Object D". Those "objects" doesn't need to be physically present around you or requiring you to look "at them" (because you may have already sensed the objects in the past), but you are referencing to several (not necessarily related) objects and shifting your focus to other objects in a short amount of time. This is why extroverted functions are generally considered "assertive" and "fast", because that's how someone "moves" into other activities and appears busy, and thus they are related to "action" somehow.



> *Sensing *is a cognitive process that interprets what is sensed, has been sensed or will be sensed.
> 
> Si: A goat is a furry, medium-sized animal with horns. It is a grass-eater and it produces milk. We have seen this or someone has told us these facts.
> 
> ...


There is no doubt Si is about details of objects, whereas Se is about presence of objects. Si- sees the details of concrete objects and compares it with other objects, i.e., "this rock has a different color and texture than this rock", "this food smells salty than this food". Si- strengthens Ti+.... one can not systematize the objects if he/she is not able to read/observe the concrete details. Here, Se- doesn't need to be actually "interacting" with physical objects around you, but you can rehearse about moving those objects or you just observe the movements (here, Ni+ can be involved.... "speculating where the object will move by observing its projectile motion"), and you are still doing Se-. For example, video games, specifically tactic-oriented, shooting fast-paced games require a lot of Se- even though we are not physically interacting/touching the objects on the screen (and doing most input through controllers), but we are processing a lot of the movements/changes happening on the screen. But, then we lose the game, and try again, and loses again, and try again (Se-...consistency/resistance) eventually we realize the better/efficient way/route to finish the game (NiTe). Playing too much hardcore/extreme shooting games stress me, there is a reason for that.

One can also do Se- by watching fighting/action movies or sports, for example, an ILI may watch such videos/movies to rehearse the action for imitating in the future (Ni+ gets help from Se-...). Clearly, "extroverted" functions do not necessarily need to be physically/actually interacting with objects.



> *Intuition* connects two (previously sensed) objects and creates "a new object".
> 
> Ni: "Can a goat eat bananas?" The new object (i.e. the goat) is: 'a furry... produces milk. + (eat) bananas'. Ni connects one object with another related object in order to define it even further. This is why ILI / INTJ is "the scientist".
> 
> ...


MBTI community is accurate about Ne vs Ni. Every "e" functions expand, whereas "i" functions converge. Read this.



> *Thinking* is an ordering/arrangement of (physical) objects.
> 
> Ti: Comparing the sizes, weights, shapes, textures etc. of two oranges.
> 
> ...


Comparison of two oranges.... this is Si- according to me. If two oranges are placed near each others, and you say "This orange looks more pale than this orange", or you touch one orange "This orange has rough feel"... "this orange has soft feel", then you are doing Si-. Texture, color, taste, smell and size is Si-. You are doing Ti+ when you are putting those oranges in structure/hierarchy or classify them or you peel an orange and name its parts.



> *Feeling* is a value-based judgement, i.e. an ordering/arrangement of emotional (and other needs, mainly desires) responses to behavior and characteristics of objects/subjects.
> 
> Fi: Listening to the tone of voice in a conversation (which shows the emotional state), so we can identify the relationship.
> 
> ...


First example of Fi is Fi-... noticing the tone of others in conversation and manipulating your tone to come across as polite or mean, second example is Fi+.... noticing the person's background/traits and making moral decision, "he is a good guy because he doesn't fight with anyone".


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## Tellus (Dec 30, 2012)

seriousguy said:


> But, interaction doesn't need to be "physically" for a function to be "extroverted", for example, you mentally doing production with "objects" and then within it expand onto other objects and applying the optimization/efficiency/organization is you doing Te-, i.e., rehearsing about activity/work.


Correct



> Extroverted functions "expand" in my opinion, "IF Object A and Object B, THEN Object C, and THEN Object A with Object B and Object C becomes Object D".


Yes it can "expand"... so it is not always as simple as A=B, B=C, therefore A=C

*It is also important to note that Te includes inductive reasoning.* (Ti, Ne and Ni are irrelevant)



> Those "objects" doesn't need to be physically present around you or requiring you to look "at them" (because you may have already sensed the objects in the past),


Yes. Si and Ni evoke a memory/an image, then working memory takes over, so Te can calculate/reason.



> but you are referencing to several (not necessarily related) objects and shifting your focus to other objects in a short amount of time.


Yes, a very short amount of time, so there is a constant interaction between Si/Ni and Te. 



> This is why extroverted functions are generally considered "assertive" and "fast", because that's how someone "moves" into other activities and appears busy, and thus they are related to "action" somehow.


Yes, "extroverted" functions are probably "faster" than "introverted" functions. Also, extroverted types lead with "extroverted" functions (i.e. accepting, main functions in Model D), so they make decisions without fully knowing what the objects are.



> There is no doubt Si is about details of objects, whereas Se is about presence of objects. Si- sees the details of concrete objects and compares it with other objects, i.e., "this rock has a different color and texture than this rock", "this food smells salty than this food".


Si- sees abstract objects (including mathematics) as well. The difference between Si and Ni is that Si perceives "real" abstract objects (on the blackboard etc.) and Ni perceives "imagined" abstract objects. For example, LII and ILI are very different when it comes to step-by-step calculations*.* And the difference between Si- and Si+ is that Si- does not interact with value-based judgements (mainly emotions).



> Si- strengthens Ti+.... one can not systematize the objects if he/she is not able to read/observe the concrete details.


He/she does not see/perceive the objects at all without Si.



> Here, Se- doesn't need to be actually "interacting" with physical objects around you, but you can rehearse about moving those objects


Yes



> or you just observe the movements


No, that would be Si. Si is dynamic as well. (I was wrong about dynamic 'e' vs. static 'i')



> (here, Ni+ can be involved.... "speculating where the object will move by observing its projectile motion"),


Yes



> and you are still doing Se-. For example, video games, specifically tactic-oriented, shooting fast-paced games require a lot of Se- even though we are not physically interacting/touching the objects on the screen (and doing most input through controllers), but we are processing a lot of the movements/changes happening on the screen.


Yes, you are interacting with the objects on the screen via the controllers.



> But, then we lose the game, and try again, and loses again, and try again (Se-...consistency/resistance) eventually we realize the better/efficient way/route to finish the game (NiTe). Playing too much hardcore/extreme shooting games stress me, there is a reason for that.


I agree.



> One can also do Se- by watching fighting/action movies or sports, for example, an ILI may watch such videos/movies to rehearse the action for imitating in the future (Ni+ gets help from Se-...).


Watching TV usually doesn't engage Se-, but you're right, sometimes it does...



> Clearly, "extroverted" functions do not necessarily need to be physically/actually interacting with objects.


Yes, I think that is obvious. But a common interpretation is that 'e' means "in real-time".



> MBTI community is accurate about Ne vs Ni. Every "e" functions expand, whereas "i" functions converge. Read this.


We have known this for a long time. But the MBTI community has not explained _why_ Ne "expand" and Ni "converge" (see OP). I don't think this is true for all introverted functions, though.



> Comparison of two oranges.... this is Si- according to me. If two oranges are placed near each others, and you say "This orange looks more pale than this orange", or you touch one orange "This orange has rough feel"... "this orange has soft feel", then you are doing Si-. Texture, color, taste, smell and size is Si-. You are doing Ti+ when you are putting those oranges in structure/hierarchy or classify them or you peel an orange and name its parts.


No, noticing/perceiving the texture, color and taste is about Si. But you cannot consider 'size' without comparing it to another object, and that is Ti. And you can compare texture, color and taste too. "...more pale..." Compared to what? You are always referring to something when you say "more pale", and that is a comparison (Ti).



> First example of Fi is Fi-... noticing the tone of others in conversation and manipulating your tone to come across as polite or mean,


I agree



> second example is Fi+.... noticing the person's background/traits and making moral decision, "he is a good guy because he doesn't fight with anyone".


Yes, moral decisions are (usually) Fi+.


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## reptilian (Aug 5, 2014)

> Si: A goat is a furry, medium-sized animal with horns. It is a grass-eater and it produces milk. We have seen this or someone has told us these facts.


Why is this not Se or Te?



> Te: Logical deduction. 3x=6, and a general rule, therefore x=2. The general rule in this example is that you can divide both sides of an equation by any non-zero number and the equation is still valid.


Why?



> It is also important to note that Te includes inductive reasoning.


Why?


Most of what you typed about CF includes deductive/inductive reasoning.


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## seriousguy (Nov 27, 2015)

Tellus said:


> Si- sees abstract objects (including mathematics) as well. The difference between Si and Ni is that Si perceives "real" abstract objects (on the blackboard etc.) and Ni perceives "imagined" abstract objects. For example, LII and ILI are very different when it comes to step-by-step calculations*.* And the difference between Si- and Si+ is that Si- does not interact with value-based judgements (mainly emotions).


By "abstract objects" I am assuming you mean "(x+y)2=x2+2xy+y2"? If I am visualizing/reading it on board/paper, then that would be Si-? But without "zooming in" or "skipping" all the information because it's too "obvious" would be Ni+? For example, you received a message, and you realized what it says without reading/noticing all the words/sentences, and then you respond (Te-), that would be Ni+? Can you give me concrete example of how ILI and LII differs in calculations?

Btw, I still think programming has aspects that require a lot of Te+. Front-end designing in web development is pretty much Te+ (i.e., you need to "zoom in" to understand the margin/padding and other visual properties of the screen to design user interfaces), "structuring" (and even "patience" to indulge in a specific part) the code also requires Te+ and Ti+. SEIs take interests in such things. Database designing and management is like accounting -> Te+!



> No, that would be Si. Si is dynamic as well. (I was wrong about dynamic 'e' vs. static 'i')


That is interesting. Do you think if I am observing the movements of hands of a person while excluding everything happening around, then that would be Si-? Example: An SEE challenged me to "grab" pencil from his hands, so I carefully noticed his movements and suddenly "attacked" and grabbed it. Do you think I initially used Si- for observing? But Se- for grabbing?

After all, we also observe the "needle" while excluding everything for putting the thread into it, and that is definitely Si-. I think this is the reason why SLIs "calm" people down consciously, because they perceive too much changes happening in the body of a person, so they would rather calm someone down before talking, for example, I have offended one SLI when I talked in rushed mode without listening his words, he probably thought I am an EIE lol.



> Watching TV usually doesn't engage Se-, but you're right, sometimes it does...


I have seen an ILI watching WWE wrestling and "imitating" the moves lol, that is definitely Se-.



> We have known this for a long time. But the MBTI community has not explained _why_ Ne "expand" and Ni "converge" (see OP). I don't think this is true for all introverted functions, though.


Any example? Te doesn't "expand" in your view? It seeks conclusions, but the "objects" and their references are still expanding.



> No, noticing/perceiving the texture, color and taste is about Si. But you cannot consider 'size' without comparing it to another object, and that is Ti. And you can compare texture, color and taste too. "...more pale..." Compared to what? You are always referring to something when you say "more pale", and that is a comparison (Ti).


I understand what you are saying. I thought "This foods remind me of the food I ate yesterday" was "comparison". We are on the same page here.


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## Tellus (Dec 30, 2012)

jkp said:


> Why is this not Se or Te?


How does a child learn the word 'ball'? He/she learns to associate an object (i.e. a ball) with sounds, b-a-ll. That is a 'fact'. Furthermore, he/she sees a rolling ball, and his/her mother or father says "r-o-ll-i-ng b-a-ll". These are a_ sensory _experiences_._ 

Socionists claim that Te, "external dynamics of objects", is about facts. EDIT: This is probably true as well. See post 7.

SLI and LSE are very focused on factual knowledge, and SLE and LSI are not, so it makes no sense to claim that Se is about facts.



> Why?


Logic refers to two different processes: 1) reasoning about objects/organizing objects 2) defining objects/categorizing objects. LSE and LIE usually don't define and categorize objects so we must conclude that Jung's objective extroverted functions and subjective introverted functions are partially incorrect, since his Te and Ti include 1) AND 2).

If Te is about both 1 ('means') and 2 ('is'), then we must assume that all functions include both 'means' and 'is'. A person would at some point use only 'means' (all functions), and he/she would (for example) get poisoned. 'Means' and 'is' complement each other. For example, an SLI detective remembers a crime scene (Si), and then he draws conclusions (Te).



> Why?
> Most of what you typed about CF includes deductive/inductive reasoning.


Because we want to define Te as accurately as possible. Te includes all types of logical reasoning: deductive, inductive and abductive. 

What do you mean?


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## Tellus (Dec 30, 2012)

Here's a counterargument ... hmm... there are probably two different kinds of facts. This would explain why LSEs are the masters of trivia, not the SLIs.

Factual Knowledge - Simply Philosophy

"Previously, I have shown that experiential knowledge is just perception of particular things. Factual knowledge is a justified affirmation of something.

Factual knowledge is an affirmation. When we take two concepts and add them together, then something is affirmed. For example, “run” and “boys” are joined together to produce the affirmation “boys run”. All affirmations are either true or false. It is true that boys run because some boys run. Concepts can also point out individuals. So “Tim” and “is little” can be joined to make the affirmation “Tim is little”. We know that factual knowledge of a knowledge of affirmations because it is a knowledge of facts. Facts are just statements about the world that are true."


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## Tellus (Dec 30, 2012)

seriousguy said:


> By "abstract objects" I am assuming you mean "(x+y)2=x2+2xy+y2"?


Yes



> If I am visualizing/reading it on board/paper, then that would be Si-?


Yes



> But without "zooming in" or "skipping" all the information because it's too "obvious" would be Ni+?


No, Ni+ (and Ni-) connects one object with another related object and creates "a new object". Zooming in or skipping is Si- too.



> For example, you received a message, and you realized what it says without reading/noticing all the words/sentences, and then you respond (Te-), that would be Ni+?


That is still Si-. You recognize some key words and remember some previous information. This is also a connection but you don't create a new object.



> Can you give me concrete example of how ILI and LII differs in calculations?


LII is slow and methodical, and ILI is fast and sloppy. LII's TeSi is high dimensional, and ILI's TeSi is low dimensional.



> Btw, I still think programming has aspects that require a lot of Te+. Front-end designing in web development is pretty much Te+ (i.e., you need to "zoom in" to understand the margin/padding and other visual properties of the screen to design user interfaces), "structuring" (and even "patience" to indulge in a specific part) the code also requires Te+ and Ti+. SEIs take interests in such things. Database designing and management is like accounting -> Te+!


I agree with you.



> That is interesting. Do you think if I am observing the movements of hands of a person while excluding everything happening around, then that would be Si-?


Yes, that is Si- (or Si+, if it affects you emotionally).



> Example: An SEE challenged me to "grab" pencil from his hands, so I carefully noticed his movements and suddenly "attacked" and grabbed it. Do you think I initially used Si- for observing? But Se- for grabbing?


Yes, that is both Si- and Se-.



> After all, we also observe the "needle" while excluding everything for putting the thread into it, and that is definitely Si-. I think this is the reason why SLIs "calm" people down consciously, because they perceive too much changes happening in the body of a person, so they would rather calm someone down before talking, for example, I have offended one SLI when I talked in rushed mode without listening his words, he probably thought I am an EIE lol.


Maybe



> Any example? Te doesn't "expand" in your view? It seeks conclusions, but the "objects" and their references are still expanding.


No, Te doesn't "expand". Te is about logical reasoning (deductive, inductive and abductive).

What do you mean by "the 'objects' and their references are still expanding."?


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