The Inferior Function Baby

I think the MBTI analogy of the inferior function as "The Baby" is very accurate, in that sometimes the baby is the one that's "the boss". The baby cries and everyone else has to stop to tend to it. The baby is happy, everyone else is happy. The family must re-organized their entire routine/plan to accommodate baby - sometimes it's a hassle, but most of the time it's done gladly, joyfully even, with great hope, admiration, and a strong vision of potential. It has the ability to drive it's carers lovingly towards the goal of developing it's potential (or if they're unhealthy, or immature "parents" themselves, they might abuse it and long for escape). I think this is why so many INTJ are athletic, artistic, or outdoorsy (the baby Se cries... Ni and Te tend...). These are activities that require sustained Se focus and often incorporate growth goals or trajectories. I also think Se "feedbacks" to Ni, much like a baby gives biological feedback to a mother (you can't perceive patterns without also perceiving "what's really there"). Here I want to use the imagery of the breastfeeding baby - it requires the care of the mother but the interaction works both ways - in baby gives the mother's body information that it uses to adapt the milk to the baby's needs (immune function, proteins, fats, etc.). INTJs have a broad Se lens that feeds information to Ni which then creates a contextual image/understanding.

On the flip side, a search of the intj subreddit also reveals that INTJ often ask about worries related to physical ailments or anxiety - almost like parents seeking advice when things are seemingly going wrong. And many do relate to the idea of "over indulging" in sensory activities, or even strictly avoiding them - maybe analogous to either passive or authoritarian parenting in an effort to silence the little Se screams. Maybe this is why people often suggested reflecting on how you act under stress to get a better idea of what cognitive functions are at play.

When I think of other types, I notice a similar pattern. INTP "parents" constantly tending to Fe baby ("how can I silence it? How can I make it better? I want to be good at it but I'm tired...). ISFJs, desperately trying to find connections in the world - nurturing that baby Ne and desperately trying to integrate it with Si-Fe ("what can I learn from this story that could help my family? What lesson can I draw from this? This keeps me up at night..."). ENTPs honing their ability to collect evidence that supports their ideas - baby Si is important, and when it's neglected, the world judges. ISFPs putting great care and time into baby Te - creating lists, organizing their homes and spaces, researching - knowing it's necessary and helpful, but also battling the internal desire to throw it caution to the wind.

Many people's passtimes, interests, and hobbies (the things they do purely for enjoyment) often directly relate to developing the inferior function. In my mind this creates an image of two equal sized spheres connected by a things portion, pulling in opposition to create balance. The tertiary function acts like the connection in the middle, with one sphere comprised of the dom and aux function and the opposing sphere is the inferior function (which despite the name "inferior", actually exerts equal force on the personality as the dom/aux). 

MBTI: My conceptual understanding of the cognitive functions

Full disclosure/disclaimer: I have not yet read Carl Jung's actual work. I'm getting there. It's on my very long list of things to do. So, everything you read here comes from my personal understanding of information I have learned through various sources and experiences. I hope to come back to this later after reading Jung's work (and maybe a few other's too) and check how accurate (or inaccurate) these interpretations are. 

Overview of the Cognitive Functions

Perception

Perception is how we perceive the material reality. Stimuli from the external (and internal) environment triggers our sensory receptors (e.g. EM wave/light on rods/cones of the eye, vibration on cochlear hair cells of the ear, chemical stimuli of the taste receptors on the tongue, pressure on mechanoreceptors of the skin, olfactory cells of the nose, etc.). The brain interprets the nerve signals to create our individual interpretation of the reality around us. You could almost say we are each programmed slightly differently (like the OS of different computer systems) to interpret the signals in our own unique way. I could go down a huge philsophical rabbit hole here, but maybe I'll leave that to another post. Let's say this is how/why there are different manifestations of perceiving which we can describe as a cognitive function (because it literally is cognition taking place in the brain - Define cognition: cognition is the mental process of knowing, learning, understanding, and reasoning, involving acquiring, processing, storing, and using information through thought, experience, and the senses. 

Overview of the Perceptive Functions

N - intuitives

Perception that tends future direction and tends to consider context (mapped information)

Ne - extroverted (aka externally oriented) perception that tends to consider divergent possibilities (analogous to brain storming any/all ideas, or an exploded diagram) 

Ni - introverted (aka internally oriented) perception tends to converge data toward a likely (or fewer likely) possibilities (analogous to extrapolation of data on a graph) 

S - Sensing 

Perception that tends to focus on details and linear information

Se - externally oriented perception - tends to see new experiences - This one seems the most "pure" (imo) - basically sensory information from the environment at present moment (grounded) (logically it would seem that all other perceptive functions would also rely on Se input... I discuss this part of my opinion a bit later in this post.) 

Si - internally oriented perception with a present/past comparison factor, considers details (analogous to a timeline with a start point to present) 

Judging

Judging functions describe the use of the data (the understanding, reasoning, and using information part). Some people make decisions using information they deem objective (not up for interpretation), while others use subjective criteria (like how they or other personally regard something). 

Overview of the Judging Functions

T - thinking

Makes decisions that prioritize logic/objective criteria

Te - extenally oriented judging function - decisions based on information/data/logic external to the person (ie. in "reality", moves the material world) 

Ti - internally oriented judging function - decisions based on internally constructed logic (ie. how things work, how things make sense, internal understanding separate from emotions) 

F  - Feeling

Makes decisions that prioritize emotional/subjective data

Fe - externally focused - tends to prioritize the emotional data external to oneself to inform decisions (how do others feel, what do others like, how do I fit in with others, does it consider the feelings of others or affect the harmony of the group?) 

Fi - internally focused - tends to prioritize the emotional data of the self to make decisions (How do I feel, does it align with my values, does it reflect/express my feelings) 

Once a person has perceived something in the world, and decided that that thing is relevant, they can make decisions with or "manipulate" (either internally or externally) that perception, including storing it in memory for later (side note: it's so crazy how brains are so much like computers - or maybe it's the other way around - we try copy our own systems into the material world and created external brains - aka computers - again, another rabbit hole for another post). 

 In order to create an MBTI type, the theory says that the judging function determines which function is extroverted. There's a bit of controversy around this idea but that's yet another rabbit hole to explore later. For example, if the person is an ENTJ they will extrovert the thinking function (Te). Since their dominant function is also the extroverted one, they end up with a stack like Te-Ni-Se-Fi. An ENTP, in contrast, extroverts the perceiving function, and since their dominant function is E, they end up with Ne-Ti-Fe-Si. An INTJ will end up with a dominant introverted function, in this case Ni, and their extroverted judging function is Te, so Ni-Te-Fi-Se. Same for INTP - The perceiving function is extroverted, that's Ne, but the dominant function is introverted, so they end up with Ti-Ne-Si-Fe. The last two functions are the tertiary and inferior functions. For the purpose of this discussion, I'm going to focus on the dom and aux, since they are derivable from the 4 letter type that one would get when doing an MBTI test. 

 For me, J and P difference are easiest to recognize/predict based on someone's typical behaviour (read my opinion a little further down after the trigger warning). S/N difference is a lot harder to "see" without having direct insight into someone else's way of thinking, and numerous examples from across various contexts.  Sometimes people can explain how they know something and that gives "clues" (like if context was considered or if they focused on details, or if they had concrete evidence vs "jumped to conclusions" because the "path"/pattern was obvious). In my experience it seems like sensing types often prefer linear problem solving over "reverse engineering". Steps seem obvious to them, while intuitive types tend to jump around and fill in the gaps. I'm also pretty sure that the vast majority of people sit closer to the middle of the S/N spectrum and flow often between multiple perceptive cognitive functions. Some people seem to switch between J and P preference too depending on context, and that could also make it harder to narrow down to a single type.

https://www.reddit.com/r/mbti/comments/1qbzjyy/types_and_variations_by_cognitive_functions/ 

Trigger warning! I'm about to use the word "vibes" which some people really don't like. I like that word though, because it describes energy, and how energy interacts with other energy. Here's another rabbit hole opportunity: did you know that your neurons fire sensory information both from your peripherals to your brain, and your brain to your peripherals, and some areas of the body, like the heart, have enough nerves that it creates its own electromagnetic field and can signal the brain when that field changes? Pretty cool.... Anyways, so here I'm going to jump into vibes. This part is not scientific at all. It's all my personal opinions.

While I'm usually more into the idea of breaking stereotypes, here I've decided to provide some from my own experience, just for shits and giggles: 

 J - Judging - extrovert the judging functions (T/F) - tend towards decisions - desire conclusion

- often give "rushed" vibe or "controlled" vibe

- tend to like structure (probably because it speeds decisions!) 

- in my personal experience, a J tends to give a "hardened" vibe to a personality, and often S type will also have this "harder" vibe

 P - Perceiving - extrovert the perceiving functions (N/S) - tend toward perceiving - desire exploration (often give "laid back" or "passive"/chill vibe), tend not to like too much structure (probably because it impedes exploration) 

- in my experience, P tends to "soften" the personality, and sometimes N can do the same

I can tell usually difference (predict and confirm when that person does an mbti or similar test) between a P and J type by how fast they want to make a decision. A P type, if given the opportunity, will mull over a decision forever.  A J type, if given the opportunity, will be very decisive without allowing time to explore other ideas.  A "middle of the spectrum" person will try to balance the need to decide with more exploration (and vis-versa).

 SJ - tend to stick with "what works" probably because the path to a quick decision is already obvious when considering the information available in the present moment. These tend to be your "by the book" people (whatever the book may be). 

NJ - tend to "jump to conclusions" probably because there are multiple possible paths, and they want the one that fits the context/pattern best, they consider the present moment information only part of the bigger picture. 

NP - tend to "invent" because they enjoy finding the "most optimal" path for a given context among a multitude of possibilities. They also consider the present moment a part of a bigger, but ever changing picture. 

SP - tend to "go with flow" because the information they need is available from the past and present, and there's really no point to attempting to predict the future. Whomever responds best to the present circumstance will likely have the best outcome.

NT/ST - Make decisions that prioritize logic over emotion (could be internally created logic like Ti or external logic like Te) 

NT - tend future and context oriented - they like abstraction and problem solvin

ST - tend present and detailed oriented - they like order 

NF/SF - Make decisions that prioritize emotions over logic 

NF - context oriented - they like emotionally involved abstract ideas like social and political justice or spirituality (these are you therapists and life coaches haha - obviously not all, it's a joke - but that's the vibe)

SF - details/rules oriented (often an overarching cultural/religious "filter" applied) - they like details that support the group harmony (they will probably remember things you like)

XSTJ - task oriented, but focused on "doing it right"

XNTJ - task oriented, but focused on doing it efficiently

XNTP - task oriented, but focused on finding the optimal solution

XSFJ - people oriented, but focused on nurturing and teaching 

XNFJ - people oriented, but focused on finding solutions to personal problems

XXFP - people oriented, but focused on creating the right atmosphere (In my real life experience, I don't encounter much that differentiates the S and N FP types). 

Operation Minerva: Inspiring Young Minds Towards STEAM

I had the great honor of attending Operation Minerva at the TELUS Spark Science Centre.

Operation Minerva empowers girls and gender-diverse youth to explore potential pathways in STEAM by connecting them with mentors through networking and story sharing.

I loved sharing my “non-linear” journey into software development, why I made the choices I did, and what I’ve learned along the way. I tried to distill my experiences into a few pieces of guiding mentorship wisdom for each group I spoke with:

1. Know yourself.

Take time to notice the ideas and activities that spark joy and curiosity. Embrace what makes you unique (your interests are clues).

2. Learn what the day-to-day actually looks like.

A subject might fascinate you, but the job itself may involve 40 hours a week of tasks you don’t enjoy. Get curious: volunteer, do practicums or internships, talk to people in the field, ask questions, and seek out job-shadowing opportunities.

3. Consider your whole life, not just your career.

Work doesn’t have to be your single defining priority. As a famous male model once said, “maybe there’s more to life than being really, really ridiculously good looking - I mean, just work.”

The students asked thoughtful questions like:

“What if I don’t want to do one thing all the time?”

“How do I find someone to job shadow?”

These questions speak to the anxieties many young people face when trying to “find their path,” and programs like Operation Minerva help connect them with answers and support.

Some of the core messages I shared:

- It’s okay to change your mind, explore many paths, or choose careers that offer variety.

- There are people in nearly any business who would be happy to share what they do. Sometimes it’s as simple as Googling a company you’re curious about and reaching out to introduce yourself.

Ultimately, most of my advice circles back to the first point: you get to choose your journey, and your journey is for you.

My MBTI Story

I often see the question "how did you get into MBTI?" On Reddit. My story is too long for a Reddit post, so I decided to put it here: 

The first time I took a personality test was in my high-school CALM (career and life management) class. The test gave me the result of INTJ. At the time, I did not look into it in much depth, but I did find it interesting to compare with my friends. To this day I remember a few of their results too: ISFP, ENFP, ESTP. I learned a bit about what each letter meant but did not concern myself with our compatibility or anything deeper.

Fast forward ~6 years to the time frame right before and after graduating from University with a bachelor degree in Kinesiology. In 4th year university I started to wonder if I had chosen the right field. I had completed a couple of practicums and decided I wanted to pursue a masters in physiotherapy to become a Physiotherapist. Despite my interest in the subject, I couldn’t help but wonder if I should have chosen a more technical field of study. I also started to receive very subtle feedback from instructors and professionals suggesting they questioned my interest in physiotherapy. The career counselor for kinesiology more directly questioned if I would like that field, saying she wondered if I would enjoy the “lack of creativity”. After graduating I spent a couple years trying to fulfill additional academic prerequisites for the physiotherapy program, and attempting to get more practical experience by getting a job in the field. The pattern of subtle negative feedback continued, this time from potential employers. I also did not pass the interview component for entrance to the Physiotherapy program. Eventually I wondered if I should just go to a career counselor to sort myself out because I could not quite put my finger on what I was doing wrong.

 Then a friend told me about their experience with the career counselor and doing a personality test that helped them decide their whole university path. After what felt like a never ending beat down of my confidence, the thought of doing a test to tell me what career path would likely work best sounded like a huge relief. I booked an appointment. I did a few personality tests with hundreds of questions involved, then attended an appointment where two career counselors discussed the results with me. They asked me more questions and explained the meaning behind the results. One of those tests was the Meyer’s Brigg’s test, and my result was INTJ. After reading more about what it meant, and especially about the potential weaknesses of this type, suddenly all my struggles started to make sense - and I was not flawed. I was simply attempting to open a door to a career path that highly favoured people whose strengths were all my weaknesses. I started to recall exact moments during interviews where I had “messed up” (from the interviewer perspective). The more I thought about it, the more my rejection from the Physiotherapy program made complete sense. Most of my answers were focused on objective criteria, research, and creative ideas when they should have been focused on client feelings, present moment criteria, and tried and true methods. After this experience, personality typing became a small guilty pleasure hobby that I occasionally indulged in, but usually amounted to “high brow” gossiping.

Luckily during this same timeframe, I had discovered a new “spark” inside. I volunteered for a small startup that created an iOS application for rehabilitating stroke survivors, and found the design process very interesting. I also took a course called Computers for Kinesiologists. I really enjoyed the programming portion, so much so that I decided to take an Intro to Programming continuing education course, and I really liked that course too. I could feel the allure of the unknown pulling me towards computer programming and eventually I took the leap and applied for the Information Technology Software Development program at a polytechnic school.

At school, one of the classes focused on career planning, which included taking a personality test. Once again I got INTJ (the only one in my class). This time was a bit different because of my previous experiences and interest in the subject. Now I understood what the results meant and I felt more interested in learning the theories behind it, and analyzing how it showed up in my life. It helped that a couple other people also took interest in it and were willing to indulge me in analytical analysis (once again, high brow gossip). But alas, my focus shifted again towards graduation and getting a job in this new field. To my surprise and happiness, I received job offers almost immediately after graduation. It felt so much easier than my previous experience. I felt confident, like all my strengths were exactly what employers were looking for. My weaknesses seemed barely noticeable; sometimes like they were also strengths. I began my career as a software developer!

On one particular team, we had a little bit of fun taking the 16 personalities quiz. Interestingly enough, our team results were very diverse! I again typed as INTJ. This time, I could compare the type my coworkers received to how I perceived them and how they solved problems. The introvert vs extrovert differences were most obvious and predictable. The S vs N dichotomy was more predictable if I worked closely with someone to solve a problem and our problem solving styles were very different - or if they focused on details or steps in the sequence of plan vs the end goal. The F/T dichotomy was much less obvious to me (not predictable), and the P/J dichotomy was only predictable for people who were highly organized or very conscientious (not all Js, but always J types). 

Fast forward a number of years… my interest in personality theory comes and goes in waves. In the last year I have been riding another wave of interest in the subject. Diving deeper into the theories including the cognitive functions and type stacks. Learning the differences between various interpretations of the same idea, and evolving my understanding and analysis to uncover new ideas and perspectives on various situations in my life. I have many new questions and paths to explore. I also can’t help but wonder how I have changed so much and yet “not at all”. Understanding personality theory has helped me develop more empathy towards how other people think. It has also helped me identify and work on my weaknesses. At the very least, it continues to provide me with a lot of mind entertainment.

N vs S: Self Awareness During Problem Solving

I have now worked as a software developer for over 10 years. During this time I have had several profound moments of self awareness when it comes to cognition. Most of these moments happened when working closely with a coworker who seemingly used the opposite problem solving "strategy" (in terms of cognition). Normally, awareness of how we think tends to be unconscious - we just do it, in whichever way comes most easily to us, and maybe we might reflect on it later. My interest in MBTI has helped me become more conscious of how I think, and occasionally, if I slow down and notice, I can realize when I'm preferring a certain cognitive function over another.

 As an INTJ, I tend to rely on Ni (introverted intuition) often. I excel at reverse engineering, tend to "see" the conclusion first, then piece together information (jumping around, out of sequence) until a path to the goal finally materializes. The vast majority of them time this process is totally out of my conscious awareness. Before I started recognizing it consciously, I had several baffeling interactions with coworkers and project partners. I often wondered why someone was getting hung up on a detail or step that I viewed as irrelevant to the end goal (perhaps this was Ni - Te pushing to come to an objective conclusion). Sometimes I would think something in frustration along the lines of  "don't worry about that. We'll figure it out later - meet me at the next part". This usually occurred when my coworker preferred their Si (introverted sensing) function. Si tends toward step by step processing, concerned with gathering details and applying information from previous experiences. It helps with tasks that require a methodical approach where current and past data is compared to better inform decisions.

From my perspective, Si is like a having a strongly typed programming language running. It enforces type rules and catches errors at compile time in order to prevent errors later. Ni is opposite, allowing implicit  type conversions, which means faster compile time but probably more errors. 

With more experience and more self reflection and awareness, I started to recognize  Ni vs Si conflicts playing out during my interactions. I realized that sometimes that detail the other person was hung up on had the potential to become important later, or reveal a different path altogether if explored. To put on the brakes, I need to activate Ne-Ti and explore the possibilities in the process with more curiosity. Here are a couple stories that illustrate this phenomenon and hopefully show my growth as problem solver and software developer too:

Story 1: Gathering Evidence vs "Psychic" Phenomenon

One time the whole team had to jump in to solve a problem in production. I immediately recognized the location of the problem as being related to a recent change I had seen in a merge request. The change touched code that had the potential to effect that specific functionality of the app. I looked through the recently merged changes and immediately picked out that one. A quick glance at the code confirmed this change could have the result we saw in production (as I visualized it). "This is the one" I said. If we revert this change we can fix this issue. I jumped on a call with another team member and told them my thoughts with confidence. They insisted we go through each recent change one at a time to identify which change caused the issue. It felt like my insight was dismissed or ignored completely. As the pain stakingly slow and tedious process dragged on, I could feel myself becoming increasingly annoyed, and anxious as we got closer to the change I originally identified. Finally we reverted that change and sure enough it fixed the issue. I could feel the "I told you so" raging behind my pursed lips, but I also knew my coworker was right about the process. We required concrete evidence that proved without a doubt that that specific change was the one responsible for the error. Unfortunately "I just know" or an explanation about what the code does would not be enough to convince anyone who didn't know the code intimately or didn't believe in the power of the Ni cognitive function (haha).  This experience helped me realize the value of a methodical approach to problem solving especially when there's a need to justify a decision with concrete proof.

Story 2: Problem Solving Together from the Outside In

I took on a time sensitive task that involved remote configuration. A process totally new to me. I had a very short window to learn how to do it, get it done and into production. I had pieces of the puzzle floating around in my mind (and literally open in a number of tabs in my browser.) I started building the metaphorical puzzle.... At first glance it looked simple - but as I examined further I found several missing pieces. No problem. I asked around a couple questions, got some answers, including step by step documentation, and forged ahead. Then a coworker contacted me interested in learning how to do the task I was working on. I jumped on a call with them and I tried to explain my progress so far, but sheepishly realized I had no idea what I was doing (it's also a very Ni stereotype to be unable to explain your process). I jumped around to various steps...Perhaps my coworker noticed but they didn't let on. They were reading the step by step document and asking questions about each step. I realized I was ahead, but had skipped a couple important steps. We did those things as we went (all while screen sharing).  Eventually we completed the task. In the humble realization of just how many important steps I had missed, I felt a lot of gratitude for my co-worker and their approach to the task. I felt as if we had literally completed a puzzle together - like they had joined me just at the right time to hand me the missing pieces. Upon further reflection I realized most of the steps I had figured out were at the end of the process, like I had naturally been working backwards. Meanwhile my coworker stepped through the process from the beginning forwards, and we happily met in the middle. Later, to my surprise, my coworker thanked me for the knowledge transfer.

Analyzing Different S Type Personalities in My Life

Here Is compare the different people close to me who i suspect have S type personalities. An ISFJ, ISFP, and an ISTJ. If I compare them by their cognitive function stack it looks like this: 

ISFP: Fi > Se > Ni > Te

ISFJ: Si > Fe > Ti > Ne

ISTJ: Si > Te > Fi > Ne 

For the sake of privacy, names have been changed. I'll call ISFP Marie, ISFJ Nora, and ISTJ Kris. 

Nora and Kris have a history of tension, especially when it comes to making plans.  Nora has auxiliary function Fe which is related to valuing and maintaining group harmony (even if it overrides her personal preference). Kris is Te auxiliary which is related to maintaining objective rules/organization/planning. After looking at their function stack I suspect this difference is the main reason they have such a hard time planning things with each other. Similarly their tertiary functions are opposite - Kris's Fi helps maintain personal values/authenticity while Nora's Ti deals with her internal logic. Add to this that they both have Ne as their inferior function which is often the one that comes out during stress. Ne deals with making connections about the external world and can manifest as "suspicion" or doubt about meanings. So when Kris and Nora try to make plans one is trying to uphold an objective set of rules that aligns with their personal beliefs and the other is trying to create/maintain harmony that aligns with their inner logic. Both are suspicious and doubting the meaning of each others communication, potentially drawing conclusions or making connections that aren't really there and "reading between the lines" (I have witnessed it first hand haha).

Comparing Marie & Nora

Fi dominant Marie leads from a feeling of authenticity (does this align with my values?), auxiliary function is Se which relates to seeing the world as is and appreciating via senses (she's very nature oriented, likes fancy things, good at art and diy). Ni is about how you interpret the relationship/meaning of what you perceive according to your own internal perspective (like your own mental map), and Te is external organizing. Si dominant (Nora & Kris) lead from a place of "what's familiar, what works - tried and true, tradition, and remembering details of the present moment". This is probably why Marie seems more open to change or more independent minded than either Nora or Kris, and why she might perceive the others as controlling/rigid. Nora is much more family and business oriented than Marie.  While they're both very reserved, often altruistic, and very perceptive about details in the present moment (like cleanliness, fashion), Nora adheres more strictly to tradition and family values, and seems more rigidly tied to those values. Her choices very often consider "what will others think", while Marie is a "free spirit".

I recently went on two separate vacations to the same destination, one with Nora and one with Marie. The difference between these two people in the same environment inspired this analysis. Previously I was certain that both people were "F" types (but on the fence about the J/P dichotomy), but how that F shows up according to the function stack is very different (and it I think my experience reflects this). Nora (Si > Fe), albeit less familiar with the vacation destination often seemed uneasy or uncertain about trying new restaurants and activities, but she always went along with the group if we expressed that we wanted to do those things. Every morning she asked, "what's the plan?" And I'm reluctantly accepted "we'll see, were on vacation" (we probably caused her more stress than we realized).

Next trip was with Marie, who I had typed as an F, but did not consider the function stack. I actually assumed her and Nora were the same type because they have many similarities, despite a few obvious differences I could never quite put my finger on. I assumed Marie's judgements were Fe based, so I was surprised when she made several decisions that I felt were inconsiderate. A couple mornings during our vacation we discussed our plans for the day, and I made sure to communicate our whereabouts so we could meet up and go for lunch or do activities together. Several times (multiple days) I sent messages to check where Marie was only to discover she had gone ahead with a different plan (already had lunch somewhere else, decided to go somewhere different or do a totally different activity) and had not communicated that to me. We ended up doing many more things separately than together. Technically Fe is not in her stack despite being F (although I still suspect it's a strongly developed shadow function for her). She makes decisions first according to how she feels, whereas Nora would make the decisions first by what's familiar to her supported by how she thinks the group feels.

Interestingly, I realized that Marie (Fi > Se > Ni > Te) and her husband (married for over 45 years) share the same cognitive functions but in different orders. He is INTJ: Ni > Te > Fi > Se.

Nora (Si > Fe > Ti > Ne) and her husband (who I suspect is ESTP: Se  > Ti > Fe > Ni), also married for many years, have inverted functions of the same type.

 I suspect Kris's  (Si > Te > Fi > Ne)  husband is an ESTJ: Te > Si > Ne It's interesting to note that if I'm correct then they also share the same functions but in different order.

Maybe I should become a match maker based on MBTI? Wouldn't that be a grift.

After doing this analysis I feel like I have gained some insight on these three people and their chosen behaviors. I think the most important part of learning MBTI is not whetherit's accurate, but that it helps people gain empathy for ourselves and others through imagining and describing how other people might think and make decisions.

MBTI Binaries

This entry is inspired by this Reddit post: 

https://www.reddit.com/r/mbti/s/ufZUb7wvcc

I've been thinking about this post for awhile now.

I think all my family members (myself, spouse, and kids) are ANTD

Ambiverts, N dominant, T dominant, D (balanced J/P)

We could be: 

INTJ : Ni > Te > Fi > Se

INTP: Ti > Ne > Si > Fe

ENTJ: Te > Ni > Ne > Fi

ENTP: Ne > Ti > Fe> Si

Using this tally pointing system (1 point for dom, 0.75 aux, 0.5 3rd, 0.25 inferior) based on where the cognitive functions like in each stack:

Ne: 3 = 2.25

Ni: 2 = 1.75

Ti: 2 = 1.75

Te: 2 = 1.75

Si: 2 = 0.75

Fi: 2 = 0.75

Fe: 2 = 0.75

Se: 1 = 0.25

Translated to cognitive function stack: 

Ne >= Ni = Te = Ti > Fi = Fe = Si > Se

That actually lines up really nicely with these results for myself:

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The F vs T Co-trainers Story

This story explores the influence of differences in judgement type (T vs F) . Here I compare myself (INTJ) to an INFJ friend. This happened while we were both in university and before I had delved into MBTI more seriously. 

I had asked my friend to help with a volunteer leadership role (as co-leader). She agreed, but we were both very busy in university so we "kind of forgot" about it until the night before the first session. I realized we were unprepared so I stayed up late that evening to create a plan. I was worried we would come off unprepared and lose the respect of the group we were trying to lead.

The next day went well. I introduced us both and did a basic orientation. People seemed to enjoy it, but afterwards my friend started giving me the cold shoulder. It came as a total surprise to me. I had no idea what I had done wrong. I confronted her directly to ask if she was mad at me about something. Turns out my friend was angry that I hadn't included her in the planning process. I tried to explain my rationale (after all, if I hadn't had planned something quickly the night before, we would have had to improvise on the spot and who knows how that would have turned out). Going forward we set up a meeting to plan together before each season. It turned out our "styles" were very different (mine was task oriented, hers was feelings oriented - with lots of group check ins). I think we both felt like we were compromising on our vision of these sessions. It was a learning experience to say the least, but ultimately I think our different approaches and reactions to the situation were a result of the T/F difference. I still feel if the situation had been reversed I would have felt relief that the other person had stepped up and we didn't show up totally unprepared. My feelings would not have been top of mind, and obviously when I made the decision to go ahead with my plan I had assumed (wrongfully) she would have the same reaction. Perhaps at the end of the day, it benefited the group to have exposure to two different styles of coaching. 

Admittedly, my task oriented style of training could have used a bit of tweaking to accommodate the feelings of participants (especially once I moved on from university students to special populations and the general public and earned the nickname "the task master"). My  INFJ friend eventually became a therapist, and I believe she chose the absolute perfect profession for her personality (she seems to be thriving!). I ended up going back to school and becoming a software engineer (a bit of a pivot from our kinesiology roots).

The S vs N Pool Story

This post is a slightly adapted version of a post I made on Reddit hoping (erroneously) for some engagement exploring practical examples of cognitive function types: https://www.reddit.com/r/mbti/s/VgvCvppnj7

I find it very intriguing, even fun, to analyze various situations in my life and how the different people involved reacted from a personality theory perspective. I'm also a fan of practical examples of theory.

Recently I experienced a situation that to me exemplified sensor vs intuitive preference. I try to take an objective approach in delivering this story in an attempt to avoid "type bias" that seems to prevade many MBTI spaces on Reddit.

The story: 

4 adults and 2 kids (including me) entered a swimming pool. The first thing we saw was a posted sign on the hot tub that said "closed for cleaning". The hot tub was empty of people, but still filled with water, and there was a small blue and yellow object floating in it. 

No one said anything at that moment. We went on to swim in the cool pool and later sat in a different hot tub. It was only then that a member of the pool staff approached us holding the blue and yellow thing that has been floating in the closed hot tub earlier. The staff member asked if it was ours, then gave it to us. It was a kid's toy - a little blue octopus with yellow tentacles. We said it was not ours but the kids were happy to play with it anyways. The adults immediately started discussing what they thought that thing was when we had first entered the pool. Two of us are N type and 2 are S type. Both N types had thought it was something related to cleaning the hot tub (a pH tester, or a chemical dispenser). Both S types thought it was a pool dart left behind by a kid. I thought it was very interesting how the N type thinkers unconsciously looked for connections between the wholistic picture (assuming the object was somehow related to the cleaning sign), while the S type people studied the detail of the object in the present moment coming to a conclusion about that specific object separately from the things around it. 

You can see how both styles of thinking could be beneficial or not in a given situation. In this situation the N types were less accurate in assessing what that object was, making false assumptions, but had it been a different scenario where context was important (perhaps a safety scenario), it could have been beneficial to make the connection. The S type's assessments were closer to reality in this case.

Welcome to INTegrated JuXtaPosition (iamtbot 2.0)

I have left the previous posts intact as a momento. As you can see they're over a decade old, and as you can imagine, a lot has changed. That being said, if you're an MBTI enthusiast like me, you might suspect that the foundational undercurrents of life that brought me here, remain strong. Hence the new name: INTegrated JuXtaPosition.  At first, it seems contradictory. Juxtaposition emphasizes separation and contrast, while integration emphasizes unity and cohesion. Together, "integrated juxtaposition,” describes a purposeful bringing together of contrasting elements in a way that forms a cohesive or meaningful whole. In this blog, I will explore life from varying the perspectives (often considering the interplay between the logical me and the creative me, or other seemingly opposite selves), and often through an MBTI lens.

Why blogging?

I decided to revisit blogging because it turns out creative expression continues to play an important role in my life. Even when I attempt to limit social media (due to the endless scroll of distractions), I always seem to find my way back to it in some form, because it provides an outlet for my thoughts. Sure, I could buy a journal (and I have. Many actually...), but the convenience of apps (almost always available at my finger tips) and ease of typing makes it much easier to journal digitally. I have even tried adapting note taking apps as journals, but there's something a bit motivating, endearing (and challenging in terms of writing style) about the idea that someone might come across this and read it, if it's published online. As a late adopter of Reddit, I thought it might be a sort of middle ground between journaling and other social media styles (yelling at length into the void vs. short, concise yelling into the void), but I quickly discovered that's not exactly how it plays out. However, I also discovered a couple intriguing communities, especially the MBTI subreddits where people post interesting questions. I found myself wanting to reply, but realized my answers were much more journal like than "answers", straying off topic onto tangents often. I decided to try using Reddit questions as journal prompts and answer them here.

The Logical Creative

This post begins by discussing chalkboards (as a chalkboard has central significance to my story), but as with all my posts, you can expect a few tangents.  In this case, a little bit of information on a geographically relevant topic (to Calgary) and IT....

 Chalk boards have become a decor trend for offices and homes.  True to their purpose, chalkboards (and whiteboards) make for convenient, dynamic, and timely signage for ease of communication and engagement,  and in "Google spirit", provide another medium to encourage/inspire creativity. In my story, a chalkboard was a catalyst to opportunity... [queue dramatic fade in to memory sequence]...
     While attending an after-hours event at a local company's Google-esque office, I discovered their huge chalkboard wall covered with doodles and drawings by staff and their children.  I decided to add my own small piece of art by sketching a cute little Chameleon (pictured on right).  I figured it would make someone smile on Monday morning (unless they had a phobia of cute Chameleons... a risk I was willing to take).
    A couple weeks later I received a call from the office's head of marketing.  In less than a week the company planned to launch their re-brand and to add to the excitement, she wanted to surprise everyone with a large chalkboard mural encompassing the new company logo and name, and she wanted "someone who knows what they're doing" to make it.  I have to admit, I felt a stir of pride, and a flutter in my soul (enhanced later when I found out she had an educational background in art and design). I have always liked doing art, and especially negatives (where the canvas is dark, so to make a figure, you must add the light. Normally, when sketching, you create 3D shapes by shading the dark onto a light background). It blew my mind that someone had seen only a single drawing I did and decided I knew what I was doing, and enough to pay me to do it!  I gladly accepted despite my inexperience in creating murals.  It seemed like one of those LinkedIn posts about grabbing opportunities, with advice like "say yes now, and learn later". Her directions simply included a link to the company website, their logo, and the instruction to avoid changing the colors of the logo... [commercial break. Fade out of memory sequence. Now you're entering a dimly lit room of rich wood with a fire place, where I will tell you a small bit of info from a comfy arm red velvet chair]...
     Before I continue with my chalkboard art story, I want to deviate and provide some in depth background on the company, Ambyint.  During my studies in Information Technology, I did a presentation and essay on an emerging trend in technology.  I decided to explore technology in the oil industry because of its geographical relevance, and I started by researching an oil and gas service company that employed a few people close to me. Ambyint (formerly Pumpwell), specializes in oil and gas monitoring technology, which from an information technology perspective, incorporates MANY technologies. Data from specialized sensors on pump jacks (for example, pressure sensors) is sent from well sites to a central office where it is rendered into human readable graphs by specialized software.  People trained to understand how the data reflects the physical pumps can then communicate with well operators and help inform decisions that will reduce wear and tear on pump equipment, and extend the life of the well by improving pump efficiency.
       I like to imagine the process in terms of IT focus, beginning with the hardware, like the sensors, PLCs, and power located at the well site.  Then, the data travels through the "Telecommunications and Networking" focus. Some sites are so remote connection to the internet requires long range radio signals. However, most use the nearest cell tower, at which point, the data finds its way through the internet and into a database. Then the software turns it into valuable information using complex algorithms.  Read my essay, here (pdf), for more in depth information, and/or view this presentation (pdf) to see pictures.
      Recently, Ambyint introduced a more advanced well monitoring technology that utilizes vast amounts of data collected from many wells and machine learning technology to automate pump control.  Such an innovation is timely in light of the declining oil economy, as company's look to maximize their production, improve efficiency, and lower costs (including travel to and maintenance of well sites). It also rides the Big Data wave sweeping tech media, and the "Internet of Things" craze now entering the mainstream conscious.  I highly recommend visiting Ambyint's "Latest News" section to learn more about their product and direction.
         I have decided to save the plethora of thoughts I have about Big Data and IoT for a different blog post (or two), and machine learning seems like a rabbit hole I'm willing to go down as well. Now where was I? Back to the chalkboard story... [queue fade]...

On Friday and Saturday night I planned a 9ft tall by 26 ft wide chalkboard design. I scaled the logo and made a list of supplies like a meter stick, level, chalk (of all colours), tape, and a smudging sponge. I even researched how to paint murals to avoid common errors. Sunday and Monday evening, Ravi (my most wonderful helper!) and I worked continuously to ensure the wall looked professional. The process and result are pictured below.

Day 1:

Andrea helped Ravi and I put up the tape lines.  As a trained artist (ACAD) and a creative marketing manager with an eye for design and a flare for artistic freedom, Andrea was baffled by my use of levels, measuring sticks, and calculations for this project.  I told her it was important to me that the design was precise as I know Ambyint is a predominantly engineering minded company, to which she understood (maybe all too well!). This discussion inspired the title of this blog, "The Logical Creative".

 During the process, neither Andrea or Ravi knew "the vision", but they helped without complaint, and for that I am grateful.  Perhaps the element of surprise intrigued them, but they could have easily been very frustrated following my steps while not knowing the ultimate goal. I would like to think I chose to withhold that information to create suspense, but it probably has more to do with the fact I did not do a sketch before hand, the design was closely inspired by the Ambyint website, and the vision really was all stored in my head (haha, sorry!).

Day 2:
   

Ravi and I 

The final product turned out very well! I also heard good things about the positive staff reaction the following business day. Congratulations Ambyint!

International Yoga Day, Health and IT

June 21st was officially international yoga day.  You may have seen pictures of Parliament Hill and/or Time Square lined with yoga mats and eager participants. 2015 marked the first annual yoga day officially recognized by the United Nations, with the goal of uniting participants across the world in the quest for physical, spiritual, and mental well being. On Sunday morning, I woke up bright and early to participate in an  International Yoga Day event  hosted by the Art of Living at the Calgary Red and White Club with many other people. We did  two hours of yoga and meditation. A great way to start the day! I went to work afterwards feeling more positive and relaxed.

If you click on the Om symbol on the third carousel panel on my website, IAMTBOT.com, the statement "Yoga practice: positive, calm, focused, and flexible" appears. I chose to represent this side of me in my professional profile because I think it tells a lot about me, even from a professional standpoint. Before I decided to pursue IT, I conducted a few informal informational interviews with people I knew working in the industry.  I asked questions like, "what qualities do successful software developers have?" or "what quality do you think is most important for success in IT?".  The general consensus confirmed the attitude of perseverance as a top quality.  Perseverance is defined as persistence in the face of challenges, or endurance despite difficulty or delay in success. Thus, software development is a lot like yoga because both require perseverance. The #1 point from this article "8 Things No One Tells You About Doing Yoga" talks about how people call yoga a practice. Why? because it takes practice! Much like learning to program.  To me, practicing and perseverance in anything reflects dedication and a desire to do better, to try new things, and develop skills. Sometimes practice is boring, difficult, or frustrating and a test of patience and commitment, but in the end, it pays off.  A book I read called "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell discussed some the commonalities among people who have experienced great success.  According to the book, those who become experts/elite in any field, put in 10 000 hours of practice or more to get there.  Practice provides the opportunity to work on problems and discover creative solutions. So I like to think that my yoga practice parallels my technical practice. With perseverance I can continue to learn and develop my skills. Not only that, but I can also work towards better mental clarity - the kind that comes with patience and experience.

Another reason I chose to include my International Yoga Day experience in my tech blog is because I think it can help! As a Software Developer, I have first hand experience dealing with uncomfortable posture related issues as the result of long hours spent on the computer and/or improper ergonomics. Luckily, I also have a degree in Kinesiology, so I understand the problem from an anatomical perspective (I even did a presentation to my IT class mates in a Communications class about "Computer Neck" and how to manage/prevent/fix it). The solution is exercise and proper ergonomics (click here for some exercise examples). So, what better activity to do than yoga, which has a strong focus on posture? ( Pilates is pretty good too).

I also want to spread the message that you CAN be active AND a computer nerd (despite what some people think. I have plenty of stories about people doubting my intelligence because I workout, which makes no sense in the face of scientific evidence that suggests otherwise). I like to believe that most IT people are smart people (IT requires constant learning and adaptation). Smart people take time to educate themselves in order to grow (in their careers, relationships, hobbies, and life). Tonnes of evidence suggests that active employees are more productive, happier, and take less sick days (healthier).  In addition, exercise helps reduce stress and anxiety, brings nutrients to the brain, and promotes energy, vitality, and confidence. Yoga improves/maintains your flexibility (ROM, range of motion) into your old age, strengthens your muscles, and has the added benefit of meditation, which clears your mind and helps you focus.  Therefore, I think, it's in any IT person's best interest to consider becoming more active. Don't fall into a trap of creating self limiting rules, or giving into fears, because of a stereotype (jump in as if you're learning a new programming language!).  I'm here to tell you that you can be active, play sports, and have 3.9 GPA in your Information Technology studies. Speaking of stereotypes, here's a funny meme that I hope inspires you to step outside your invisible boundaries and enjoy the complexity of life:

In other news...
The international tech community participated in International Yoga Day too! Tech Mahindra, an Indian Information Technology company, launched idayofyoga.org, in order to connect the international community and provide yoga resources. For more information read this article: Tech Mahindra Supports International Yoga Day. 

At this time in history, with the increased precision of technology, globalization, and increasing awareness of social/health issues and alternative therapies, scientists have started to study some very interesting ideas like "Corporate Yoga" and how exercise helps with almost everything. I have comprised the following small list of links to various studies/resources exploring some ideas (if you're not going to read any of this, then at least watch this YouTube video):
Effect of Yoga on Muskuloskeletal Discomfort and Motor Functions in Professional Computer Users
Impact of Adoption of Yoga Way of Life on the Emotional Intelligence of Managers
Implications of Corporate Yoga
Exercise and Children's Intelligence, Cognition, and Academic Achievement 
Comparison of Adult Exercisers and Non-Exercisers on Fluid Intelligence and Selected Physiological Barriers
Cardiovascular Fitness is associated with Cognition in Young Adulthood
Effect of Yoga on Self-Rated Visual Discomfort in Computer Users

I could probably spend hours on Google Scholar...