16 Types Part 3: Going deeper with the cognitive functions
Be sure to read Part 2 before diving into this article.
Since the four letters of your 16 Types (Myers-Briggs®) personality type don’t provide room for differences among people who share the same letter, then what’s the deeper level that can help you live more purposefully and intentionally?
The four letters of your personality type can be helpful, but it’s even more important to understand the layer underneath those letters—your mental functions. In this article, and moving forward, I’ll refer to them as “cognitive functions.”
The cognitive functions that live underneath the four letters of your 16 Types personality further reveal the styles of learning (perceiving) and decision-making (judging) that are most natural to you.
As mentioned in Article 1, Carl Jung identified four basic cognitive functions in his book, Psychological Types. These functions are Thinking, Feeling, Sensing, and Intuition. He further described each of these functions as either interacting with the inner world (making some functions introverted) or the outer world (making some functions extraverted). This means that in total, there are eight cognitive functions. While we can use each of these functions at times, we consider the first four functions of your personality type—the ones to which you have the most access—as your cognitive function stack.
The eight cognitive functions are:
Introverted Thinking (Ti) - decision-making based on Thinking that’s oriented inward
Extraverted Thinking (Te) - decision-making based on Thinking that’s oriented outward
Introverted Feeling (Fi) - decision-making based on Feeling that’s oriented inward
Extraverted Feeling (Fe) - decision-making based on Feeling that’s oriented outward
Introverted Sensing (Si) - learning based on Sensing that’s oriented inward
Extraverted Sensing (Se) - learning based on Sensing that’s oriented outward
Introverted Intuition (Ni) - learning based on Intuition that’s oriented inward
Extraverted Intuition (Ne) - learning based on Intuition that’s oriented outward
We typically refer to these functions by the shorthand abbreviations shown in parentheses above. This includes the first letter of the function (T for Thinking, for example), followed by a small “i” or “e” to indicate the direction of the function (introverted or extraverted). As a side note, N is used for Intuition since the I is already used for Introversion.
A few points to remember about cognitive functions:
There are eight cognitive functions in total.
Rather than identifying your personality type by your four letter preferences only, it’s more important to use the first four cognitive functions you use to verify your16 Types personality.
These first four functions include two decision-making (judging) functions and two perceiving (learning) functions.
Each function’s overall ability and behavior depends on whether it’s the person’s Dominant (first), Auxiliary (second), Tertiary (third), or Inferior (fourth) function in the order of your cognitive functions (more about this in Part 4).
The 16 personality types in this system are created by the various orders and combinations of these first four functions.
THE DECISION-MAKING FUNCTIONS
Decision-making functions are also called the judging functions. Instead of simply meaning “judgmental,” it's more like a judge who declares her decision with a strike of her gavel. Judging, in this context, means deciding.
Each personality type has an overall preference for the kind of information they like to use when making decisions. This preference is represented by either a T or an F in your four-letter personality code.
Thinking (T)
If you have an overall preference for Thinking (T), it means that while you may consider how your decisions impact yourself and others, you will ultimately make your decision from a perspective that’s mostly impersonal and detached from emotions. Overall, you're more likely to make your decisions based on what makes logical sense to you, what’s reasonable, and/or what works.
There are two types of Thinking functions that determine where this more detached data originates. These functions are Introverted Thinking (Ti) and Extraverted Thinking (Te).
Introverted Thinking (Ti) - This Thinking function makes decisions based on inner-world criteria, namely what makes sense to the user. It values logical thought processes and congruence of thought, so this function wants to remove any inconsistent thoughts and beliefs.
Extraverted Thinking (Te) - This Thinking function makes decisions based on outer-world criteria such as what will work in the outer world, what’s effective, how it can be a resource for others, how it can provide resources to solve problems, and what will help reach a goal. It manages resources in order to make the most effective decisions to reach a desired outcome.
Feeling (F)
If you have an overall preference for Feeling (F), it means that while you may consider the more detached Thinking data, you'll ultimately make your decision based on more emotional and personal data such as how your decision will impact you, a group, and/or a set of values (yours or a group's).
There are two types of Feeling functions which determine where this more personal data originates. These functions are Introverted Feeling (Fi) and Extraverted Feeling (Fe).
Introverted Feeling (Fi) - This Feeling function makes decisions based on what feels right to the user. Because it’s oriented inward, what "feels right" is based on the person's values, interests, and personal ethics or code of conduct. It makes decisions based on what creates an inner alignment or honors a deep inner conviction.
Extraverted Feeling (Fe) - Because of its external orientation, this Feeling function makes decisions based on what will get the needs of a group met, what will create group harmony, and what will develop or keep a high morale. In order to do this, it gauges the emotional temperature of a group.
Because all people think and all people feel, keep in mind that you will use one of the Thinking functions as well as one of the Feeling functions from above.
THE LEARNING FUNCTIONS
The learning functions are also called perceiving functions. These functions tell us what kind of information a person focuses on when learning or processing things.
Each personality type has an overall preference for the kind of information they value most when learning or processing things. This preference is represented by either an S or an N in your four-letter personality code.
Sensing (S)
If you have an overall preference for Sensing (S), you'll tend to focus more on what is already known, experienced, or observable. This style of perceiving may focus on your past or present experiences to learn and understand, or it may rely on the experiences of others.
There are two types of Sensing functions, and the one you use will determine where the sensory data originates.
The Sensing functions are Introverted Sensing (Si) and Extraverted Sensing (Se).
Introverted Sensing (Si) - This Sensing function mentally records events and then reviews those experiences and memories to gain new understandings. Over time, this style of sensing builds an internal library of experiences that provide knowledge and understanding.
Extraverted Sensing (Se) - This in-the-moment Sensing function also learns from experience, but those experiences are in the present and in the external environment. For this style of sensing, something becomes real or trustable when it can be seen or experienced.
Intuition (N)
If you have an overall preference for Intuition (N), you'll tend to focus more on the unknown rather than what you already know or can experience. This includes what can be inferred, what could be, and what you learn by observing patterns. Intuition is about making leaps in understanding without needing to fill in all the blanks with concrete or existing information.
The Intuition Functions are Introverted Intuition (Ni) and Extraverted Intuition (Ne).
Introverted Intuition (Ni) - This intuitive function is directed toward the inner world as it watches its own mind form patterns, and the overarching theme or concept holds more weight than single experiences or details. It future paces or constantly runs mental simulations in order to identify the most likely path or outcome in the future. It takes a zoomed-in approach by going down one path to close loops when learning.
Extraverted Intuition (Ne) - This intuitive function is directed toward the outer world by brainstorming and iterating on ideas, considering new possibilities, and exploring the question of, “What if?” It takes a zoomed-out perspective in order to identify interesting connections and desires to open and explore new loops when learning.
Because all people learn from both Sensing and Intuition, keep in mind that you will use one of the Sensing functions as well as one of the Intuition functions from above.
KEEP IN MIND...
As mentioned above, everyone thinks and feels, and everyone uses both Sensing and Intuition. You must be able to do each of these things to function in the world.
While the letters in your four-letter type code indicate your overall preference for T or F and S or N, you have one function each for Thinking, Feeling, Sensing, and Intuition in your cognitive function stack.
For example, the cognitive function stack for the ISFP type is:
Introverted Feeling (Fi)
Extraverted Sensing (Se)
Introverted Intuition (Ni)
Extraverted Thinking (Te)
Notice that the ISFP type has all four basic cognitive functions represented: Feeling, Sensing, Intuition, and Thinking. In the graphic for this type, you read the functions in a clockwise order starting with the Dominant function in the upper left.
Sometimes people will think they prefer Sensing and Intuition equally, or they may feel that they learn from Sensing and Intuition equally. When a person identifies with both sides of a dichotomy equally, it typically means that their Sensing and Intuition functions (or Thinking and Feeling functions) are located right next to each other in their cognitive function stack (the first four functions of your personality type).
In this ISFP example, you can see that the Sensing and Intuition functions are right next to each other as the Auxiliary (second) and Tertiary (third) functions. It’s common for people with ISFP preferences to relate to both functions.
As another example, the ENFP’s cognitive function stack includes:
Extraverted Intuition (Ne)
Introverted Feeling (Fi)
Extraverted Thinking (Te)
Introverted Sensing (Si)
In the ENFP’s first four functions, which you read clockwise in the graphic starting with the Dominant function, you can see that the Feeling and Thinking functions are right next to each other. In some cases, an ENFP may have a very strong relationship with their Thinking function (Extraverted Thinking) and therefore identify as having an overall preference for Thinking.
To help you better understand how the cognitive functions in your cognitive function stack are connected, read about the Car Model in Part 4 »