Socionics: An Introductory Guide To Its Elements And Nature

Socionics: An Introductory Guide To Its Elements And Nature

Socionics is essentially a system within the human psyche in which information is passed from one compartment to another, thereby reflecting in social behavior and establishing social roles. As information within this system communicates, communication in the outer realm is also facilitated.

Think of this system today as an office, where letters containing information are passed from department to department based on a hierarchy. The formation of these departments and how information is passed and digested is called information metabolism, and this is what differentiates, or rather permutes, different orders and combinations within the system.

Information Elements.

Now that we've covered what socionics is, let's talk about the elements in the system that interact with each other. We call these 'Information Elements.' These elements are demarcated by four principal concepts that shape the world: The Space within which we live and inhabit, the time that progresses with the space marking our events, the objects themselves inhabiting this space, and the energy generated from these objects interacting with one another.

Let us imagine fabric and beads. We keep the fabric wavy and throw the beads in it or have them scattered. The fabric is the sensate; the beads are Logic; the collision and sounds produced by the beads interacting are ethics, and finally, the potential energy of the beads is measured by intuition.

How do we apply this to reality? 

Now imagine the plane before you, look at the manifest before your eyes, and regard that as sensing. The graspable and the concrete, content that can be understood through the five senses. The sensate is life itself and the secular.

The Logic is the fact. The principle behind the objects in this space, their explanation, the reason behind them, the classification. Recall your science textbooks and seeing the different classification of phenomena behind them and the facts or explanations. It's the study, the study of objects within these planes, and understanding how they act within systems, impersonally.

Ethics is energy; these are of social nature. These are the relationships between objects and the emotions or rather, ethical-aesthetic criteria of these objects. The intersection of ethical considerations with aesthetic judgments or values. 'What is good or bad,' 'What I like and don't like.' It relates to the sentiments within these systems.

Intuition refers to the intangible aspects of life. The metaphysical and psychical aspects of nature. The potential of the events and objects happening within these systems. Things unseen or foreseen, the potentiality, and progression of these systems or information.

Introversion/Extraversion

How I'm going to describe introversion and extroversion is through the flow of mental energy and focus. This flow of energy determines the user's scope and view of the object or information (Intuition, Logic, Sensing, and Ethics). For the extroverted, physical energy or focus is spread upon the object **as it is**. The qualities and intricate details of the object are not necessarily manipulated but are expounded upon. It is the expansive and objective dichotomy of how information can be expressed or received. The physical energy and focus here move outwardly; they interact with the object but do not seek to dominate it or relinquish any personal sentiments or criteria towards it; the extravert looks outward and focuses outside the self. Now the introvert is the opposite; here, the stream of focus flows back to the subjective and inner realms of the user. The qualities and intricacies regarding the object or information are manipulated and tweaked in order to fit the introvert's personal criteria. Only the self matters here, as the object as it is taken for granted. The focus moves inwardly.

Now, how do we get information elements? By, of course, stacking these on top of each other:
Introversion (I) x Logic (T) --> Ti
Extraversion (E) x Logic (T) --> Te
Introversion (I) x Ethics (F) --> Fi
Extraversion (E) x Ethics (F) --> Fe
Introversion (I) x Sensing (S) --> Si
Extraversion (E) x Sensing (S) --> Se
Introversion (I) x Intuition (N) --> Ni
Extraversion (E) x Intuition (N) --> Ne

How do we multiply them?
Well, if Thinking refers to, as we have said before, the principle behind the objects in this space, their explanation, the reason behind them, the classification, and facts, then the introvert takes this inward and fits or classifies this information into a structured and internally coherent system or compartments.

And if we see that in the extravert, we get the logic of the objective world, facts, and events, systemic reasoning, and the way the world and things work, utilitarianism. The reason and cause for environmental action and phenomena: its rationale and thought. It touches the information and uses it as it is in order to extrovert into the objective realm or world. To know the facts and the details as a universal or the imperial objective law.

Now, for Emotion, this would refer to the relationships between objects and the ethical-aesthetic axiomatic criteria used in order to define or understand these relationships or matters that would "burden the soul": what is "good and not good," "right and wrong," "like and dislike."

Introverted Ethics refers to the interpersonal relationship and distance you have with other ie "those that you like and dislike" "the types of people that you hold sentimental values for", as well as, beliefs and subjective ethical values that are completely personal and individualistic to the user.The visceral beliefs and ideologies of what is right and wrong, beautiful and ugly, good and evil; the concepts of faith, belief, God, freedom, immortality, innocence recall Fyodor Dostoevsky's "Beauty will save the world." This sentimental reasoning births the most inflamed and personalized ideals.

Extroverted Ethics refers to the culture, norms, and objective values or ethics in a general system. The societal or communal zeitgeist and appropriate or inappropriate behavior. Its theatricality and expression pass on the energy to the other as well as understanding the emotional stratospheres or moods and themes.

Rings and Layers

Now, as for the mental and vital rings, these are the spheres or orbits that dictate where and how we process or digest this information, i.e., consciously or unconsciously. The mental ring consciously takes in information and is fully aware of the information digestion process; it's deliberate and well accustomed by the user, whereas the vital ring processes and takes in information unconsciously and automatically. Consider yourself in the room where you read this. You can always see things in your peripheral vision, but you are not always conscious of them or the objects around you. However, when you purposefully look at objects, that is done deliberately and consciously. Think about the conscious processes in your body versus the unconscious and automatic processes that enable you as a whole—the conscious and unconscious aspects of the system.

Now, within these rings, we have blocks or layers (as I would like to call them) that decide the impact at which the elements affect the individual, and how they show up in presentation and how they perform (good or bad). In these blocks, there are functions of office, or positions. Positions should be compartments in which the functions are kept and held. Think of a treasure chest arranged in a certain order. Like we defined Socionics as the exchange of information of objects within a system. I think of a network that passes information from node to node; this is a sort of communication. Information in the Mental ring is passed in a clockwise manner, as you will see in the diagram, from the ego to the superego; the leading to creative, the creative to the role, the role to the polR, and the polR going right back to the leading. The vital, on the other hand, has its directions juxtaposing each other, moving from Super ID to ID—the suggestive to activating and demonstrative, and the ignoring to the activating and demonstrative as well.

 

The EGO block is strong and free. This is the block or layer of first contact with the character and its point of self-realization and ordinance, comprising both the leading and the creative.

The leading function is the crown of the character. His design, method, goals, and mindset are all established and hypertrophied here; it is his most preferred mode of moving, understanding, and what he breathes as a character. The most dominant aspect of the character's psyche and values.

The Creative is the Sword, the translator, the Wizard's wand. It's what the character uses to perform and realize the information held in the crown or the character's symbol. It's the point of donation and contact to others, his most generous area of strength and department; he forces his gifts in the faces of others, calling for a response.

The SuperEgo Block is weak and restricted, overly conscious and looking for the approval of others or sensitive to the prompting of others, like the chores you must do to tidy the house to welcome guests. It comprises the role and the PolR.

It's not to say the Role is filled with dire contempt; the character wishes to fulfill the instructions given here but only in the eyes of others. More often than not, he will forsake this function in favor of those above, as both functions cannot be used at the same time. The PolR would be the ulcer of the character, a department so impoverished he can only hope to admire those above who do well at their job. It's his vulnerable aspect and finds it difficult to engage with, as the functions and tools above do not quite fit the instructions given by this function.

The Super ID is free but still weak and impoverished. He tends to care to improve aspects in this area, but he is not as sensitive to criticism and the eyes of others compared to the Super Ego; he appreciates help in this department. The Super ID comprises the suggestive and activating functions.

The Suggestive is implied to seek others, the point that seeks ease in completion and wholeness. As the name implies, it's the point of suggestibility from others, whispering fanciful nothings into their ears, a form of entertainment found in others. A partner that compliments his deficiency and desire to grow, though very vulnerable to his environment in this department. The Activator holds the same sentiment in energizing the character but is not as easily accessible compared to the suggestive.

The ID block can hold itself, but it's ignored and discarded in most cases. It's the point of nonchalance and petty displays of showmanship the character finds unimportant and cheap. Consider this block to be the home of passive skills inherited from sharing the same dichotomy with the Ego functions. It contains the Ignoring and Demonstrative.

The Ignoring is ill-represented and lacks fertility. It's forsaken due to the excessive use of the dominant function and acts as its rival therefore making it impotent despite its potential. It's nonchalant and therefore weakened due to the suppression of the dominant. Despite there being products or signs of usage, the character finds this department to be unimportant in day-to-day interactions.

The Demonstrative is superfluous and whimsical, the talented child that does nothing with his gifts except petty showmanship. Understanding the intricacies and workings of this function is very good but ultimately not important enough to hold a dominant role in the character, only acting as a serval stool for higher functions.