There are several different ways to organize the types - look up socionics to see them - but there are two that, in my opinion, are the most important for personal growth. Let’s look at the first one, a type of grouping that I’ve come to call “houses;" socionics calls them “quadras." I’m including some socionics in these posts even though I don’t agree with a lot of it because there are some useful things to be learned, mainly thanks to their extensive observations of the types.
A house is made up of the types that share the same four conscious functions. There are four houses, with four types in each, and they are as follows:
The first house (socionics' "Alpha Quadra") is made up of the four types with the Fe/Ti and Si/Ne functions. These types are ENTP, INTP, ESFJ, and ISFJ. I’ve named this house Ash.
The second ("Beta Quadra”) is made up of the types with Fe/Ti and Se/Ni functions; the ENFJ, INFJ, ESTP, and ISTP types. This house is Yew.
The third (“Gamma Quadra”) is made up of the types with Fi/Te and Se/Ni functions; the ENTJ, INTJ, ESFP, and ISFP types. This house is Oak.
The fourth (“Delta Quadra”) is made up of the types with Fi/Te and Si/Ne functions; the ENFP, INFP, ESTJ, and ISTJ types. This house is Rowan.
I decided to name the groups after trees because I was looking for something fairly neutral; I didn’t want to run into the same problem that we have with the MBTI types where everyone uses their own terms (e.g. ISFP is called the Architect, Adventurer, Composer, Artist, or Peacemaker depending on who you ask). I also didn’t want to go with socionics’ naming convention which, although it’s descriptively neutral, is hierarchical (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta). Using different terms also avoids any association with incel nonsense as well, an added bonus. Also, I really like the idea of naming one grouping, this one, after trees and the other one after animals (which will be a later post.) Trees and animals are both fairly neutral and much more memorable than numbers or letters. Maybe someone else can come up with a better naming convention but for now this is what I’m going with. It’s been a lot of fun to research, too!
We can think of a house as our home, our tribe so to speak. People of the same house understand each other; even when they appear to be very different they all “speak the same language.” Take the fourth house, for example, House Rowan. The types in Rowan are: ESTJ, ISTJ, ENFP, and INFP, four very different types. ESTJ may be similar to ISTJ, as they share the same two top and bottom functions – same with the ENFPs and INFPs – but what could they all possibly have in common? The answer is, they share the same functions (Si, Ne, Fi, and Te). This means they think, feel, sense, and intuit in the same ways. So, even though each one has a different strength and weakness they all share a similar worldview and value system, and this makes them similar on a deep level. The same obviously goes for all the houses.
This underlying commonality especially holds true for types which are opposite each other; even though they may seem to have nothing in common they’re actually united on a deep level. In Rowan the two paired types are ESTJ/INFP and ISTJ/ENFP. One way this union shows itself is how we more and more value and more and more express characteristics of our opposite as we mature (if we mature that is). For example, “dreamy” INFPs are, in my experience, some of the most practical, down-to-earth people I’ve ever met. Their ESTJ shadow makes them concerned with safety and security, and to value and seek to bring about meaningful, practical change in the world. An INFP friend of mine – a woman who’s been an activist for her entire life – always says that if you’re not doing something concrete with your ideals, what use are they? Each type, if they’re able to successfully integrate their opposite, brings the best qualities of their opposite into their conscious personality, enlarging it and making it more complete.
One way to figure out the type opposite ours is simply by reversing each letter in the type: E↔I, S↔N, F↔T, and J↔P. Let’s take ISTP as an example:
The opposite of I (introversion) is E (extroversion)
The opposite of S (sensation) is N (intuition)
The opposite of T (thinking) is F (feeling)
The opposite of P (perception) is J (judging)
Therefore, the opposite of ISTP (Introverted Sensation Thinking Perceiver) is ENFJ (Extroverted iNtuitive Feeling Judger). Go here if you're interested in learning about these four dichotomies. If you're more visual I've made an easy graphic below; find your type and look to the opposite side of the wheel for its opposite. For example, you can see that ISTP's opposite is ENFJ.
People often reject the MBTI because they feel that it’s too shallow and restrictive which, if you’re limiting yourself to mainstream MBTI theory, is true. Our psyches are much more complex than just one type. An understanding of these opposites shows one facet of the many that exist in all of us.
The following are short description of the each of the four houses. I’ll be posting more in-depth explorations of them quite soon. Below is an alphabetical list of types and their houses for easy reference:
Ash
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| Connection, Wisdom, Surrender |
The members of Ash are the types with the Fe/Ti and Si/Ne functions (ENTP, INTP, ESFJ, and ISFJ). My name for the people of this house is the Philosophers, and their home is the Academy. House Ash’s patron is the great magician and trickster hero Gwydion. In socionics this the Alpha quadra. The philosophers are characterized by a drive to discover the truth for the good of humanity, along with a cheerful curiosity. They know that truth is truth, it can be understood, and ought to be used to make the world a better place for all. The gift of Ash is Wisdom
All things have spirit. We are not separate, but perhaps are part of something bigger and more unfathomable than we could ever imagine.- Shanon Sinn, Nuin (Ash) (Living Library)
Yew
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| Transference, Passage, Illusion |
The members of Yew are the types with the Fe/Ti and Se/Ni functions (INFJ, ENFJ, ISTP, and, ESTP). I call the people of this house the Cenobites, which means members of a religious order, female or male. The home of the Cenobites is the Monastery. The patron of House Yew is Badb Catha, goddess of life, enlightenment, wisdom, and inspiration. In socionics this is the Beta quadra. They have a conscientious, harmonizing attitude along with a drive to understand the world at its deepest level. The cenobites, similar to the philosophers, are also concerned with wisdom but specifically with the great questions of life and its meaning. The gift of this house is Conviction.
The yew bark holds ages of the trees history and character, all concealed behind an aloof and impassive posture. It exudes serenity and inspires deep and insightful thinking in all that encounter it and channel its energy.- Leah M. Bostwick, Yew Tree Symbolism (Sun Signs)
Oak
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| Strength, Stability, Nobility |
The members of Oak are those types with the Fi/Te and Se/Ni functions (INTJ, ENTJ, ISFP, and ESFP). I call these people the Aristocrats, and their home is the Castle. House Oak’s patron is Taranis, the kingly god of Thunder (basically Celtic Zeus). House Oak is characterized by the search for a personal, subjective standard along with a deep commitment to goals. The aristocrats have the power and conviction to reshape the world into one which aligns with their noble vision. The gift of House Oak is Honor.
Duir promises us the strength to speak the truth, to hold our ground, and to live a life braided with courage and honour. Oak is the tree of kings and queens.- Shanon Sinn, Duir (Oak) (Living Library)
Rowan
 |
| Protection, Expression, Connection |
[Image by Marguerite Dabaie]
House Rowan is made up of the types with the Fi/Te and Si/Ne functions (ENFP, INFP, ESTJ, and ISTJ). I call these types the Explorers, and their home is the wide, wild World. Their patron is the goddess Brigantia; the fire of creativity, the joy of summer, the flower of the land. Explorers have the same sense of individuality as Aristocrats but with the Philosophers’ questing spirit. They seek to experience and show others the beauty of this blessed world we live in. The gift of this house is Joy.
Rowan is able to flourish higher up on the mountains than most other trees. Closer to the sun and divine inspiration in this extreme environment, it yet retains its grace of form and its potential for healing. Exposed to the elements on solitary crags, it still produces blossom and berries to delight the eye and heal the body, bringing vibrant color and birdsong to the hills.- Rowan (The Goddess Tree)
So these are the four houses of the MBTI along with some short descriptions - I’ll be doing deep dives into each of the houses in later posts. Each of the houses is a home, the four members of the house forming a kind of family that may look different on the surface but share values and ways of looking at the world. And each has a special, sacred task that they’re asked by the universe to fulfill.
Posts
House Ash
House Yew
House Oak
House Rowan
Meyers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
Jungian MBTI
MBTI
The Cognitive Functions
The Function Roles
The Core Complexes
The Sodalities
How to type
Working with the MBTI
My MBTI story
For further reading
The Goddess Tree
Living Library
Michael Pierce
The Present Tree
Sociotype.com
In particular, I recommend checking out Michael Pierce's excellent videos on YouTube, whose work forms the basis of my understanding of the houses. Michael is one of my favorite MBTI people, along with CS Joseph, as the two of them have some of the most insightful understandings of the types I’ve come across. I don’t agree with everything they say but the truths in their videos by far outweighs my minor disagreements. Even with those disagreements they are, in my opinion, far and away the two best, most accurate, and comprehensive resources for this subject that I have yet to find. These men have done tremendous work.
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