MBTI: How to type

[Image from Art.com]


This is the most important, but often one of the more difficult, things to do. Unless you know your actual type nothing else you try to do with the MBTI will work because it won’t be for you. It’s not easy; if this is new to you there’s a lot to learn. Even for someone like me, an INTP who loves figuring things out, it’s taken years. Luckily for you, though, I’ve done a lot of the work... but none of that will matter unless you do your part. Figuring out your type isn't easy, but most things that are worthwhile aren't.

If you still want easy though you can always take a free test. There are plenty of MBTI tests online - I've linked some of the better ones below - but there are problems. The main one is that many, if not most, of these tests were created by people who explicitly reject Jung and his ideas because they're trying to make the MBTI more acceptable to the scientific community. But when you cut the MBTI off from it's roots all you're left with is a cheap personality quiz that isn't much better than the “Which Harry Potter character are you” type quizzes your cousin loves to post on FaceBook.

When you cut the Jungian foundation off the MBTI what you're left with is a trait sorter. But there's a serious problem with this; the same trait can be caused by many different things. For example, many different shapes can cast the same shadow, but to know anything about the shape itself you need to know more than just the shadow. Knowing the volume and surface area will allow you to figure out the shape, with a little bit of work. In a similar way, knowing the functions and the function roles will give you the information you need to figure out your psychological “shape.” For this reason, even if you do decide to just take the test it's still necessary to confirm your results by making sure that the functions and roles of that type are actually your functions and roles.

[Original image from Commack School District, concept from Linda Berens [1]]

The biggest problem with trait based tests, in my opinion, is that people of different levels of psychological health exhibit very different, even opposite, traits. For example, unhealthy INFPs can be unproductive, pessimistic complainers... but healthy INFPs are self-reliant, committed, dedicated, and effective forces for good. In other words, they start looking like their antipodal type, in their case a really chill ESTJ. So, this person who exhibits the traits of both a healthy INFP and a healthy ESTJ, are they an INFP? Or an ESTJ?

The only way you can really tell is by looking at the cognitive functions and the core complexes; no matter how healthy they are an INFP is always going to be confident about being in their INFP, and nervous about being in their ESTJ, and vice versa. Why is this even important though? Because the INFPs path to growth is completely different from every other type, even their sister type the ENFP; their weak spot is completely different, their area of hypocrisy that they need to work on is completely different, everything is different. Each type is unique.


So what's your type?

“Science, when it’s done the way it’s supposed to be, simply means learning about reality and changing it by investigating it, accumulating evidence by interacting with reality, identifying the patterns in reality, and then moving to change it on that basis. That’s all science is! Not something more mysterious or frightening.”

- Bob Avakian [2]

When trying to figure out your own psychology it’s vital that you look at what you actually do, not what you think you is the “right” answer, or what you wish you were like. Everyone wants to think well of themselves! It's totally natural! It's really hard to have the level of self-awareness that's required; and even if you are totally honest, you can't know about things you don't know. There's going to be new stuff here, things you never thought about until someone else tells you. This is why it might be beneficial to have someone who knows you well (and will be honest with you) as a sounding board. It's almost always easier to see others clearly than it is to see yourself, you have less at stake.

The best way to type yourself and others, and to understand them when you do type them, is to have a solid Jungian foundation. This means the functions, the function roles, and the core complexes. Not only will you type yourself and others accurately, you will be able to take what you have learned and help yourself, and maybe even others, grow and develop. Once you come to understand your type, your strengths, your weaknesses, you will be able to figure out what it is that you need to do.

Jung always insisted that what he was doing was science. I'm not sure exactly what he meant by it, but to me this simply means; is it true or not? Is this something that actually exists? That's all that this process is; what are your observations? What's the pattern? Does the pattern hold when you test it? How can I apply this pattern to the world? What further things do I learn when I do so? What you are going to be doing here is exactly this. It's not something to be nervous about, it's just something we humans have been doing for as long as we've been human.

If you'd like some help with the process I will, at some time in the (near!) future, be offering coaching. I'd like to get certified first (to give you Te types something you can trust). And of course I need to complete this series on the fundamentals of the MBTI as well. But once I do I will be offering coaching for those who are interested.


The process

[Image from Sarah & Bendrix]

Overview

1. What's your house? Which attitude of each root function is in your consciousness? Ni or Ne? Ti or Te? Si or Se? Fi or Fe?
2. What are your strongest and weakest functions? Which of the root functions (intuition, thinking, sensation, or feeling) are your strongest? Which two are your weakest? This will tell you which side of the house you're on (e.g. INFP/ENFP or ISTJ/ESTJ in Rowan).
3. What type are you? After narrowing it down to two sister types, look at which cognitive function is in which function role.
4. Confirm that this is actually your type.

What's your house?

The first step is to figure out which of the psychological functions are in your consciousness; this is what a house is, the types that share the same four conscious functions. For each pair of branch functions - Si/Se, Ni/Ne, Fi/Fe, and Ti/Te - one of them will be in your conscious and the other in your unconscious. Read the descriptions of the functions. Choose the ones that seem better, more correct, more accurate, more true; and which one seems off the mark, not really that important or just not as important as the other.

Some roles - the hero/ine and especially the anima/us - will be obvious. The mirroring nemesis and the daimon functions feel wrong, especially the nemesis. The daimon can feel wrong, or it can feel like it simply doesn't matter. The parent and the child, however, tend to be less clear than the hero/ine and anima/us, especially the parent. When looking at the parent and child functions it might be better to look the mirroring critic and trickster functions as they're generally more obvious. The critic and trickster functions are in one's unconscious however, so the other function is the one that's in your consciousness (e.g. if your critic is Ni and your trickster is Se, then the two conscious functions will be Ne and Si.)

Make sure the functions are in their proper function axes (plural of axis). Each branch function (Si, Te, etc.) is always connected with it's antipodal (opposite) function; opposite judging or perceiving, and opposite attitude. If you have introverted sensation, you must also have extroverted intuition. Intuition is the opposite perceiving function as sensation, and extroversion is the opposite attitude as introversion. The same holds for the two judging functions, feeling and thinking.

A useful way to think of the function axes is if the judging and perceiving functions were 2 seesaws. Let's use the perceiving axis as an example; if one side of the seesaw (sensation) is down then the other side (intuition) will be up, and vice versa. If one side is introverted then the other will be extroverted. The same holds for the judging functions (thinking and feeling). This will always be the case and is why you can use it as a test; is one side of the axis is introverted and the other extroverted?

If one half of the axis (Si) is in your consciousness then the opposite end (Ne) will be as well. The two ends are attached to each other. So if you don't have Si and Ne, if you have Si and Ni instead, then one of them is wrong and is actually in your unconscious. Same with the other axis. In that case go back and look at the functions again. If you're still unsure just pick the one that seems best and continue on but keep the other function in mind. When you get to the stage of looking at the function roles, see which one fits better. Examining the functions in their roles will confirm (or not) your choice.

These are the four function axes:

Once you have your functions and function axes you know your house. Read the description of the house. Does this sound like you? Note any feelings that come up, whether of affirmation or rejection and what specifically it is that you're affirming or rejecting. If you need to go back because you were unable to confirm your type this will give you an idea of what to look for. And even if you get your type right the first time, knowing these things about yourself will help you better understand yourself, and what direction you may need to look when working on yourself.

Function axes and houses

The cognitive functions
The houses
House Ash
House Yew
House Oak
House Rowan


Example: Mr. X

Mr. X is interested in figuring out his MBTI type. He's read the posts on the psychological functions and the function roles and he has an idea of what his hero and anima functions are because he immediately felt that Te was very important to him. He reads over the descriptions of the functions again. Again, Te is is a very strong “yes” for him; he really despises wasting time trying to figure every little thing out (Ti), it's much more important to him to just get stuff done. He looks at the opposite root function of thinking, which is feeling. If Te is in his consciousness then Fi should as well. This means he should reject Fi's mirror, Fe. He skims the description of Fe and sure enough, it's a strong “no” from him; he couldn't give a flying flip what others think of him. However, the thought that he might be a bad, immoral person (Fi) makes him want to run away. This means that Fi probably is in his consciousness (in the role of his anima), while Fe's probably in his unconscious as his daimon.

Next he turns to the two other functions, sensation and intuition. He's not so sure of them. He cares about looking nice and having a pleasant physical environment (Se) and about being conscientious and careful (Si). Same with intuition; he actually has a fun-loving side (Ne) though few people would believe it. And he thinks he knows what he wants (Ni). Everyone knows what they want, right??

Since he's stuck, he thinks about which of the four functions could be his critic; where is he the harshest and most judgmental? He looks over the descriptions of the four branch functions and decides that it's probably Se; there's nothing he hates more than seeing someone wearing sloppy, dirty clothing, or obviously not taking care of themselves. He takes the time needed to make sure he looks professional and presentable, why can't everyone else???? People should stop being so lazy!! So Se is probably his critic function. That means that Ni should be his trickster. He thinks back; he does have a really hard time making up his mind about things he wants, something his close friends have teased him about on more than one occasion. He decides that this seems right to him.

Since his critic is Se and his trickster is Ni, two roles that are in his unconscious, their mirror opposites, Si and Ne, should be in his conscious. As he's already decided that Te and Fi are in his conscious that means that his house is Rowan (Te/Fi and Si/Ne axes).

[Image from Dark Horse Comics]

What are your strongest and weakest functions? 

Which two root functions (sensation or intuition? thinking or feeling?) are you strong at, and which two are you weak at? You will have one strong judging function, and one weaker one, the same for perceiving. The weaker two functions are generally very easy - glaringly easy - to spot. Especially the inferior anima/us function, which is always painful and intimidating even when integrated. The child function is weak but you don't really care, but the anima/us function is our place of shame and deep pain. It's pretty hard to miss.

Doing this will tell you which “side” of the house you're on. Each house has a split where two types are good at the same two functions, and the other two are good at the other two functions. In House Ash, for instance, the split is between sensation/feeling (ESFJ and ISFJ) and intuition/thinking (ENTP and INTP). In the example from earlier ("is the person in question an INFP or an ESTJ?"), this will tell you which one you are since the two types are on opposite ends of House Rowan. If you have absolutely no idea, though, it will at least narrow it down to the two sister types (e.g. INFP/ENFP). Below are the splits within each of the houses:

Ash
Sensation/Feeling is ISFJ & ESFJ
Intuition/Thinking is ENTP & INTP

Oak
Sensation/Feeling is ESFP & ISFP
Intuition/Thinking is INTJ & ENTJ

Yew
Sensation/Thinking is ESTP & ISTP
Intuition/Feeling is INFJ & ENFJ

Rowan
Sensation/Thinking is ISTJ & ESTJ
Intuition/Feeling is ENFP & INFP

This will also help with any confusion you may have had in the previous step; if you're not really sure which branch function is your parent and which is your child, the parent will be one of the two stronger functions and the child will be one of the two weaker functions.

Example: Mr. X

Mr. X looks at the four root functions; sensation, intuition, feeling, and thinking. He knows that he's confident in his thinking, and that he's extremely lacking in confidence in his feeling. Of the two perceiving functions, he decides that, while he really enjoys his little adventures traveling the world and driving his muscle cars (Ne), he's actually much better at being careful, thoughtful, and contentious (Si), though he sometimes pays less attention to this part of life than he probably should. He has a tendency to charge ahead without taking the time necessary to think things through carefully. But he feels more confident in this area of his life, so his stronger functions are probably thinking and sensation, and his weaker ones are intuition and feeling. This means he's either an ESTJ or an ISTJ.


What type are you? 

After narrowing it down to two sister types, compare the roles of the functions for the types. The easiest ones to spot are the anima/us and trickster; it's very hard to hide those. After those two roles the heroine, nemesis, critic, child, parent, and daimon are the easiest to figure out, in approximately this order. All you really need are two or three function roles, once you have them you can figure where everything else falls, but the rest of the roles should corroborate your type.

In the example of INFP/ENFP, an INFP will have Te animus and Se trickster, while ENFPs have Si animus and Ti trickster. This means that if you really worry that you are ineffective and will die without having done anything good or important, and you tend to struggle with physical reality (tripping, running into things, stuff like that) you're probably an INFP. But if you struggle with the everyday grind - the boring, daily drudgery - and you worry that you're kind of dumb, or others have told you that you're a real airhead, you're probably an ENFP (this isn't to say that ENFPs are dumb, far from it, but that they don't have logic in their thinking, it's aaaalll about effectiveness; in other words, “truth is just a concept, everyone has their own 'truth,' what matters is whether or not you get stuff done.”) The child function can also be very useful; do you really enjoy farting around, doing a whole lotta nothing? You probably have Si child, making you an INFP. Or do you prefer to be active, specifically do you really enjoy organizing things, and maximizing efficiency (Te)? In that case, you're probably an ENFP.

MBTI types and functions

This is the stage where, if we struggled to figure out our conscious functions in the first step, we confirm or reject our choices in that step. The parent in particular can be a bit of a challenge as its often the function that we actively run away from having to use. This is a sign of psychological immaturity; many, probably most, people try to do an “end run around” the uncomfortable parent function. However, we usually glory in wielding our critic function, beating others over the head with it like a cudgel. The difficulty comes from differentiating the critic from the parent. In my experience, the parent & critic, more than the other three relationships (hero/ine & nemesis, child & trickster, and anima/us & daimon), appear to be fused. In all four relationships the unconscious role seems to act through the conscious role, but none more so than the critic.

If you're still struggling another option is to triangulate the parent by looking at the critic, child, and trickster functions, which are usually much more obvious. The trickster is one of the first functions you want to look at. If you think you know which one is the trickster, look at it's mirror function (Se if your trickster is Si, Te if your trickster is Ti, etc.) Does this sound like the child to you? Do you feel that it's something you're not that good at but you really enjoy doing, especially when you want to relax and feel good? In the posts linked to below, “The function roles” are descriptions of the roles, while the post “Functions + roles” are brief sketches of each cognitive function in the 8 different roles.

One very important thing to keep in mind: just because you think something is important doesn't make it your dominant (hero/ine) function. I think being a good person, and kind to others, is the most important thing in the world but that doesn't make me an Fe type. What it means is that I've integrated my Fe animus function. A similar thing happens with the parent function sometimes; when I was first trying to figure out my own type I wasn't sure if if my heroine was thinking or intuition. I knew that they were my two strongest functions, and that sensation and feeling were my two weakest, but not which one was which. The clincher was the animus; while I knew I was bad at sensation and was kind of embarrassed sometimes I was absolutely terrified of making a social faux pas, and absolutely devastated when I invariably did so.

As we move around the circle of our personality we integrate the functions, and as we integrate the various functions we live that function with all it's strengths and weaknesses. As we move into each of the complexes we think and feel like the type of that complex. But this doesn't change our fundamental personality; our strengths and weaknesses, our areas of hypocrisy, where we love to nurture and where we want to be nurtured. It doesn't change our spiritual task. In order for us to fulfill our purposes as human beings - to bloom into the astonishing, unique flower that we were meant to be - we need to know what our actual path is.

The function roles
Functions + roles
Integrating the four functions

Example: Mr. X

Mr. X already thinks he knows his type - ESTJ - because it's pretty clear to him that of his two strongest functions, Te and Si, Te is the strongest. He knows this because of how easy it was for him to identify Te and Fi as his hero and anima functions; Fi is definitely his anima function, he has no doubt. And the description of Te describes him... to a "T" (lol). This would naturally make him either an ESTJ or an ENTJ, the two types that have dominant Te. He's in House Rowan, though, so that should make him an ESTJ. He needs to look at the rest of the functions in their roles to confirm this.

He reads over the descriptions of the functions + roles: parent Si, child Ne, nemesis Ti, critic Se, trickster Ni, and daimon Fe. The critic, nemesis, and trickster functions ring true for him. He's not so sure about the daimon though but that's not surprising as it's very hard role to see in ourselves. That fact in and of itself validates putting Fe in the daimon role. The type that has Te hero, Fi anima, Si parent, and Ne child is ESTJ. Now he needs to confirm that that's actually his type (step 4, the next step). He reads the description of his type, including the core complexes of his sodality. After reading this he decides that his choice is correct, he is an ESTJ.

Confirm that this is actually your type

Go and read the description of the type. Look at the core complexes for the type; one thing to remember with types is that we can “live” in any of our core complexes. You can have a very INFP INFP, or you can have an INFP who lives in their ESTJ a lot. They still have their core INFP ego but they are extremely practical and concerned with security. This is actually a quite common. In fact, I'd say that most people of average or even low-average psychological maturity usually integrate their P2 anima/us complex by mid-life, sometimes even earlier. If someone lives in a core complex other than their P1 ego this will make it more difficult to type them simply based on their personality traits. This is why it's so important to look at the functions.

So look at the functions and the core complexes for the type you think you are. Does this sound like you? Do other people think this sounds like you? If it doesn't go back and see where you might have gone wrong. Even when you get things wrong, though, it's not a waste. If you're atypical of your type, why might that be? Is there something you need to work on? Or is this showing an area of health in your psyche? Every piece of information is valuable, everything tells you something. If it does sound like you... CONGRATULATIONS! You can now get to work. 😀

The core complexes


One final thing: the MBTI's four letter code

I wasn't sure where to put this, but this post seems the most logical. What do the four letter of the MBTI types mean? This is actually something that I didn't understand for years, lol. It seems pretty obvious; the first letter is whether the person is introverted or extroverted. The second letter is whether sensation or intuition are stronger. The third letter tells you whether thinking or feeling are stronger (remember two of the root functions will be stronger - one judging and one perceiving - and the other two will be weaker.)  It's the last one that's confusing, the J or the P. What does “being a judger or perceiver” actually mean?

There's a lot of stuff in the MBTI-sphere about the difference between “judgers and perceivers;” judgers are organized on the outside and disorganized on the inside, while perceivers are more organized on the inside, and disorganized on the outside. Judgers tend to easily lose track of their thoughts and have a hard time finding an idea again if they've been distracted. Perceivers, on the other hand, are able to find things quickly in their minds, as if they had an mental filing cabinet. On the outside, however, it's the judgers who have everything neat and tidy, with “a place for everything and everything in it's place,” while perceivers are generally more casual and indifferent.

But what makes a “J-type” a J? Or a P-type a P? For example, ISTP's have introverted thinking - a judging function - as their dominant function. Why aren't they ISTJs?? Same with ISTJs, their dominant function is a perceiving function, introverted sensation. In fact, it's the same for all introverted types; if a type is introverted the P or J at the end of their type doesn't refer to their dominant function. What's going on here???

Let's start with something easy; ESTP, an extroverted type:

E:   Dominant extroversion
ST: Their dominant perceiving function is sensation, dominant judging is thinking
P:   Of the two dominant functions - sensation and thinking - sensation, the perceiving function,
      is extroverted

So, in an ESTP extroverted sensation is the dominant (hero/ine); introverted thinking is the secondary function (parent); the tertiary function is the opposite judging function, feeling (the child); and the last function, opposite the hero/ine, is introverted intuition (anima/us).

How about ESTJ, the other extroverted type with dominant sensing and thinking?:

E:   Dominant extroversion
ST: Their dominant perceiving function is sensation, dominant judging is thinking
J:   Of the two dominant functions - sensation and thinking - thinking, the judging function,
      is extroverted

In an ESTJ extroverted thinking, the judging function, is the dominant (hero/ine); introverted sensation is the secondary function (parent); the tertiary function is intuition (the child), and the last function is introverted feeling (anima/us).

As you can see extroverted types are pretty straightforward. The problem is the introverted types. The thing you have to remember is that the final letter doesn't refer to the the hero/ine function. The final letter indicates which of the two dominant functions is extroverted. Let's take a look at the ESTPs sister type, the ISTP.

I:    Dominant introversion
ST: Their dominant perceiving function is sensation, dominant judging is thinking... just like the
       ESTP
P:   Of the two dominant functions - sensation and thinking - sensation, the perceiving function,
      is extroverted... also just like the ESTP

As you can see, the ISTP is very similar to ESTP; both have dominant extroverted sensation and introverted thinking. But which of the two functions is the hero/ine? The introverted function; (“I.”) That means that introverted thinking is the dominant (hero/ine); extroverted sensation is the secondary function (parent); the tertiary function is intuition (the child), and the last function is extroverted feeling (anima/us).

It was John Betts excellent podcast on Jungian psychology that finally clarified things for me. He describes the hero/ine function as the captain of a ship, and the secondary parent function as the captain's first mate. In an extrovert the captain is very friendly and outgoing; she's extroverted. She spends most of her time mingling with people, maybe even invites you to her table for dinner. If you need to talk with her for some reason she meets with you directly. This is why what you see in an extroverted person is exactly what they are; you see their dominant function. In the case of the ESTP, you meet her dominant extroverted sensation.

An introverted person is different; with them, you never directly meet the captain. The captain, the dominant heroine function, is introverted. Therefore, whenever she needs to interact with the passengers she always sends out her first mate to run interference for her. In the ISTP this would also be extroverted sensation. However, Se is the ISTP's secondary function, their parent function. It's not really who they are, it's not their ego. When you interact with an introvert you aren't seeing who the person actually is as their hero/ine function is turned inwards. This can make introverted types seem a bit more awkward than extroverted types as what you're really dealing with is their second strongest function.

This is the reasoning behind the MBTI's naming convention. Although its confusing initially it's actually a more accurate way of referring to the types as it clearly shows the connection between the sister types (ESTP/ISTP, ESTJ/ISTJ, etc.) The two are very similar and can look very similar to an outside observer, especially if they've done some maturing and have integrated their parent function.

Antonia Dodge, “What is a 'Judger,' and What is a 'Perceiver?'” (Personality Hacker)
John Betts, “Type1,” “Type2,” and “Type3” (The Jung Podcast, episodes 11, 12, & 13)
     John gives the metaphor of the hero/ine as a captain in “Type3” (ep. 13)


So now you should know your type! Figuring out one's type is often a long, complex process, with many challenges. However, as it's crucial to get your type right it's a necessary and worthwhile endeavor. The absolute best way is to study the fundamentals of the theory, fundamentals that come from some really brilliant, deep thinkers, like John Beebe and CG Jung. In fact, the process of figuring out one's type is itself one of the very best ways to learn the MBTI.

Allow this to be an amazing learning experience, one where you not only explore this fascinating, important area of the human mind and soul, but also to learn about yourself, as well as those who are important to you. Let this be something that makes you a better, more complete person.

Links

The Cognitive Functions
The Function Roles
Functions + roles
The Houses
The Core Complexes
Working with the MBTI
My MBTI story


Tests

HumanMetrics
IDR Labs
Personality Hacker


Other resources

CS Joseph (YouTube)
Michael Pierce, Function Axes playlist (YouTube)
Michael Pierce, The Sixteen Types playlist (YouTube)
Michael Pierce, The Types Revisited (YouTube)
Or go to the Resources page for more


References

1. Linda Berens, The Sixteen Personality Types (Telos Publications, 1999)
2. Bob Avakian, “Science and the New Communism, Prisons and COVID-19” (YouTube)

MBTI: House Rowan

Valley of Flowers (Uttaranchal)

[Image from Himalayan Trekking]

“The Explorers”
Fi/Te + Si/Ne
(ENFP INFP ESTJ ISTJ)

Home: The World
Patron: Brigantia
Quadra: Delta
Vice: Cynicism
Virtue: Joy


Rowan has no home because the whole world is their home: ENFP, INFP, ESTJ, and ISTJ. The unpredictable sea, the wild places, distant and exotic lands, the Explorers seek adventure, and they have the practical skills to ensure that they and their companions make it there in one piece.

Have the same sense of individuality as the Aristocrats, but instead of their intensity and singular perception they have the Philosophers’ exploratory perception, giving them more of a sense of wandering. This makes them even less fettered than the Aristocrats, making them want even more to be free and go their own way. This doesn’t match stereotypes of the STJs, who are often perceived of as worker drones, or traditionalists, duty fulfillers and strict, rule bound killjoys. But these are only surface impressions that people might get from them – severity, or thoroughness – which many people associate with being a strict, rule bound killjoys. But this is no more accurate than saying that ENFPs are just flighty bundles of joy.

ISTJ: A thorough thinker, someone who is trying to build and waterproof every inch of their ship that can take them safely across dangerous and unpredictable waters. But the key is, they’re interested in sailing into the ocean, they just tend to take a long time preparing for the journey. An important part of the ISTJ personality is this free-spiritedness, this sense of “going their own way,” but they’re very thorough and responsible about it.

ESTJ: Similar to ISTJ but their free-spiritedness is actually easier to see. They’re characterized by a strict sense of responsibility, even severity, but they’re still free-spirited. They go their own way. But they’re responsible on their journey, or at least they try to be. Fi, by its very nature, is individuating, because it sees the world as cold and the individual as warm. They’re not system builders, they’re survivors, and in this sense very free spirits.

ENFP: The definition of the term “free spirit” in their energetic exploration.

INFP: Being characteristically idiosyncratic is also the definition of “free spirit,” going their own way in their lifestyle itself.

- Michael Pierce, “Function Axes Categories”  (YouTube)


Socionics: Delta Quadra

Explorers tend to explain the rationale behind their actions, emphasizing the productiveness or unproductiveness of different ways of doing things. They enjoy peaceful, refreshing activities where they’re doing something both externally useful as well as internally balancing. They tend to rely on their own hard work to achieve their goals rather than luck, group effort, or strong leadership. Explorers enjoy sharing personal experiences, and their feelings about those experiences, in a thoughtful, undramatic way. They also enjoy talking about exciting new plans and opportunities, and their plans for the future.

Although deeply passionate Explorers generally prefer understatement and wry humor to drama and emotionality. They prefer to take part in group activities that are productive and/or refreshing, as opposed to those based on fun and/or emotional interactions. They don’t usually do very well in high-pressure situations, being forced to do things they dislike, having to deal with threatening opponents, or harsh discipline. They tend to wear out, leaving to find a more peaceful, welcoming environment.

In groups Explorers tend to work on projects, enjoy physical activities, or find out interesting things about others. Instead of laughing a lot Explorers tend to be witty and welcoming. Groups need to be focused on a specific activity or discussion topic or else they splinter apart with each person going off with only those people who share their interests. They don’t demand that everyone does one thing but rather jump from group to group to keep their interest engaged. They tend not to be interested in building a group identity but prefer for it to be decentralized. Relationships are based on spending time together on fun activities, with an atmosphere focused on comfort and practicality.


How Explorers see other houses

Alphas (Ash): Explorers tend to find Philosophers to be fun and interesting people to discuss ideas and prospects with, but also naive and inconsistent in their personal and business affairs. They feel Philosophers are overly idealistic and lacking in common sense, failing to turn their fun ideas into something productive.

Beta (Rowan): Explorers tend to see Cenobites as people who dream big, and always want to turn everything into a grandiose undertaking, even though they struggle to manage their day-to-day affairs. They tend to dislike what they see as a mean-streak resulting from the Cenobites unwillingness to consider other points of views on topics they feel strongly about.

Gamma (Oak): Explorers tend to see Aristocrats as driven and reliable but lacking in the ability to understand that people have their own ideas about what they want out of their lives. They feel that Aristocrats can be excessively demanding, and dislike what they see as their vindictive streak, which keeps them from accepting and forgiving others.


How other houses see Explorers

Ash: Philosophers tend to find Explorers to be kind and creative, if a bit too serious about their ideals and principles and too demanding that others feel and act just as they do about those ideals.

Yew: Cenobites tend to find Explorers to be noncommittal and unwilling to support goals decided in a group, lacking drive and ethics. Explorers prefer not to get involved in group efforts, instead preferring to work on personal projects that are meaningful to them.

Oak: Find Explorers to be well meaning and creative but too present focused and lacking ambition. They also tend to feel that they’re too welcoming and forgiving of people the Aristocrats find undeserving.


Rowan

Protection, Expression, Connection

Rowan is the tree of power, causing life and magic to flower.

- The Goddess Tree

Rowan symbolizes courage, wisdom, and protection. She guards us on our journeys - the berries contain a tiny pentagram, the ancient symbol of protection. A stick cut from the tree will protect you from harm on your journey, and bring spiritual enlightenment along your path.

A second way to look at the concept of protection is to view it as a request to be given the strength to overcome whatever roadblocks are discovered on the path before us and to repel evil. In this way protection is summoned from outside of ourselves as a way of fostering a deeper relationship with the divine and with ourselves. With every step that we take we become more and more connected to everything around us. Protection does not become a shield around us but the energies become a part of the process within us.

- Shanon Sinn, "Luis (Rowan)" (Living Library)


The Rowan is associated with Brigantia, goddess of poetry, medicine, arts and crafts, and animal husbandry. She was the pre-eminent goddess of the Celts; so important was she that she's considered the mother of her people - they called themselves the Briganti after her - and was later canonized by the Catholic church as Saint Brigid.

She's related to the dawn goddesses of the Indo-Europe, and her holy day is Imbolc (February 2), the day when the sun is said to be reborn. Beloved by poets, master of both healing and smithing, Brigantia's name means "High One" or "Exalted One." Her name reflects both her solar nature as well as her connection with crafting and wisdom.

She's the patroness of travelers, sailors, and fugitives. She was particularly special to the Druids; she provides the "fire in the head" of poetic inspiration. Brigantia is the goddess of learning, but a different, more practical kind of learning than that of the Philosophers.

Many tales existed of strangers who came to Brigid (or St, Brigid), asking for her blessings, her inspiration, and her healing, which comes to those pure of heart and intention and those clever and cunning. To those who lack these things, her gifts come at a price: a lesson, giving them what they really need to act better and be better."

- Gregory Wright, "Brigid, Celtic Goddess of Fertility" (Mythopedia)

She had special meaning for the filid, a priestly class that seems to have been halfway between the spiritual Druids and the more worldly Bards:

What is known is that the filid (like the druids) studied for years and years in order to memorize ancient Irish oral lore. Their focus was directed toward the material world prioritizing history, genealogy and the law rather than spiritualism. The filid were experts in preserving and guarding knowledge rather than entertainment and performance."

- Druids, Filid & Bards: Custodians of Celtic Tradition (Irish Empire)

This is the perfect description of the kind of practical wisdom that's the special gift the Explorers... as well as their deep connection to the arts.

Rowan emphasizes the need for color and creative endeavor in our lives and encourages us to open our minds to creative inspiration. It also teaches us that we can draw on the forces of life to heal ourselves and those around us. We can develop the art of turning adversity into creative opportunity. Rowan protects and gives courage and strength to those walking the path of spiritual growth and enlightenment.

- Rowan (The Goddess Tree)



To go beyond the contradiction of freedom and security; Rowan’s sacred task is to live fully and deeply, to swim the currents of life with skill, wisdom, and intelligence. Union with this beautiful, perilous world.

Out on the ocean: the ISTJ is nearest to the shore, maintaining a very sturdy boat on the way; the ESTJ took off before everyone, running a tight ship and working hard to keep everyone in line so that the ship runs properly and they can get to where they need to go; the ENFP has practically constructed their ship at sea, but it works well enough and they have a rough idea of dozens of places they want to go; and then the INFP is far out at sea, adrift and alone, watching the clouds and thinking about life, without any plans to return to shore anytime soon.

- Michael Pierce, “Function Axes Categories”  (YouTube)


Posts

The Houses
House Ash
House Yew
House Oak
Meyers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
Jungian MBTI

MBTI: House Yew

Bagan, Myanmar

[Photo by Jon Bower National Geographic]

 “The Cenobites”
Functions: Fe/Ti + Se/Ni
(INFJ ENFJ ISTP ESTP)

Home: the Monastery
Patron: Badb Catha
Quadra: Beta
Vice: Truculence
Virtue: Conviction


If the Philosophers are the mind - the spirit - of the MBTI then the Cenobites are it’s soul. Michael Pierce calls the members of House Yew the “Saints,” I chose the term “cenobite” which means members of a monastic order, both male and female. In the monastery we have have both the stereotypically “saintly” types, such as the INFJs and ENFJs, as well as types less commonly thought of as religious, such as the ISTPs and ESTPs; the Cenobites understand that the sacred isn’t separate from the body or the world but is an integral part of it, and vice-versa. All cenobites are warriors at heart; ESTPs and ISTPs love testing themselves, and ENFJs and INFJs are crusaders.

Harmonizing attitude, tries to align with an outside standard of some kind. Se/Ni is a magnifying or intensifying attitude; directly experiences objects but associatively experiences their impressions of objects. Se/Ni is a black hole; it sucks objects into itself and crushes them into a singularity. Unifying and intensifying; intensive, direct, and focused; dedicated or committed to certain points of view therefore tending to appear dogmatic sometimes. Thinking in terms of a greater good or separate standard they are trying to subject themselves to.

ISTP: Mastering. Analyze reality, figure out it’s logical structure, then try to copy or align themselves with that structure. A warrior monk.

ESTP: Even though wouldn’t think of them as spiritual, ESTPs still think in terms of living according to an outside standard, which is in their personal philosophy and their concern with communicating properly with others. Epicurus; secluded himself in a garden with his friends and imposed on himself rules and laws of practical hedonism (do what feels good; eating healthily feels good so eat that way, etc.) Rules by which one can have a more satisfying experience of reality.

ENFJ: An outspoken saint; a preacher or evangelist who is concerned with communicating a vision, or persuading others to unite for a greater good or cause.

INFJ: A less outspoken and more contemplating saint; the monk who spends a great deal of time thinking or teaching in intimate settings, developing a holistic or idealistic theory of what humanity must do to be happy.

- Michael Pierce, “Function Axes Categories”  (YouTube)


Socionics: Beta Quadra

Cenobites tend to prefer situations where the power structure is clearly defined… where the rules are consistent and there are no ambiguities. They’re inclined to look for general rules that explain people, politics, etc., which can be applied generally, rather than making decisions on a case by case basis. They tend to attribute traits previously observed in members of a particular group to any new individual of the same group that they may meet. Tend to feel energy by being with others who share their beliefs and express them enthusiastically. They’re often concerned with social issues and believe that apathy is a major cause of society’s ills and will fight against it.

They generally don’t enjoy discussions of personal experiences when the focus is on their inner feelings, especially when described in a subdued way. They tend to be skeptical of people’s potential for personal growth and generally dislike being the subject of such discussions. Tend to prefer vision and leadership to dealing with mundane details.

In groups Cenobites prefer group participation rather than focusing on any one individual, preferring instead to discuss topics that everyone can contribute to. Unexplained inside jokes are considered rude because they exclude others. Jokes are loud and general, often about stereotypes. Cenobites try to draw others into the group activity and will be confused and dismayed if rebuffed. Atmosphere is more important than the actual activity; they exchange fun, often loud stories to feed the energy and will only usually interrupt someone to try to help them keep the positive vibes going.

They tend to find quieter gatherings, where small groups break off and start intimate conversations, to be boring, although they do sometimes enjoy more serious, subdued conversations about meaningful topics; politics, etc. In this situation personal experiences are discussed from the point of view of their external impact, with strongly expressed views. They strongly avoid talking about personal matters in a group and can feel betrayed when someone retells in public that which was spoken in private, or when someone discusses them or criticizes them in front of the group. They also dislike it when people tell long, slow stories, though they will generally try to be polite and listen.

Close relationships are characterized by emotional intensity - relationships are felt to be lacking if not accompanied by intense demonstrations of emotions. Cenobites tend to be the most emotionally intense of all the quadras, which is probably why they so dislike exposing their inner feelings in public.


How Cenobites see other houses:

Alpha (Ash): Cenobites tend to find Philosophers to be fun and creative - pleasant company - but also goofy, lacking focus and ambition, and too concerned with refining ideas and having fun. They see them as needing to be led. Groups of Philosophers and Cenobites generally get along better than individuals as Fe activates; Cenobites start telling loud stories, and Philosophers make goofy suggestions for entertainment.

Gamma (Oak): Can find Aristocrats to be stand-offish, judgmental, morally stiff and emotionally hostile. They often feel that Aristocrats are unable to see the big picture, whether at work or in politics and society at large; kind of socially boring, unable to take a joke, and vindictive. They often don’t do well in groups: Cenobites enjoy making general jokes, while Aristocrats tend to make extremely sharp, personal jokes. Cenobites want to stay together, Aristocrats want everyone to take care of their own needs as they move from group to group, leaving Cenobites feeling that the Aristocrats are trying to break up the fun group. On an individual level, however, they often get along very well; they both see general trends and enjoy comparing predictions.

Delta (Rowan): Cenobites tend to find Explorers to be noncommittal and unwilling to support goals decided in a group, lacking drive and ethics. Explorers prefer not to get involved in group efforts, instead preferring to work on personal projects that are meaningful to them.


How other houses see Cenobites:

Ash: They tend to find Cenobites to be fun, but with a bit of an edge, and inclined to be a bit bossy. They usually give in to Cenobites because they feel the Cenobites care more. They can find Cenobites to be overly rigid and single-minded.

Oak: Find Cenobites to be driven, ambitious people with a sense of purpose, and who get things done. Aristocrats often find the Cenobites’ strong views to be ideological and lacking factual support. They may also feel that they’re are overly concerned with social status and sometimes disingenuous when pursuing their goals.

Rowan: Explorers tend to see Cenobites as people who dream big, and always want to turn everything into a grandiose undertaking, even though they struggle to manage their day-to-day affairs. They tend to dislike what they see as a mean-streak resulting from the Cenobites unwillingness to consider other points of views on topics they feel strongly about.


Yew

Transference, Passage, Illusion

The yew tree is the symbol of immortality and everlasting life; rebirth, changes; regeneration after difficult times; and protection. It’s very strong making it a preferred wood for crafting into bows, spears, and other items. It’s a potent symbol of vitality; its branches grow into the ground so that when the trunk dies the Yew is able to continue living.

It’s quite toxic, often being called the “death tree;” every part of it, except for the red membrane surrounding the seeds, is poisonous. The alkaloid causes effects ranging from vivid hallucinations to death, although this death is viewed as a transformation and rebirth into the other world. The Yew represents both death as well as eternal life. It's imbued with qualities such as power, honor, mystery, strength, and leadership, but also milder traits such as silence, illusion, holiness, and introspection.

The tree is associated with the goddess Badb Catha, goddess of life, enlightenment, wisdom, and inspiration, as well as the goddess of war. The dark, sagacious crow is her animal; Badb Catha means "Battle Crow." She and her two sisters fought on the side of the Tuatha De Danann, the gods of light, against the monstrous Fomorians, turning the tide with her fearful, terrifying magic. In battle she often takes her crow shape, screaming, striking fear into her enemies. Following the Fomorians defeat, instead of predicting doom Badb sang a prophecy of peace:

Peace up to heaven.
Heaven down to earth.
Earth beneath heaven,
Strength in each,
A cup very full,
Full of honey;
Mead in abundance.
Summer in winter.


Enduring realities and legacies as well as that which abides unchanged; the lessons of experience. The union of body and spirit. Age in youth and youth in age; death in birth and rebirth in death. Yin and Yang. Love and death. The wisdom of knowing when to hold on and when to let go. On the deepest level, the Cenobites’ task in the world is to explore the most profound mysteries of the universe, and then, when they find their ideals, fight righteously for them.

In the monastery the ISTP is practicing swordsmanship and writing down techniques and strategies; in the inner gardens are the ESTP and their followers, making a pleasurable and simple life for themselves; in front of the monastery’s doors the ENFJ is speaking to a large gathering of people to hear persuasions to the monastery’s ultimate cause; within the monastery is the INFJ, teaching classes and individuals, but more often taking long, silent, solitary walks to ponder ideas before presenting them.

- Michael Pierce, “Function Axes Categories”  (YouTube)



Posts

The Houses
House Ash
House Oak
House Rowan
Jungian MBTI

MBTI: House Ash

”The School of Athens,”  Raphael

[Image from Greek Reporter]

“The Philosophers”
Fe/Ti + Si/Ne
(ENTP INTP ESFJ ISFJ)

Home: the Academy
Patron: Gwydion
Quadra: Alpha
Vice: Complacency
Virtue: Wisdom

Ash is the home of the philosophers, whether they’re your typical intellectuals like the INTPs and ENTPs, or your more earthy, practical seekers of wisdom, like the ISFJs and the ESFJs. Here we are at the academy, a place of learning, both for its own sake but also to make the world a better place for all beings.

Like the Saints [Cenobites], the Philosophers judge by aligning with a standard. They’re seeking an outside truth. Unlike the Saints, though, the Philosophers, rather than being intense, committed, and dogmatic are exploratory, multi-faceted, and non-committal. Ne doesn’t commit to any viewpoint because it wants to see more, while Si doesn’t want to commit to a viewpoint because it’s unsure of how the future will unfold; it wants to be ready for anything. Si/Ne is a wormhole, as opposed to Se/Ni’s black hole; while a black hole sucks everything into one singularity, the wormhole provides a short-cut between perspectives, figuring things out quickly and cleverly. Search for truth (with an emphasis on the search), the inquiry, and the non-committal analysis. SFJs are more philosopher farmers, like Odysseus from the Illiad; wise, practical, caring, stern, “focused on the important, real things in life,” but, despite how they may appear, are actually exceptionally thoughtful.

ESFJ: A kindly, warm-hearted philosopher, helpful and cheerful, but not simply as a result of tradition but of their own Socratic inquiry. They have thought about this and find their way of life more desirable in comparison to other ways of life.

ISFJ: Same as the ESFJ, more stubborn than the ESFJ though, and has a strong motivation to carry out their ideals and convictions. The image of the philosopher-farmer is closer to what the ISFJs really are than a motherly nurturer.

ENTP: This type is best represented by Socrates himself; interested in the inquiry into truth from many angles.

INTP: Similar to ENTP, but the focus is on the organization of the truth within themselves; the development of logical principles over finding them.

- Michael Pierce, “Function Axes Categories”  (YouTube)


Socionics: Alpha Quadra

The Socionics term for this house is the Alpha Quadra. I don’t find a lot of Socionics to be useful or accurate, mainly because they don’t seem to understand the deep, underlying structure of the MBTI, and also because a lot of it seems to be overly intellectual wandering about in the weeds. I understand this well because this is a very NTP thing to do; we INTPs and ENTPs love think and use our minds for bullshit that’s completely untethered from reality. This is also a problem I have with a lot of philosophy. But they are aware of the functions and they seem to have gathered a rather massive quantity of data so many of their observations are useful, even if their theories are a bit dubious sometimes.

According to Socionics this quadra (house) tends to enjoy theoretical discussions for fun rather than for a practical purposes. They value logically consistent beliefs and ideas, and morally consistent behavior. They enjoy positive environments that are pleasing to the senses. They tend to show affection by performing small services or giving small gifts.

They tend to avoid controversial subjects that could lead to unpleasant confrontations and are inclined to be tolerant of past misdeed by others, preferring reconciliation so as to maintain a positive environment. They tend to avoid things that require intensive, long term commitment and upkeep, preferring short term investments of energy that offer a reliable outcome with minimal effort. They prefer experience to advice and often perceive those who try to give such advice as pedantic.

They generally strive to create comfortable, pleasant environments; an ideal situation is the exchange of light-hearted jokes while discussing imaginative ideas over a delicious meal. Games are less about winning or losing and at least as much if not more about the fun they have during them. They generally dislike heaviness, especially confrontation or anything else that could bring the mood down.

Discussions tend to go off on tangents, in whatever directions seems the most interesting at the moment. If they share the same observations about something they’ll usually agree emphatically so as to increase rapport. If a problem is encountered they’ll dive into it and develop it until some kind of satisfactory conclusion is reached.

Alphas are egalitarian and tend to avoid distinctions between insiders and outsiders, easily drawing people in. They generally find formal speech and dress to be pretentious, unnecessarily limiting, and ridiculous.


How Philosophers see other houses:

Beta (Yew): They tend to find Cenobites to be fun, but with a bit of an edge, and inclined to be a bit bossy. They usually give in to Cenobites because they feel the Cenobites care more. They can find them to be overly rigid and single-minded.

Gamma (Oak): They tend to view Aristocrats as standoffish and cold, even hostile, especially in work situations. They also dislike Aristorats’ tendency to play favorites, which is offensive to the fair-minded, egalitarian Philosophers. They can find Aristocrats to be overly harsh, unimaginative, boring, overly concerned about the future, as well as having a mean-streak of unforgivingness and vindictiveness.

Delta (Rowan): Philosophers tend to find Explorers to be kind and creative, if a bit too serious about their ideals and principles and too demanding that others feel and act just as they do about those ideals.


How other houses see Philosophers:

Yew: Cenobites tend to find Philosophers to be fun and creative - pleasant company - but also goofy, lacking focus and ambition, and too concerned with refining ideas and having fun. They often see them as needing to be led. Groups of Philosophers and Cenobites generally get along better in groups than as individuals; as Fe activates Cenobites start telling loud stories, and Philosophers make goofy suggestions for entertainment.

Oak: Initially Aristocrats find Philosophers to be friendly, creative, well-meaning, pleasant people. Later, however, they tend to see them as unambitious and overly concerned with comfort and physical pleasure. They also find them to be oversensitive while, at the same time, failing to make an effort to focus on the deeper feelings involved.

Rowan: Explorers tend to find Philosophers to be fun and interesting people to discuss ideas and prospects with, but also naive and inconsistent in their personal and business affairs. They feel Philosophers are overly idealistic and lacking in common sense, failing to turn their fun ideas into something productive.


Ash

Connection, Wisdom, Surrender

Ash stretches from the underworld to the heavens, uniting the three realms; present, past, and future. The balance between the physical and spiritual realms; balance is the key to strength and wisdom. The Ash is used for spells requiring focus and strength of purpose, linking the inner and outer worlds. Placing ash leaves on one’s pillow is said to stimulate psychic dreams. The seeds resemble keys and have the power to unlock the future.

The Ash is associated with magician, hero, and trickster Gwydion.

A cunning and skilled magician, Gwydion was able to use magic to enhance his own abilities and change the forms of others. While his chief attribute was his deft mind, he was also a capable warrior strong enough to defeat one of Wales’ most powerful lords in single combat. According to medieval Welsh poetry, his magic could create women out of flowers…

Though he was a trickster, Gwydion possessed a strong sense of loyalty to certain members of his family, most notably his nephew Lleu.” [Lleu eventually becomes High King, and Gwydion his advisor. This is an archetypal relationship; the trickster magician and the king.]

- Gregory Wright, "Gwydion fab Don, Celtic Trickster Deity" (Mythopedia)

Gwydion is a kind of mischievous Celtic Merlin; think of a combination of an impish Hermes and wise Merlin. In one legend he started a war with his uncle King Math's rival, Pryderi. His brother was in love with their uncle's foot-holder (Math needed to keep his feet on the lap of a beautiful virgin). He started the war by stealing the rival king's divine pigs through clever trickery, but he ended it by physically defeating him in single combat. In this way Gwydion's foolish chicanery wound up leading to the dramatic expansion of his liege's kingdom. These kinds of fortuitous accidents are quite common with trickster figures like Gwydion fab Don.

Gwydion is a powerful sorceror and master of illusion. He delights in trickery and is thought to have originated April Fools' Day when he conjured the armies to trick Aranrhod into arming Lleu. He is a lover of poetry and the art of the bards, and is the druid of the gods. He is persistent in his ventures and learns from experience. He is both subtle and devious, yet open and honest in his dealings with others. He takes responsibility in his actions and in the actions of his people.

- "The Legend of Gwydion"


I chose Ash to represent the Philosophers as it expresses the central dichotomies of these types; that is, the tension and unity of heart and mind, precious tradition and future possibilities. The sacred task of House Ash is to discover the true, eternal principles for a good life. Ash teaches us that all of us - in fact, every thing - is connected. All of the houses, at their best, bring forth their own special form of wisdom, but Sophia - the wisdom that connects the world together in truth which is love - is the special gift that the dwellers of this house are tasked to bring into the world.

In the academy, we have the ESFJ, greeting all the people in a friendly way, giving advice to those who need help; the ISFJ, quietly working on discourses concerning how to live a good life; in the center is the ENTP, asking fellow philosophers difficult questions, listening carefully to their answers; then there’s the INTP, separate, like the ISFJ, working out their own theories of the universe and it’s nature.

- Michael Pierce, “Function Axes Categories”  (YouTube)


Posts

The Houses

House Yew

House Oak
House Rowan
Jungian MBTI

MBTI: The Houses

[Image from Reveal]


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

Connection, Wisdom, Surrender

[Image by Marguerite Dabaie]

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

Transference, Passage, Illusion

[Image by Marguerite Dabaie]

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

Strength, Stability, Nobility

[Image by Marguerite Dabaie]

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.