Hierarchy Not a Sliding Scale

From my experience observing people in different "grips" and states, the most optimal mode of operation is one in which #1 and #2 are spinning with momentum moreso within themselves than with one-another.

For example, when a person is allowed to oscillate between Te and Fi extensively -- then they reach a more perfect conclusion/judgment about both domains. This is because Fi will error-check Te's insensitivity and Te will error-check Fi's impracticality. The same applies to Fe and Ti. In contrast, if Ti is spinning almost exclusively with Ne, then neither of these two processes is getting the other half of the story -- from Si or Fe -- and thus their conclusions will lack the full elements needed to be both keenly insightful (dual-perception (N/S) use) or admirably discerning (dual-judgment (T/F)).

There still has to be a way for each of the blue wheels to 'hand-over' information to the other though, and this is done through the white wheels, respectively. But the blue wheels should be spinning most on their own, perfecting their area of expertise from both angles - producing a refined product to hand over to each-other.

This, I believe, is a key to mastery of one's psyche. Someone who I believe uses their psyche in this manner is Richard Dawkins. Whose keen Te-Fi discernment wheel often fools people into thinking it is Ti due to the precision it has. But he also has exceptional views on the ethos and amorality of delusion and lies. Combined with a simultaneously historically sound (Si) and imaginatively open (Ne) perception of reality that is optimistic about all that is unknown, insomuch as it doesn't contradict with the known to such a degree that there is little reason to be optimistic about the small margin of unknown.

If the Ne/Si or Se/Ni wheel can deliver wholistic data to either the Te/Fi or Fe/Ti wheel --- then keener judgments can be made. Even being too heavy on the #1 wheel can be detrimental : a perfect ratio of data intake and discrimination is also needed... *ponders*

p.s. -- It's visually possible to identify how a person's using these oscillations but that's a different matter.




A few more.. slightly esoteric.. thoughts..

People who don't oscillate using the 'blue' wheels, but the 'white' wheels exclusively, have a divided psyche. The two white wheels will be spinning largely disconnected from one another. So half of their conscious functions are being repressed/ignored and this division causes a light/dark contrast in the psyche.

But when a person is acquainted with both sides of their psyche this contrast minimizes and one is able to understand all aspects of humanity [since all of them are represented in their 4 functions]. It's hard to dislike anyone after that, as one sees elements of others in oneself ---- and the challenge of dissipating the disharmony between any two+ humans becomes marginally different from understanding how to resolve the problems within one's own mind. The conflicting views people show outwardly are expressions of the antagonistic nature of any one single mind.

One being will simply be the imbalanced manifestation of one extreme of an equation/algorithm (the human consciousness) and another imbalanced being will represent the other. And the battle, which could have been had and resolved in the mind of the individuals, is taken into the world. Humanity is the macro-expression of any one human's psychodrama.

More rambles on use of oscillations:

Someone like an NeTi will "spin their wheels" between theory and abstract analysis of that theory. There's lots of these. Never truly anchoring to Si and dismissing erroneous hypotheses but instead filtering them only via Ti which may see no theoretical flaw within the presented parameters. Or the TeSi like Bill O'Reily, who simply spins between Te & Si, discarding any hypotheses that doesn't fit prior data, and bulldozing insensitively and crudely through people with Te. etc.

I postulate that Jung was able to see the functions as clearly as he did because his patients were neurotic and over-relying on one end of an oscillation. It also makes sense why Jung based his theory on the lower functions being antagonistic to the dominant. And MBTI copied this element of Jung's work, and continued to call the 3rd and 4th function malignant in some ways and depreciated their value.

This is very interesting. Assuming I use Fe/Ti (the assumption I will go with for the moment as I research), I'd say I use each of my functions for something different. Fe makes decisions and lends me conviction, Ti does more traditional "thinking" type tasks and points out holes in mine or another's reasoning, Ne absorbs and connects everything, often subconsciously (such as grammar. I had no idea I'd even learned grammar rules until I took the SATs and could spot every single mistake just because my Ne/Si loop would start blaring "Bad. Bad. Bad." and it will often suddenly pop a solution into my head, just because it feels like being nice that day. A viable problem solving strategy for me is sit down, work, work, okay I give up, let's work on something else and wait until Ne kicks in and gives me the answer, which it always does eventually), Si stores it all, as a somewhat sketchy outline, the missing parts of which Ne recreates when I call it back up (I often have to repeat a derivation five or six times before remembering it. I know the basics of how to get there, but Si tends to leave out the steps along the way). Oddly, I'd say Si is probably actually the weakest of my four functions, despite technically holding the auxiliary position. I don't know if this is even possible, or if I'm thinking about it incorrectly, but I tend to use my Ne to cover Si gaps rather than the other way around and my Ti-Fe loop is fairly well integrated and developed, at least I like to think. Could just be the nature of the functions and which I chose to focus on. Maybe as neither P function is my lead, they're closer in strength and I've chosen to exercise Ne more because it's easier and why would I use Si when it's more work I don't need to do? Or perhaps as Ne feeds into Ti, which is where I tend to start my problem solving (letting Fe finish it by providing some form of certainty and decide to solve the problem in the first place) I'm more aware of it's actions. Anyone else have anything similar, with dividing their functions or a strange hierarchy of sorts?

EDIT: Or, perhaps since you've mentioned many young people seem to use Si less, it's a matter of age.  My Si "web" so to speak isn't yet all that well developed, as I haven't lived very long, and maybe I will begin to rely on it more as it expands.

Agreed.

(I don't see the challenge...?)

Erifrail, when you write "This is why the conventional view of the 4 functions being a sliding-scale of importance in the psyche is utterly flawed" do you mean this sort of thing: 1.bp.blogspot.com/-clxIdcMhrWI/UN4clD5fMKI/AAAAAAAAAI8/kDupELdET9w/s640/tumblr_m8ocyuwmmY1rrk27b.png

Just trying to clarify.

What you have written is extremely insightful - thank you!

This quote from above really stuck with me. I spent the day trying to figure it out and here is what I came up with. Feel free to let me know if this is untrue or unhelpful! Its supposed to represent the Hierarchies above for each type and give an approximation of someone who understood both parts of their psyche.



People who don't oscillate using the 'blue' wheels, but the 'white' wheels exclusively, have a divided psyche. The two white wheels will be spinning largely disconnected from one another. So half of their conscious functions are being repressed/ignored and this division causes a light/dark contrast in the psyche.

But when a person is acquainted with both sides of their psyche this contrast minimizes and one is able to understand all aspects of humanity [since all of them are represented in their 4 functions]