School of Neoclassical Socionics

At its core, socionics is a synthesis between:

Jungian conceptions of thinking, feeling, sensing, and intuition-the four functions of the human psyche.

The informational metabolism model as theorized by Antoni Kępiński.

Jung’s Four Functions:

Sensing is how we perceive concrete material reality through the senses, including texture, form, detail, temperature, lighting, smell, and the arrangement of objects.

Intuition is how we perceive possibilities, meaning, implications, and future developments. With intuition, we can see patterns beneath reality and consider what is to come.

Thinking is known as “logic” in socionics and refers to how we organize experiences into concepts and sets. With logic, we can classify, compare, weigh, measure and reason our way to correctness or wrongness.

Feeling is known as “ethics” in socionics and refers to valuation, emotion, acceptability or unacceptability, reactions, drama, harmony or disharmony, love or hate, trust or distrust. It broadly refers to humanity’s emotive properties.

Staticity/Dynamism

Static information is that which is relatively stable in reality, whereas dynamic information is that which is in constant flux. 

In the realm of ethics: how somebody is feeling outwardly is dynamic information because it is likely to change within a short period of time. How close someone is with someone else, however, is likely to remain stable and only change suddenly.

In the realm of logic: what somebody is doing is likely to change within a short period of time. The position that person occupies in a hierarchy is not likely to change within that same short interval.

In the realm of intuition: the way events are unfolding are unstable and liable to change at any moment. The number of likely possibilities that could occur based on the intrinsic characteristics of the factors involved is likely to stay stable. 

In the realm of sensing: the atmosphere of a room, the temperature, the way objects are arranged is likely to change within a short period of time. A person’s physiognomy, level of confidence, or an object’s appearance is not as likely to change.

Bodies/fields

Aushra used the terms “bodies” and “fields” to describe Jung’s concepts of introversion and extroversion. One of the ways she illustrated this is through this example:

In 1781, astronomer William Herschel Discovered Uranus when he spotted a strange object with his telescope. In 1846, two mathematicians discovered Neptune by analyzing disturbances in the orbit of Uranus.

Discovering Uranus was the discovery of a body because it was a representation of how things are. Discovering Neptune was the perception of a field, because it represented how things interact with each other.

Introverted elements (Ti, Fi, Si, Ni) are fields because they cover information about interrelations and are therefore more subjective in nature.

Extroverted elements (Te, Fe, Se, Ne) are bodies because they cover information that is readily observable in reality and are therefore more objective in nature.

We use this definition of introversion and extroversion for our IME nomenclature (i.e. ethics (feeling)+field (introversion)=Fi).

Informational metabolism elements (IMEs):

While Jung developed his psychological types by analyzing his four functions through the lens of introversion and extroversion, socionics focuses more on how those four functions interact with concepts of static and dynamic information.

Te-dynamic logical information

The use of kinetic energy, perception of an object’s external dynamics.

Example: Jupiter is revolving very fast around the sun and spinning multiple moons around its body. 

Concepts of: work, efficiency, methods of actions, rules, instructions, physical activity

Ti-static logical information

Objective relations between two objects and their individual properties.

Example: Jupiter spins at a rate of 12.6 km/s, which is 2.4x faster than Earth. Jupiter has around 318x the mass of the Earth. It is the largest planet in the solar system by both mass and volume.

Concepts of: position in space, official positions, hierarchies, need, dependency, leverage, power, logic, systems

Se-static sensory information

Overall energy of an object, external qualities.

Example: Jupiter is a very smooth-looking and beautiful planet. Its vastness makes it seem as if it is the leader of the solar system’s planets. Arguably, it is the most prominent of all of them. It has an immense capacity to draw celestial objects into its orbit with its massive gravitational field.

Concepts of: physical appearance and form, style, physiognomy, clothes, money, image, aura, physical resources, will or volition, physique

Si-dynamic sensory information

Relations between processes that happen in space. Perception of the object’s internal situation.

Example: Jupiter presents a dense, turbulent atmospheric state where immense pressure, flowing bands, and layered clouds create a continuous sensory field of motion, weight, and visual intensity. Surrounding bodies like Jupiter’s moons will slightly influence its orbit and atmosphere, tugging on it with their gravitational fields.

Concepts of: sensations, mental and physical well-being, management of space, health, recreating sensory experiences, pleasure, ambience, physical atmospheres.

Fe-dynamic ethical information

Transformation of potential energy into kinetic energy. Perception of an object’s internal dynamics and changes happening within it.

Example: Jupiter is an ongoing release of internal energy, where rising heat drives storms and vortices that surge, collide, and express constant atmospheric excitation. Reflecting this, Jupiter has a giant red splotch right on its body, a giant red storm that reflects its internal chaos.

Concepts of: emotions & moods, direct influence, sounds/music, volume, emotional motivation.

Fi-static ethical information

Subjective relations between two objects. Attraction and repulsion.

Example: Jupiter is held in orbit by the sun, while at the same time it keeps several moons and a belt of debris spinning around its body. It is part of an interconnected system of gravitational relationships.

Concepts of: relationships, attraction or repulsion, hatred, love, honor, dignity, kindness, mutual influence, tone of voice, conscience.

Ne-static intuitional information

Potential energy. An object’s content. Perception of an object’s internal content and structure.

Example: Jupiter has a great capacity to attract objects into its orbit because of its size. It also has a lot of latent energy within its atmosphere because of its vast amount of hydrogen and helium. Jupiter is not large enough to facilitate nuclear fusion in its atmosphere like the sun does, however.

Concepts of: internal content & structure, potential, mental/physical abilities, personality, culture, ideas, drives, intentions.

Ni-dynamic intuitional information

Relations between processes that happen in sequence. Time. Cause and effect.

Example: Aspects of Jupiter have remained for centuries, such as the Big Red Storm. Its atmospheric bands shift over time. It takes about 12 Earth years for Jupiter to complete one period around the sun.

Concepts of: time, inner Life, pacing, hurriedness, earliness or tardiness, purpose (of events), flow of life, phases of life, anticipation.

Informational metabolism elements are arranged as complementary information types within socionics. The complementarity of certain elements can be demonstrated through their translation into heuristics:

Te-Fi: Action only makes sense if it is done for the sake of the quality of your connections. (Example: Working in order to make money alone is meaningless, working to provide for your family is healthy.)

Ti-Fe: Systems are only necessary insofar as they are connected with human emotional needs. (Example: Being part of a community requires some level of sentimental invigoration, which is why nation-states promote patriotism.)

Ni-Se: Understanding the flow of time is only helpful if you have the will to do what it takes at the right moment. (Example: Seeing the deterioration of something only means something if you are willing to confront people about the issue.)

Ne-Si: Seeing the inner characteristics of something only makes sense if you understand the internal processes that require attention. (Example: Being a certain type of person only matters if you allow your best qualities to be cultivated through self-maintenance. Nobody remains at their full potential if they are physically and/or mentally unwell.)

How do we define informational metabolism elements?

Socionists like to have their neat little ideas about how to categorize certain everyday concepts into informational metabolism elements, but the truth is most of the time, many different informational metabolism elements can fit into the same concepts.

For example, to which IME does money belong? It only makes sense that it completely depends on the context and intentionality of the information being presented.

Let’s use money as an example:

• Money as a measurement of wealth is Ti
• Money as a status indicator is Se
• Money as a resource to be managed is Te

There is no right answer. You just have to figure out how the concept is being presented.

Think of something like morals. If we think of morals as logical axioms or laws that cannot be broken because of objective consequences, this would be Ti or Te. If we think of them as ways to treat each other based on our shared values or sense of conscience, this would be Fi. If we think about right or wrong based on how people react, that would be Fe.

If you’re thinking about someone’s image in terms of how people react to them, that is Fe. If you’re thinking of someone’s image in terms of how tough they look, that is Se. If you’re thinking of someone’s image in terms of how well-liked they are in their social groups, this is Fi. If you are thinking of someone’s image in terms of how well-respected they are, that could be Ti or Fi, depending on what is meant by “respect.”

If you get into a fight with someone and they slam a door in your face, which IME is that? It could be Fe, since it is a loud expression of emotion. It could be Se because it is a display of force. How do you decide?

If these nuances are not acknowledged by the socionics community, then there will never be any agreement or progress made. We will spiral into semantic disagreements that lead to nowhere. The unfortunate reality is that while there are certain concepts that can be distinctly relegated to specific IMEs, most of the time you have to use critical thinking to decide what type of information is being presented in each individual situation.

The best method will always be to determine which of the four Jungian functions are being used and whether or not they are being used statically or dynamically. You could also consider whether the person is referring to a body or a field.

Blocking

Before we get into the four blocks that form the basis of the informational metabolism theory, we first have to explain several concepts.

What is informational metabolism?

Antoni Kępiński’s theory of informational metabolism is a psychological theory used to describe the processing of information in human beings. His core thesis is that the human mind metabolizes information in a similar way to how the human body metabolizes food through energy metabolism. The first step in informational metabolism is information intake, where humans receive signals from the environment. Then comes the processing of information based on past experiences, personality structure, and emotional state. Lastly, there is the response or output of that information as manifested through behavior.

Another central idea to this theory is the idea of informational homeostasis, wherein too much of certain types of information can lead to overload and fragmentation, too little input can lead to deprivation and withdrawal, and distorted processing can lead to mental instability and even mental disorders. This forms the basis of the theory of intertype relations in socionics.

Accepting/producing functions:

Accepting functions reflect reality and provide objective (non-interpreted) information from outside the psyche. This connects the psyche’s productive output to the external world’s facts. The accepting functions are more critical and highlight what is missing or incomplete. Criticism of the manifestation of these functions, whether in speech or behavior, is generally more positively received than criticism of producing functions. Accepting functions typically manifest as descriptive statements.

Producing functions take information from their corresponding accepting elements and create something new. They tend to mix objective data with personal insight. Criticism of the manifestation of these functions feels more personal or frustrating. These functions typically manifest in prescriptive statements.

IME blockings:

Se accepting->Ti producing

Perception of external appearance and energy informs the objective relations between two objects and their properties.

Examples:

• “Those with more wealth have more power.”
• “If you’ve got more grit, you’re more likely to be successful compared to others.”
• “Taller people are more likely to get promoted.”
• “In a fight, you want to apply more force to close the distance between you and the opponent.”
• “He has a nice car, he must have a lot of influence.”

Types: SLE, IEI, SLI, IEE

Ti accepting->Se producing

Perceptions of objective relations between two objects and their properties inform those objects’ external qualities and energy.

Examples:

• “Those with more power will have more wealth.”
• “Getting promoted will give you higher pay.”
• “Since the boss has authority over you, you must dress sharply and speak confidently to get respect.”
• “To get a better grade, be more disciplined and assertive in class participation.”
• “Working in the justice system allows you to enforce compliance.”

Types: LSI, EIE, LSE, EII

Se accepting->Fi producing

Perception of external appearance and energy informs subjective relations between two objects.

Examples:

• “Those with more wealth are more well-liked.”
• “Broke men are not worth dating.”
• “Well-dressed individuals are more likely to be attractive.”
• “My husband carries himself with strength and certainty, and that’s why I love him.”
• “This actress carries herself with confidence, I can see why she is popular.”

Types: SEE, ILI, ILE, SEI

Fi accepting->Se producing

Perception of subjective interrelations informs the presence, willpower and appearance.

Examples: 

• “Those who are loved are more likely to be confident.”
• “Popular kids at school are more likely to be full of themselves.”
• “If someone disrespects me, I will confront them.”
• “Social rejects are less likely to put effort into their appearance.”
• “After I complimented him, he walked with more confidence.”

Types: ESI, LIE, ESE, LII

Ti accepting->Ne producing

Perception of objective relations between two objects and their properties informs an object’s content and potential.

Examples:

• “Students ranked high in their class likely have higher intelligence and chances of success.”
• “I have a high IQ, this means I am more capable.”
• “Jimmy did not get a real law degree, so he does not have what it takes to become a successful lawyer.”
• “Seeing patterns in cognition, Jung developed psychological types and wrote about their potential for development.”

Types: LII, ESE, LIE, ESI

Ne accepting->Ti producing

Perception of an object’s content and potential informs the objective relations between two objects and their properties.

Examples:

• “Those with more potential are more likely to occupy higher positions.”
• “That guy has great leadership skills, he could definitely be promoted.”
• “He was born with better genetics, he would be a much greater athlete.”
• “Karl Marx saw the latent productive power of the working class and called for a restructuring of labor relations.”

Types: ILE, SEI, SEE, ILI

Fi accepting->Ne producing 

Subjective interrelations between subjects informs their content and potential.

Examples:

• “Those who are more loved are more likely to be well-developed.”
• “A military commander who is loved by his platoon is more likely to be a good leader.”
• “A student that has a better relationship with his teacher is more likely to become a better student.”
• “A manager that dislikes an employee is more likely to misunderstand them.”
• “A woman with a small social network is less likely to achieve her dreams.”

Types: EII, LSE, EIE, LSI

Ne accepting->Fi producing

Content and potential of subjects informs their relationships with other subjects.

Examples:

• “People who have better personalities are more likely to have friends.”
• “Someone with a greater capacity for empathy is easier to love.”
• “People with high emotional intelligence are more likely to have deeper bonds.”
• “He is really talented, that’s why I want to date him.”
• “That man is so mysterious, I want to get to know him better.”

Types: IEE, SLI, SLE, IEI

Te accepting->Si producing

The use of action in the environment informs the relations between processes in space or an object’s internal situation.

Examples:

• “If you work hard, you can live comfortably.”
• “Following the instructions when cooking will create a tastier meal.”
• “Exercising your body will improve your health.”
• “If you work hard now, you can rest later.”
• “Disorganized activity will make you exhausted.”

Types: LSE, EII, EIE, LSI

Si accepting->Te producing

The relations between processes or an object’s internal situation informs the use of action in the environment. 

Examples:

• “Those who are healthier are more productive.”
• “If the environment around you is too distracting, you should go somewhere else to work better.”
• “If you feel stiff, get up and move around.”
• “If you don’t like your current conditions, you should work hard to move out.”

Types: SLI, IEE, SLE, IEI

Te accepting->Ni producing

Actions within the environment inform relations between processes that happen in space.

Examples:

• “Those who are productive are more likely to have better futures.”
• “A student that procrastinates all week will have to rush before the deadline.”
• “People are not buying Teslas as much anymore, so the company will likely decline over time.”
• “Lots of people are going to that restaurant, so I will probably have to stand in line for a while.”

Types: LIE, ESI, ESE, LII

Ni accepting->Te producing

Relations between processes happening in space inform actions within the environment

Examples:

• “There is plenty of time before the task is due, so I will space out my work more evenly.”
• “Rush hour is about to begin, so I should leave early.”
• “Winter is coming, so we should stockpile supplies.”
• “I will deteriorate over time if I am not productive.”

Types: ILI, SEE, ILE, SEI

Fe accepting->Si producing

Perception of a subject’s internal dynamics informs the subject’s internal situation

Examples:

• “Everyone seems to be energetic at this party, I think I will turn down the lights.”
• “He sounded pretty irritated, so I’m going to give him some space.”
• “The dinner was a little awkward, so I turned on some slow jazz to add some ambience.”
• “My dog had the zoomies, so I pet his head until he calmed down.”

Types: ESE, LII, LIE, ESI

Si accepting->Fe producing

Perception of a subject’s internal situation informs a subject’s internal dynamics

Examples:

• “The house was too hot so I became grumpy.”
• “He barged into my room, so I got angry at him.”
• “It’s a cloudy day, so I will try to be a little more cheerful to bring everyone’s mood up.”
• “This crowd is tense, you should open your speech with a joke.”
• “Everyone in this hot tub is relaxing, so please be chill.”

Types: SEI, ILE, SEE, ILI

Fe accepting->Ni producing

Perception of a subject’s internal dynamics informs the perception of relations between processes

Examples:

• “People of this country are angry, so there will likely be protests.”
  “Tensions are rising between these people, so there will probably be a confrontation.”
• “This guy is nervous before his performance, so he will probably screw something up.”
• “Everybody has calmed down, so I doubt this situation will escalate again soon.”
• “At this concert, the people are getting riled up, so I think there will be a good finale.”

Types: EIE, LSI, LSE, EII

Ni accepting->Fe producing

Perception of the relations between processes inform a subject’s internal dynamics

Examples:

• “There is a great future ahead of us, so we should motivate ourselves.”
• “Things are going to get worse before they improve, so we should stay calm and not panic.”
• “The finals are coming up, so let’s all get serious.”
• “Things are slowing down, so let’s have a party to celebrate how far we’ve come.”
• “He was abused as a child, so he’s not a very happy person.”

Types: IEI, SLE, IEE, SLI

Mental/Vital divide:

Informational metabolism is split into the first signal system (psychosomatic, vital) and second signal system (rationalized, mental). 

The vital ring receives information directly from observation. Signals from this ring are generally unconscious, but it is possible for someone to think about them if prompted. The key factor to consider is whether or not this information is typically part of someone’s rational thought process. Imagine, for example, sitting down for a conversation with someone and they are able to talk at length about a topic, while you can only speak in simplistic answers. This is typically an indicator that you process this information automatically and do not think about it much.

The mental ring involves cognitive functions such as reasoning, planning, and deliberating. This system is important for learning facts and educating others. When we tell stories or explain something to someone, we typically use the information given to us in the mental ring. We can talk at length about the information in our mental ring.

Types with dynamic information in their mental ring (SLI, LSE, LIE, ILI, IEI, EIE, ESE, SEI) will typically talk about things that are happening in the environment, while those with static information in their mental ring (SLE, SEE, LII, LSI, ILE, IEE, EII, ESI) will talk about specific impressions or states of being.

Example:

SEI: “This space has too much white, so it feels very oppressive. I’m sure your workers will be happier if you added a little bit of color.” (The atmosphere of the room is a “happening”, as are the emotions of the workers in the building.)

SLE: “This space is ugly and small. You should make it bigger and add some stuff to make it look nicer.” (The appearance of a space and its size are “impressionistic” information types.)

Blocks

The informational metabolism system is split into four blocks. Two of them are part of the mental ring (ego and superego), two of them are part of the vital ring (superid and id). Two of them are socially conforming (superego and id) and two of them are individualistic (ego and superid). Two of the blocks are “potential” (superego and superid) while two other blocks are “expansive” or “kintetic” (ego and id).

Socially conforming blocks (superego and id): Information in these blocks typically manifests in the form of social responsibility, duty, and embarrassment when making mistakes. Information in these blocks is less likely to be questioned by the individual, and is instead simply collected and used to either fit in or be exemplary. The superego is socially conforming and relegated to potential, while the id is socially conforming and demonstrative. 

Example: The ILE has a socially conforming sense of appearance (Se) and interpersonal connection (Fi). They are distinctly aware that how they present themselves will impact how much people like them. They are likely, therefore, to go to a tailor to get a suit that is widely considered to be presentable but not too flashy. They are also likely to study how humans interact with one another and feel uncomfortable with manipulating other people’s closeness to them. For example, seducing someone or doing things only to get someone else to like you is seen as unacceptable. How presentable you are and how much a person likes you is determined by feedback from the external world, and cannot be influenced by your own internal convictions.

Individualistic blocks (ego and superid): These blocks are autonomous, but in very different ways. These blocks create demands from others and stem from personal convictions, both mental and vital. Making mistakes on these blocks will typically not lead to a great amount of shame. Individuals will usually either impose or demand that others give them information on how to use this information correctly. Information in these blocks may be treated with skepticism by the individual and tested against reality rather than being readily accepted.

Example: The ILE has an individualist sense of potential (Ne) and the logical relationships between objects (Ti). An ILE can easily size up an object’s internal character and derive conclusions about what kind of properties or relations it could develop using those characteristics. An ILE could talk to someone, see what kind of traits they have, and confidently say how much better or worse they are than other people. For example, an ILE manager can collect a lot of information about the characteristics of their employees and decide whether or not they have what it takes to move up the corporate ladder. 

Potential blocks:  In potential blocks we receive information about the world. Information collected in these blocks is collected as literally as possible, because the information these blocks collect will be used by the expansive kinetic blocks. The potential blocks are essentially the bridge between ourselves and the external world. Without the information in these blocks, we can become delusional and disconnected from society.

Kinetic blocks: In kinetic blocks, we use the information we accumulate in our potential blocks. The ego resolves information collected on the superego and the id resolves information collected on the superid. Without the kinetic blocks, our potential blocks cause us massive amounts of self-consciousness or chastisement of the world. Information that is kinetic is decisive and willful. 

Oversocialization and anti-socialization:

Since the kinetic blocks are our output into the world and potential blocks are our contact with information given to us from the external world, we can correlate over-socialization with a personality that is too focused on external input and not enough on displaying its own strengths. We can correlate anti-socialization with a personality that is focused too much on displaying its expansive informational capabilities and not enough on grounding those capabilities in reality.

“Too kinetic” or anti-socialized people are more likely to be aggressive, delusional, obstinate, and reckless. Individuals of this orientation mainly display the information they put out through the expansive ego and id blocks. They either do not take advice from others or do not receive it. They are likely to believe that they and only they have the right answers and that society is not worth listening to.

“Too potential” or over-socialized people are more likely to come off as indecisive, insecure, yielding, and cautious. Individuals of this orientation mainly ruminate on the information they receive through the latent superego and superid blocks. They care too much about what other people think and are endlessly in the process of collecting information so they know the “correct” way they should live. They do not trust themselves to use their expansive informational capabilities, and thus may be prone to perpetual inaction.

The Superego Block

The superego is our first conscious contact with the world. When we first walk into a room, the first thing we consciously take into account is information in our superego (more specifically the accepting function). For example, someone with Fe accepting superego would walk into a room and first be attuned to the mood of those around them. This information about mood will then determine their ego’s response going forward.

 In this block, we try to reflect an objective view of the world around us. This block takes in massive amounts of data about the informational metabolism that it contains and tries to be as objective as possible. It contains encyclopedic knowledge that is broad but not deep. It considers all information equally and therefore has no idea how to prioritise it or utilize it instrumentally. It is essentially a mental database of facts that we use in order to steer our ego block. On the superego, we try to receive our facts from trustworthy sources, and we can be easily pressured or influenced by others. We notice broad problems in this area but cannot offer concrete solutions. 

The superego does not like to stand out in its realisation because it wants to fit in with the social norms it perceives. Any criticism of the expression of the superego is a source of doubt, guilt, and pangs of conscience. The superego is the source of our self-improvement phases and thirst for knowledge. 

Example: Tim is an Si superego and wants to be acknowledged for his sense of taste in wine. However, he has doubts about whether his taste lives up to the social ideal, so he collects vast amounts of information about what is considered good and bad. In his pursuit of excellence in this realm, he becomes a critic and a connoisseur, but he lacks the ability to truly form his own preferences confidently. He can explain all the different types of wines and their tastes, he can explain why they are all great in their own ways, but these are all merely attempts to conform, to be acknowledged. If he gives a strong opinion on a wine he likes, this is a risk for him. If someone tries that wine and doesn’t like it, his mind becomes plagued with worries: “Do I have bad taste? Am I an idiot for liking this?” Because of this, he tends to only give information without personal opinions, that way he stays safe. Yet he continues to yearn for that social ideal of being acknowledged for his refined palette. 

The superego can be thought of like this: when a person learns a new language, they want to fit into all the standard conventions, including rules of grammar and syntax. However, when they interact with a native speaker, they may be surprised that the natives themselves do not know all the nuances of the structure of their own language, and feel no problem butchering the proper grammatical structures. This is because to one person, the language is something to be adapted to, while to the other person, it is as natural as breathing. In this same way, IMEs on the superego are over-intellectualized, over-rationalized, and can feel unnatural to those observing. 

The superego block contains the role function (accepting) and the vulnerable function (producing). 

The Ego Block

The information from the insecure superego block flows into the expansive, independent, and creative ego block. The ego seeks recognition, but the difference is that it is able to evaluate and stand up for itself. The ego block is bold, and if its information is corrected, it can easily adjust without feeling self-conscious.

The ego is willing to take full responsibility or control over a task. If society disagrees with the manifestations of a person’s ego, that person may be willing to argue against society. That does not mean they always will, as this depends on a person’s general level of assertiveness, but the potential is there for it to happen. Most of a person’s conscious identity is contained in the ego block. It is who they are and what they bring to the table. The ego can establish new norms or ways of being that create unique ways of life that are not necessarily conforming to social expectations.

Example: Jim is a Ti ego. He has a great capacity to recognize laws and structures, to understand them and even create his own. He can evaluate which structures are good and which ones are bad based on his own intellectual prerogative. For example, Jim quit his last job because the managers did not enforce order with the other employees. If superiors cannot put people in their place, then how can this system be sustainable? It cannot be, so this is a system that Jim refuses to be a part of.

The superego influences the ego block by “offloading” its issues. The superego tries to form objective, socially correct conclusions but it fails because of its rigidity and indecisiveness. As a result, the ego picks up the slack and solves the problem using its own strengths. For example, a man who wants to influence the emotions of those around him (Fe) but is not able to is likely to use productivity (Te) to create results that will influence those emotions indirectly. In this way, the ego can be the block of over-compensation for underlying insecurities, like someone buying a nice car (Se) to cover up their lack of an ability to form connections with others (Fi). The ego has the leading function (accepting) and the creative function (producing).

The Superid Block

At its core, the superid is a block that reflects the individual’s internal state, unconscious needs, and vulnerabilities. It is also the block that determines what we expect to experience as love. It is the block of unconscious worries and fear, and is liable to torture others to receive the love it needs.

On the superid, we do not generate our own direction. It is the place where we are likely to hand over responsibility to others (moreso on the accepting function than the producing one). Others are meant to fill in the gaps, take the initiative for you, and provide the right input without you asking them for it. When a person provides the right information to this block, you typically feel relieved, grounded, and psychologically supported. 

Negative feedback on the superid is not met with self-consciousness in the same way that it is felt on the superego, but rather with lashing out or provoking others for not providing what you need. The individual is likely to blame anyone else but themselves for the problems they face on this block.

When a dual relationship influences the superid, both individuals generally feel happier and become more well-adjusted overall, acting out less and becoming easier to get along with. 

The superid has the suggestive function (accepting) and the mobilizing function (producing).

Example: Tamara is an Si suggestive. She feels uncomfortable all the time but doesn’t know why. She continues to eat junk food and to sit in uncomfortable positions, unaware of how these factors impact her overall physical health and internal sensory feelings. When in a group setting, she will talk about how little sleep she gets and how stressed out she is, blaming everything but her own habits. What she unconsciously wants is someone who will, like a mother, tell her to sit correctly, not stay up late, and to eat healthy. Without someone there to take care of these aspects, she feels like there is something missing in her life, she continues to bother people with her problems, and nothing gets resolved.

The Id Block

The id is best described as our practical adaptation to reality, radiating good sense and simplicity. It is a realistic and action-oriented block that seeks to show off its capabilities to society. It prioritises direct solutions, does not impose on the world, and responds to social demand. Because of this, it can be much less prone to overthinking than the ego block, but it can also lead to a lack of nuance. It does not invent anything new, but chooses from a list of options from accumulated information accepted through the first signal system.

The id has an interesting connection with the dual’s superego. It will provide a worthy example worth following, while the superego will provide the dual’s id with information about how to realize its elements correctly (the superego likes giving information but not acting on it.) The way the id manifests is not through the blind acceptance of information, but rather through the organism’s real needs in the moment.

In extreme situations, the id becomes impulsive and forceful and will push a direct solution to escape.

Information flow from the superid informs the action of the id. The superid creates dependence, motivation, and emotional charge, and the id converts that into independent action and practical competence. The superid pressures your unconscious psyche, and the id carries out ways to deal with this pressure in practical ways.

Example: Jane has Se on her producing function (demonstrative) on her id. She instinctively knows that in order to be a good human being in society, you need to look good and carry yourself well. Because of this, she buys nice suits and dresses for various situations and keeps her posture straight. She does not think much about this stuff–it’s just something you do. She can sense when the atmosphere calls for a certain standard of appearance, and feels a subtle pressure to meet that standard, even if she doesn’t know why. Others notice how put-together she is, but to her it is nothing more than a practical response to the situation, so she does not consciously seek this recognition. 

This is a visual representation of informational flow in the classical model A socionics system.

Rationality, Irrationality, and Temperaments

In Psychological Types, Jung makes a clear distinction between functions that are rational (also known as “judging”) and irrational (also known as “perceiving”). By rational, he meant functions that require evaluation, interpretation, and ordering of the external world. By irrational, Jung was referring to functions that take in information from reality as matters of fact external from the mind’s subjective interpretation. The two perceiving functions are sensation and intuition. The two judging functions are thinking and feeling (logic and ethics in socionics). 

Types with logical or ethical IMEs on their accepting elements are considered rational. These types are:

Ti leading types: LII and LSI

Te leading types: LIE and LSE

Fi leading types: EII and ESI

Fe leading types: EIE and ESE

Types with intuitional or sensing IMEs on their accepting elements are considered irrational. These types are:

Ni leading types: ILI and IEI

Ne leading types: ILE and IEE

Si leading types: SLI and SEI

Se leading types: SLE and SEE

Aushra Augusta correlated the concept of rationality and irrationality to the terms “schizothyme” (rational types) and “cyclothyme” (irrational types). These types were coined by Ernst Kretschmer in his book Physique and Character to refer to two distinct temperaments. For the sake of simplicity, I am not going to use these terms and instead simply refer to types as rational or irrational.

According to Aushra, rational types are action-driven and are guided by rational thinking and past experience. When something happens to a rational type, they react immediately and deliberately. They tend to be decisive, structured, and emotionally composed, rarely engaging in impulsive behaviors. The rational types rarely allow their actions to stem from feelings, but rather experience feelings as consequences of their actions (ie feeling good or bad after doing something right or wrong). These types tend to require pre-existing “sets” or frameworks before engaging with people and are slower to initiate relationships. Once sufficient data is gathered, they can then operate within a predetermined framework going forward. For example, when entering a new group, rational types are more likely to start off quieter than most, observing the mannerisms and behaviors of those around them, understanding what is or is not liked among them, and then adjusting their behavior accordingly going forward. It is very hard for a rational type to act in new situations without some sort of prior knowledge to go off of. 

Rational types have two types of temperaments. Temperaments traditionally are denoted with MBTI-derived nomenclature like “EP”, but since judging and perceiving are not really terminologies used in socionics, we will denote these temperaments by staticity/dynamism and extraversion/intraversion:

IS temperament (introverts, static): An emphasis on principles, morals, laws, predictability. In other words, information that can be ordered and reasoned but is not likely to change. They are the least adaptable to chaotic, unprecedented situations. They are most likely to be critical, tracking whether people are behaving the way they are supposed to and ordering people into their personal categories. They are likely to have the most conflict with ES types.

Types: LII, LSI, EII, ESI

ED temperament (extraverts, dynamic): An emphasis on action, the flow of cause and effect, and directing others. The ethical types within this temperament are likely to motivate people emotionally, and the logical types are likely to direct action. These types have a tendency towards leadership or otherwise prominent roles in a group. They are most likely to have conflict with ID types.

Types: LIE, LSE, EIE, ESE

Irrational types are feelings-driven and react to their internal state. While the rational type is more likely to ask “why would you do that?” The irrational person is most likely to say “because I felt like it.” Sometimes their behavior can be hard to explain with reason alone, as it is a response to information that cannot always be ordered into sets. These types tend to be flexible with their environment, and can easily switch environments or relationships if they do not feel right. 

Irrational types have two distinct temperaments:

ID temperament (intraverted, dynamic): An emphasis on passivity, neutrality, standing back and observing situations, and only acting when necessary. These types are often sensitive to their internal state and the internal state of others, or to the reasonability of the actions of others. They are energy conservationists. They may have a tendency to be caretakers or advisors in a group setting. They are most likely to have conflict with ED types.

Types: ILI, SLI, IEI, SEI

ES temperament (extraverted, static): An emphasis on adapting to situations, entering new environments, collecting information from the external world, and engaging with the environment playfully. These types are likely to pride themselves on their ability to improvise, think fast, and escape any bad situation. These types tend to be the most unstructured and chaotic, and what they bring to a group is generally spontaneity and motion. They are most likely to have conflict with IS types.

Types: ILE, SLE, IEE, SEE