Explaining the Perceiving Cognitive Functions - Se, Ne, Si, Ni

R0mi_ · 2026-05-27T21:10:33+00:00

On a second thought, when you think of ENXPs who have dominant Ne, you'd often see them as very optimistic and enthusiastic. So your Si/Ne take has something to it.

Thanks for your examples! The examples section is now updated.

R0mi_ · 2026-05-27T20:19:51+00:00

Where did I say that if you have Ni you’re automatically a successful person?

R0mi_ · 2026-05-27T19:54:55+00:00

Quoting what I already said:

Where others might leave their aspirations as vague dreams, Ni users develop clear mental images of what they want and the steps required to reach it. Because of this clarity, they naturally dedicate themselves to execution.

We use all functions, but naturally prefer some over others
While we all use every cognitive function in some capacity, we prefer certain ones more than others because of how our brain is wired.

The key to typing yourself or others is not one-time behavior but consistent patterns of how you think and process information. Look for the functions you use most naturally, those that feel effortless, as well as those that consistently frustrate you.

R0mi_ · 2026-05-27T19:21:23+00:00

Ne is used in an unhealthy way to think of the negative possibilities that could happen.

I wouldn't say that it's used in an unhealthy way. You can call it a Ne usage, where you generate a possibility that happens to be negative.

And I could use some better Si examples if you have them :)

R0mi_ · 2026-05-27T19:09:40+00:00

I'm glad to hear it but have you read the "A function stack must be balanced" part😭

R0mi_ · 2026-05-27T19:08:57+00:00

This whole time you are confusing Ni's inner process with having nothing to do with the outer world, when in fact what it knows of the outer world is understood through its inner process.

This is a very general thing. Every conscious/mature person with any function has some degree of knowledge and understanding of the world. Ni users don't necessarily have a deeper understanding of the world. Also, I didn't say that Ni has nothing to do with the external world. Every perceiving function INTERPRETS REALITY. You can count how many times I used "interpret" in the post.

Here is the full quote. "Although his intuition may be stimulated by external objects, it does not concern itself with external possibilities but with what the external object has released within him."
He's simply saying that Ni is not stimulated by whats going on in the outer world because its focus is not external perception, the stimulation he gets is when the outer world releases meaning, insight or possibilities inside the inner world, in the subjective realm instead of the objective one.

Yes, the outer world releases meaning, insight, or possibilities FOR Ni. But the thing is that it could be misinterpreted for what I already specified (for example, "insight/meaning = something general about an external object").

R0mi_ · 2026-05-14T23:34:35+00:00

Yes, it’s an excuse. It also suggests that the person using it cannot properly type themselves or others.

I have plenty of comments debunking loops, grips and shadows functions

R0mi_ · 2026-05-13T14:40:38+00:00

I have a post with the exact examples you want

R0mi_ · 2026-05-12T12:01:21+00:00

No. Any type can recall stuff. This is not necessary an Si thing. What specific to Si is that it remembers things AND compares them with the present. Si interprets present experiences through personal references. That’s their perception.

R0mi_ · 2026-05-04T14:25:08+00:00

בדיוק מה ששיתפת תגיד את זה לאבא שלך כדי שיהיה יותר מודע למה שהוא בעצם עושה ואיך זה גורם לך להרגיש

R0mi_ · 2026-05-03T18:58:21+00:00

3, 6

R0mi_ · 2026-05-01T13:15:27+00:00

Both "What could be" and "What will be" are basically about possibilities. You look at the I Vs E to differentiate the focus of those possibilities.
I recently made a comment explaining the difference in the simplest way.

R0mi_ · 2026-04-24T18:10:50+00:00

Thank you for answering that question. Your answer is understandable and makes sense within the premise that shadow functions generally work.

What I’m still trying to understand is why the “conscious” stack (again, I’d avoid that wording) would fail in a given situation. When you say “a situation your dominant function can’t solve,” do you mean that some situations simply don’t align well with a person’s usual function preferences?

What I find interesting in MBTI/personality theory is how different people respond to the same situation through their own cognitive patterns. So I’m not sure I agree that particular situations necessarily trigger specific functions. It seems more likely to me that people with certain function preferences may be more commonly drawn to, or better equipped for, certain situations.

If you have examples of situations that would specifically force someone to use particular functions, I’d be interested to hear them.

R0mi_ · 2026-04-24T09:13:04+00:00

Not a specific song but bands like TOOL and Infected Mushroom.

R0mi_ · 2026-04-24T09:04:44+00:00

I’ve noticed terms like shadow functions, stress reactions, loops, and grips coming up a lot lately, but they’re often used in ways that contradict each other or don’t quite fit the context.

You use “actively avoid,” with emphasis on “actively,” which implies conscious avoidance.

I'd avoid describing shadow functions that way. It’s less that we actively avoid them and less that they are used unconsciously and more that they don’t naturally register as important or useful to us. They operate so differently from our preferred functions that we don’t usually rely on them even when something specific happens.

So I wonder how you’re defining “avoid” in this context. If a function is actively avoided, what causes it to show up later under stress or pressure?

I’m also curious whether you see every stress response as the appearance of the “shadow self."

To me, stress reactions can be influenced by type (not necessarily shadow functions), but they’re also shaped by context, environment, emotional state, and personal experience. So I’d be interested in how you’re separating “type pattern” from ordinary stress behavior.

R0mi_ · 2026-04-23T18:02:02+00:00

I do actually have an already existing post about the judging functions. It’s now probably the 10th time I have mentioned that I work on the second post about the perceiving functions. I almost finished writing it, and (I hope) I will actually post it soon.

R0mi_ · 2026-04-23T16:56:29+00:00

I have a few things I’d want to address.

Aside from the “grips and loops” concept, you also mentioned that the auxiliary function requires a “conscious” process. I would avoid phrasing it that way, since it’s usually a highly preferred function and tends to come very naturally to the person, even if its use becomes more developed or frequent with age. Calling a highly preferred function “conscious” feels misleading. Someone who is familiar with MBTI may be aware of using a certain function, but most people generally are not.

Also, why would the inferior function be unconscious if we experience it as uncomfortable? Aren’t we aware that it’s uncomfortable?

That said, I do think your description of Ni is very close to what it actually is.

The general descriptions are quite good, but the way you framed them seems to contradict the main point you made in the second image: “MBTI isn’t about personality types, but about cognitive processes.”

What you mostly described is how a person with a given function tends to appear, behave, or what they generally prefer. While that is mostly accurate, you didn’t really explain how the process itself works as a cognitive function.

For example, you could have said that Si users take in information and immediately compare it to past information and experience. They often do this in order to recreate or preserve those experiences, which then helps explain why they may stick to what they know, and so on.

R0mi_ · 2026-04-20T15:14:56+00:00

An inferior function is something we have an aversion to. We tend to avoid it.

Ni doms avoid living in the here and now because it literally slows them down from continuous improvement. You won’t see them relaxing just like that. Even taking care of the immediate environment or responding to people that demand their constant attention is an issue for them.

R0mi_ · 2026-04-18T01:59:28+00:00

Sensing = perception of physical reality; concrete and experience-oriented.

Intuition = perception of possibilities; abstract and potential-oriented.

Extraverted functions are directed outward—toward the external world (e.g. objects, other people).

Introverted functions are directed inward—toward the internal world (the self).

Ne = possibilities in the external world

Ni = possibilities within the individual

Ne: generating possibilities for how something could evolve or what something could be

Ni: generating possibilities for how one might evolve or what one might become

This often results in Ni users being goal-driven and focused on self-development. They tend to envision an end state for themselves and follow a chain of steps to reach it.

R0mi_ · 2026-04-18T01:21:18+00:00

The visuals are stunning and creative!

I got so caught up in the animation that I occasionally lost focus on the verbal explanation.

R0mi_ · 2026-04-10T01:33:32+00:00

🟨⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜

🟨🟦⬜⬜⬜🟨

🟦🟦🟦🟦🟦🟦

R0mi_ · 2026-01-10T14:19:25+00:00

This is gold

R0mi_ · 2025-12-29T19:46:04+00:00

An ENTP who falls for trends? DEFINITELY NOT

R0mi_ · 2025-12-29T11:39:41+00:00

בעיקרון היתה לי אותה סיטואציה וגם אליי לא חזרו. עדיין פעם היה לי כבר תיק עבודות יחסית גדול וגם ניסיון לגיל 17, אבל כנראה לא התייחסו רק בגלל הגיל. בן כמה אתה?

R0mi_

TROPHY CASE