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Introverted ethics
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Description of Fi from “Dual Nature of Man” by A. Augusta
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White (introverted) ethics
This is the subjective relationship between two carriers of potential or kinetic energy that shows the level of attraction (or repulsion) between one object or subject and another object or subject. Thanks to this IM element a person feels which objects attract him and which repel him. You might say that this perceptual element conveys information about objects’ need or lack of need of each other and about the presence or absence of mutual or one-way needs.
Such an individual perceives information about this facet of objective reality the individual perceives as a need for certain objects that satisfy physical wishes/desires, psychological or spiritual desires, and a need for other people — in other words, a person’s wishes/desires and interests that are directed toward animate and inanimate objects. This includes feelings of like and dislike, love and hatred, the desire to obtain some thing/object, etc., and greed or the absense of greed. The higher feelings of this kind can be called ethical, because relationships between people’s needs are mainly regulated by ethical normals.
When this perceptual element is in the leading position, the individual possesses the innate ability to perceive and evaluate wishes/desires — both his own and others’. He always knows who wants what from whom. He is able to set his awareness of subjective reality and his wishes in opposition to those of others. He has the ability to mould and perfect both his own and others’ wishes. He possesses both the ability to provide himself with necessary relationships with others and confidence in his capacity to influence other people. His correct perception of human needs allows him to avoid risky collisions when satisfying his own needs. This engenders the ability to manipulate people’s attachments, and the ability and desire to influence people’s ethical feelings and bring these feelings closer to societal ideals.
Wikisocion description of Fi
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Introverted ethics
(
) is an
introverted, rational, and static information element
. It is also called
Fi, R, relational ethics
, or
white ethics
.
Fi is generally associated with the ability to gain an implicit sense of the subjective ‘distance’ between two people, and make judgments based off of said thing.
Types with valued Fi strive to make and maintain close, personal relationships with their friends and family. They value sensitivity to others’ feelings, and occasionally will make their innermost feelings and sentiments known in order to test the possibility of creating closeness with others.
Also, these types convey emotions in terms of how they were affected by something (such as “I did not like that”), rather than an extroverted ethics Fe approach that would describe the object itself without clear reference to the subject involved (such as “That sucked”). Much of their decisions are based on how they themselves, or others in relation to them personally, feel in contrast to considering how “the big picture” is affected (such as groups of people.)
Fi as a
base
(1st) function (
ESI
and
EII
)
¶
The individual sees reality primarily through static personal ethics and stable interpersonal bonds between individuals, including himself, where the status of such interpersonal bonds is determined by his personal ethics. The individual is very confident in evaluating the ethical or moral qualities, and their consistency, of other people. This makes the individual seem “judgemental” or “self-righteous” to people less so inclined. If he has difficulty in deciding the status of a personal relationship, he will take action to try to reach a conclusion but if that continues to elude him, he will regard the relationship as not worth it. His own sense of constancy in personal ethics and in his relationships with others is a very strong factor in his sense of self-worth.
Fi in this position implies the ability to almost instantly recognize whether someone is a friend or an enemy, whether they are demonstrating good will or ill will, and whether they are drawn to or repelled by the individual.
Fi as a
creative
(2nd) function (
SEE
and
IEE
)
¶
The individual is very adept at perceiving, establishing, and maintaining personal bonds between people. However, these bonds are often perceived as being situational and flexible rather than static. The individual is inclined to focus on establishing personal bonds with other people in the context of realizing or following perceptions from his base function.
The person easily creates a sense of closeness and kinship between people by expressing like and acceptance, but these sentiments are situational rather than an expression of permanent feelings. If the person’s mood or external situation changes, he or she may “turn off” the feelings instantly, even forgetting whom they had created the feeling of kinship with.
Fi as a
role
(3rd) function (
LII
and
LSI
)
¶
The individual recognizes the existence and importance of personal relationships, so he is usually cautious at first about offending others if he does not know them well. To minimize this risk he adheres somewhat simplistically to the relevant social conventions (e.g. political correctness). However, if taken too far this produces stress, as it inhibits his natural introverted logic (Ti) inclination to voice exactly what his thoughts are on a given issue or situation, with the expectation that others will appreciate his straightforwardness, rather than accusing him of being insensitive. This caution gradually disappears as he gets to know people better.
He prefers to develop relationships indirectly with others based on open conversation and common activities, and only reveals his innermost personal feelings to those he has known for a long time. He may become confused and suspicious if they are directly solicited by others.
Fi as a
vulnerable
(4th) function (
ILE
and
SLE
)
¶
The individual does not normally pay attention to the nuances of interpersonal relationships; he is either overly suspicious or overly assuming of his relations with others when they are not clearly defined. More importance is given to these relations as they pertain to objective mutual benefit; entertaining one another and accomplishing mutual goals are seen as the main focus, rather than seeing the relationships as rewarding in and of themselves. The individual does not expect others to be actively aware or concerned with his own personal sentiments, and so sees little reason to be concerned with those of others, unless they have direct consequences for the individual. Statements by other persons reflecting their inner feelings are not fully registered by the individual if not accompanied by external emotional expression or actions. Suggestions that the individual may have acted unethically in the eyes of another person who has not clearly expressed disapproval are met with bafflement by the individual; those that are expressed without tact are either dismissed or reacted to aggressively.
Expressions of deep personal sentiments are awkward for the individual, whether coming from another or himself. He does not see it as his “right” to place the burden of his true emotions on another, both because he knows how uncomfortable those of others make him (even when they are positive and genuine), and because of his own awkwardness in expressing them.
Fi as a
suggestive
(5th) function (
LIE
and
LSE
)
¶
The individual longs for close personal relationships where personal and private experiences can be shared easily in an atmosphere of mutual trust, sustained by shared sentiments and ethical beliefs that make external expression of emotions unnecessary. The individual is inclined to take first steps, but he is not confident of his ability to correctly evaluate the existence or status of such a relationship and therefore is attracted to persons who value clear and unambiguous personal relationships with others and who follow a clear set of ethical principles, which gives them credibility and makes them deserving of trust in the individual’s eyes.
The individual tends not to consider whether people are friends or enemies or whether they feel good will or ill will towards them. Instead, he or she usually acts right from the start as if the other person were a friend or an enemy based on their prior knowledge of what the person does. This makes it possible to mistake a friend for an enemy and vice versa. Only gradually does the individual come to recognize what feelings others have for him, and there is always an element of doubt unless others express those feelings verbally and unambiguously and act in a way that clearly matches their stated feelings, over a sufficient period of time. The individual is easily made insecure about the status of personal relationships and needs frequent reassurance that the other person’s feelings have not changed.
The individual is sheepish about expressing his personal feelings about people (“I find you really interesting” or “I like you a lot”), but responds very well to these statements, as if they were unexpected treats. Instead, the person tends to focus on whether others’ behavior makes sense or not.
Fi as a
mobilizing
(6th) function (
ILI
and
SLI
)
¶
The individual longs for establishing stable personal relationships with other individuals based on mutual trust and understanding where deeper and private feelings and experiences can be easily shared. However, the individual lacks the initiative to establish such relationships and usually expects others to make gestures in that area, admiring those who do so. In the context of extroverted ethics (Fe) as a vulnerable function, it should be emphasized that these types especially value emotional bonds where feelings go unsaid between partners, and are simply “understood.”
Fi as an
ignoring
(7th) function (
ESE
and
EIE
)
¶
This is manifested as a skepticism about, or reluctance to decide on, the status of a deeper personal bond in a relationship between two individuals in the absence of signs in external emotional expression that should reflect that status. For instance, the individual will be inclined to regard as “loveless” or lukewarm the relationship of a couple who do not obviously display their mutual affection and remain rather subdued in their emotions in the presence of others.
The individual understands discussions or explorations of one’s own inner feelings regarding other individuals but finds them less interesting and relevant than those focusing on one’s emotional state in the same situation.
Fi as a
demonstrative
(8th) function (
SEI
and
IEI
)
¶
The individual is quite adept at understanding the interactions in personal bonds between two individuals, even in the absence of an obvious external emotional expression; but he is inclined to regard them as of lesser importance, and less interesting, than the broader emotional interactions in the context of a larger group. Moreover, those personal bonds are perceived as situational and dynamic rather than static.
Aspects in the Valued Functions by Dmitry Golihov
¶
Fi as leading function of ESI (ISFj; Dreiser) and EII (INFj; Dostoevsky)
¶
This person is very tenacious in his attachments and conservative in his feelings and attitudes towards another, keeps true to the feelings he develops. If someone does not agree with his valuation, it irritates him immensely. Someone who has deceived him once he will consider a liar forever, even if the person changes. Due to this, from aside he is often seen as a moralist, as these feelings and evaluations are the main part of his life. The product of leading function is often not shown to the outside world but instead is kept inside. Thus this happens most often when something annoys him in terms of its values. The negative is often seen more clearly than the positive. Thus he may hold onto such false impressions. Attempting to challenge their assessment is useless, for them something is just “good” and something is just “bad” and they will not be able to communicate clearly why this is so, except for making some general statements. Tries to keep himself near those with whom positive relationship was once established. Their division of people into “good” and “bad” is very clear-cut. The “good” people are liked and the “bad” people are despised; often this is hidden but if the person evoke a strongly negative response they may express it openly. If there are not enough people around him whom he values, this may inspire in him aggression, because this means that he doesn’t exist. He is very sensitive to such concepts as duty, honor, dignity, morality, that is - to his own perception of these concepts. For him his own feelings, emotions, attitudes are important, not external, public ones, which may not be given any importance. He rarely changes his attitude towards anyone, especially from low evaluation to a higher one. He has a large supply of different emotions and their various nuances. He is very sensitive to other people deviating from his own moral code - it is as if he is constantly controlling them in this respect and taking care of them. His positive feelings are something that should be confirmed by behavior that coincides with his expectations of what is “good” and “bad”. In society, they are sometimes misunderstood since their ethics are personal, subjective, and therefore may deviate significantly from what is accepted as a norm. But he is deeply entrenched into this subjective perception, thus his only resort is to find those who agree with him and accept him for it.
Fi as creative function in SEE (ESFp; Napoleon) and IEE (ENFp; Huxley)
¶
He is frequently conveying to others his attitude towards them. Uses his own attitude towards someone to manipulate them. Aims to give his evaluation to everything that surrounds him, judges what is ‘good’ and what is ‘bad’. Sometimes he can change his sympathies and antipathies several times a day, very amorous and inconstant in this respect. Looks for a place where others would be interested in his views on any issue. Thus he may find his vocation as artistic director, since in this sphere his judgement is often accepted and valued. As a manager or leader his approach remains the same, however, acceptance of his judgement here will be lower. He himself refers to his evaluations as “work in progress”, something mundane, commonplace to him: first he praises someone, then scolds them, then praises them again. Not being in a position to do this, it looks inadequate, so often this serves as incentive for him to achieve such a position, and thus quietly “sell” his products for which there is small demand in society. Usually none at all, because those who are critical of everyone often no one likes. He is frequently perceived as someone who has arrived with “his own charter in a foreign land”. He immediately begins to look and evaluate everything: “this is good, but that is poor” “I like this, but not that”. He is interested in conflict situations, and can even provoke them since then he will have a job: to assess. These people often win the sympathies of others by participating in their problems: they are aware and interested in them, they can adjust to another person to better get in touch. Therefore, they often make for good politicians. Their advantage is the ability to play on requests of the voters, to know what they want. Their relations are rarely reliable - “today I like you, tomorrow you’re not in favor, and day after I like you again”. Even their hate can easily one day turn into love. For them feelings is alike an interesting game. They know price to everything, so can make for good evaluators and tasters. Seldom they leave a member of opposite sex without their assessment. Their assessments can sometimes sound like moralizing, but there is no consistency to their judgements. Sometimes the situation requires that they adapt their valuation to “opinions of others.” In such cases they may put it into more acceptable formulation, for example “it is said that …”. If you try to specify who is saying that, it turns out that he has merely used the phrase about public opinion to cunningly hide his own opinion.
Fi as activating function in SLI (ISTp; Jean Gabin) and ILI (INTp; Balzac)
¶
It is important for him to relate to others around him, to feel good about them, to value and love someone. If they don’t like someone, it also lowers their self-esteem. “I’m bad if I don’t love anybody.” They have two ways out of the situation, either way of a Buddhist - to admit that the world is not perfect and love it for what it is, or to imagine a perfect world and perfect people and love this, but in real life go on without strong feelings. All other options imply self-esteem problems, as in the case of idealization of people close to him, sooner or later he will have to deal with their shortcomings. De-idealization means very negative feelings and a drop of his self-esteem. They need to have opportunities to express their personal attitudes and judgements, talk about what they love, what they are doing. Idealization of the surrounding world is their main problem. It is important for them to have permission to express their attitude frankly. Therefore, they often choose living environment where they are received well, having contact only with it, because here with certainty they can disclose their thoughts. He likes to tell the truth and hopes that it will be perceived adequately, even if it is hurtful. He will say “but I have been honest”. Tries to protect himself from any interference in his internal feelings. Often you can hear from him, “do look into my soul.” Generally like to keep a distance from objects of adoration, since this way it is much easier to not be disappointed. Ideally, he should have an opportunity to periodically spend time away to himself. Can also invest his love into animals or even some kind of mystical entity; this way it is easier to maintain his self-esteem. In a long-term relationship with someone, sooner or later he becomes a moralist, since this is a good way to force someone to conform to his ideals. In passive self-defense will say that all people around him are bastards.
Fi as suggestive function in LSE (ESTj; Stirlitz) and LIE (ENTj; Jack London)
¶
People of these types strive to find themselves in environment where they like everything and everyone. If they don’t like something or someone - this is a reason to change their environment. Very receptive when he is told how someone else should be treated. When he does not know how to treat someone, feels uncomfortable - needs those who can explain this to him. Looks for a place where he would be allowed to communicate his assessments and attitudes. If this is allowed - the place seems welcoming to him. In this regard, he is very mistrustful and and often tries to rely on some objective data. Very suggestible by the valuations of those who are close to him, and through this he can be taken advantage of. Having found himself in some new place, if there is such a person there, he will try to listen to his/her evaluations and then adopt them as his own. The best place for him is where he has a circle of close and trusted friends. He likes situations where he knows or can accurately assess how everything should be treated and valuated: “this is white and that is black.” If he lacks such clarity, he may feel uncomfortable. It is very painful for him to part with his groups of friends or team where he worked - memories will bring him to bouts of nostalgia. It is very hurtful for him to lose a friend, a comrade, a colleague, whom he has known for a long while. Same applies to his personal life. Sometimes he might deliberately provoke a scandal and use it as a way to express his attitude towards someone or something, since another method of delivery would require the approval of the group or collective, but this way he can freely give his assessment as is. And then move on to his real valuations, which now he can safely speak about. If he has feelings for someone, he can turn a blind eye to everything, as he is very suggestible by love - it makes him blind. It’s a feeling that warms him contrary to all common sense. In general, under such circumstances, the position of this function results in a very dangerous situation because such a person can be easily ‘programmed’ to any feelings for anyone (fall prey to sycophancy). Then you can just push him to take action and no hypnosis is even necessary - he will act believing it is out of his best intentions.
Additional links and descriptions
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About Aspects and Functions in Socionics by Tatiana Prokofieva
Introverted Feeling Type by Carl Jung
Sample vocabulary associated with introverted ethics