On the Evolution of Logic: An Introduction to Cognietrics

Introduction

Did I pass?

There are no wrong answers! Different combinations of different letters yield different advantages, but remember - each four-letter code represents a set of Preferences, not aptitudes.

What if I don't believe that everyone in the world fits neatly into only sixteen Types?

The MBTI is by no means a complete description of personality, but the dichotomies that represent the Preferences are mutually exclusive and so, due to widespread influence, account for the underpinnings of every preinclination; people of the same Type can be fundamentally different and still share these Traits, however, Cognietrics only makes inferences based upon the categories described in this book.

What if I think that I am a mix of Types, and that I use all of the Preferences either together or at different times?

Cognietrics certainly expects people to use all eight Functions, but a continuous divergence in usage is expected in order to prevent confusion. It is unlikely that a lack of Preferences will cause a perfect balance, because people are noticeably different in this regard, and their primary motives and behaviors by definition are indicative themselves of imbalance between the Functions. On some defunct Socionics websites, Jung was quoted as saying "As experience shows, it is next to impossible - as a result of unfavourable conditions - that somebody could develop all his functions at the same time. Social demand bring to more differentiation (developing) by a person that of his functions where he is more talented by nature or which gives him the most evident real means to achieve social success. A person very often, almost regularly, wholly identifies himself with the function placed in the most favourable conditions and due to that the most developed one. This way psychological types are constructed."

So what is the point of Jungian Cognitive Functions and their Temperaments? Isn't Sensing just Sensing, and Feeling just Feeling?

The Functions were Jung's actual original contributions to personality typology, and were developed further by Isabel Myers, the Socionicists, and others. The idea is that the Suggestion (most conscious perceiving Function) and Meaning (most conscious judging Function) can be introverted or extraverted (more specifically, one is introverted and the other is extraverted; for Judgers the Meaning is extraverted and for Perceivers the Suggestion is extraverted). The Function Temperaments also determine each Type's Values. Here is a story to illustrate the point: A psychologist asks a man to look at a painting and describe what he sees. The man says "I see a tree and a lake". The psychologist then asks "What color is the bird in the tree?", and the man responds "Oh, I didn't even notice the bird until you mentioned it". This example proves that even something as seemingly elementary as Sensation can be affected by preinclinations, which can vary from person to person. The fact is, the Preferences confer different advantages depending on whether the information processed is meant to be shared or hidden. In addition, as with any sort of Strength, some people will excel at one aspect and others will excel in other ways. Judgers are more comfortable sharing judgments and hiding perceptions, and Perceivers are more comfortable sharing perceptions and hiding judgments; there is no reason to suppose that the Temperament of every Function in the Consciousness Hierarchy (order of the Functions) should follow the Exertion (Introverted or Extraverted) of the Cognietrics Type, which only determines the Exertion of the Referential, Experimental, Avoidant, and Aggressive Functions. In general, extraverted Functions are multiply-applicable (or objective) and represent a breadth of activity, whereas introverted Functions are self-referential (or subjective) and represent a depth of activity. Everyone has in their first and second Functions a judging Function for using what they already Know and Understand and a perceiving Function for dealing with new information that is Inducted or Deduced; as I said before, one Function is always extraverted and the other is always introverted - this provides stability and balance to the Type.

If as of yet there is no data or other veracity to support the predictions made by Cognietrics for each Type, then what is the point of Cognietrics?

Cognietrics determines the connections between the Myers-Briggs Preferences and the Types that they describe, but it is just an investigative foray into a much deeper subconscious that we have not yet noticed. Albert Einstein said, in Cosmic Religion: With Other Opinions and Aphorisms (1931), "Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution. It is, strictly speaking, a real factor in scientific research." Unfortunately, the tools are not yet available for this kind of empirical study...however, just because something begins as a dream, it does not mean that it won't one day inspire something of practical value. If it weren't for Marcel Grossmann introducing Einstein to the mathematics he needed to make possible general relativity (as described by Manfred Eigen in From Strange Simplicity to Complex Familiarity (2013)), the theory would remain nothing but a daydream. Instead it was verified by many experiments including the Pound-Rebka experiment in 1959. Especially when first learning about Jungian personality, self-awareness can be a huge problem for many people - do I do this or that? The actual tendencies may be hard to distinguish at first, but with study and comparison to others it is possible to make sense of the theory. Cognietrics is a theory that seeks to explain the interaction of a lot of different basic elements and their collective effects. In Cognietrics, the basic elements are the psychological entities called the Jungian Cognitive Functions.

Short Cognietrics Functions Test

1. I agree that:

a. I enjoy validating perspectives.

b. I always leave a memorable impression.

c. I tend to be very aware of the chances for success.

d. I like to keep track of things.

* if a or b go to #2a, if c or d go to #2b

2a. I agree that:

e. I must honor my beliefs.

f. I can make complex things seem simple.

*go to #3

2b. I agree that:

g. I am good at making others feel welcome.

h. I usually notice obscure opportunities.

*go to #3

3. I agree that:

i. I gain energy when interacting with other people.

j. I need to spend time resting alone.

Answer Key:

aei ENFP

aej INFP

afi ENTP

afj INTP

bei ESFP

bej ISFP

bfi ESTP

bfj ISTP

cgi ENFJ

cgj INFJ

chi ENTJ

chj INTJ

dgi ESFJ

dgj ISFJ

dhi ESTJ

dhj ISTJ