How do the letters relate to the function stacks? I’m confused!

[Almisen]

Dear all,

I’m fascinated by the MBTI types and have learned so much about myself and others through them but one thing puzzles me. I don’t really understand how the letters decide the functions stacks.

For example, if I’m an infj and my friend is an infp then theoretically we could be very similar except that I like to plan a bit more. But our function stacks are completely different! On the other hand, my enfj partner differs from me by being more outgoing and extroverted but we have the same functions, just in different orders. Why is this? Is there any logic to it? And why are the stacks so rule bound - why can’t you have e.g. both Fi and Ti in your stack?

I see a lot of YouTube videos and Quora threads explaining how things are and how the stacks work, but never why this is. The types and stacks make so much sense in terms of face validity but very little sense logically. Honestly, it creeps me out a bit.

Someone must have thought deeply about this at some point and then perhaps there is some thorough explanation somewhere, or perhaps it’s very obvious but just haven’t thought of it. Either way, if someone could please explain or add a link to someone else’s explanation that would be terrific! Thank you very much and take care.

 

[dragulagu]

So first the dry stuff:

Spoiler

Judging functions
Fe goes in hand with Ti
Te goes in hand with Fi

Perceiving functions
Ne goes in hand with Si
Se goes in hand with Ni

Your stack jumps between Judging and Perceiving functions as well. And your stack jumps between introversion and extraversion.
So, what is important is your first function also known as your primary function that on which you rely on the most and the 2nd function, also known as the auxiliary function.


1. For INFJ these are Ni and Fe, so we have Ni Fe
2. Next we'll see what functions go in hand with Ni and Fe: Se and Ti, so we have Se Ti
3. Now mirror those and stick them to the stack: Ni Fe Ti Se

1. For INFP: Fi Ne
2. Fi Ne goes in hand with Te Si
3. Now mirror those, stick them to the stack: Fi Ne Si Te

1. For ENFJ: Fe Ni
2. Fe Ni goes in hand with Ti Se
3. Now mirror those and stick them to the stack: Fe Ni Se Ti

The last trick is to see to the first and last letter of INFJ
If the first letter is an I that means the first function will be introverted, if it's E then it will be extraverted
And the last letter just flips everything around, that's the shitty letter, that's why the INFJ stack is completely different with the INFP stack even though they share the 3 same letters. I don't like the MBTI system.

The Big Theory is that everyone has a fixed preference in using these cognitive functions that works best for them, aka "the stack".
Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers (thank you wikipedia) decided that it would be enough to put all these preferences into 16 different types. Done.
But that's not how it works, everyone uses all functions but some more than others.

MBTI is essentially kind of a cheat sheet to see what someone "generally" prefers in these functions, but it's not set into stone.

xNxJ's will have the same functions, but a bit scrambled differently based on being introverted or extraverted, same goes for xNxP's
xSxJ's will have the same functions, but a bit scrambled differently based on being introverted or extraverted, same goes for xSxP's

So:

INFJ and ENFJ -> Ni (introverted) Fe Ti Se and Fe (extraverted) Ni Se Ti - Same functions; but flipped
INTJ and ENTJ -> Ni (introverted) Te Fi Se and Te (extraverted) Ni Se Fi - Same functions; but flipped

INFP and ENFP -> Fi (introverted) Ne Si Te and Ne (extraverted) Fi Te Si - Same functions; but flipped
INTP and ENTP -> Ti (introverted) Ne Si Fe and Ne (extraverted) Ti Fe Si - Same functions; but flipped