Strengthening Ti and Te

I've found that as INFJs, we develop our Ti best when there is play involved. I would suggest...

Strategy board games like Chess, Go, etc.
Logic Games like Sudoku.
Puzzles and puzzle games.
Analyzing things and taking them apart, then trying to put them together.

Te is a bit foreign to us, and I've found that the most gains I've made in this area have been through my INTJ friends, who see the world like I do and can explain Te thinking to me in a way that I can grasp, unlike ENTJs, ISTJs, and certainly not ESTJs, who are very toxic to me. I'd suggest making friends with an INTJ, if you don't have one already. Once you get over the 'creepy' vibe they have, you'll find that they make GREAT friends for INFJs.

 

Logic games.

My Te has shot through the roof this past month or so.

 

I agree with Von, through this exercises I think us INFJ's can develop our thinking functions better, in fact I often take practice in such games myself, to add to this constantly analyzing different subjects has helped me develop my thinking functions, taking courses in school which require a lot of logic has aided me in such development as well.

 

For F types, learning how to use T functions, as people have already said, is best done by play. This is easier for people who have their T functions in the tertiary position, for obvious reasons. Working in a research lab has helped out my T levels a good amount. For some reason though, this has gone more into my Te then my Ti. I think it is because I find more personal value in Te, because I want to be able to communicate it. I actually have developed Si and Te and made them stronger with me by being in the lab. Which if you put them together could fuse to form Ti. So really what could have happened, is I put them through Ti, and the stuff I learned split and fragmented into those two functions, because Ti for me is disliked.

While it is more of a S thing when you think about it. Building things, constructing projects, engineering type things works on T a lot. I find them to be the most fun anyway.

 

Debate.

 

*gag*

...

 

One of the best ways to learn critical thinking skills is to begin applying critical listening approaches in everyday conversation, argument, or debate at work or school if you're just beginning. Listen to others, the way they construct arguments, interrogate your own assumptions, question the basis of your own thoughts and ideas, and be willing to consider or understand the perspective of the alternative point of view or side although you may not agree or accept it. Begin to question the merit of long established views and ideas which seem to have more basis in belief than factual, be willing to think against the mainstream of popular/populist ideas or beliefs, and be willing to reconsider beliefs which are too often dismissed. Realize that your own subjective judgments and beliefs will often cloud your thoughts or cause you to incorrectly or unfairly narrowly evaluate a situation. That's a start.

Here are a few sites to begin:

http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/kline-listen/b10ch4.htm

The key though, is to try to understand the other person FIRST, before one evaluates.
http://www.work911.com/communication/listencritically.htm

 

I'm with Satya, debating is a great way!!!

 

Debate and strategy games are good ways.

 

I think I have developed Te a lot by studying and working in a scientific area. For me Ti is more like thinking over an idea internally as far as you can go, to understand it fully, while Te is more about applying an idea into practical use. INTJ's are considered the scientist who "develop" an idea with there Ni and apply it into the world with Te. The best why to develop Te is to stop taking F as your starting point for decision making and turn into logic thinking. Literaly go to your head. Do excercises like putting your insights into structure and plans. For example, what I think is a very Te'ish thing is making a website.

A website is a very Te'ish method to present a concept. I have made a website about taoism. It is a very intuitive concept and I wanted the website to have an intuitive vibe/atmosphere. So to turn the concept into a website, I needed to jump back and forth between Te and Fi/Ni. Fi/Ni to choose colors and appearance and Te to turn all that into html code. It is a lot of fun

 

I'm with Satya and Restraint.

Also, exercise this : http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FridgeLogic

 

The thing with debate is that sometimes too many people speak, but not enough listen. That's why it's best to learn to listen critically before debating. If the two people on either sides of a debate don't want to consider reason and think critically and engage critically with the goal of seeking truth and understanding, then the debate becomes an endless argument about who is right and who is wrong, or everyone simply finding facts to support their judgments or assumptions, and or tearing down the argument of the other side without seriously considering their point of view. That's why it's best to learn some critical "thinking" skills before beginning to debate.

 

Start kicking puppies and punching pregnant women. At least that's what most of the Fs I've known think I do in my spare time.

 

I've also picked up something about setting dogs on fire and drowning cats.
Don't quote me on that though..

 

are INTJs like INFJs in many ways except they're more of like thinking and we're feelers?

I have a friend who is really alike me and not alike me in a weird way... she can explain things I can't think of.. and I can explain things that she feels but does not understand

well... whatever type she is.. she is in a way helping me to analyze things better

I suck in problem solving

 

are you serious?

 

Ti could benefit from brainstorming/classification of whatever, just seeking to break something into its subcomponents. Searching to understand, classify, check consistency, etc.

Take ideas or topics and break them down, be curious about how things work.

Te is more based on coordinating, prioritizing, sequencing, etc. Much more the strategist's mindset.


In terms of warfare, the Ti would find plausible weaknesses in the enemy. The Te would find the most efficient ways to exploit that weakness.

Ti would break a person's argument down completely, finding what makes sense and what doesnt. Te would create a counter argument that completely blows them out of the water.

 

CriticalThinking.org is one of THE best websites on critical thinking ever created. There are informative, extensive, and thoughtful articles and resources on critical thinking on this site.

http://www.criticalthinking.org/articles/Open-minded-inquiry.cfm

 

In debate I just close my eyes and lead with Fi.