Carl Sagan (ILE): Personality Type Analysis

Carl Sagan was an American astronomer, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, creator, science popularizer, and science communicator in space science and other normal sciences. He is best known for his commitments to the exploratory examination of extraterrestrial life, including test showing of the creation of amino acids from essential chemicals by radiation. Sagan gathered the main physical messages sent into space: the Pioneer plaque and the Voyager Golden Record, all inclusive messages that could conceivably be comprehended by any extraterrestrial knowledge that may discover them. Furthermore, he distributed more than 600 scientific papers and articles and was writer, co-writer or editorial manager of more than 20 books. Sagan composed numerous prevalent science books, for example, The Dragons of Eden, Broca's Brain and Pale Blue Dot, and described and co-composed the honor winning 1980 TV arrangement Cosmos: A Personal Voyage.

What is most unique about Carl Sagan's research papers, is his recursive passion for seeking out new astronomical information and experiences that stimulates the mind of the reader, thus opening up the reader to new possibilities for thought. Typically, his books address a very broad range of concepts in astronomy, extending beyond what is usually expected to be mentioned in books about astronomy to going in expansive depth on general scientific knowledge to abstract theories. In addition, his books frequently mention theories that were poorly understood at the time or simply unknown phenomenon without essential explanation. It is clear that Carl Sagan was heavily drawn to the abstract side of how the world works and his approach to scientific research was philosophically bent, with a quality of connecting various scientific concepts that were discussed by individuals at the time into a grand simplification of science - so that his conclusions could make logical sense to those reading his published works at the time. This gives the notion of someone with a preference of logical optimism over critical skepticism in dealing with abstract theories, providing the case for a type with Ego I+L, most likely I1 and L2 considering his very broad range of concepts covered in his works support the idea of Strong and Bold I.

Carl Sagan pertained to a style in his writing of systematizing his insights about the universe and contributing essential details towards emerging theories at the time. These details applied across a vast number of works produced by historical scientists, utilizing this information and applying it into a grand framework of the universe that Stephen Hawking had been longing to cultivate. In open ended discussion and interviews, Carl Sagan wanted to include those from heavy academic backgrounds who enjoyed an intellectual challenge to people who didn't know very much about science - but still was as passionate about it as Carl was. Another interesting notion was that Carl Sagan included those he disagreed with in these discussions, showing a greater interest in generating an Alpha group atmosphere with L-focused frameworks on how the universe works to E-focused digressions responding on the emotional significance of humanity's place in the cosmic arena. Overall, Carl Sagan couldn't help but share his insights on the interesting scientific discoveries of the time and always had some interesting topic on his mind.

Carl Sagan would often skeptically interrogate and propose thought provoking questions towards religious fanatics during more serious interviews and he often had a propensity to point out the flaws in a doctrine or set of laws that he perceived to be false. In one article, he wrote; “If you’re only skeptical, then no new ideas make it through to you. You never learn anything. You become a crotchety misanthrope convinced that nonsense is ruling the world. (There is, of course, much data to support you.) Since major discoveries at the borderlines of science are rare, experiences will tend to confirm your grumpiness. But every now and then a new idea turns out to be on the mark, valid and wonderful. If you’re too resolutely and uncompromisingly skeptical, you’re going to miss (or resent) the transforming discoveries in science, and either way, you will be obstructing understanding and progress. Mere skepticism is not enough.” This approach to skepticism through maintaining an expansive and eclectic mindset is often present in types with T7, limiting himself to only select resources to base his work off of repulsed him and instead he chose to spread his endeavors over an expansive scope of territories.

Carl Sagan continued doing what he did from the start, promoting science and "eagerly passing on the marvels of the universe to a huge number of individuals on TV and in books." Whenever Sagan showed up on ''The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson amid the 70s and 80s, his objective was to interface with regular Americans, individuals who didn't subscribe to Scientific American, and the expansion of people's general understanding of science. Within these discussions, Carl Sagan lightheartedly enthused about the history of science and engaged the audience with captivating explanations of how the world works. Aside from strongly supporting the advancement of fostering the scientific education, his critics have outed Carl Sagan as a publicity seeker and careerist more concerned to maintain his reputation than to examine the facts about the universe empirically. This at the very least suggests a strong emphasis on E, in passionately getting the audience involved in his brilliant and skeptical rhetoric that would overshadow his methods of carefully integrating P to substantiate his explanations, often by referencing specific studies or examples in history. Thus making Bold, Weak E6 and Strong, Cautious P8 very likely suggestions for Sagan.

From what I've listed above about Carl Sagan is already is consistent with I1, L2, E6, T7 and P8. Consequently, I think that Carl Sagan is a very good representative of the ILE type of information metabolism.

Desiderius Erasmus (IEE): Personality Type Analysis

Desiderius Erasmus was a Dutch humanist philosopher and theologian, the illegitimate son of a priest and was himself forced into a monastic life by his guardians. In the monastery at Steyr, his lifelong passion for Latin began and he quickly outstripped the ability of his tutors. He escaped the monastic life in his late twenties and proceeded to broaden his horizons by travelling and studying extensively. He eventually came to England and struck up a friendship with Thomas More, which lasted until the latter's death at the hands of Henry VIII (SLE). It was whilst making his way to England on a subsequent visit from Italy that he conceived his best known work, In Praise of Folly. Arriving at More's house in London, he quickly committed it to paper with More's support, in 1509.

In Praise of Folly, Erasmus wrote this work with two intentions in mind; to satirize and inveigh against the offices and institutions of the Church, for which he had developed a deep hatred of during his time at Steyr. He attacks the monastic orders and their conception of worship as consisting in "the precise number of knots to the tying on their sandals". With more venom he goes on to say, "It will be pretty to hear their pleas before the great tribunal: one will brag how mortified his carnal appetite by feeding only upon fish: another will urge that he spent most of his time on earth in the divine exercise of singing psalms... but Christ will interrupt: 'Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, ...I left you but one precept, of loving one another, which I do not hear anyone plead that he had faithfully discharged.'" What is perhaps most prominent in Erasmus' work, is his unconventional approach to his studies and taking a peculiar interest in idiosyncratic works. Within these works, Erasmus satirizes the importance of doctrine and viewpoints in Christianity and instead makes a broad argument that the purpose of religion is to instil personal development and virtuous qualities. Interestingly enough, this and Erasmus' pursuit of multiple interests with the intention to foster his own personal development throughout the course of his life is in line with Delta values, more specifically with I+R in the Ego Block.

This introduces the central theme of Erasmus' In Praise of Folly, namely his concern with religion as a worship 'from the heart' that has no need of the offices and intermediaries supplied by the Church. Erasmus insists that true religion is a form of Folly, in the sense that it is simplistic and direct, not convoluted with unnecessary sophistication and dogmatic doctrine. For Erasmus, religion is based on a thorough-going humanism, understood in its classical sense as a confidence in human reason to know and worship God. In a similar vein, Erasmus was no friend of scholasticism, nor indeed the philosophical fathers of his day, Plato (IEI) and Aristotle (LIE). Erasmus' hero was Augustine (IEI), from whom he took the doctrine that reason must be the servant of faith. Apart from In Praise of Folly, and later his Colloquia, much of his work consisted in Greek and Latin translations of the Bible. From this excerpt; "Due to limited financial resources, and with urging from his caretaker, Erasmus entered an Augustinian monastery a few years after his parent's death. This was most certainly not the life-style for him and may have precipitated his independent future. He disliked rigor and severity but it did provide the time for independent attention to his studies and the beginnings of his prodigious education." the sensitivity of Erasmus surrounding social rules brought him great stress out of fear that it may limit his freedom. This is a common fear for L4 types, when the creation of rules and structures actually limit personal development and understanding for this type. Furthermore, Erasmus' travels always kept him occupied and busy, with paying very little attention to trying to keep himself comfortable in living in one area, almost always absorbed in his work and giving little thought to his lived experience. As such, S5 is fitting for Erasmus - he hardly ever engaged in comforting activities and managing a clean household - despite the fact that he wished for such a lifestyle that benefited him and made him feel comfortable after have already completed his work.

Erasmus strongly favored the lifestyle of achieving in a broad variety of areas, working independently in his research and not showing any sort of bias in religion or ideology. Nevertheless, Erasmus still had little issue with the intellectual dirty work; fact checking and examining primary source material - it still meant that his work had a stronger foundation compared to the poorly sourced works of other Christian scholars. Despite Erasmus' certitude in factual accuracy, it was perhaps more clear that this became more of a sore spot for him as his colleagues carried a stronger hold on the importance of factual accuracy in the advancement of humanism. Erasmus had used the information he gathered to simply support his ideals of humanism in religion. As such, there is a strong parallel between Erasmus' role in Christian humanism and the role of P6 types as information gatherers, gathering a large amount of information on a topic before quickly moving on to something new.

Erasmus had an enormous influence on ushering in the Reformation, but surprisingly, in the struggle between Catholics and the Protestants - the latter of whom were undoubtedly closer to Erasmus' religious ideas - he eventually sided with the Catholics. This apparent contradiction of values best illustrates Erasmus' somewhat timid nature, he could not condone the violence of the Lutherans, preferring to attack the Catholics with his words instead of his actions. When More was executed by Henry the VIII for refusing to accept his supremacy over the Pope as head of the Church of England, Erasmus is quoted as saying, "Would More have never meddled with that dangerous business and left the theological cause". This quote brings into sharp relief between his idealistic and faithful nature and the uncompromising and corruptible nature of More. A more illuminating account of Erasmus' personality would be from this excerpt from his biography from an archive on European history: "He proudly could be called the 'mover and shaker' of Europe, a citizen of a world he created for himself. This roving international man of letters networked his way through life with his superior intellect and his penchant for 'a good fire, a good dinner, a pile of amusing correspondence and a handsome research grant.' His charm and humor and amazing ability to keep up a massive correspondence with hundreds of fans, scholars and friends continued unabated throughout his lifetime." This account gives a better perspective on an individual with Strong E, likely E8.

Thus far what has been mentioned about Desiderius Erasmus points to Strong I and R, L4, S5, P6 and E8. In conclusion, I believe Erasmus is a timeless representative of the IEE type of information metabolism.

To learn more about IEE, click here.

If you are confused by our use of Socionics shorthand, click here.

Nikola Tesla (LII): Personality Type Analysis

Nikola Tesla was a physicist, inventor, mechanical and electrical engineer popularly known for his intellectual brilliance and achievements in the realm of electrical engineering. His inventions ushered in the beginning of commercial electricity and his revolutionary work in electromagnetism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries opened previously unconsidered possibilities to electricity's applications. Tesla's patents and theoretical work formed the basis of modern alternating current (AC) electric power systems, including the poly-phase system of electrical distribution and the AC motor. Tesla demonstrated wireless energy transfer to power electronic devices as early as 1893, and aspired to intercontinental wireless transmission of industrial power in his unfinished Wardenclyffe Tower project (Tesla Tower) located in Long Island, New York. At the turn of the 20th century, Tesla's fame in the United States exceeded that of any previous inventor or scientist in American history, his name becoming synonymous with the archetypal "mad scientist".

Nikola Tesla excelled at math and science, even as young boy he was able to compute advanced calculus problems in his head, without having to write anything down. His natural talent for interpreting the world around him through mathematical and logical constructs dominated the way he processed information throughout his life. As a young man, Tesla was constantly thinking of ways to improve upon the inventions of others, often taking his "vision" of what it would look like in his head and carefully working to get every measurement exactly right. He carefully ordered his thoughts and ideas to better understand his interpretation of scientific phenomenon. Rules, statements and algorithms dictated the work of Tesla and his orientation towards logical structure was most fluent in his blueprints. This very abstract approach to dealing with planning inventions made those who worked with him reminiscent of a "da Vinci". Much like the real Leonardo da Vinci (ILE), Tesla was also heavily drawn to highly theoretical topics that sought to make sense of the world; a polymath of scientific pursuit. That said, Tesla was still able to maintain a balance of physical and mental organization. This expertise defends the argument that Tesla processed the world through abstract principles, meaning that he has Strong L+I in the Ego Block, and that as evident of his own thought process, Cautious I2 is used in service of Bold L1.

Tesla first started working as an engineer at the Continental Edison Company in Paris, where he was tasked with designing dynamos. While living in Europe, he came up with the design of his AC induction motor and built a functional prototype. When Edison discovered this, he invited him to move to America so that he could directly collaborate with him. In 1881, Tesla agreed and met Edison in New York. The two got along initially, but this brief cordiality grew into a bitter rivalry as Edison and Tesla both fought over whether DC or AC worked, respectively. Thomas Edison had built his entire company on products that used DC and he didn't want to see his company go bankrupt due to an innovation that would make his inventions obsolete. Through time, however, AC became the only system used for distributing electrical power to residential, commercial and industrial zones. Yet, in spite of AC victory later on, Tesla was still met with great obstacles that lied in the path of his dream of providing free energy to the world. In 1900, backed by $150,000 from financier J.P. Morgan, Tesla began testing of his so called "Wireless Broadcasting System" tower on Long Island, New York. This broadcasting tower was intended to link the world's telephone and telegraph services, as well as transmit pictures, stock reports, and weather information worldwide. Unfortunately, Morgan cut funding when Tesla asked for more money for conducting his own experiments for wireless energy, something which Morgan hadn't been previously made aware of and recognized as a breach of contract. Moreover, Tesla was easily used by tougher men like Edison and Morgan, he was naive towards the idea that others might take advantage of him. This suggests a lack of awareness or "blindness" matter of F, Tesla's gentle and collected nature compared to the ruthless ambition of J. P. Morgan (SLE) provide good support by contrast to Tesla's Weak and Cautious F4.

In his personal life, Tesla was emotionally detached and was deeply absorbed in his thoughts, paying very little attention to the social impact he had on others. His entrenchment in abstractions and logical thought terminated his attraction with other individuals and he showed a persistent need for social isolation. The absent-minded nature of Tesla often left him a keen interest of light-hearted social circles, Tesla would often appreciate the gesture of raising the spirits of others and keeping people in a positive mindset, though he would much rather stick to his fixated work-ethic. Despite this, Tesla was still somewhat enthusiastic in others interested in his highly articulate and insightful theories, yet he almost always failed to impress and command the attention of others. Tesla attempted to promote himself, although Tesla lacked social skills and in the later parts of his life, was widely considered to be mad. This provides good evidence for E5, being quite aware of the need to present oneself as charming and polite, but he almost always across as stoic and unreachable.

In addition to having difficulty to engage others with his inventions and new engineering ideas, Tesla became obsessed with the number three, he often felt compelled to walk around a block three times before entering a building, demanded a stack of three folded cloth napkins beside his plate at every meal, etc. His symptoms were considered by some to be evidence of partial insanity and this undoubtedly hurt what was left of his reputation. Tesla became very easily overpowered by his physical surroundings and sought to cultivate a relaxing environment where he could escape from the aggression and social pressure of reality. He also carried a great meticulousness in his appearance and dressed modestly to help moderate his physical tastes. Tesla's hypersensitivity to sensory stimuli manifested from fearing to wear specific kinds of jewelry to refusing to touch people's hands. He even once stated; "I know I am completely worn out, and yet I cannot stop my work. These experiments of mine are so important, so beautiful, so fascinating, that I can hardly tear myself away from them to eat, and when I try to sleep I think about them constantly. I expect I shall go on until I break down altogether." The following suggests bold and valued S6, in that Tesla wanted to cultivate a relaxing environment for his work, yet would periodically forget to take care of himself, thus justifying the "mad scientist" archetype even further.

Nikola Tesla was a futurist by nature and In addition to his work on electromagnetism and electromechanical engineering, Tesla contributed in varying degrees to the establishment of robotics, remote control, radar, and computer science, and to the expansion of ballistics, nuclear physics, and theoretical physics. Tesla drew parallels between existing knowledge and concepts by examining the various hypothesis of the variety of phenomena he examined. Over the course of his life, Tesla registered some 300 patents under his name, and traces of his inventions can be found in many modern-day devices, including in some unexpected places, such as remote-controlled boat toys and letter-shaped neon lights. But not all of Tesla's futuristic visions came to fruition. Some of the inventor's most far-out and ambitious dreams went unrealized, such as his vision for the wireless transmission of energy. In other cases, what Tesla invented was simply not practical enough to replace existing systems, such as the blade-less steam turbine, or was too dangerous to use, such as a steam-powered electric generator that came to be known as the "earthquake machine,". Still, Tesla's open-mindedness and curiosity in a wide range of subjects is evenly balanced with the esoteric philosophies he developed later in life, all of which is still consistent with Strong and Bold T8.

Thus far what has been mentioned about Tesla points towards L1, I2, F4, E5 and S6 and T8. In conclusion, I believe Tesla is a very good example of an LII.

To learn more about LII, click here.

If you are confused by our use of Socionics shorthand, click here.

Jordan Peterson (LIE): Personality Type Analysis

Jordan Bernt Peterson is a Canadian clinical psychologist who currently holds a professorship in psychology at the University of Toronto. Dr. Peterson has conducted research in a wide range of psychological sub-fields. However, his main areas of study include personality psychology, as well as abnormal & social psychology, with an emphasis on personal self-improvement and the psychological role of mythological belief systems. Throughout his career in academia, Peterson has also maintained a clinical practice treating up to 20 patients per week.

For much of his professional life, Jordan Peterson was not well-known outside his field of study. However, that all changed in 2016 when he gained international notoriety for his very public criticisms of political correctness, and opposition to the Canadian government's Bill C-16 which, among other things, permitted the legal compulsion of preferred gender pronoun usage. Since then, Peterson has continually been in the media spotlight for the controversies surrounding many of his sociopolitical views. As a result, his YouTube channel (to which he's uploaded his lectures for years prior) has also garnered an up-swell in public attention, with subscription numbers reaching well over 1 million. He's also received an enormous surge of support in the form of tens of thousands of dollars in crowdfunded donations each month. This has allowed Peterson to step back from University work to travel the globe, be interviewed by numerous media outlets, give public talks & lectures, and write books -- among other projects. Fortunately, his large media presence provides a wealth of information from which to deduce his sociotype.

Particularly in his talks on the Psychological Significance of the Bible, Peterson often expresses his fascination with the concept of sacrificing in the present for future gain being a common mythological theme. He also frames many insights gleaned from his psychological studies in terms of the role certain psychopathologies played in the formation of infamous totalitarian regimes of the early 20th century. What's more,  Dr. Peterson's "Self Authoring" program also emphasizes reflection on past errors in order to plan long-term, practical strategies for self-improvement. Even some of Peterson's objections to Bill C-16 largely stemmed from concerns over the long-term societal consequences stemming from such a legal precedent. Judging from the above, and his oft stated desire to gain greater historical understanding despite his already extensive knowledge, it's safe to say that Peterson values -- and has a strong facility with -- T.

Throughout Jordan Peterson's academic lectures and public talks, there's a heavy emphasis on drawing empirical data from scientific studies across numerous fields to form the basis of his arguments on a wide range of issues. When referencing his experience in clinical practice, Peterson has spoken of using methodologies from varying schools of thought, based on whatever happened to be most effective for a given client. He also personally favors trait based personality metrics (namely the “Big 5”) over typological systems inspired by Jung, despite his general admiration for the man's works, citing the superior empirical backing and performance prediction value of the former. When pressed on the nature of his general worldview, Peterson has stated that he's a philosophical pragmatist, judging beliefs based on their personal & practical utility -- which accounts for his identification as a Christian despite being agnostic. He also frequently emphasizes the importance of assuming personal responsibility, gaining competence, and generally being of use to the people around you. The above, combined with other aspects of Peterson's career as a clinical researcher, indicates strong and valued P -- likely his base function -- with a probable L7.

In keeping with his aforementioned P valuation, Jordan often expresses his strongly held view that it's best to speak the truth (or at least honestly voice one's understanding of the truth) even if it's harsh and causes great discomfort in the moment. Given that his own public notoriety originally stemmed from refusing to shy away from controversial speech despite personal risk, and that he's exhibited consistent showings of such an inclination since then, it's apparent that Peterson has an overall Gamma style of communication. Despite this, Peterson has oft times shown himself to be adept at maintaining diplomatic composure and good humor in exchanges with contentious -- even hostile -- parties. The most famous example of this is displayed in his interview with journalist Kathy Newman. This indicates likely E3 usage, given his overall adequate facility with the element despite not holding it as a Quadra value.

Even before Peterson's rise as an internationally recognized public figure, he maintained a hectic work schedule, dividing his time between university lectures, research, and juggling multiple clients each week in his clinical practice -- often to the neglect of his health. Recently, Peterson has transitioned into an all meat diet at the recommendation of his daughter as a way to ameliorate certain chronic health issues, after she herself gained significant positive results in dealing with her own depression and crippling arthritis. Peterson has since maintained a strict adherence to the diet, despite the lack of culinary variety, citing only its effectiveness as sufficient justification. His general neglect of leisure and sensory pleasures in favor of doing the bare minimum required to keep his health up to task with his relentless workload strongly suggests an S4.

In a good many of the talks & lectures where he explains the "Big Five" personality traits, JP has stated that he himself scores high on the trait "openness" which, based on it's technical definition and some informal studies, highly correlates with I. In fact, when describing his own favored brainstorming method of simultaneously generating multiple, alternative possibilities, and then mentally simulating how they'd likely play out in practice, Peterson provides powerful evidence of I8 in the service of T2. Also in reference to his own big five rating, Dr. Peterson's explicitly expressed his valuing of trait "assertiveness", and frequently laments that he's not as strong as he'd like to be with the trait. Since the technical definition of trait “assertiveness” clearly coincides with extroverted sensorics (i.e. “Force”) in Socionics, and given Peterson's valuation & background usage of the faculty in the service of maintaining his heavy workload, it would be reasonable to conclude that he's a likely F6.

In his public debates with Sam Harris (LIE), the topic of discussion between the two intellectual figures constantly gravitates back to the ontological relationship between empirical facts and moral values, indicating their common valuation of R as seen from a P-heavy perspective. Further evidence of R valuation can be seen in Peterson's conviction that the best way to ameliorate social ills is by individuals focusing on the development of their character and personal relationships, rather than rushing to make sweeping systemic L changes at the level of societal institutions. Considering his own overwhelmingly prominent usage of P eclipsing L, intellectual fascination with a barely visible R, a desire to be more assertive despite having a relentless work drive (mobilizing F), a strong facility with an obviously valued T, adequate but subdued E, heavily neglected S, and his demonstrative usage of I, it seems certain that Dr. Jordan B. Peterson is an LIE.

To learn more about LIE, click here.

If you are confused by our use of Socionics shorthand, click here.

Ben Jones - Diagnostic Report (IEE)

After a diagnostic interview, an analysis of Ben’s answers suggests the 8 IM Elements may best be assigned to the functions of Model A in the following order, making his best fit type the ‘Intuitive Ethical Energiser’ or ‘IEE’.

Leading function – Ideas (I1) The most prevalent theme throughout Ben’s answers to this interview is the sheer breadth of interests he has. From Socionics to music, poetry, education, running, anthropology, linguistics and political debate, Ben repeatedly drew attention to those things that interested him, regardless of whether they were beneficial or not. Furthermore, it became clear that his motivations can be traced back to this capture of interest, and the desire to explore or find out whatever is unusual or new. For instance, his taking on a more authoritative role as a Resident Assistant is described as an exploration of role-play.; his exercise routine of running and weight-lifting, experimenting with music and meditation, a means of seeing potential effects on his body; the variety of different languages and musical instruments he can speak and play, a clear sign of variety even within his interests; his playing devil’s advocate in Twitter debates, a means of exploring how those with strong political opinions are likely to react. A clear pattern emerges of someone who rapidly takes on new interests, finds out whatever he can about the interest, then as its novelty depreciates, he piles it on an increasing back-burner. It is perhaps most notable that in his political discussions, Ben is oddly described as ‘stubborn’, in that he is stubbornly unstubborn. He is described as being unwilling to accept that other people will not accept alternative viewpoints, as if intellectual openness is a fundamental quality of approaching the world. This is characteristic of the Leading function, which by nature imposes its expectations, even with a characteristically indirect IM Element like Ideas.

Creative function – Relations (R2) 
While the Leading function is clear to Ben, the Creative function was harder to tease out mid-interview. This is not unusual, as while the Leading function is supposed to be obvious and imposed on our surroundings, the nature of the Creative function is more subtle in aiding the fulfilment of the Leading function. For Ben, this subtle aide to the exploration of his interests is the forming of friendships with those central to the pursuit of his various interests, whether that is attending poetry class or playing video games. He is confident that he can connect with almost anyone he meets, a sign of Relations being a strong function, but rarely does he draw attention to this being a motivating force in and of itself. As such, this area is flexible for Ben. He makes friends wherever his interests take him, even reaching out to native Russian speakers and spending hours talking with them over weekends to help him get a grip of the Russian language. Beyond his interests, he seems to have no difficulty keeping as friends those he especially likes the qualities of and feels that he can have a good relationship with, or feels he can learn from. This can be seen with his church friends whom he has retained for many years. However, there is little sign that he proactively does this for its own sake or pushes an expectation of greater intimacy or loyalty in conversation. This is perhaps most clear in his hesitancy to pursue and stick with a romantic relationship, one that exists entirely for its own sake of intimacy, rather than aiding pursuit of interesting projects. While this absence of romantic relations has made identifying Relations as his Creative function more tricky, it is also not inconsistent with having Relations as a Creative function. The ‘flavouring’ effect of the Creative on the Leading can also be seen in how his interests are more often creative and interpersonal, rather than logical or structural. After mentioning what is ‘interesting’ to him, the mention of what is ‘meaningful’ is next in frequency, and Ben seems to direct his interests more often than not to the exploration of the human condition, whether these are the intentions and signifiers of meaning/importance of others in a variety of cultures, or his own nature and development.

Role function – Force (F3)
It is apparent from the interview that Ben is largely a friendly, easygoing and curious person, more interested in getting to know and understand interpersonal differences than to confront them. Nevertheless, his time working as a Residential Assistant at his university exemplifies the Role function perfectly. Ben is required to play the part of an authority figure in his dormitory, checking up on students and ensuring no noisy disruptions at late hours. For Ben, adopting a confrontational stance and asserting his authority on students feels unnatural to him and he describes it as a persona he has to ‘fake’. Perhaps due to his Leading function, Ben frames this act as yet another exploration of his own capabilities and his differences with other RAs who are more confrontational, and as such, is curious enough to keep trying it out for the time being. Nevertheless, beyond this particular job, a general reluctance to engage with Force can be seen, such as his non-judgmental, tolerant nature, his aversion to tense, dramatic work environments and his unwillingness to work on less interesting tasks for greater financial reward or other material resources. From this, we can see that Force is something Ben can ‘put on’ when aligned to his desires and needs, but is not something he likes doing, or something he does particularly well.

Vulnerable function – Laws (L4)
The nature of the Vulnerable, rather like a black hole, is to be observed via its absence from behaviour, rather than its appearance. This makes it rather counter-intuitive to identify. For Ben, the one approach to information that refused to appear after repeated questioning was its formation of into coherent structures. When answering questions for which there was no anecdote or clear factual example, rather than offer a general rule, Ben would adopt vague, subjective language, defaulting to talking about how something felt to him. In answering questions this way, Ben passes over Laws in favour of Intuition and Ethics. An example of this can be seen when Ben was asked about his moral principles. Instead of clearly articulating a rule or maxim, Ben said that any such principles are abstractions of the feelings he experiences when something he does not like is done to him. At the same time, he appreciates that there is nothing to make another person, with a very different set of views, more or less moral than he is. As such, where another might use Laws to help them clearly articulate their thoughts, Ben passes this information over in favour of subjective feelings and attitudes. In addition, the absence of Laws can be seen in how Ben approaches his various interests, such as learning Russian, taking a trial-and-error approach with a chaotic mix of different phone apps and conversations with native-speaking Russians . He tries out an eclectic range of different approaches to learning or mastering an interesting skill, without any sign of a linear, logical progression. The one point where Ben did acknowledge the existence of structure in his life was when talking about the strict religiosity of his upbringing, which were clearly characterised in his description as unwanted and restrictive, easily fitting into the Super-Ego. 

Suggestive function – Senses (S5)  
Ben readily prioritises the importance of health, wellness and well-being in his values, with a philosophy of ‘becoming whole’ and maintaining balance. In addition, he prefers to maintain a calm, accepting manner with other people, not looking to upset his relationships with others. There is also a ‘flavouring’ of Senses in his approach to learning, creating environments of ‘passive learning’ where integrating knowledge becomes a byproduct of other activity, rather than an active pursuit. Nevertheless, there is little evidence that Ben embodies harmony in the present moment over and above his ravenous intellectual curiosity. Attention to detail and the satisfaction of daily needs is not brought up in the interview, while other regular trivia, such as the managing of one’s finances, are described as too much of a strain to adequately handle. When possessed by an interesting idea or enthused by a project, Ben is quite willing to put comfort to one side, being happy to wake up at unusual hours in the fulfilment of his Resident Advisor role and to uproot his life to take up a job in a different country. However, it is also clear that an ongoing disruption to the harmony and calm of the moment takes a great toll on Ben’s happiness, as seen which his description of the ‘soul-killing’ job, where an atmosphere of not being able to sit down, ever-present drama and high turnover were seen as hygiene factors that profoundly reduced his satisfaction. From this, we can identify Senses as a value and a need, rather than something that Ben actively brings to his surroundings, and something that when deprived of, can have an adverse impact on Ben’s psychological well being.

Mobilising function – Pragmatism (P6) 
While the exploration of interests constitutes Ben’s main aim, the development of the self through accumulation of factual knowledge offers a clear secondary motivation. Ben’s interests frequently involve learning new things and rather than simply absorb interesting information, Ben takes an active interest in trying to find the most efficient way of increasing how much he is learning. This can be seen very clearly in his faster-than-expected learning of Russian, where he made use of multiple phone applications and regular conversations with native Russian speakers to fast-track his learning, as well as placing himself in situations where he needed to develop his grasp of Russian to progress. Similarly, Ben’s approach to exercise is very much about trying out different methods to become a better runner, whether using meditation or music to create a more resilient mental state, or building up strength in the gym, or even running with weights to increase running power. In addition, Ben repeatedly emphasises the value of being able to learn from his friends, and is more likely to keep people close if he feels that they have special knowledge or a unique perspective that he may grow and develop from knowing about. Ben aspires to be an educator for a living, among a range of other careers, showing a clear desire to spend his life learning and eventually passing that knowledge on to others. For Ben, understanding does not come from comprehending the fundamental rules of something, but rather the ability to apply it in some beneficial way. As such, while failing to metabolise Laws, Ben readily attempts to metabolise Pragmatism in his understanding of how things work. Despite this, Ben gives little sign that he currently sees himself as a teacher of others, while readily portraying himself as a learner of others’ teachings. These different observations, when held together, make a strong case for Pragmatism as his Mobilising function.

Ignoring function – Time (T7) 
Early into the interview, Ben displayed confidence in his ability to look ahead and foresee likely outcomes to current events. Nevertheless, he reveals a tendency to inadequately manage his time, frequently taking on many more projects than he can fully complete. In this way, we see a disjunction between capability and value, with Ben being able to visualise likely outcomes, while refusing to commit to any particular outcome, preferring to keep open and explore a variety of possibilities available to him. This is especially apparent when asked about his preferred career path, giving a list of potential jobs based on combinations of his interests, rather than a particular route he would like to take. Similarly, Ben is ready to criticise the notion that negative future outcomes are inevitable, rejecting both the beliefs of his religious background of an end-of-days and the political assumption that the society is in the process of deterioration, in each case, displaying an optimism that human ingenuity could overcome such challenges. Similarly, he expresses a desire not to be limited by the path prescribed to him by his family and religious upbringing. As such, Ben shows a capability with Time, but holds values contrary to it, and frequently resists embodying it in his thoughts and actions. 

Demonstrative function – Emotions (E8) 
While more inclined to draw attention to his many interests and the processes he has employed to aid his continued self-education, Ben consistently displays a confidence in his ability to appeal to and come across well to other people, and similarly, despite being largely calm and in control of his emotional states, is able to express these emotions to others ‘down to a T’, effortlessly communicating how he feels to others. Similarly, he is highly attuned to the emotions of others, being able to quickly pick up on unusual reactions and manage how people respond to him, easily picking out the correct response in each situation. This is backed up by his behaviour throughout the interview, readily employing emotive language, referring to his own feelings and enthusiasm. Similarly, it is backed up by his interests in music and poetry, feeling a greater affinity to expressive arts rather than practical sciences. For these reasons, Ben’s relationship with Emotions is as if they are second-nature, being easily shown and demonstrated, despite Ben not actively trying to draw attention to this or align it with his stated values or life philosophy.

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