Introverted Sensing (Si)
An brief explanation of the White Sensing (Si) in Classic Socionics
I am writing this because I believe this element is highly misunderstood and misinterpreted. I see a tremendous difficulty within the community in identifying this element both in theory and in practice.
Si: Well-being
Aushra used the word “самочувствие” to explain Si. The russian word can be translated into English as "well-being", "state of health", or "how one feels", depending on the context. For example:
Как твоё самочувствие? → How are you feeling? / How is your well-being?
У него плохое самочувствие. → He is feeling unwell. / He is in poor health.
Si is also quality of space, and how this quality can affect one’s individual well-being, as stated from Aushra in the Socion, Perception of the object’s internal situation:
Interaction in space is nothing more than a reflection of one object in another. Objects reflect each other and evoke certain feelings in one another. An individual perceives direct outside information as feelings evoked by things happening around them. For example, a feeling of pain is nothing more than the brain’s reflection of a relation between one’s body and a process taking place in some part of the body and interfering with its functioning.
“Feels and feelings” in this context doesn’t mean socionics’s ethics, but how you "feel" physiologically. And there is nothing more complex and abstract than an individual's physiology. After all, for example, two people can eat the same food, experience the same temperature, and have completely different sensations from one another.
Depending on which element the Si is blocked with, it can also affect its meaning, for example: when blocked with Fe it means the emotionality is the consequence of your well-being, if you’re in a bad mood it’s because you are in a bad state, physiologically (physically or psychologically). When blocked with Te it means your efficiency is the consequence of your well-being, if you’re unproductive it’s because you are in a bad state… etc.
This quote is found in the IEE’s SuperId block, therefore Te moblizing and Si suggestive, but it’s obvious that it is talking about Si, as a proof of Si being well-being and how insensitive towards this element the IEE is since it’s an unconscious and weak block:
The IEE has absolutely no physical sensitivity towards others, they are unable to take care of another person’s physical wellbeing. They are attentive to the person in general, to the way this person feels spiritually but not physically, since they themself understand the latter poorly.
Si: Quality of Space
Introverted sensing is also mentioned as space, quality of space, surroundings and how they can affect the individual’s wellbeing. How the space reflects within the object.
It also refers to the adaptation and/or organization of the environment. It is the absorption of information from space. The psychological state is determined by the information absorbed in the environment. As Jung described:
When, for instance, several painters undertake to paint one and the same landscape, with a sincere attempt to reproduce it faithfully, each painting will nonetheless differ from the rest… but chiefly because of a different vision; there will even appear in some of the paintings a decided psychic variation, both in general mood and in treatment of colour and form. Such qualities betray a more or less influential cooperation of the subjective factor.
The appearance of an environment is Se, while how an individual is affected by and interprets that environment is Si, because one is concrete and the other is subjective. How an individual absorbs information from the sensory object is what makes it subjective, causing a distortion of that object. Jung mentioned an example of this in the quote above. Trying to simplify what he said: despite all the painters observing the same landscape, each had their own interpretation and created something different. This is where the distortion of the object comes in the subjectivity of something sensory turning into an introverted sensation.
Si: Hedonism
Although many people think of the concept of hedonism as Se (as is treated in MBTI and Jungian theory), in fact it is Si, well, at least in classic socionics. Pleasure and displeasure, comfort and discomfort are Si. Hedonism is nothing more and nothing less than the pursuit of pleasure, a lifestyle centered around good sensations and comfort.
This is another aspect of White Sensation that many do not understand or confuse. Having strong Si blocks does not necessarily mean a person will be hedonistic, it simply means they have an ease in managing their space and comfort. Types with Si in weak blocks will generally have a distorted perception of the element, such as treating it as a taboo, seeing it in a normative way, being overly sensitive to its aspects, or having a lack/need for it.
We can observe these aspects being referred as Si in many quotes, for example, in IEI’s characteristics SuperEgo session:
They are interested in all sounds, all colors and their combinations, and in everything that is perceived by the senses, that evokes aesthetic feelings or feelings of physical pleasure and displeasure.
IEIs describe their sensory impressions with pleasure. It may look as if they are savoring things they know or have experienced, when in fact they are only sharing the information they accumulated on the Superego.
Aesthetic feelings is also a peculiar term Aushra used to refer to Si. Simply put, the sensation that beauty or ugliness causes us, the feeling evoked by the sublime, the beautiful, or the tacky. But the IEI sees these sensations in a very non-nuanced way, based on experience and norms. While the IEE, who have this element in the SuperId block, seeks this element unconsciously:
The IEE’s Superid makes them fully dependent on the space and the way they themself feel in it. It is a dependence on physical sensations that are perceived by the body and the field* – warmth, cold, pain, physical luxury. At the same time, there is a complete inability to consciously figure all this out, i.e. become cognizant of that which is perceived.
Another term used by Aushra to define Si “physical luxury”, that can be defined by the “sensation” of being elegant, comfortable, refined. Things you can feel when in pursuit of luxury items (which is Se). Sexuality and carnal pleasures also fall under Si, but should not be confused with attraction. The white sensing mentioned in LSI’s characteristics in the Id block, here:
The LSI is able to create a situation in their space that suits them and their loved ones. They achieve this without regard to their strength and well-being. Others should understand that the LSI is able to stand up for them, beautify their life, and make their lives feel sensually pleasant and even luxurious.
Since the demonstrative belongs to a strong block, the XSI can access it without struggle, and they like to show off this element to people, even though this function belongs in a strong block, it’s still unconscious, it’s not something that is given priority.
When we have this element in the Ego block, it's when it shines. The ego block is where authenticity, creativity belongs, where norms usually won’t matter. The ego is also the block that suggests and criticizes.
The SLI is very good at understanding the space around him and the sensations it provides. He is able to take care of the well-being of others and always knows the ways to improve this well-being and bring it to the desired standards.
SLI’s aesthetic taste, the way he perceives and understands art and the whole environment, is determined by the overall development of the personality, not by the pressure of others. They are aesthetes who fully trust their sense of the beautiful and the ugly.
They can accurately distinguish beautiful things from ugly ones, and what’s ugly and uncomfortable do not exist in their rational mind. They dress well and look elegant, but they don’t dress up. They can wear the same clothes for a long time and constantly be surprised at how fresh they look, as if their clothes don’t wear down over time. And they won’t wear an uncomfortable pair of shoes – the LSE lives for themselves, not looking pretty to make the world prettier. But other people should dress beautifully, for the LSE’s own aesthetic satisfaction.
What is pretty for Si is what brings satisfaction, not something external and concrete, but subjective. I don’t blame the community for having a hard understanding of this element, too many terminologies and methods to explain one single element, and not so common ones. I do not aim to explain how this element works in each placement, otherwise I would create a huge document, but to understand what this element is in itself, and demystify the things associated with it.
Si: Disgust
That’s right, disgust, here we are talking about sensory disgust, which many mistakenly confuse with Fi just because it is disgust in itself, not all types of disgust or tastes will be attitudes, that is, they will not always be Fi. You can have immense repulsion for certain colors, foods, shapes, etc... This reaction of disgust or "eww" that we know is about Si. So if the person is too indulgent with their sensoric tastes, even though they are imposing tastes, it doesn’t mean it will be an Fi Ego all the way.
The word "disgust" can carry very different meanings depending on the context. In some cases, it borders on a strong sentimental reaction, almost like hatred, a deep repulsion marked by an attitude, usually directed at people or situations that caused negative feelings which is in the realm of Fi.
In other instances, disgust is much lighter and more fleeting, more like an "ew": a reaction of dislike to smells, tastes, sounds, or ideas that simply don't appeal. This second kind doesn't involve resentment or hostility, just personal preference or sensitivity, which is Si. Understanding this difference helps avoid misunderstandings, not every expression of "disgust" implies feelings/ethics.
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I remember reading this a long time ago. Good stuff
Thank you friend