Jan 13, 2007

My Interest in Socionics

Each person who is seriously involved in socionics has his own reasons and personal history that led him to this. My own interest in socionics is based on several things:

  • my innate curiosity about people and relationships: how and why do people differ, and how and why do relationships differ?
  • my interest in personal development: how can I identify and rid myself of ineffective behavior, thoughts, and sentiments to lead a balanced and fulfilling life and achieve the clearest possible perception free of projections and the influences of random emotional and cultural baggage?
  • my innate desire to help people discover their unique individuality, have fulfilling relationships, and do good things in life.
  • my inborn, deep-down conviction of the possibility of deeply fulfilling, ideal relationships that would make a person feel happy and whole; personal experience that demonstrated the impossibility of such a relationship with most people, and experience that proved that my ideals could be met through duality as understood by socionics, and that other people whom I was not compatible with could experience the same thing with other partners.

For some stories of how people have found out about socionics, here's an interesting link.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

these are possibly the reasons socionics should hit it really big in the west with it's media culture
-fred

Ричард said...

Oh, I'm not sure it will hit it big... we'll see. It can't become an immediate hit because it takes several years to learn. It's not something you can simply take and apply at face value to everything around you. I want to do everything possible to make sure that it remains complex to the average reader and attracts mainly intellectuals and specialists. If some well-researched applications are developed, those can then be applied on a wider scale. But the last thing we want is for socionics to be popularly understood as something "quick and easy" that will inevitably lead to bigotry and dogmatism among less educated fans.

Anonymous said...

what u say is desirable...
but imagine if somebody like Oprah got hold of it,

still i think it is necassary for the average dick and jane,
as i see many people who live with an unnecassary pressure...trying to live upto a group pressure for instance...
even big organizations, like massive evangelical organizations emphasis certain aspects to the determint of a group of individuals...
cause on a level they emphasize same, dual, and quadra group values

atleast one universal statement, is that 'some really do travel the hidden path' ... may it be to our benefit
-fred

Ричард said...

Yes, I agree that it would be great if people started reflecting about the groups and systems they are a part of and whether the values of these groups and systems are really universal or have some kind of typological bias. Maybe this would make people and society more tolerant.

Anonymous said...

Rick, what's your type? Just curious.

Ричард said...

IEE

Anonymous said...

Hi Rick,

I am new to socionics but very intrigued as it is making more sense the way it is organized than the Myers-Briggs way of doing type.

At this point, I am guessing my type is IEE also but from your description you say that they have a hard time keeping to an exercise routine.

I very much enjoy the challenge of working out hard every day. And enjoy looking good because of it. Without it I would get too spacey jumping from new idea to new idea for serving others in their growth, development and living their potential. It grounds me. Plus I am a mom of four, homeschooling them and I have a lot of physical things to take care of everyday on top of my natural inclination to read the meaning in their behaviors in order to help them in ways for their highest good and desires in life.

Is that indicative of other IEEs at all? I ask here because I saw that your interests include cycling and backpacking. Or could I be barking up the wrong tree? It's an odd combination of a person to be all about serving others' potential and highest desires but also be very into working out and being physically coordinated too. I enjoy and am good at many sports.

Btw, your website and descriptions of the processes and more are marvelous. Thank you!

Anonymous said...

Hi again Rick,

This question about myself led me to take a very close look at much of the info on your site as well as my own behaviors and way of doing things.

I can not deny my being grounded in physical reality as stronger than my ability to feel and know the underlying meaning of others and life. And my acceptance and love for each individual as being themselves, no matter what it looks like on the outside.

But, the physical comes first for me. I have to have that first to truly sense another's soul. Even if it's only a name or a glimpse at a gesture and I *know.*

I also looked and studied your celebs to feel and see the difference between SEE and IEE and I am more solid and grounded like the SEEs. The IEEs were a bit too light and airy to be me.

I do do a LOT of the IEE behaviors, a LOT. But I am better at them once I ground myself.

Your short descriptions are a bit off for me. I AM about expanding my horizons and helping people develop. That statement resonated the most with me, the consciously aware of myself me.

And as I looked more objectively at my behavior, acquiring social territory and influencing others I do without thinking about it. And I expand my horizons in physical endeavors to influence and help people develop on all levels of their being. Yes, that's it for me. :)

S/IEE feels a good combo to me. :) Unless I'm missing something in the way the processes of SEE develop in a person who has worked on their own development as a person over the past 20 years...my next quest of understanding... :)

Thanks again!

Ричард said...

2 Dancing Butterfly Mama:

It's hard to say, but if the physical aspect of life comes really naturally to you and is something you don't let go of often, then SEE would be a lot more likely.

Anonymous said...

working out is my ONLY real physical concentration, otherwise i'd float away in my own feelings and nebulous stuff, as my hubby calls it. :)

EII is truly the strongest possibility. i've just become more outgoing about it over the years.

i felt working out would "make me strong" to "fight" for the individual soul of children to be respected and honored.

thanks again.

Anonymous said...

back to why people come to socionics... i came to it and other things like this to help me in my *purpose*, which is to help children and their parents respect and honor their differences as individuals so that everyone grows up living their potential.

since a huge part of socionics is about intertype relations, has their been info, studies, etc on the parent/child relationships in particular? i'm also interested in how to parent children of particular types for living their potential in life.

Ричард said...

>> since a huge part of socionics is about intertype relations, has their been info, studies, etc on the parent/child relationships in particular? i'm also interested in how to parent children of particular types for living their potential in life.

A lot has been written about this in various places -- articles, forums, etc. (in Russian) -- but I have only looked briefly at them because I have no children :)

However, I teach English to businesspeople and have discovered that each student needs something different from me. Some part of it I give them unconsciously, another part I am able to give them by recognizing the situation consciously and adjusting my approach, and some part I can or cannot give them no matter what I do simply because of my type.

Monarc said...

The IEE is completely me.

I am able to exert some willpower though, keep a diet and exercise regime going, but I know it doesn't come easy. Mostly, I developed that side of me because of my interest in 'Balance' as a human. I believed I had untapped potential and sought to bring it out - willpower, discipline, physical fitness and abilities (I was poor before), mental capacity, emotional control. I still don't have real follow-through but I make up for it by finding some means of being inspired or randomly returning.

I can hold my own in a challenge of wills like an SEE but deep down I know I'm scared as a baby and it really isn't necessary. It doesn't last much too and after, I quickly debase what just happened and wish to reconcile with the person, I don't like psychological discomfort at all. I'm a man but very feminine, that I know very well, but I have done very well for myself to develop my masculine side however I prefer to stay on that feminine side and generally being the Funny Psychologist and Loony Philosopher.

I must say too that I hid my thoughts for so long and wow, the zany thoughts IEEs can have :).

I'm curious, what would you say Alan Watts' type was?