Showing posts with label extraverted sensing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label extraverted sensing. Show all posts

Mar 8, 2007

Introverted Ethics in Action - Rocky Balboa

Yesterday I watched Rocky Balboa, written and directed by Silvester Stallone, who also plays the main character. The final film of his Rocky series - which are among Stallone's most successful, Rocky Balboa is a personal movie that mirrors the author's own life and sentiments.

I have typed Stallone as SEE, but there is so much introverted ethics in the movie (along with extraverted sensing) that it makes an excellent demonstration of introverted ethics.

The dominant information aspect of the first quarter or so of the movie is introverted ethics. We are shown Rocky's grief and tender feelings for his deceased wife Adrian. We lament with Rocky that his son has strayed away from him despite Rocky's concern for him. We are sentimental with Rocky as he is reminded of places and events from his youth that held special meaning for him.

All of these things focus on feelings of like and attachment that the characters feel towards one another and towards events, things, and places. These feelings are hardly visible externally (in contrast to extraverted ethics!) - except for a calm smile here and there - and are mainly conveyed on screen using sappy music that makes you sob and long, up-close facial shots. Here's a short clip that demonstrates what I'm talking about.

Note the use of slow, nostalgic string music with a simple piano melody in the background. This music conveys introverted ethics. Even more importantly, the cameras focus on Rocky's face, letting us see every twitch and sign of hidden feeling. Basically, they're forcing us to empathize with Rocky. Paulie, on the other hand, is shown from a distance, essentially making it impossible for us to empathize with him. Paulie gets mad at Rocky, and extraverted sensing related yelling ensues, but then they settle back to a introverted ethics mood, and the camera's move closer to Paulie, letting us feel what he feels.

These tear-jerker techniques are a favorite of the American movie industry, but there are many countries where they are rarely, if ever used (Russian cinema, for one).

Scenes with Rocky and his son are also particularly poignant and use the same kinds of techniques to make the audience cry and empathize. Note that almost everywhere introverted ethics is mixed with extraverted sensing (challenging each other, getting rough, telling each other what they want, etc.).

After the first quarter of the movie, the main emphasis shifts to extraverted sensing, where the real point of the movie lies. Rocky's focus shifts to a difficult external obstacle (the upcoming boxing match, of course) that requires all his strength and concentration to tackle. Note that this emphasis reflects the extraverted sensing spiritual philosophy I wrote about two posts ago.

Dec 21, 2006

The Information Aspects Revisited

Let's revisit the information aspects with the help of The Semantics of the Information Aspects. First, a very brief look at what the information aspects are about (areas of overlap of both the extraverted and introverted versions of the aspect):

Intuition (extraverted intuition and introverted intuition): creating mental images
Sensing (extraverted sensing and introverted sensing): concreticizing and materializing
Logic (extraverted logic and introverted logic): the thinking process
Ethics (extraverted ethics and introverted ethics): influences on people's feelings

Now in more detail (translated material in black, my paraphrasing and commentary in red):

Intuition
Intuition involves the process of creating a mental image. Images are usually described in speech through the use of metaphors and figures of speech. The more the description of an object or situation is abstracted from a multitude of concrete details - as is characteristic of image-based perception - the more complete and multi-faceted the image can be. Through the pole of intuition the individual perceives the object or situation in its wholeness and entirety and strives to translate concrete information (sensory images) into more generalized form, resulting in a perceptual vector from specific to general.

Overlapping themes:
Describing time
extraverted intuition perceives time as an external process and describes it in relatively concrete terms (indicating specific time intervals or amounts of time), while introverted intuition perceives time as an internal sensation and describes it in subjective terms (what time seems to be doing and how it feels to be in the flow of events).

Perceiving non-material aspects of reality
extraverted intuition describes guesses or insight about the external non-material world (intuitive guess, realizations, insights; motives, paradoxes, prospects), while introverted intuition describes the reflection of the external non-material world on the individual (foreseeing, imagining, anticipating; a sense of the meaningful).

Sensing
Both extraverted and introverted sensing involve concreticization - emphasizing the specific characteristics and details inherent to the object or situation - resulting in a perceptual vector from general to specific.

Overlapping themes:
Describing object's concrete characteristics
extraverted sensing perceives physical traits directly, without an implied reference to the individual (size, shape, color, strength, rigidity), while introverted sensing perceives physical traits as they are experienced subjectively (objects' feel in your hand or as they come in contact with the subject through all senses).

Handling objects
extraverted sensing describes the handling of objects as an external physical act (throw, grab, stick, push, remove, fit, hit), while introverted sensing describes the experience of handling and interacting with objects (hold, rub, hug, feel, squeeze, try, stain, clean).

Assimilating space
extraverted sensing describes the physical act of assimilating an area (look around, squeeze in, get through, rearrange, put in its place, influence), while introverted sensing describes subjective experience of assimilating space (get adjusted, get cozy, make comfortable).

Needs and desires
extraverted sensing describes desires as the need to consume an external object ("I really need," "I want," "come on," "I want you to"), while introverted sensing describes the internal experience and physiological processes of satisfying one's needs and desires (processes and sensations associated with health, illness, physical exertion, sex, pleasure, eating and drinking).

Logic
Both extraverted and introverted logic describe thought processes (the process of reaching logical conclusions). Individuals with introverted logic describe to a greater degree - and, hence, are more aware of - thought processes (their own or other people's) expressed in analysis or classifications. Individuals with extraverted logic describe the external manifestations of this process - for example, one's awareness of one's actions. Both aspects involve citing or listing facts and data; in extraverted logic citing data serves to specify the subject of discussion and the order of listing is irrelevant, while in introverted logic it reflects the information's internal structure. Also in common between the aspects is the theme of discussion - expressing and substantiating one's thoughts, as well as the habit of referring to the functioning of living things (people) as if they were mechanisms.

Overlapping themes:
Clarifying information
extraverted logic essentially treats facts and data as external, autonomous objects (emphasizing facts, details, principles, algorithms, and the act of expressing them), while introverted logic perceives data in the context of its structure and organization (emphasizing constructions, models, proper organization of data, outlines, systems, and structures).

Asking clarifying questions
extraverted logic focuses on the what and the how of facts and data, while introverted logic focuses on the why - the logical basis of assertions.

Substantiating one's own and others' conclusions
extraverted logic focuses on the external proof of assertions - facts, examples, illustrations, concrete data and its interpretation - while introverted logic focuses on internal proofs of the logic of statements and the consistency of logical principles applied.

Ethics
Both extraverted and introverted ethics describe influencing and influences on people's feelings through vocabulary such as offend, make happy, enthrall, infuriate, scare, get interested. It appears that individuals with strong extraverted and introverted ethics emphasize somewhat different aspects of this influence: the former are focused on external action as a way of changing the emotional atmosphere (saying or doing something), whereas the latter are focused on changes in the subject's emotional state and feelings as a result of this impact.

The same is true of emotional states. Extraverted ethics emphasizes external manifestations (facial expressions, gestures, words), while introverted ethics emphasizes internal feelings, though the theme itself is a part of both aspects. Also, all ethical types are prone to personification - the "animation" of unliving things ("bad computer!" "the computer is acting up again," "this fence doesn't seem to want to fall over; it's still alive"). The field of ethical aspects also includes evaluatory or emotionally charged oaths, for example "creep" or "mean person."

Overlapping themes:
Verbs describing relationships between people
extraverted ethics describes external manifestations of relationships (meet, date, make friends, be friends, flirt, break up, make up, break off, suck up), while introverted ethics describes the subject's experience of relationships (be grateful, admire, love, fall in love, hate, be offended, be embarrassed, value).

Verbs describing influencing feelings
extraverted ethics focuses on the external (observable) actions associated with emotional interaction (excite, praise, get going, hurt, fool, offend, cheer up, scare, make laugh, comfort, calm down), while introverted ethics focuses on internal feelings (trouble, get tired of, make nervious, offend, let down, scare, irritate, make mad, make upsent, calm). Note that the same words can be used, but with a different emphasis.

Abstract nouns for expressing emotions
extraverted ethics focuses on visible emotional states (edginess, gloominess, breakdown, boredom, quietness, ecstasy, horror, panic, enthusiasm, sarcasm), while introverted ethics focuses on internal feelings (guilt, unrest, delight, pride, annoyance, fright, love, hate, hurt, feeling, shame, embarrassment).

Adverbs describing how actions are performed and one's attitude toward them
extraverted ethics, again, focuses on visible emotional attitudes (gladly, dismally, wonderfully, half-heartedly, discreetly, sarcastically), while introverted ethics focuses on internal attitudes (frankly, honestly, dishonestly, decently, in a friendly way, in a good way, in a bad way, tactfully, tactlessly).

Dec 14, 2006

Extraverted Sensing in Action - Mike Tyson

Here's another great example of a concentrated information signal, in this case extraverted sensing. Here (video) Mike Tyson is interviewed after a fight and makes threatening comments towards future foe Lennox Louis.

The extraverted sensing signals in this case are conveyed by the use of jerky, aggressive bursts of air for emphasis, along with similarly timed jerky head movements forward. The vigorous head movements from side to side along with a sneering facial expression also convey extraverted sensing. All of this serves to convey a sense of readiness for confrontation, unpredictability of behavior (after this display of anger he abrubtly turns around and leaves the interview), and unbending desire.

(I have typed Mike Tyson as an SLE)