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 ( and ): creating mental images
Sensing ( and ): concreticizing and materializing
Logic ( and ): the thinking process
Ethics ( and ): 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
perceives time as an external process and describes it in relatively concrete terms (indicating specific time intervals or amounts of time), while 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
describes guesses or insight about the external non-material world (intuitive guess, realizations, insights; motives, paradoxes, prospects), while 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
perceives physical traits directly, without an implied reference to the individual (size, shape, color, strength, rigidity), while 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
describes the handling of objects as an external physical act (throw, grab, stick, push, remove, fit, hit), while describes the experience of handling and interacting with objects (hold, rub, hug, feel, squeeze, try, stain, clean).

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

Needs and desires
describes desires as the need to consume an external object ("I really need," "I want," "come on," "I want you to"), while 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 citing data serves to specify the subject of discussion and the order of listing is irrelevant, while in 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
essentially treats facts and data as external, autonomous objects (emphasizing facts, details, principles, algorithms, and the act of expressing them), while perceives data in the context of its structure and organization (emphasizing constructions, models, proper organization of data, outlines, systems, and structures).

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

Substantiating one's own and others' conclusions
focuses on the external proof of assertions - facts, examples, illustrations, concrete data and its interpretation - while 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
describes external manifestations of relationships (meet, date, make friends, be friends, flirt, break up, make up, break off, suck up), while describes the subject's experience of relationships (be grateful, admire, love, fall in love, hate, be offended, be embarrassed, value).

Verbs describing influencing feelings
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 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
focuses on visible emotional states (edginess, gloominess, breakdown, boredom, quietness, ecstasy, horror, panic, enthusiasm, sarcasm), while 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
, again, focuses on visible emotional attitudes (gladly, dismally, wonderfully, half-heartedly, discreetly, sarcastically), while focuses on internal attitudes (frankly, honestly, dishonestly, decently, in a friendly way, in a good way, in a bad way, tactfully, tactlessly).

Characteristics of the Creative Function

The creative (or 2nd) function is comparatively less important to the individual than the base function. It is also something that comes naturally to the individual and is an area of strength and confidence like the base function, but it is not the individual's first priority or the "main point" of his statements of personal conviction.

The individual displays ease and competency in the area described by the 2nd function, but tends to apply this strength and perception within the context of the base function, which is perceived as having absolute importance. People use their creative function with ease as a situational tool, but can be easily distracted by signals that trigger their more sensitive base function. Compared to the base function, which is usually "on," the creative function turns on and off depending on the demands of the situation.

To illustrate the above, I'll describe as a creative function:

The individual is sensitive to issues of health, well-being, rest and relaxation, physical comfort, and aesthetic tastes and has an arsenal of tools to influence these areas of life in positive ways when there is a need for his help. At the same time, the individual does not focus specifically on these areas in his personal life, but usually focuses on his active external activities. He generally applies his assistance in the areas listed on an individual basis after recognizing someone's need.

Characteristics of the Base Function

There are 8 possible "varieties" of the base function that correspond to the 8 information aspects discussed earlier. Jung and socionics maintain that the base function forms the core of personality. Here are some of its outstanding characteristics (in red are examples for base types to better illustrate the concept):

The base function describes the individual's most stable, consistent state of mind (especially in his or her adult years).
: A physically relaxed, resting state of mind where the individual is focused on his internal sensations of comfort and harmony.

It describes the individual's most central interests - the kinds of interests the person is most likely to keep up over the years.
: A concern with health and inner balance, correctly and harmoniously organizing one's everyday activities (eating, sleeping, living at home), and making sure one's everyday physical environment produces sensations of comfort and pleasure and is not harmful to one's health.

When the individual's life is not centered around the base function, he feels lost. At the same time, there is a tendency to overdo the activities and state of mind of the base function and then look for forms of compensation.
: Feels lost when circumstances do not allow him to carry out his favorite relaxing activities (taking walks, listen to relaxing music, painting or doing other relaxing things) or organize his immediate home environment according to his own tastes. When given the chance, there is a tendency to overdo somewhat these activities and then look for some external activities that will make him strain a bit.

It describes the areas the individual is most sure of and generally most vocal about.
: Questions of health - improving health, diagnosing health issues, treating health and diet problems; questions of proper living, including sleep and eating, activities around the home, sex, and other therapeutic activities that bring joy, pleasure, and balance.

In these areas the individual is extremely resistant to suggestion and insists on his own interpretation of things.
: See above.

In these areas the individual is constantly gathering new information and adding it on to his existing views.
: Tends to study and analyze carefully how people live their everyday lives, the sensations they experience from day to day, their diets, sleep, and exercise habits, their aesthetic tastes and styles, their immediate physical environment, their general state of health and vitality. Constantly uses these new impressions to modify his views on proper living and maintaining a balanced, harmonious inner world.

The individual's memory is generally sharpest (near absolute memory, actually) in areas where the base function has processed information (impressions) and structured them in its characteristic way.
: Sensations one experienced in different locations and situations, the cause of these sensations and how to reproduce them.