MBTI #3: Feelers and Thinkers

Today, a closer look at the second of the dichotomies in the MBTI types: feeler vs. thinker. These two control the third slot in a four-letter type. To continue using myself as an example, this is the T in my INTJ designation.

Over-simplification
Thinkers apply impersonal logic and analysis. Feelers prioritize relationships and connections. Spock-types vs. the hippy-dippies, at the extremes.

Stereotypes
"You know you're a thinker when..."
"You know you're a feeler when..."

Descriptions
These are short descriptions. Longer ones in the first post here below the first "-------" line.

Extroverted Thinking (Te): Segmenting; organizing for efficiency; systematizing; applying logic; structuring; checking for consequences; monitoring for standards or specifications being met; setting boundaries, guidelines, and parameters; deciding if something is working or not. Sorting out different colors and styles; thinking about the consequences.

Introverted Thinking (Ti): Analyzing; categorizing; evaluating according to principles and whether something fits the framework or model; figuring out the principles on which something works; checking for inconsistencies; clarifying definitions to get more precision. Analyzing your options using principles.

Extroverted Feeling (Fe): Connecting, considering others and the group, organizing to meet their needs and honor their values and feelings, maintaining societal, organizational, or group values, adjusting to and accommodating others, deciding if something is appropriate or acceptable to others. Considering what would be appropriate for the situation

Introverted Feeling (Fi): Valuing; considering importance and worth; reviewing for incongruity; evaluating something based on the truths on which it is based; clarifying values to achieve accord; deciding if something is of significance and worth standing up for.

Further thoughts 
Spocks vs. hippies -- this is a dichotomy that can easily turn contentious. Because of our cultural biases, it's easy to paint logical Thinkers as reasonable and connective Feelers as silly, but that's not accurate. Everyone uses reason; it's their priorities that vary. Both approaches are valuable.

T and F illustrate the priorities applied to the information that N/S brought in. T/F also gets into how a person interacts with the outside world, especially in the Extroverted versions of T and F.

Feeling-dominant people are very in tune with emotions and can seem to pull information from nowhere, to Thinkers who have trouble reading body language and other social cues. On the other hand, Thinkers are great at organizing and analyzing -- which Feelers can find cold and impersonal, but it does get stuff done.

In the general population, there's a closer parity between Thinkers (40%) and Feelers (60%) than in the S/N dichotomy.

MBTI basics

Four dichotomies:
Intuitives/Sensors • Feelers/Thinkers • Introverts/Extroverts • Judgers/Perceivers

For writers: Sketching Characters • The Dark Side • Shadow & Resources