Analytic introverted Sensing Si-A (aka The Defender) in Relationships
This is the third post in a series where I’ll share what the eight Jungian functions in their two Nardian analytic or holistic flavors look like, adding specifically how they might show up in romantic relationships. If you’re following the series, you will note some repetition, but in case this is the only piece you see, I want you to have all the information. So feel free to jump ahead.
My main references are Carl Gustav Jung and Dario Nardi. Jung was a Swiss Psychiatrist who published his theory of psychological types in 1921, and Dario is a prolific researcher and author. He found evidence of psychological types in the neuroscience data captured by EEG assessments he’s completed with hundreds of participants.
A few caveats before we begin, just to manage expectations and again in case this is the only post you see:
1, these posts describe the functions in their purest state. Functions rarely show up in their purest state, as they interact with other functions and your brain is really active doing multiple things at any given time, like it’s regulating your body temperature and heart rate right now. So, you may not resonate with 100% of the description of this function 100% of the time, and that is normal.
2, these posts describe the function for this function type. You may not be this particular function type, which means this function may not be at the top or dominant in your consciousness. That’s ok, too, because it’s still in your system, you still have access to it, and paying attention to this function may help you recognize when it pops up out of your subconscious, so you can practice integrating it consciously. That will give you better control over it and you can reap its benefits.
With that, let’s move from the broad to the specific, starting with function, Sensation as Jung called it, or Sensing which is also used to describe it as a process, and then the function attitude introverted Sensing, then the flavor, analytic introverted Sensing, and finally how it shows up in relationships. Here we go.
The Sensing function is one of the two irrational perceiving functions.
Irrational, because it’s just about experiencing, and perceiving because that’s literally what it’s doing.
The Sensing function helps us focus on direct sensory experiences through sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch.
It helps us appreciate objective facts and circumstances with excellent powers of observation.
It is pragmatic and precise, literal and useful, but also sensuous and geared towards pleasure.
Dr. Linda Berens describes it this way:
“Sensing is a process of becoming aware of tangible, sensory information and often involves responding to that information without any judgment or evaluation of it. In the Sensing process, the focus is on the actual experience, the facts, and the data - the reality of things and making that reality more clear and vivid. As an active perceptual process, it is more than a stimulation of the five senses. It is the registration of that stimulation and actively being drawn outward to what is experienced and acting on the concrete realities of a situation, or inward to recollections of familiar experiences.”
If you have an S in your type code, you probably agree that this is how you like to take in and process information.
Moving on to the function attitude, introverted Sensing, which is the dominant function for ISTJ and ISFJ types.
What follows are Jung’s words, and just a heads-up, his language from 100 years ago is a little different from how we speak today. He’s quite male-centric, so uses he/him when describing all functions that aren’t Feeling types. He also uses the word “object” to describe anything and anyone outside of you, and “subject” to describe yourself, you, the person.
“Sensation, which by its very nature is dependent on the object and on objective stimuli, undergoes considerable modification in the introverted attitude. It has a subjective fact, for besides the sensed object there is a sensing subject who adds his subjective disposition to the objective stimulus.”
In other words, where extraverted Sensing actively absorbs and is drawn to objects or people outside of us, introverted sensing interprets those impressions through a filter of our own past experiences. The example he gives is of a group of painters drawing the same landscape, but adding their own personal touches and influences, resulting in a bunch of different paintings. He also says
“It is an unconcscious disposition which alters the sense-perception at the source” and “introverted sensation transmits an image which does not so much reproduce the object as spread over it the patina of age-old subjective experience and the shimmer of events still unborn.”
which again is how it’s different from the objective reality that extraverted Sensing processes.
And let’s leave the discussion of whether there even is one objective reality for another time, because yes, all brains construct and interpret what we see based on a mix of biology and past experiences to help us predict what comes next, but we’re talking about introverted Sensing as a dominant function now, this is the thing that your brain can’t not do if you’re of this type.
And I quote,
“Whereas the extraverted Sensation type is guided by the intensity of objective influences, the introverted type is guided by the intensity of the subjective Sensation excited by the objective stimulus. Obviously, therefore, no proportional relation exists between object and Sensation, but one that is apparently quite unpredictable and arbitrary.”
In other words, your natural wiring to pay attention to detailed tangible outside objects is heavily informed by your past personal subjective experiences.
Jung describes introverted Sensing types as conspicuously calm, passive, and with rational self-control, because of being unrelated to the object. This doesn’t mean they devalue the object, because obviously they still need an external object to have a subjective reaction to. But because these reactions are based on potentially arbitrary personal experiences, their reactions to a thing or a person can be surprising and unexpected. Jung describes this as a potential defense mechanism, where the type is “shielding himself directly from all objective influences.”
So much for the function and the function attitude, now we’re moving into the flavor.
Dr. Nardi analyzed EEG data from his participants and found two distinct brain wirings. The one we’re looking at here is the analytic style, or flavor.
For reference, this flavor is focused on a goal, it filters out distractions, and it looks like clarity and confidence.
That’s not to say it’s simplistic, it considers the complexities of a situation and includes relevant variables.
Its approach is top-down, so it’s driving the situation with a point in mind.
People with this style like to solve problems quickly using familiar tools, and can be unaware of their own biases.
It’s often more visual.
It pays attention to what is being said, like facts, figures, rules, methods, and labels.
Thinking is often literal to the specific context, and they often describe using analogies.
In business, it’s more comfortable with hierarchy, defined roles and leadership.
Likely careers for those with an analytical style include business, engineering, finance, law, the military, hard sciences and tech.
Dario calls the analytic introverted sensing type the “defender”.
He says they act as an anchor; on guard, and guarding or protecting others. A firm sense of culture and history. Stick with the strongest impressions from their upbringing. Prefer convenience and familiarity. He says they’ll block big or dangerous changes, since they prefer what’s familiar and convenient. They’re also traditional and aim to civilize. So not necessarily put rules and orders on everything, but they have a firm sense of history and culture, and see traditions and manners and morality as important ingredients to a well-functioning society. Dario mentions that the SJ types are in the majority by quite a margin, so you probably know someone who has this function in their dominant or even auxiliary or second position. Again it’s dominant for ISTJ and ISFJ, and auxiliary for ESTJ and ESFJ. And in its analytic flavor, introverted sensing is about sequencing and recalling factual details.
in dating
this type is going to be respectful of your boundaries, they’re likely going to invite you to sensibly priced restaurants and venues, and over time they might become quite sentimental and take you back to the same place where you met, made out, or experienced significant milestones together. They are dependable and loyal, so probably not dating too many people at the same time. You can show them you’re interested by appreciating their sensible, practical, realistic outlook on life.
in mating
this type is not known for its sexual adventurousness, on the contrary, they’re most likely to be monogamous and missionary. That’s not to say they dismiss it, but they’re likely to approach sex as part of the rituals of marriage or relationships, not the main focus or attraction. If you want to change things up in the bedroom, try making slow and incremental changes, and most of all put an emphasis on safety. If you can find past examples you can build on, even better. I wouldn’t be surprised if their love language is acts of service, so doing nice things for them or taking chores off their plate might also be a good idea.
in relating
if your partner is of this type, because of the completely personal subjective reactivity to you as an outside object, your dominant introverted Sensing person can make you feel as if they’re a bit detached, because they’re describing experiences with you from their point of view, mainly referencing their subjective experiences and interpretations of what would be the civil thing to do. In extreme cases, it can feel like they’re living out a fantasy of you, and not living with the real you. However explosive things might get, they will work to keep everything stable and within certain safe parameters, so no emotion gets too low, but also nothing gets too high or excited. And if you’re both introverted Sensing types who grew up with a similar background, your outlook e.g. on how to raise children and what values you want to carry on to the next generation may well be completely aligned!
Relationships with this type are also likely to be long-lasting, enjoy financial security, and a fair distribution of chores and responsibilities, and who doesn’t like that.
Again, this information cannot describe all the nuances and individual idiosyncrasies and is meant as an overview of the function and its analytic flavor - but I hope you now have a better idea.
If you think you have the analytic flavor of introverted Sensing, or a partner of that type, I’d love to hear from you!
Resources:
Berens, L. V. and Nardi, D. (2004) Understanding Yourself and Others, An Introduction to the Personality Type Code, p.7 https://amzn.to/3Glt53J
Jones, J. H. and Sherman, R. G. (2011) Intimacy and Type, p. 34 https://amzn.to/47NHe5k
Jung, C. G. (1976 edition) Psychological Types (The Collected Works), p.394ff https://amzn.to/46CJGuy
Nardi, D. (2023) Decode Your Personality - Go Beyond Myers-Briggs With 64 Brain-Based Subtypes, p. 328ff https://amzn.to/3GoU6mL
Thomson, L. (1998) Personality Type, An Owners Manual, p. 35 https://amzn.to/4a3mxEy
