Holistic extraverted Sensing Se-H (aka The Sensate) in Relationships
This is the second 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 extraverted Sensing, then the flavor, holistic extraverted 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, extraverted Sensing, which is the dominant function for ESTP and ESFP types.
What follows are Jung’s words, and 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.
So, here’s how Jung described the extraverted Sensation Type:
“No other human type can equal the extraverted sensation type in realism. His sense for objective facts is extraordinarily developed. His life is an accumulation of actual experiences of concrete objects, and the more pronounced his type, the less use does he make of his experience.”
In other words, dominant extraverted Sensing types pay attention to all concrete exterior things and people. They walk in the room and immediately and organically scan where all the exits are, notice the most interesting pillows, and clock the best-dressed people.
As Jung puts it:
“Objects are valued in so far as they excite sensations, (…) whether they are compatible with rational judgments or not.”
In other words, just because someone is focusing only on realistic facts doesn’t mean they’re automatically rational people. And for this Type, extra flashy or attractive people can excite sensations as well, even though they may not make sense rationally as a life partner.
Jung also added that extraverted Sensing is about enjoyment and living life to the full, though not necessarily without consideration for others:
“His whole aim is concrete enjoyment, and his morality is oriented accordingly. Indeed, true enjoyment has its own special morality, its own moderation and lawfulness, its own unselfishness and willingness to make sacrifices. (…) He dresses well, he keeps a good table with plenty of drink for his friends, giving them to understand that his refined taste entitles him to make a few demands of them. He may even convince them that certain sacrifices are decidedly worth while for the sake of style.”
Jung says that the extraverted Sensing Type “reduces his thoughts and feelings to objective causes” and that anything that might come up from the inside is viewed as “morbid and suspect”, so it’s not trusted.
Moreover, any physical sensation will not be acknowledged as something psychological, but explained with concrete external realities, like the temperature. This refers to psycho-somatic illnesses, like if this Type has butterflies in their tummy, instead of acknowledging they might feel anxious they’re likely to blame something they ate.
The more one-sided this person becomes, i.e. only focusing on external sensations and impressions, the less agreeable they become, which Jung called out as “a crude pleasure-seeker, or an unscrupulous aesthete.” So a shallow, selfish kind of person.
So much for the function and the function attitude, now we’re moving into the flavor. Again, this is a wiring pattern Dr. Nardi found in the EEG results of hundreds of participants.
The holistic style, or flavor, or energy, is focused on getting input and going with the flow. It’s more open ended, and looks like patience and relaxation.
That’s not to say it’s flaky, it considers all aspects at once, which allows it to connect ideas in fresh and new ways.
Its approach is bottom-up, open to discovery and synergy, wherever the data might lead.
It likes to find new tools and solutions, and people with this flavor are so aware of their biases, they might lack the confidence to make a change.
This style is often more auditory.
It pays attention to how things are said, but also ethics, intentions, and emotions.
Thinking is often figurative and might focus on identity and values, and they often describe using metaphors.
In business, it’s more comfortable with an egalitarian and collaborative approach.
Likely careers for those with a holistic style include creative arts, social services, humanistic pursuits, soft sciences, and multiculturalism.
Dario calls the holistic or yin flavor of extraverted Sensing the “sensate” type.
In his book, he describes them as follows:
Sensates absorb sensory experiences. They enjoy life’s pleasures, they trust rich sensory data, and they prefer fun, relaxing activities. They attend to other people’s motion and get in synch with them. They have a sensual style, appreciate beauty, and often are artistic, graceful, and inviting.
When I imagine holistic extraverted sensing types, I see ballet dancers and gourmet chefs and jazz lovers fully vibing with every improvised note in my mind. Because as Dario points out, it’s about pleasure for them, not comfort. It’s not about getting to the destination so much as it is about taking time to fully enjoy the ride, but it is an active enjoyment of that ride, even if you’re just sunbathing on the beach. The mind and body are active.
From his neuroscience of type certification that I did in 2012 I remember him describing the extraverted Sensing function’s EEG pattern as a tennis hop - the circuits that were active in the neocortex looked like they were able to spring into action at any given moment depending on the circumstances - ready to pounce, always ready to react quickly because they were so alert to their sensory input.
In relationships
Dating
If we’re staying with the literal description, this type is likely to invite you to go dancing or do a cooking or baking class for your date, or any other activities where you can be in sync, moving, or experiencing something with each other in some way. They might also enjoy going to museums and appreciating other people’s art.
People of this type are also likely to be skilled at flirting and vibing with lots of people, as they’re outgoing and social and spontaneous. You’re probably don’t even know why exactly you’re attracted to them, but they have a way of holding themselves that is so self assured in their body, and knowledgeable about how to use their body for great effect, that you can’t look away.
Mating
this type’s sex life is likely to be filled with a variety of experiences all leaning towards loving romantic sensual vibes, so I’m seeing candles, rose petals, flavored massage oils, and exquisite role playing with sexy costumes. I wouldn’t be surprised if this type enjoys a good burlesque show - both performing and watching. I don’t think Dario used the word hedonism to describe this type, maybe because it carries some stigma in our achievement-obsessed culture to be devoted to pleasure, so it might be over reaching to say in roman times, this was the type who organized the orgies with the fresh grapes and feather fans. But that’s the vibe I get.
Relating
They may be a bit more romantic, loving, and warm than their analytic siblings, but they’re still extraverted Sensing types, so in the moment, realistic, playful, easily bored, and looking for tangible concrete connections. As a partner, they will be very practical and open to new suggestions as long as you’re not just talking about hypothetical ideas. They’re going to want to make those things happen. Communication is going to be straightforward again, but also descriptive of a broader range of details, since the holistic focus is a little more diffuse.
Again, this information is meant as an overview of the function, the function attitude, and its holistic flavor, it cannot describe all the nuances and individual idiosyncrasies - but I hope you now have a better idea.
If you think you have a holistic flavor of extraverted Sensing, or a partner of that type, I’d love to hear from you!
