Mirror Relationships

This type of relationship happens when you have two functions of the same attitude and one is Perceiving while the other is Deciding. For example, Introverted Sensing and Introverted Feeling would qualify as such a pair.

This is a hard one to be aware of because at first glance they may seem to exclude each other. However, if you consider the example above, it might start getting clearer how this relationship works.

Introverted Sensing looks back at what's happened before in a concrete way and uses past precedent to determine an ideal path forward. Introverted Feeling seeks personal integrity and harmony by looking to align personal behavior with an ideal version of that behavior. If we look at the two function-attitudes this way one could see how checking for past precedent with Introverted Sensing could help the Introverted Feeling function-attitude find a possible ideal for personal behavior. Likewise, one could also see how Introverted Feeling could help Introverted Sensing check to see if examples in the past were truly fit to serve as examples of behavioral ideals. We need concrete examples for our ideals, and we need ideals to guide our concrete examples.

For both Doric (INTP) and me (INFP), Introverted Sensing is our #3 function-attitude. Years ago, when we were reviewing the definition of Introverted Sensing we looked at each other and expressed disbelief that anyone could actually place much value on it. It struck us both, I think, as an error that other people were putting so much stock in a function-attitude that places so much emphasis on what's worked in the past. Part of our exasperation was the fact that we were both working in a large government agency stocked with Introverted Sensing types who seemed to completely lack the intuitive forethought we both claimed as a strength. Since that time we've both grown significantly in appreciating the talents of those who lead with Introverted Sensing, for example: An elevated faculty for common sense solutions, an ability to do repetitive tasks that drain the life out of us both, and an appreciation of tried and true methods.

It didn't occur to either of us until recently that our Introverted Sensing could be used as a mirror, a rearview mirror in this case, to fact check our primary deciding function-attitudes of Introverted Thinking for Doric and Introverted Feeling for myself. Similarly, we both use Introverted Intuition as a secondary mirror to check forward and see if our theories can apply toward a meaningful singular vision for the future.