The Eight Function-Attitudes In Depth
Introverted Sensing (Si)
- Focuses on depth of precedent: how routine and lived experience create stability
- The Precedent Seeker: Also called The Archivist or The Historian
- Applies especially to SJ types (ESFJ, ESTJ, ISFJ, ISTJ)
“Memory is the scribe of the soul.” - Aristotle
Spot Si
People who lead with Introverted Sensing often reveal themselves through these four behaviors:
- “Here’s how we’ve handled this before.” They instinctively reference past experience or established procedures when orienting to a situation.
- “Something feels off - this isn’t how it usually is.” Si users notice subtle deviations from routines or expected patterns based on a strong internal baseline.
- “I like the repetitive tasks.” Repetition and routine feel grounding for SJ types. They excel at maintaining consistency and often do the tasks others find tedious.
- “If it's not broken, don't fix it.” SJ types prefer sticking with what’s proven rather than replacing or refining it prematurely. Stability is a strength for Si.
How to Motivate Si
Si is motivated when things feel familiar, dependable, and clearly understood. To draw out their best work, focus on clarity, continuity, and respect for lived experience.
- Start with what’s already working. Use phrases like: “What’s worked before?” This activates their strength of grounding decisions in reliability.
- Give clear expectations and timelines. Make tasks and success criteria as concrete and predictable as possible. Si stays engaged when they know exactly what’s expected.
- Give a long heads-up for any changes. “We’ll be shifting this process next week, and here’s why.” Advance notice preserves trust and gives Si time to adapt smoothly.
- Link any change to a proven precedent. “We’re shifting to a system that proved useful to three other groups.” Grounding change in something tested ensures reliability and reduces uncertainty.
- Connect recognition to consistency and contribution. “Your consistency really supports the team.” Si is motivated when their steadiness is named as a meaningful contribution.
“[I am not] one of those thoughtless people who always uncritically accept what is new as necessarily better.” -Joseph Ratzinger (Pope)
How to Connect with Si Users
Si users bond through steadiness, trust, and shared experience. Connection deepens when the relationship feels familiar, predictable, and grounded in real life.
- Clarify the purpose of the interaction. “Here’s the aim of our conversation today so we’re on the same page.” Si connects more easily when meetings have a purpose and shared understanding from the start.
- Be consistent in your presence. “I’ll check in again at the same time next week.” Regularity builds trust. Si opens up when people show up reliably and keep their word.
- Share meaningful memories or traditions. “This reminds me of that time we all…” Si connects through shared history. Even small rituals or repeat experiences strengthen relational warmth.
- Respect attachment to familiar things. “Tell me what this tradition or memory means to you.” Si stores emotional significance in objects, routines, and past experiences. Showing interest in these signals respect.
- Explain things in order. “Let’s walk through this step by step.” Si connects best when collaborative conversations move steadily rather than jumping rapidly between topics.
“But an innovation, to grow organically from within, has to be based on an intact tradition” -Yo-Yo Ma
Don’t Do It!
Don’t spring sudden, unexplained changes on Si users.
Si relies on predictability to stay grounded. Abrupt pivots can shut them down, reduce trust, and make collaboration harder.
Better approach:
Give advance notice (as much as possible) and explain why the change matters.
Clear rationale + lead time = psychological safety for Si.
Collaborate With Si Types
(ISTJ, ISFJ, ESTJ, ESFJ)
Si elevates collaboration by offering stability, reliability, historical insight, and process continuity. When working with Si users, remember that consistency is their primary contribution to high-functioning teams.
Below are common pairings and how to bring out their best.
Si Strengths
Si Brain Strengths
Research by Dario Nardi shows that Si-users settle into a highly synchronized, low-effort, whole-brain, flow state when processes are repeatable, known, and well-practiced.
This reflects the lived experience of Si:
- Flow through familiarity. When routines are clear, Si enters a deep focus state marked by calm, steady activation. Familiarity doesn’t dull them — it optimizes them.
- Energy-efficient problem solving. Because practiced patterns activate refined neural pathways, Si performs known tasks with smooth, reliable consistency — saving energy while increasing accuracy.
- Precision through internal comparison. Si continuously checks the present against an internal archive of past experiences, catching subtle shifts or inconsistencies others miss.
“Memory is the treasury and guardian of all things.” - Cicero
Si Team Strengths
Introverted Sensing (Si) strengthens teams and organizations through six core capacities rooted in stability, continuity, and precise historical awareness.
- Operational Stability. Si brings dependable consistency to team workflows, ensuring routines remain clear, predictable, and aligned with established expectations. This stabilizing influence reduces uncertainty, helps new members acclimate, and keeps organizations functioning smoothly.
- Institutional Memory. Si holds the team history of what was tried, what succeeded, and why. Their recall prevents needless reinvention and repeating avoidable mistakes. It can preserve insights through turnover or restructuring.
- Baseline Detection. Si compares current events to an internal baseline built from experience, noticing small deviations before others do. This helps teams correct issues quickly, improving quality control and reducing operational risk.
- Consistency of Execution. Si delivers reliable follow-through that keeps projects grounded. They keep to processes, deadlines, and standards without constant oversight. This predictability strengthens team trust and accountability.
- Process Mastery and Refinement. Si learns established procedures thoroughly and improves them through careful observation. Their refinements are practical and sustainable - enhancing efficiency without destabilizing what already works.
- Documentation and Continuity. Si excels at bringing order through clear documentation, checklists, and structured communication. Their ability to codify processes ensures continuity during role changes, supports onboarding, and strengthens cross-team coordination.
The Si Process
- Observe & Reference. Si begins by noticing what’s happening and referencing how similar situations have unfolded before. Past experience provides context, baseline, and orientation.
- Stabilize & Structure. Si organizes tasks through clear steps, familiar routines, and proven methods. This creates a predictable workflow and reduces unnecessary complexity.
- Execute with Consistency. Si follows the plan steadily, maintaining accuracy, quality, and rhythm. They keep projects grounded through reliable, focused execution.
- Compare & Adjust. Si evaluates progress by comparing results to known standards or previous outcomes. Adjustments are practical and incremental, refining rather than reinventing.
- Document & Preserve. Si captures what worked, what needs improvement, and what should be repeated. This documentation strengthens team continuity and supports future decision-making.
Bottom line: Si types (ISTJ, ISFJ, ESTJ, ESFJ) can bring continuity, precision, and stability to teams by grounding work in what’s proven, refining processes, and preserving reliable patterns for future success.
“By how much one has more experience of things past, than another, by so much also they are more prudent, and their expectations the seldomer fail him.” - Thomas Hobbes
Try Si
You can experiment with Si - even if it’s not your natural strength - by practicing its habits of grounding, recall, and steady refinement.
- Use Sensory Memory. Recall a place you know well and list five sensory details (sounds, textures, lighting, temperature, smells). Notice how vivid and stabilizing the memory feels.
- Recall a Past Success in Detail. Think of a time you handled a situation well. Write out the sequence: what you did first, next, and last. Identify what worked, and why.
- Create a Baseline. Pick something you do regularly (a report, a conversation, a workout) and define what “normal” looks like. Next time you do it, notice any deviations from that baseline.
- Refine a Small Process. Take a routine task and improve it by 1–2% - a clearer step, a better order, or a more reliable way to track it. Keep it small and repeatable.
- Capture the Steps. Choose an activity you know well and document it as if you were teaching a new team member. Notice where clarity strengthens your own confidence.
- Repeat for Mastery. Try doing the same small task once a day for a week (typing speed drill, guitar strumming pattern, a short meditation). Observe how consistency increases ease.
- Compare Past and Present. Pick a situation (your morning routine, a team process, your current stress level) and ask: “How is this the same as before? What’s different?” Let the comparison guide insight.