How to convert MBTI® type to Socionics type
by Sergei Ganin

Anyone who had closely read all the articles about Socionics and MBTI® theory compatibility issues has already got a fair idea that there is no straightforward conversion between the two systems. This obviously creates quite a lot of confusion, especially when it comes to the introvert types. The most common ...
Your Comments: 1+
C1 How do you know that an N in MBTI is also N in socionics? Same for other four functions. -- Complicater-Complexer
C2 Following up/developing on C1, *is* there a correlation between the extraverts in MBTI/Socionics? Are the definitions for each function the same or at least similar? Would an MBTI description of an ENFP fit the Socionics description of an ENFp? Finally, you outlined your recurring theme of "T/F confusion = p, S/N confusion = j" very neatly this time, and I found it very insightful. -- Anonymous
C3 Moreover, how does one categorically distinguish between one's dominant and auxillary preferences, when neither seems more developed than the other? As an example, my MBTI type is clearly INFP, both in terms of preferences and in description. Socionic conversion, according to this article, demands that I know which of my S/N and T/F supressions is greater, something I am consistently unable to do. Perhaps it's a function of my F being introverted and the fact that I am more consciously aware of my extraverted N in daily life, but I cannot say with certainty that my T/F difference is greater than my S/N difference. Yet MBTI descriptions make no bones about which type I am, which is why I'm hesitant to accept socionic theory. Any insights? -- Chris
C4 @C3 Any insights? Yeah, you should stick with MBTI. -- Anonymous
C5 C3, I'm not at all familiar with MBTI, but from what I understand, I=I, so if your F is introverted, and an I's dominate function is introverted, I'm no professional, but I'd say that you're an INFj. If I'm wrong about the I thing, you'd probably be an ENFp, but I think the first one is more accurate. -- Myst (ISTj)
C6 I am very familiar with the MBTI system, and I can definitively say that this article is incorrect. In the MBTI system, I-Ps and E-Js are the types whose dominant function is a judging function, the same as -j in Socionics, and I-Js and E-Ps are the types whose dominant function is a perceiving function, the same as -p in Socionics. MBTI and Socionics identify exactly the same types, differing only in how they label them. For extraverted types, the same letters are used to identify the same types. For introverted types, Socionic -js are MBTI -Ps and Socionic -ps are MBTI -Js. -- Fergus Duniho
C7 So if I understand correctly it's easy to distinguissh ISFj and ISTj as T and F are at both ends for instance, but difficult to distinguish ISFp and ISTp as T and F are in the middle. -- piccolo_michel
C8 C6, you don't know nothing about Socionics. I am both INTj and INTJ - no switch there. But I also think this article does not really help. What if an introvert is sure about being T AND sure about being N? Then this article is useless... The only solution is using subtypes! -- INTj
C9 As I'm still comparing MB-theory and Socionics and try to understand the enigma about introverted types, I find a probable solution in the fact that -MB-theory uses 4 functions, each one with 2 attitudes -Socionics uses 8 functions, each one with 2 "sub-attitudes" (usual for introverts, seldom for extraverts) As everybody has to "exteriorize" his dominant function in order to interact with other people, "EXTRAVERTS" "exteriorize" their DOMINANT "extraverted function" and interiorize their auxiliary function what can be written : (Te)e = Te, (Fe)e = Fe, (Ne) = Ne, (Se)e = Se and (Ni)i = Ni, (Si) = Si, (Ti)i =Ti, (Fi)i = Fi. That is absolutely normal and done WITHOUT effort. BUT... "INTROVERTS" have an "introverted" dominant function and have to "work hard" in order to interact with other people: they have to "EXTERIORIZE an INTROVERTED function". It can be done through the help of the auxiliary function only. So an ISFj, like me, (FiSe) has to "exteriorize Fi" what can be written (Fi)e, an ISTj (TiSe) has to "exteriorize Ti" what can be written (Ti)e, an ISFp or an ISTp has to "exteriorize Si" what can be written (Si)e, and so on... BUT... (Fi)e (confused with Fe in the MB-theory) is neither identical with Fe nor with Fi, (Ti)e (confused with Te in the MB-theory) is neither identical with Te nor with Ti, (Ni)e (confused with Ne in the MB-theory) is neither identical with Ne nor with Ni, (Si)e (confused with Se in the MB-theory) is neither identical with Se nor with Si, (Fe)i (confused with Fi in the MB-theory) is neither identical with Fi nor with Fe, and so on... An example: when somebody is answering a questionnaire, Ti has to be "exteriorized" (Ti)e (easy for TiNe (INTj) or TiSe (ISTj) but maybe very difficult for extraverts who aren't used to "exteriorize an introverted function") However when they are alone and don't have to interact, introverts use their functions in their "normal mode", i.e. (Fi)i = Fi, (Ti)i = Ti, (Ni)i = Ni, (Si)i = Si. -- piccolo_michel
C10 I agree with C6, because For INTP, MBTI says: - Your perceptive function is extraverted. - Your juldgement function is introverted. - Your introverted function is dominant. For INTj, Socionics says: - Your perceptive function is extraverted. - Your juldgement function is introverted. - Your introverted function is dominant. It will be ALWAYS THE SAME. -- thiagomdo ( INTP and INTj )
C11 To C10 Actually it's NOT ALWAYS THE SAME. Many are INTP/INTp or INTJ/INTj. FOR "S" types it's ALWAYS different as, for instance, ISFJ (SiFe) IS similar with ISFj (FiSe)! C6 (Fergus Duniho) is the one who built a MBTI (!!!) test which scored me as MBTI-ISFJ or MBTI-ISTJ, (I took this test several times) with a dominant judging function (!!!) what is in CONFLICT with MBTI but in AGREEMENT with Socionics. -- piccolo_michel
C12 Okay. I know next to nothing about socionics, but I have been studying MBTI, so I may be able to add some info that someone else can use constructively. Maybe. So. In MBTI the first and last letter (E/I, J/P) determine how the middle two letters (S/N, T/F) are used, and which is preferred most 'overall'. S and N are known as 'perceiiving' or 'info-gathering', T and F and 'judging' or 'decisions-making'. Someone who is a 'J', whether they are introverted or extraverted, prefers to organise their outer world - that is, reality. This may be manifested as tidiness, timeliness, organisation etc. (But I'm not going to say this is always the case) J's use their decision-making letter extravertedly to do this. So if we have an INFJ, this person will, according to MBTI, use 'Fe'. If the INFJ uses 'J' extravertedly, then they will use 'P' introvertedly. This means they use their info-gathering function internally, or that they use Ni. The last two functions are the opposites of the first two (yay for balance) so an INFJ uses Fe, Ni, Se, Ti. Because they are an introvert, the INFJ will have the Ni as their dominant, so their functions, in order of dominance, are: Ni Fe Ti Se Hope this helps. -- K
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