Categorization of the Cognitive functions

This site is going to be about the cognitive functions, set up by Carl Gustav Jung. The concept of function genders was invented by the "Objective Personality" crew. The alternate function names and the dimensional approach are created by myself. Cognitive functions are ways to handle attention.

Two opposing categories in which one can put the cognitive functions are observers (O) and deciders (D).
Observing functions focus on a certain kind of information.
Deciding functions decide how to deal with information.

There are two profoundly different ways to focus on information.

Intuition (N) looks on the patterns of their observer objects. They see objects as their deeper meaning or purpose and the concepts behind.
Sensing (S) looks on sensual information. They remember pictures, sounds, sensations, smells or tastes.

There are two profoundly different priorities of decision making.

Thinking (T) decides based on cause and effect.

Feeling (F) decides based on values.

Of each of the four sorts of functions, there are two directions. The common MBTI doctrine calls them introverted (i) and extraverted (e) functions, but not all functions are introverted and extraverted in the same way.

In case of observers, the extraverted (Oe) observe the things (Se) or ideas (Ne) in the present, the introverted (Oi) see them in relation to subjective experiences (Si) or visions (Ni).

In case of the feeling functions, the extraverted (De) decide based on collective agreements about values (Fe) or facts (Te), while the introverted (Di) decide based on personal values (Fi) or reasoning (Ti).

Since introversion and extraversion mean different things for the different function sorts, I invented alternative names for half of the functions to make the names more clear:

Extraverted intuition (Ne) becomes abstract intuition (Na).

Introverted sensing (Si) becomes realistic sensing (Sr).

Extraverted thinking (Te) becomes realistic thinking (Tr).

Introverted thinking (Ti) becomes abstract thinking (Ta).

Ni, Se, Fe and Fi stay the same.

Each of the eight functions again can exist in two so-called genders. That doesn't mean all males (neither in biological sex nor gender) have masculine and females feminine functions, the name comes much more from the fact that the function genders highly correlate with what is widely seen as masculine or feminine.

In all cases, masculine (m) here means that a function tries to shape the environment, which makes the function more pushy and non-movable, while feminine (f) functions try to adapt to the environment, which makes them flexible and movable.

Masculine sensory establishes facts, while feminine sensory remembers happenings.

Masculine intuition plans what will happen, while feminine intuition predicts what will happen.

Masculine thinking decides based on stable beliefs, while feminine thinking decides based on current thoughts.

Masculine feeling decides based on deep values and emotions, while feminine feeling decides based on current feelings that are influenced by others.

mNe -> Nai; fNe -> Naa; mNi -> Nii; fNi -> Nia;

mSe -> Ser; fSe -> See; mSi -> Srr; fSi -> Sre;

mTe -> Trr; fTe -> Tra; mTi -> Tar; fTi -> Taa;

mFe -> Fei; fFe -> Fee; mFi -> Fii; fFi -> Fie.

To learn how to derive them from the Dimensions of attention, look into the subsite Dimensional approach.