Well said, and I appreciate the clarification. I more or less feel like I get Si - at least intellectually - but I think it's actually pretty foreign to me and I end up projecting Ni into it without realizing it. The aspect of things needing to be familiar before they're recognized is one I keep forgetting.
No worries, I project onto Se all the time. I only feel like I "get" Ni because I've harassed enough INFJs on the forum, in an attempt to better understand my INFJ friends and INFJ mother.
I almost wonder if that experience of being tuned into ones internal state is best part of Fi?
I think so. Strong Fi does seem to link to being in tune with your emotions -- at peace with them, in a way. Though I'm not sure if that changes with unhealthy IxFPs.
I hadn't thought about the ESTJ and drinking. Anything that quiets the constant inner criticism might be appealing. I was just sort of day dreaming to day and making the connection between my Dom/Inferior of Ni/Se and thinking it makes perfect sense that I've never cared for alcohol. To me, all it does is make me dumb and make me numb. Where's the fun in that? lol
Ha! Yeah that makes sense.
Just about anyone with an overactive superego -- this may be more type 1 than SJ -- would probably find mind-numbing to be appealing. With type 1, they do this pseudo-integration thing to type 7 when they're under a bit of stress, and they avoid all their stressors in favor of less important task and more fluffy/shallow "fun" things*. With ESTJs, they go into a Te-Ne loop, which, when you take Si data out of the picture, also links to throwing yourself into unimportant and "fun" tasks. (Si would help with prioritization and a sense of what's "usually" effective.) Generally speaking with those two types, their gut reaction to intense stress and pain is to set it aside -- but if setting it aside doesn't cut it, they end up on a mission to find what'll best deaden that pain. Best case scenario would be to get to the root of the stress and eliminate it, e.g. getting that stressful assignment done, or talking to someone about your feelings. Worst case scenario would be what I've been describing above, e.g. being so busy playing a stupid video game that you never do the assignment, or getting into drugs or alcohol to avoid confronting your feelings.
*Clarification edit: I'm referencing Riso and Hudson's introduction to the Enneagram:
Security (One goes to average Seven)
Ones become more playful and uninhibited in the company of people with whom they feel safe. It is as though a secure environment gives Ones permission to let their "silly side" out, along with the ability to express a more complete range of their emotions.. They can be funny, talkative, tell jokes and long stories and can lead others into adventures of various kinds. They can also be boldly outspoken, impulsive, and "naughty" when they feel they can get away with it. They can also allow some of their needs to surface and become demanding, selfish, and greedy after the manner of a low-average Seven. Under stress, they may inadvertently look for distractions and begin to scatter their focus and their energies, as if to prevent becoming overwhelmed by the pressures they feel both from the obligations they have taken on and from their superego.