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[MBTI General] How would you use your extroverted functions if you were completely alone?

Siúil a Rúin

when the colors fade
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sp/sx
We know that the extroverted functions in MBTI are not equivalent to social extroversion. In some cases like Se or possibly Ne it is a little easier to see how it functions completely outside of social contexts, but what about Te and most of all Fe? Imagine you are the last person on earth, or stranded alone on a faraway island, or lost in the woods for years. How would you use your extroverted functions if you were completely alone for an extended period of time?
 

Lark

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Jun 21, 2009
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29,569
I'm extrovert, although on the borderline between it and introvert, sometimes I dream about a silent earth or empty earth scenario, I'd love to be able to take protracted periods of time, I mean years, to myself but its not possible.

There are things I do when I dont have the opportunities to be social and feel a sort of social drive or impetus, I journal a lot, at length, some of it is pages and pages of quasi-cathartic writing, I review stuff on Amazon, I read, lots and lots and lots of reading, I've thought about it a lot and sometimes I read books when I cant find people who're interested in the same things as me and I treat them almost like someone has written to me, the journalling is like writing to someone else, which I used to do a lot when I was younger, not even always sending the letters but I had one friend who I used to write to a lot. I have no contact with them what so ever now.

Extroverted Thinking:

I can only talk of my own experience and that would be that read lots and lots and lots and then create huge plans, incoporating schedules, micro schedules, review dates, precise plans, usually it all comes to nothing or something much less elaborate would suffice. This is something which puts the greatest amount of distance between me and others, people hate it, really they do, and instead they are happy to get by with less, much less and think its a unnecessary or sometimes is snobbery or pretentious or an expression of some sort of superiority or controlling mindset, which it is not.

Also essay writing, I've not done it lately by I tend to write at length sometimes on topics I've been reading about, musing about or which just always are on my mind one way or another.

Online forums are almost designed with me in mind when it comes to all this sort of thing. Its pretty constant and I often have to think again about what I'm going to share.
 

/DG/

silentigata ano (profile)
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Mar 19, 2009
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4,602
It's fairly easy to come up with non-people-focused activities for Se, Ne, and Te. But I'm at a loss for Fe.

Quite frankly I don't even know if it's possible for Fe to exist without other people, or at the very least other living beings. Fe doms would have to make friends with the animals and foliage.
 

Yama

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I wouldn't, probably

Except to cry a lot
 

Siúil a Rúin

when the colors fade
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If making friends with trees is using Fe as the last person on earth, then I might use some. I've had various tree friends over the years, although one died tragically in a lightening storm. :( I'm not certain how Fe exists outside of social extroversion either, but since there is a premise that functional extroversion is not social extroversion, I thought the premise of the thread could articulate the difference. It also helps me see if I use any Fe because I'm okay with very minimal socializing.
 

Peter Deadpan

phallus impudicus
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Dec 14, 2016
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Take my input with a grain of salt, but when I am alone, I am constantly researching and learning about whatever I find interesting. Lately, it's personality stuff, but before I got into that, it was a lot of body stuff and how everything is connected; autoimmunity, the gut, diet, stress, exercise, meditation, etc. etc. on and on and on. I'm not sure what it was before that. Maybe music??? I also enjoy trying to find symbolism in movies and TV series.

Whether or not I am typed correctly, it's pretty clear to me that I enjoy exploring and trying to build new connections or identifying cause and effect, as this is what I spend most of my time doing. When I am with people, it's more other-focused, when I am alone, it's more based on my interests, but nevertheless is processed through the same lens.
 

LucieCat

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For me, Ne is always present when I’m alone. My internal dialogue is very Ne oriented. I’m always thinking of some idea or possible situation. Plus, I enjoy reading and going on random research binges on the Internet. Or if you let me roam freely in a library. I’ll just get myself a big stack of books to leaf through and then check a few out.

For a child Fe user, I could definitely see solitary play incorporating Fe. I don’t really have anything else.
Te I find can come out when I’m planning something out by myself. Or when I’m outlining for a paper I’m writing. Essentially, trying to use to to make sense of my many ideas. I tend to filter things through Fi and then they go to Te. Sometimes. Sometimes Te just shuts off.
 

PumpkinMayCare

𝓛ιкєтнє𝓓єνi lмαу
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When I don't have the time to be creative, my Ne is just the leading function, that leads me to Te. So Ne is thinking about what needs to get done (searching through the options), then Fi is telling me how I feel about the options and then comes Te telling me what/how to get something done. That's how my extroverted functions operate when I'm alone, which I happen to be fairly often since I live by myself in my apartment. But I don't function that differently when I'm outside the house and with colleagues/friends/students. Just that Fi is more present, so ... *scratching my head*
As for Fe, I think someone with Fe would see their Fe wastin away a bit being alone without any company over a long time period. And Fe would probably make that person crave companionship. I don't really get Fe too well, though.
 

Metis

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We know that the extroverted functions in MBTI are not equivalent to social extroversion. In some cases like Se or possibly Ne it is a little easier to see how it functions completely outside of social contexts, but what about Te and most of all Fe? Imagine you are the last person on earth, or stranded alone on a faraway island, or lost in the woods for years. How would you use your extroverted functions if you were completely alone for an extended period of time?

"And the best thing, the very best thing of all, is there's time now! There's all the time I need, and all the time I want. Time, time, time. Ah! There's time enough at last!"


That's Fe, not some mere Ne!
 
Joined
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As much as I’m extremely introverted I know the complete absence of people would drive me bonkers in very short order. I’d be talking to plants and critters and hell even statues. There’s a difference between voluntarily staying out of most social interactions and not having anyone to interact with. It’s nice to have the option.

It really wouldn’t change much tbh. I’d sit and wonder about all manner of things and potential similarities, patterns. I’d have the same serious brooding expression on my face as I stared off into nothing. The difference would be no one would be there to wonder what’s up with that guy as they walked past.
 

Peter Deadpan

phallus impudicus
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Dec 14, 2016
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As much as I’m extremely introverted I know the complete absence of people would drive me bonkers in very short order. I’d be talking to plants and critters and hell even statues. There’s a difference between voluntarily staying out of most social interactions and not having anyone to interact with. It’s nice to have the option.

It really wouldn’t change much tbh. I’d sit and wonder about all manner of things and potential similarities, patterns. I’d have the same serious brooding expression on my face as I stared off into nothing. The difference would be no one would be there to wonder what’s up with that guy as they walked past.

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