Our Difficulties

Here are some of the difficulties that we've had in our attempts to understand Lenore Thomson's ideas.

•	The Genus Problem: just what are these "Function Attitudes", anyway?

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What do the introverted and extraverted forms of the same function have to do with each other? For example, Extraverted Intuition seems to be guessing the whole from seeing a few parts. Introverted Intuition seems to be thinking up alternative interpretations and denying that anything true can be said. Why do those both have the name "intuition"?

•	What do the introverted forms of the functions all have in common?

•	What do the extraverted forms of the functions all have in common?

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What do different forms of the same function-attitude, but in different positions, have to do with each other? For example, Introverted Sensation as a dominant function seems to be a concern with holding certain priorities intact. But for INTPs, Introverted Sensation takes the form of psychosomatic disorders or paranoia about whether one's food is poisonous. What do these have in common?

•	Why These Eight?

•	Why is there any conflict between Function Attitudes? For example, couldn't one just use Extraverted Thinking and Introverted Feeling as heuristics at appropriate times, without there being any conflict? Why must there be an Inferior Function, messing up what the others do?

•	What do extraverts have to gain by developing an introverted attitude? It seems obvious what introverts gain by developing an extraverted attitude: money, power, a social position, etc. Why can't extraverts just focus on their extracerted concerns with no function-related problems?

•	At the end of the day, what does each type want their story to say?

•	Do ESFPs even care? Or Extraverts for that matter?

Some word choices and metaphors

•	Who is Alice?

•	What are Altars In The Wilderness?