Alpha Quadra

Alpha Quadra types

• ESE
• ILE
• LII
• SEI

Valued functions^[1]

Ne blocked with Ti

• Alpha types are inclined to discuss highly theoretical concepts as a source of intellectual stimulation and fun rather than for their practical merits.
• Alpha types tend to value logically consistent beliefs and ideas, and behavior that is consistent with personal values.
• Alpha types typically follow through on their ideas in the form of group activity.

Fe blocked with Si

• Alpha types tend to enjoy participating in groups where there is free exchange of positive emotional expression in an atmosphere pleasing to the senses.
• Alpha types are inclined to discuss stories told in detail and according to the sequence in which events happened, rather than "jump to the point" quickly.
• Alpha types are inclined to show affection for others in the form of small practical services or gifts.
• Alpha types tend to feel energized in the positive atmosphere of special events, such as public holidays, parties and special celebrations.

Unvalued functions

• Fi: Alpha Quadra types don’t form harsh personal judgements regarding their relationship with others, are unlikely to discuss serious personal matters in a group setting, and are more lenient regarding matters of social norms and propriety.
• Te: Alpha Quadra types can be disregarding of matters like profit and efficiency when engaging knowledge, and instead prefer to engage these topics for their intellectual value.
• Se: Alpha Quadra types don’t typically utilize force, specially force that is physical, in their interactions, since they don’t like disrupting their environment with brashness or confrontation.
• Ni: Alpha Quadra types put more importance on spontaneity and jumping from and to multiple ideas rather than on a higher vision, and don’t focus on the long term influence or outcome of things, preferring a more spontaneous approach.

Reinin dichotomies

This quadra is democratic, judicious, and merry

• Merry types prefer to communicate in an open, emotionally engaging environment. They prefer to treat relationship distances more spontaneously and leniently, disregarding formalities in communication.
• Judicious types are in typically in a state of relaxation, excerting only effort that is needed. They value the elements of their environment (like comfort) rather than a result of success or reward.
• Democratic types judge people for their own personal traits rather than their place in a group or the environment they come from, and aren’t likely to make generalized statements about the traits of others.

General Descriptions

Viktor Gulenko^[2]

For the Alpha quadra, the family-type economy is organically suitable. With such an organization of work, all family members work according to their strengths and abilities. No one is overworked, but at the same time, no one is slacking. Produced and stored things match approximately how much the family can consume. This type of farm is fully adapted to the surrounding natural landscape.

Socio-economic aspect. The first quadra (Alpha) - values, the mission of the quadra. Humanitarian socionics This quadra is generally not in power. Of course, some of its representatives sometimes end up in central management positions, but only as an exception that confirms the rule. Alpha types have neither the power nor the financial leverages to effectively lead organized groups.

State institutions in the Alpha-society are not developed, and the authority of the older ones prevails. In this quadra, there are no managerial sociotypes endowed with logic and sensorics. State power is therefore exercised by outsiders, or anarchy reigns there. Not anarchy in the sense of "robber freemen", but as a situational leadership of someone who at the moment is able to interest, captivate, and demonstrate knowledge. There is no need for the state as an apparatus of coercion, since there is no serious aggressiveness, love of power, or an excess of product that could be appropriated by force. It is difficult for this democratic quadra to react to punishment, force coercion, the dictates of long-standing traditions or formally introduced law. An Alpha type, limited by such boundaries, psychologically perishes, just as the native who is accustomed to live in unity with nature perishes, when is placed in a city apartment.

Such a society can theoretically exist indefinitely, but it is destroyed by natural disasters or contact with more aggressive neighbors. It is possible only in the conditions of a very protected periphery, a special parallel world, which, knowing about the existence of a civilized world and even coming into contact with it, nevertheless remains outside of its direct influence.

Spiritual and psychological aspect. The first quadra (Alpha) - values, the mission of the quadra.

Values of the types of the First quadra: Family-cognitive

The types of the Alpha quadra have an orientation towards their neighbors and their own small group. In other words, they are characterized by moderate individualism. On the one hand, it manifests itself like a child's egocentrism-the inability to look at the situation from the point of view of another, a stranger. On the other hand, the strong dependence of this quadra on its immediate environment does not allow Alpha types to turn into anti-collectivists.

In a society where hostility and hatred have become typical, the family remains almost the only source of kindness and love and mutual respect. The most family-friendly types in the socion are Mediator (SEI) and the Enthusiast (ESE). The most in need of individual care within the family are the Analyst (LII) and the Seeker (ILE).

The knowledge of Alpha-quadral scientists has the purest and most harmless forms, based mainly on simple curiosity. It never becomes a dogma or a powerful creed that recruits fanatical adherents to its side, as in the Beta Quadra, and is not driven by material interest or direct monetary gain (applied science), as in the Gamma Quadra.

For Alpha cognition, you do not need special tools and research laboratories stuffed with expensive equipment. This quadra learns the fundamental laws by coming into contact with the matter under study in the normal course of life. Therefore, the laws it opens are not of the nature of rigid dependencies. These are just empirical generalizations of frequently repeated events. However, without such a work of the mind, a mature specialized science would not be possible.

In any quadra, there is not only the potential for moving forward, but also the mechanism of self-removal. The Alpha quadra eventually gets ruined by its own curiosity. Being the most open and trusting to new information, Alpha types are like a moth drawn to a flame, flying to their doom. The penetration by any perfect tools or techniques that dramatically increase productivity into the quadra awakens instincts of power and possession. And from here there is only one step to class stratification and the emergence of regular power, which is Beta quadra’s order.

People united by Alpha values are close to the model of harmonious (in the sense of L. Gumilyov) individuals. That is, they are hardworking enough to provide everything necessary for themselves and their offspring, but neither tempted enough nor competitive enough to create the surplus product necessary for expansion.

Wikisocion^[1]

Inclination for comfortable and pleasant group atmosphere, in the emotional, sensorial, and intellectual aspects. An ideal Alpha group situation is the exchange of light-hearted jokes while discussing imaginative ideas, movies, or sometimes sports, all while enjoying pleasant food and drink. Narrating personal experiences usually takes the form of telling a joke; funny personal experiences are preferred over "serious" ones. The exchange of sober concrete details are avoided. If the group is playing a game together, the fun and jokes that go along with it are at least as important as the game itself. They avoid generating "heavy" moments; any dramatic expressions are limited in time, most often in service of a joke. Alphas are also perhaps the most likely types to participate in group use of mind-altering substances.

Alpha discussions tend to go off on tangents, in whatever direction seems most interesting or funny at the moment. Unusual personal observations are common, resulting from the analysis of the idiosyncrasies or inconsistencies of everyday life. If many in the group share the same observations, they are likely to express their agreement emphatically, so as to create a kind of "mental harmony" which enhances the group dynamic. If a new problem is encountered, it is expanded and developed in as many ways as possible, until some kind of satisfactory conclusion is reached.

Alphas make no distinction between "insiders" and "outsiders", easily drawing people into a conversation once it has begun — though they tend to just as easily withdraw if the person is not receptive. Likewise, they prefer to have the same behavior at work as at play; they find formal speech and dress to be pretentious, unnecessarily limiting, and even ridiculous. Alphas dislike the idea that there is something going on "behind the scenes", preferring to keep things (especially personal motivations) as open and straightforward as possible.

Excerpts of Stratievskaya’s description of Quadral fears and complexes^[3]

Each person feels the right to suppress the opinion of his or her opponents by his own arguments, forcing them out of the dispute, out of the audience, out of the topic, and out of the system. (Up to demands and exclamations: "Get out! There is no place here for the likes of you! First, learn to behave yourself properly and to hear out your opposition.") While hearing out one's opposition, since no one here curbs themselves by time considerations, in Alpha quadra is also not liked:

• out of fear that they themselves won't have the time to speak and direct the discussion into a convenient direction;
• out of fear of losing the initiative in a discussion, and that their opinions will be suppressed, their views – rejected;
• in nervous anticipation that they might forget the most important and powerful argument that can easily push out their opponent and support their own opinion (their own view, plan, decision, authority, goals, objectives, and so on);
• due to being afraid of being unheard or misunderstood by the audience, thus all start to talk at once, in discord: start suppressing the current speaker with shouts from the audience, by rushing him, by demands to step down and make way for the next speaker, by distorting his statements without listening to what he's saying, by mocking, jeering, banging fists on the table (here, everything is very "democratic") - thereby drawing the time and attention toward themselves and away from the current speaker. May also say something crude, that is offending. May simply cover up his mouth or microphone by their hand, silencing him in order to calmly talk themselves. And all of these actions come from heightened worries and feelings of anxiety and fear about the inability to express oneself freely and in full. Not all those who wish to speak will be heard out – there's not enough time and attention for all.

Alpha Quadra hates verbal attacks and censure that undermines their ability to get in a word. This fear that they experience – the fear of inability to speak freely, to discuss one's own topic, to defend one's own point of view – in this essay we will conventionally call the COMPLEX OF CLOSED MOUTH.

Due to the combination of quadral traits, the initiating evolutionary Alpha Quadra is the "most talkative" quadra in Socion. It's members, "Democratic-subjectivists" have the right to talk how they can, about anything they wish, and however much they wish it. In connection to this, a problem arises of mutually exclusive yet equal rights and opportunities for all members of the community and the need to link and coordinate them with each other so that no one is hurt or offended. To resolve these problems, just laws and regulations are developed in the community, the concept of norms is introduced, democratic forms of debate are invented. Regulations are set concerning speeches and presentations and the topics to be discussed. The position of a regulator is introduced – the "Chairman of the Meeting". Disciplined forms of managing discussions are implemented, for example, the phrase "the permission to speak" (this expression has remained with us from the ancient Semitic languages), and notions such as the "the right to word" and "the right to voice". And all this was done to ensure that everyone's opinion is heard, so that no one feels deprived of the opportunity to speak. All of such administrative and organizational methods and measures in the ancient and democratic community of Alpha Quadra worked to diminish and mute the complex of "closed mouth".

Alpha Quadra is afraid:

• to find themselves in social and information isolation;
• to lose trust and respect (and ear) of other people;
• to miss opportunities to establish understanding with others;
• to miss opportunities to defend one's rightness, to justify oneself, to ward off suspicions;
• of giving any reasons for condemnation;
• of being forced out of the system, to be left without social and moral support.

Other observations

Tragedy of the commons

Viktor Gulenko

Alpha does not solve the problem of limited resources. This quadra exists only if there are enough or excessive resources. And it does not need large amounts of resources. In this quadra you can be an individualist and yet not compete for resources.^[4]

References

[1] Wikisocion, Alpha Quadra

[2] Socioniks.net, The First Quadra (Alpha) — types, values, and mission of the quadra in socionics

[3] Vera Stratievskaya, Alpha Quadra: The Complex of Closed Mouth

[4] School of Humanitarian Socionics (2018), Socionics. What is it for? V. Gulenko lecture at the 9th season opening of the club Eureka, comment