SEI (ISFp)

Sensing Ethical Introtim

Model A

Type abbreviations: SEI, ISFp, SE
Ego Block Elements: SiFe ()
Nicknames: Mediator, Peacemaker, Dumas, or archetype Alexandre Dumas.

WS Composite - The Mediator

Ego

Leading-Si
SEIs have a strong connection to and ability to recognize internal physical states in themselves and others. They understand how these states are reached and are able to easily recreate or avoid them if desired. They are innately drawn to situations that satisfy their inner physical needs and experience. They are usually skilled at the art of recreation, enjoyment, and positive aesthetic experience.

SEIs often feel that they are in a rush, both mentally and physically. Therefore, they can sometimes feel like they need to get everything done at once (which can be explained by the SEIs base and role functions). When an SEI starts a personal project, they often have the tendency to try to get concrete results in the shortest amount of time, which can lead to rushing and carelessness. This could lead to the SEI becoming stressed and overworked.

Often unable to express their feelings well using words, the SEI will instead create "art" (artwork, food, writing, or any other aesthetic situations) to illustrate the comfort or discomfort that they are experiencing internally.

SEIs try to make their living space comforting and appealing to the senses and strive to improve the lives of those they are close to.

Creative-Fe
SEIs are sensitive to the emotional atmosphere around them, either from an individual, a group, or even from inanimate objects and their physical environment. A positive emotional atmosphere is essential to their sense of well being and inner peace, and they either try to create that atmosphere by directly influencing their surrounding, or by simply removing themselves from the situation or people that in their view is the cause of a negative emotional environment. In the former case they often use humor to lighten the atmosphere by cracking jokes and lighthearted teasing.

A SEI can also take the role of a "clown" of sorts to ensure all people are emotionally light and comfortable. SEIs are also capable of creating an intimate open atmosphere where others can be comfortable sharing their emotions or talking about their problems. SEIs also tend to mirror and heighten the emotions experienced by the group dynamically.

SEIs are generally unable to conceal their feelings because their faces are so emotionally expressive. They display their comfort and discomfort vividly, and can often be seen wearing the widest smiles or the longest frowns.

Super-Ego

Role-Ni
SEIs are able to turn their attention to longer-term implications and personal imagination but only for brief periods; their natural preference is to concentrate on the immediate surroundings and sensations, or on the job at hand. If poorly developed, this function can lead him to extensively plan his future while failing to evaluate his reasons for doing so.

Strangely, Albert Einstein (ILE) mirrored the sentiments of his dual in a famous quote: "I never think of the future. It comes soon enough." This correlates with the SEI viewpoint of the world. The SEI feels no need for planning, because he plans for the present, on a day-to-day basis while also realizing the immediacy of the future.

Long term plans are often perceived as just as real as the surrounding world for the SEI. This can get the SEI into trouble when things don't work out as planned, leaving the SEI bewildered as to how things turned out how they did.

Vulnerable-Te
SEIs can be skeptical of beliefs, arguments, and actions that are based on external sources of information or oppose the SEI's values system. Therefore, an SEI could come off as stubborn or rigidly set in their ways. They put more trust in the expertise of someone who seems to have hands-on experience, even if limited, than of someone who demonstrates having read many books on the same subject.

They can tend to tune out lengthy text-book explanations and information that requires especially concise explanations or language that they might have a relatively vague understanding or impression of. The reason for this is because the SEI always feels that "there is much more" to dry facts and statistics.

People who are bossy and critical are disliked by the SEI because SEIs usually believe in taking action only when it is prudent for them. They are also prone to avoiding people who demand perfection because that can lead to feelings of inadequacy for the job at hand.

Super-Id

Suggestive-Ne
SEIs have great respect and admiration for people who are always pursuing something new and different and are not tied down to material things. SEIs much appreciate people who believe in their potential, praise them for their unique skills, and offer them new opportunities in line with their interests. They themselves typically have difficulty drumming up new opportunities and establishing and maintaining far-reaching and useful contacts on their own. Also, they may often be unsure of how their talents and skills stack up to those of others, along with the difficulty identifying what unique talents he has.

The mind of the SEI is most comfortable dealing with present difficulties, and people who are able to move his or her mind into future opportunities and goals are intensely appreciated.

Mobilizing-Ti
SEIs seek clarity in their system of beliefs and understanding. This can lead to them compulsively questioning or simply having a thirst for gaining knowledge. They are able to read much information on subjects relating to their daily lives, and if questioned on why they read, they would say something akin to "knowledge is power". With this knowledge, the SEI is able to build/edit his/her personal world.

SEIs enjoy entertaining new concepts and being included in philosophical discussions where new concepts and systems of thought are introduced and developed. SEIs are aware that they are somehow limited in discovering knowledge on their own, so they search for catalysts to help them gain it. Finding these modes of learning and communication clarify what the SEI believes in, and fulfills their inner desire.

Id

Ignoring-Se
SEIs prefer to guide others by providing individual rewards and helping satisfy the needs of specific people that hold meaning in their lives rather than through direct leadership or issuing directives. They avoid confrontation, but become fierce and unbending for brief periods of time when they are fully unavoidable.

He does not resonate well with the idea of beating the competition, preferring instead to listen to their internal desires and care for their own physical, emotional, and psychological well-being rather than doing what the outside world seems to demand or require of them.

SEIs are adept at perceiving fights over power of a confrontational nature around them and are able to resist them or even actively participate in them if that is seen as unavoidable. However they see no point in giving these power struggles priority over their own sense of comfort and well-being. Participation in violent physical activities where such fights may take place, as in some sports, are motivated not by those fights themselves but by the stimulating sensations those activities generate, such as the release of adrenaline.

Demonstrative-Fi
SEIs are quite adept at understanding the interactions in personal bonds between two individuals, even in the absence of an obvious external emotional expression; but they are inclined to regard them as of lesser importance, and less interesting, than the broader emotional interactions in the context of a larger group. Moreover, those personal bonds are perceived as situational and dynamic rather than static. Also, conventional morality often ties in with Te or being right and wrong. Being a mediator of sorts, the SEI shies away from such judgements.

At times, the SEI can be angered at a lack of social competence exhibited by one who the SEI knows. Using his ego functions, the SEI is able to see how lack of this function can be detrimental to interpersonal bonds between the two individuals. Seeing problems such as this is irksome to the SEI, and he attempts to correct the situation with all deliberate speed, ignoring his ego at times.

WSS - The Nurturer

Ego

Leading-Si
SEIs are primarily disposed towards the enjoyment of their surroundings and satisfaction of sensory desires. Sensitive to their environment, SEIs are naturally attuned to the temperature, colour, smell, feel, etc. of the space they occupy and will endeavour to finely tune these qualities according to their tastes. They are most given to maintaining pleasant, relaxing atmospheres that satisfy their physical needs and tastes in harmony with the surroundings, while nurturing the blissful coexistence of others. An emphasis is often placed on aesthetic beauty, with colours and shapes being arranged in the right manner for people to enjoy. Similarly, SEIs are very conscious of the physical needs of their body, being able to pick up on when they are hungry or tired and finding the right thing to satisfy their needs. In this way, the SEI lifestyle is one that prioritises a sort of blissful and contented well being in the present day. Furthermore, SEIs are disposed to experiment and play with different sensations, refining stimuli down to those which are most pleasurable. In addition, they are usually very able to flatter their bodies with tasteful choices of clothing, although always the priority is comfort, with sloppier outfits also being donned for ease of wear. As such, SEIs may be peaceful hedonists, gourmands in food and drink or sculptors of attractive artwork, tweaking the cacophony of the world around them to create harmony in its place.  

Creative-Fe
Alongside physical harmony, SEIs also adapt and adjust themselves to the emotions of the people around them. In order to feel comfortable in their surroundings, SEIs need to keep the emotional environment positive and pleasant. As such, they are adept at keeping the peace between those around them and know how to subtly say the right thing to calm down heated tempers and raise people's spirits during an unhappy period. SEIs are often jolly and friendly in their dealings with others, knowing in the moment how to change how they are coming across to others with a disarming simplicity, putting people at ease and resulting in them being well liked by all. SEIs are often highly sociable and may have a close-knit circle of friends to have fun with, often socialising during recreational outings. Although rarely the leader of activity in such groups, they will very readily support a light-hearted bonhomie on the one-to-one, cheering up their friends with an earthy, often physical sense of humour and keeping them involved. When enjoying their recreation, SEIs most prefer to share their experiences with others, and gain more satisfaction knowing that the people around them are enjoying themselves too. By tapping into the emotions of others, the physical enjoyment is enhanced to create an overall atmosphere of happy contentedness.

Super-Ego

Role-Ni
SEIs are usually capable of thinking ahead and imagining how things are likely to turn out in the future. Many SEIs will have a sense of where their life is meant to be going and are often able to take up reasonably linear careers with a steady, predictable outcome. SEIs will also have a reasonable sense of when something needs to be actively done and where leaving the matter alone will be sufficient. However, SEIs naturally prefer to focus on the present and their enjoyment of what is happening now around them, rather than what may or may not happen in the future. Similarly, they will be disinterested in relating their actions to some higher cause, preferring to savour experiences and activities for their own sake. This may manifest in a slowness to respond to urgency and a tendency to stick to a slower, more leisurely pace. SEIs may grow pessimistic having to maintain a lifestyle that seems to be heading in one direction and find they actually prefer a lifestyle of variety and multiple opportunities to explore. Furthermore, SEIs are most often unwilling to make any sacrifices of their comfort for some future goal or greater good. Sooner than suffering pain or an absence of their comfort, SEIs will likely forego more prudent actions that further down the line might prove to be important. This tendency can lead to problems with achieving long-term rewards, with SEIs making choices based on their ease in the moment and forgetting to look ahead to see if their choices might be fruitful later on. They will be less inclined to continuously assess their choices over time to see if they are working or not, usually persisting in the way that feels right to them until a major problem is hit further on. However, SEIs are less averse to reflecting on trends and looking ahead when it is directed to the motivations and emotions of people. On occasion they will be more likely to think about how people are likely to react to something, using these insights to avoid social conflicts.

Vulnerable-Te
Although often dutiful workers, the comfort-seeking of SEIs can clash with demands to work hard and improve upon oneself. SEIs are disposed to finding a way of doing something that feels comfortable to them and can be highly resistant to people telling them they have to make changes in order to aid productivity. Any demand to constantly upgrade one's methods is quickly exhausting to the SEI, as it will usually require a mental strain to learn the new procedure and the extra effort to master the new technique. Instead, the SEI will often have a set idea of the things they are able to do and give up when the task seems beyond their immediate capability, preferring not to have to handle the difficult task while it is not sufficiently infringing on their enjoyment. They will respond negatively to being told they must improve or even what they must do to improve, much preferring being shown interesting, possible things they could do. SEIs prefer a consistent system which, due to its stability, can be fulfilled regularly and predictably without exhaustion. These sorts of approaches can often be criticised as 'lazy' by other types. In addition, the desire to avoid strain can undermine their attempts to remain comfortable, with SEIs sometimes not making the best decisions for their health due to the work and preparation involved, in favour of more immediate satisfactions. Furthermore, SEIs will usually disdain people who set themselves up as experts and presume to know what is best for them, especially in regards to their comfort and well-being. This can often result in stubbornness on the part of the SEI and the attitude that their personal experience trumps statistical studies and academic expertise, which might frustrate doctors. When under sufficient pressure, an SEI may increase their productivity to get an important job done, putting their comfort needs on hold for the shortest time possible. However, such approaches are often too late, resulting in deadlines often being missed.

Super-Id

Suggestive-Ne
The disposition of SEIs towards the things they find enjoyable and pleasurable in the moment can lead to a settling effect, with them often finding a certain comfort zone to stick to. Consequently, SEIs can often find themselves living a monotonous existence, exploring the same comforts again and again with the same people in the same places. As such, SEIs greatly appreciate the excitement and novelty brought about by others and look forward to entertaining notions and different perspectives they themselves had not thought of. SEIs love being exposed to new ideas and perspectives, excitedly growing in enthusiasm when presented with a clever analogy or theory that brings lots of different scenarios together in a beautiful, neat explanation. As such, SEIs are often quite intellectually curious, wanting to explore more of life's complexity and decipher its mysterious ambiguity, but often lacking the confidence in their ideas and their logical impressiveness to embrace such pursuits on their own. Furthermore, SEIs are limited in their assessments of themselves, often only knowing what they have done and are used to doing but rarely having confidence in speculating as to what they could do in an unfamiliar situation. Often SEIs will not see themselves as having any special qualities and present themselves as average or less. For this reason, they are very appreciative of people who can get a good, general grasp of their capabilities and vocalise to them the things they might do wonderfully but had never thought to try. Such people are able to widen the scope of possibility for the SEI and allow them a greater range of experiences to savour and share with others.

Mobilizing-Ti
SEIs tend to find great symmetrical beauty in consistent structures of understanding, and may be drawn to the neatness of such systems in their daily lives. To best lead a relaxing lifestyle, SEIs take pride in the construction of, or adherence to, orderly schedules that provide continuity and organisation in a well-balanced routine. SEIs like to demonstrate their reliability and competence in terms of their ability to take note of the rules of a system and follow through meticulously. However, these tendencies towards routine organisation are less aspired to by SEIs than the intellectual understanding of unusual phenomena and abstract concepts that such systems provide. SEIs enjoy showing that they understand complex theoretical phenomena according to a set framework and any creation of theirs, whether mathematical, legal or artistic, will provide a great feeling of accomplishment if complimented by others. However, SEIs may be overly reliant on such systems and, when some flaw is encountered, may be resistant to thinking up pragmatic changes outside the rules. Not only is such a pragmatic change strenuous to them, but it also disrupts the beauty of the system as an unsightly exception. As such, SEIs may trap themselves in a set approach when faced with the more complex outcomes of practical life.

Id

Ignoring-Se
The harmony created by SEIs depends on an absence of coercion or intense forcefulness and they will largely try to dissipate aggression that breaches this calm. SEIs naturally come across as soft and welcoming in their interactions with others and avoid aggressive interactions unless in good humour, often to the point of trying to keep light-hearted peace in an emergency situation where forcefulness might be needed. However, SEIs are more than capable of defending themselves and, when pushed into a situation where they are unavoidably uncomfortable, will fight back with unexpected and explosive ferocity. Such scenarios of force, as well as other situations where the SEI is required to increase their activity and productive output, occur in the form of short bursts to minimise physical and mental toil, with other needs being temporarily put to the side. However, the need for comfort and enjoyment has to be fulfilled eventually and sustained activity will tire SEIs. Additionally, SEIs are slow to anger and have far more skilful ways of dealing with attacks from others. Although usually able to mediate between warring parties, an affront to their person is handled more simplistically. Their affable stubbornness causes most attempts at coercion to simply bounce off, often to the frustration of the attacker. Similarly, they may respond to pressure by ignoring it, continuing unfazed in what they are doing. Despite this, SEIs are often more emotionally sensitive, caring about what others think of them. Although hard to coerce or push, they may have their feelings hurt by words where actions will fail.

Demonstrative-Fi
The social nature of SEIs manifests most on the one-to-one, with them being able to quickly befriend people with a laid-back and disarming charm. SEIs are in their element in non-pressurised situations where people can interact freely with each other. They have a good sense of who they enjoy the company of and who they do not, and will subtly bring together those people they think contribute the most to a fun and interesting environment. However, SEIs refrain from making any personal judgements of others clear, not placing an emphasis on the qualities of the person, but rather their effect on the physical and emotional atmosphere. SEIs are usually very tolerant of people around them as long as they are not killing the mood or making the environment tense. Similarly, they are less likely to place much expectation or obligation on those they happen to be close to, despite regularly maintaining contact with those who increase enjoyment. Instead, SEIs approach relationships in terms of having quality time with other people in the moment, creating enjoyable and pleasurable experiences with others and selecting the right people to have these experiences with.^[1]

Model G

SEI in four words: pleasure, easy disposition, circle of friends, while exhaustibility.^[2]

Social Mission: Comfortable Relationships

SR | S- into R+ (Si- into Fi+)

SEI's mission is to create an atmosphere where people can feel comfortable to interact and communicate.^[3]

Mediators are really great at minimizing discomforts in their lives. They cook well, they clean well, they create eye-candy decorations. I can’t see a flaw with it, lol! One may argue that a selfish use of S function is becoming "glutinous, somewhat greedy, and wanting more" (quote from an SEI). However, the society wants SEIs to create comfortable environments so interactions between people take place without too much strain or regret.^[4]

SHS - The Mediator

Social Mission

Leading -Si
A person of habitual pleasures and simple worldly joys. Considers the habits and comforts of others very much. Doesn't disturb other people's peace. They always care about the health and well-being of themselves and their loved ones. Surrounds themselves with pleasant little things. Dresses simply and tastefully. Rejects extremes in appearance. Trying to stay in the shadows, does not stand out either in the direction of the best, or in the direction of the lagging behind. They get along with everyone, as they know how to take the position of the golden mean. Exploring the world of things. They like to take an object in their hands, touch it, feel its physical qualities. They remember feelings for a long time. Easily manipulates objects, looking for what is familiar to them.

Creative +Fi
In relationships with people, they like and reciprocates, they are very attentive and helpful. They demonstrate their sympathy not by word, but by deed. It is inconvenient for them to ask for something or achieve for themselves. At the request of other people, can do much more. To make it work, they need to catch who treats them well. The rest is a matter of technique. Alertness, a bad attitude deprive them of their ability to work. A good intermediary in transactions, trade operations. Knows how to distribute goods through informal connections. Their relationships are closely intertwined with business matters.

Social Adaptation

Role-playing -Ni
Forces themselves to be slow, measured, and smooth. In dealing with people, they spare no time, they know how to stretch pleasures. They do not like people who are always in a hurry. They remember well the holidays of their relatives and friends. They do not forget to congratulate them in a timely manner. Time usually works for them: what they failed to do now, then they will catch up in the future. They do not like to bind themselves with deadlines, they are not distinguished by punctuality. They do everything at their own pace. They will always find reasons for their delays. The final decision is postponed until the last minute. Internally, a rather volatile and vacillating person. They need to be pushed so that they start on time and meet the deadline.

Launching +Ti
Poorly perceives chaotic information. It confuses them, spoils the mood. They like it when specific phenomena are linked to general patterns. Their mood rises from the realization of their need, that it is impossible to do without them. They like to fit into the place allotted to them. They are activated if a clear goal is set in front of them, when people explain the direction of movement. They will find ways to achieve the goal themselves. They do not need "naked" facts, instructions, or explanations. The main thing is that they like the system, when it evokes emotions. Then it becomes collected and organized.

Creative Self-Realization

Demonstrative -Fe
Understands the causes of human emotions. Knows how to cheer up or anger this or that person. In informal communication, they are invariably friendly and demonstrates optimism. Likes to have fun in a close circle of friends. Seeks to amuse others with jokes, hints, and practical jokes. Their thoughts are focused on ways to get positive emotions. They do not interfere in disputes, disagreements, or clarification of relations, since they want to live in peace with everyone. Keeps a safe distance from the hotbed of conflict. Collects and shares with friends various rumors, gossip, sensational, and just curious information. Always aware of the gossip of his circle.

Manipulative +Ne
They find it difficult to tolerate monotony. They need alternatives to boring everyday life, opportunities to choose. They take pleasure if they find a way out of a dead-end, seemingly hopeless situation. They are attracted to communication with unusual people who have many ideas and bold proposals. Boring and grey people strain them. Resourceful and quick in cooking or decorating a home. They like to experiment in this area, come up with something of their own. Tolerant of eccentrics, inventors, and in general, people "not of this world." They treat them like children, taking care of them and condescendingly forgiving their antics.

Inflation

Brake -Te
Works productively if people expect help from them. They really need their efforts to be noticed and appreciated. If they are not praised, if the results of their work are not noted with a positive attitude, they will be very offended internally, although they will not show it. Economic person. With pleasure they engage in the supply, the arrangement of premises. They especially try before checks or the arrival of guests. They solve business issues through their friends and acquaintances. The more enterprising, the more connections they make. However, natural laziness limits the growth of their contacts. Supports mainly those that benefit them. Very attached to their work, occupation. It is difficult for them to change professions, to break the usual, well-established rhythm of work.

Controlling +Se
It depends on how the forces have developed in a particular situation. They are not bad in foreseeing possible aggression, imbalance, or loss of stability. They are critical of people who are lethargic, inert, and in apathy. They know how to unwind them, activate them, calling for decisive and quick action. Sensitively reacts to volitional pressure. In the rough in a power situation, they behave with a similar degree of aggressiveness. They will not allow themselves to ride, to abuse and go against their complaisant character. They know when to push and when to let go. However, they do not seek to control people. The burden of power is too heavy for them. It is enough for them to defend their own interests.^[5]

References

[1] WSS, SEI - The Nurturer
[2] School of Humanitarian Socionics (2017), Sociotype in four words
[3] School of Humanitarian Socionics (2018), Social mission. Alpha quadra sociotypes
[4] u/Radigand (2021), Social Mission - A Closer Look
[5] SHS, SEI - The Mediator