Even experts who have studied the MBTI for years get confused on this from time to time. But I have a trick that will help you remember which type has which cognitive function. Use these tables and become an expert at recognising the cognitive functions in no time. Tip: Print these tables and put them up at home so you can check them whenever you are in doubt!
Getting started with the cognitive functions
The role and purpose of each cognitive function
| Dominant | Gas pedal | 5th function | Gas/Fuel |
| Auxiliary | Gears | 6th function | GPS |
| Tertiary | Steering wheel | 7th function | Side mirrors |
| Inferior | Brakes | 8th function | Warning system |
The gas pedal increases your dopamine and energy and pushes you forward in life, but also increases adrenaline and risk of collision.
The steering wheel helps you proactively avoid obstacles and circumvent potential issues, a kind of instinctive moral compass
The gears help you adjust the level/difficulty/intensity so that your response/behaviour is adjusted to the situation
Brakes help you avoid collision or say no or stop yourself from doing bad things.
Fuel is inspiration, you need to constantly add this function into your life to maintain momentum and energy
GPS helps you know where to go and how to get where you need to be. You need to plug and consult this function in others to ensure your actions stay on course.
Side mirrors help you anticipate potential problems and also represents your sense of judgement and risk perception
Warning system, or your airbag, usually triggered by neuroticism or anxiety, your “check engine light”, lets you know when something is wrong with the system.
Abbreviations
| Ni | Introverted iNtuition Existential Intelligence | Si | Introverted Sensing Information Intelligence |
| Ne | Extroverted iNtuition Interpretative Intelligence | Se | Extroverted Sensing Nature Intelligence |
| Fe | Extroverted Feeling Interpersonal Intelligence | Te | Extroverted Thinking System Intelligence |
| Fi | Introverted Feeling Intropersonal Intelligence | Ti | Introverted Thinking Logical-Mathematical Intelligence |
The functions IN CAPS
| Ni | TO ENVISION THE UNKNOWN OR THE FUTURE | Si | TO BE INFORMED/PREPARED |
| Ne | TO DISCOVER NEW OPPORTUNITIES!!! | Se | TO DO THE THINGS! |
| Fe | TO MAKE MORE FRIENDS, DEEPEN RELATIONSHIPS | Te | TO PRODUCE/CONTROL THINGS |
| Fi | TO FIND AND EXPRESS MY TRUE SELF | Ti | TO EXPLAIN/MASTER THINGS |
Which type has which function?
| INFJ | NiFe TiSe | INTJ NiTe | NiTe FiSe | ISTJ | SiTe FiNe | ISFJ | SiFe TiNe |
| ENFJ | FeNi SeTi | ENTJ TeNi | TeNi SeFi | ESTJ | TeSi NeFi | ESFJ | FeSi NeTi |
| ENTJ | TeNi SeFi | ENTP NeTi | NeTi FeSi | ESTP | SeTi FeNi | ESFP | SeFi TeNi |
| INFP | FiNe SiTe | INTP TiNe | TiNe SiFe | ISTP | TiSe NiFe | ISFP | FiSe NiTe |
From Dichotomies To Functions
This table explains which letters connect to which functions
| EJ | Fe | Te | NF | N | F | |
| EP | Se | Ne | NT | N | T | |
| IP | Fi | Ti | ST | S | T | |
| IJ | Ni | Si | SF | S | F |
Dom & Aux
| NJ | Ni | TJ | Te |
| SJ | Si | FJ | Fe |
| SP | Se | FP | Fi |
| NP | Ne | TP | Ti |
Ter & Inf
Notice the functions always reverse, so Ni becomes Se for NJs.
| NJ | Se | TJ | Fi |
| SJ | Ne | FJ | Ti |
| SP | Ni | FP | Te |
| NP | Si | TP | Fe |
Level 2
Dominant
| INJ | Ni | ETJ | Te |
| ISJ | Si | EFJ | Fe |
| ESP | Se | IFP | Fi |
| ENP | Ne | ITP | Ti |
Inferior
| INJ | Se | ETJ | Fi |
| ISJ | Ne | EFJ | Ti |
| ESP | Ni | IFP | Te |
| ENP | Si | ITP | Fe |
Aux
| ENJ | Ni | ITJ | Te |
| ESJ | Si | IFJ | Fe |
| ISP | Se | EFP | Fi |
| INP | Ne | ETP | Ti |
Ter
| ENJ | Se | ITJ | Fi |
| ESJ | Ne | IFJ | Ti |
| ISP | Ni | EFP | Te |
| INP | Si | ETP | Fe |
Which Personality Types Have Which Functions?
INFJ
| Introverted iNtuition (Ni) | Gas pedal | Extroverted iNtuition (Ne) | Gas/Fuel |
| Extroverted Feeling (Fe) | Gears | Introverted Feeling (Fi) | GPS |
| Introverted Thinking (Ti) | Steering wheel | Extroverted Thinking (Te) | Side mirrors |
| Extroverted Sensing (Se) | Brakes | Introverted Sensing (Si) | Warning system |
INTJ
| Introverted iNtuition (Ni) | Gas pedal | Extroverted iNtuition (Ne) | Gas/Fuel |
| Extroverted Thinking (Te) | Gears | Introverted Thinking (Ti) | GPS |
| Introverted Feeling (Fi) | Steering wheel | Extroverted Feeling (Fe) | Side mirrors |
| Extroverted Sensing (Se) | Brakes | Introverted Sensing (Si) | Warning system |
ISTJ
| Introverted Sensing (Si) | Gas pedal | Extroverted Sensing (Se) | Gas/Fuel |
| Extroverted Thinking (Te) | Steering wheel | Introverted Thinking (Ti) | GPS |
| Introverted Feeling (Fi) | Gears | Extroverted Feeling (Fe) | Side mirrors |
| Extroverted iNtuition (Ne) | Brakes | Introverted iNtuition (Ni) | Warning system |
ISFJ
| Introverted Sensing (Si) | Gas pedal | Extroverted Sensing (Se) | Gas/Fuel |
| Extroverted Feeling (Fe) | Gears | Introverted Feeling (Fi) | GPS |
| Introverted Thinking (Ti) | Steering wheel | Extroverted Thinking (Te) | Side mirrors |
| Extroverted iNtuition (Ne) | Brakes | Introverted iNtuition (Ni) | Warning system |
ESFP
| Extroverted Sensing (Se) | Gas pedal | Introverted Sensing (Si) | Gas/Fuel |
| Introverted Feeling (Fi) | Gears | Extroverted Feeling (Fe) | GPS |
| Extroverted Thinking (Te) | Steering wheel | Introverted Thinking (Ti) | Side mirrors |
| Introverted iNtuition (Ni) | Brakes | Extroverted iNtuition (Ne) | Warning system |
ESTP
| Extroverted Sensing (Se) | Gas pedal | Introverted Sensing (Si) | Gas/Fuel |
| Introverted Thinking (Ti) | Gears | Extroverted Thinking (Te) | GPS |
| Extroverted Feeling (Fe) | Steering wheel | Introverted Feeling (Fi) | Side mirrors |
| Introverted iNtuition (Ni) | Brakes | Extroverted iNtuition (Ne) | Warning system |
ENTP
| Extroverted iNtuition (Ne) | Gas pedal | Introverted iNtuition (Ni) | Gas/Fuel |
| Introverted Thinking (Ti) | Gears | Extroverted Thinking (Te) | GPS |
| Extroverted Feeling (Fe) | Steering wheel | Introverted Feeling (Fi) | Side mirrors |
| Introverted Sensing (Si) | Brakes | Extroverted Sensing (Se) | Warning system |
ENFP
| Extroverted iNtuition (Ne) | Gas pedal | Introverted iNtuition (Ni) | Gas/Fuel |
| Introverted Feeling (Fi) | Gears | Extroverted Feeling (Fe) | GPS |
| Extroverted Thinking (Te) | Steering wheel | Introverted Thinking (Ti) | Side mirrors |
| Introverted Sensing (Si) | Brakes | Extroverted Sensing (Se) | Warning system |
INFP
| Introverted Feeling (Fi) | Gas pedal | Extroverted Feeling (Fe) | Gas/Fuel |
| Extroverted iNtuition (Ne) | Gears | Introverted iNtuition (Ni) | GPS |
| Introverted Sensing (Si) | Steering wheel | Extroverted Sensing (Se) | Side mirrors |
| Extroverted Thinking (Te) | Brakes | Introverted Thinking (Ti) | Warning system |
ISFP
| Introverted Feeling (Fi) | Gas pedal | Extroverted Feeling (Fe) | Gas/Fuel |
| Extroverted Sensing (Se) | Gears | Introverted Sensing (Si) | GPS |
| Introverted iNtuition (Ni) | Steering wheel | Extroverted iNtuition (Ne) | Side mirrors |
| Extroverted Thinking (Te) | Brakes | Introverted Thinking (Ti) | Warning system |
ISTP
| Introverted Thinking (Ti) | Gas pedal | Extroverted Thinking (Te) | Gas/Fuel |
| Extroverted Sensing (Se) | Gears | Introverted Sensing (Si) | GPS |
| Introverted iNtuition (Ni) | Steering wheel | Extroverted iNtuition (Ne) | Side mirrors |
| Extroverted Feeling (Fe) | Brakes | Introverted Feeling (Fi) | Warning system |
INTP
| Introverted Thinking (Ti) | Gas pedal | Extroverted Thinking (Te) | Gas/Fuel |
| Extroverted iNtuition (Ne) | Gears | Introverted iNtuition (Ni) | GPS |
| Introverted Sensing (Si) | Steering wheel | Extroverted Sensing (Se) | Side mirrors |
| Extroverted Feeling (Fe) | Brakes | Introverted Feeling (Fi) | Warning system |
ENTJ
| Extroverted Thinking (Te) | Gas pedal | Introverted Thinking (Ti) | Gas/Fuel |
| Introverted iNtuition (Ni) | Gears | Extroverted iNtuition (Ne) | GPS |
| Extroverted Sensing (Se) | Steering wheel | Introverted Sensing (Si) | Side mirrors |
| Introverted Feeling (Fi) | Brakes | Extroverted Feeling (Fe) | Warning system |
ESTJ
| Extroverted Thinking (Te) | Gas pedal | Introverted Thinking (Ti) | Gas/Fuel |
| Introverted Sensing (Si) | Gears | Extroverted Sensing (Se) | GPS |
| Extroverted iNtuition (Ne) | Steering wheel | Introverted iNtuition (Ni) | Side mirrors |
| Introverted Feeling (Fi) | Brakes | Extroverted Feeling (Fe) | Warning system |
ESFJ
| Extroverted Feeling (Fe) | Gas pedal | Introverted Feeling (Fi) | Gas/Fuel |
| Introverted Sensing (Si) | Gears | Extroverted Sensing (Se) | GPS |
| Extroverted iNtuition (Ne) | Steering wheel | Introverted iNtuition (Ni) | Side mirrors |
| Introverted Thinking (Ti) | Brakes | Extroverted Thinking (Te) | Warning system |
ENFJ
| Introverted Feeling (Fi) | Gas pedal | Extroverted Feeling (Fe) | Gas/Fuel |
| Extroverted iNtuition (Ne) | Gears | Introverted iNtuition (Ni) | GPS |
| Introverted Sensing (Si) | Steering wheel | Extroverted Sensing (Se) | Side mirrors |
| Extroverted Thinking (Te) | Brakes | Introverted Thinking (Ti) | Warning system |
