Now with two books out detailing Beebe’s model, what comes to mind is Socionics’ own eight-function model, “Model A”, which seems to be what a lot of people on the type boards have taken to increasingly (along with Enneagram, which is a completely different system). I see people like YouTuber and NYC Typology Meetup group leader Leon Tsao talking about “and your PoLR function does [this]…and your Role function…” etc. which reminded me of discussions of Beebe’s archetypes, or a bit more closely, Linda Berens’ versions of them. And again, it seems people slow to learn Beebe’s model have taken up this one readily.

Yet, the positions (which are actually “the functions“, while the actual “Xy” function-attitudes are called “information-elements“) seem very different. When I think of Se, I have learned to recognize it as my “Trickster” function, and look for it in feelings of “double-binds”, or trying to turn the tables on others. But then I hear it is my “Vulnerable” function (In my own lexicography, “vulnerable” is the tertiary and inferior functions and their shadows, which would include the Trickster).

So just as I’m finally getting the full handle on Beebe’s model, here comes a new batch of character roles for the same functions, and one more people seem to be more enthusiastic about (being they think of Socionics as being so much more developed than MBTI. As I’ve said, with Beebe’s model, Type Logic, and Berens’ new “Intentional Styles”, we have just about everything Socionics does! See also: https://erictb.wordpress.com/2014/07/29/finally-official-tandem-group-names/#comment-2017).

So like Beren’s function “roles” (and in practice, the way some use Beebe’s archetypes), the information elements (function-attitudes) are the “players” that “do” the behaviors, rather than complexes (ego-states; lesser senses of “I”) being what interpret situations through the situations. So this makes it a bit hard to make the comparisons.

To start, here are the comparisons of the eight positions and several other operational terms:

Socionics Beebe Lenore Thomson “ship”/”lasagna” stack 1. Base (leading, program) Hero (1) Captain (1) 2. Creative (implementing, realizing) Parent (2) First Mate (2) 3. Role Demon (8) Crow’s Nest #1 (3) 4. Vulnerable (place of least resistance [PoLR]) Trickster (7) Crow’s Nest #2 (4) 5. Suggestive (dual-seeking) Anima (4) castaway on lifeboat to shore (8) 6. Mobilizing (activating function; hidden agenda) Puer/Puella (3) castaway on skis (7) 7. Ignoring Opposing Personality (5) Double Agent #2 (6) 8. Demonstrative Witch/Senex (6) Double Agent #1 (5) “Ego Block” “Preferred functions” “Super-Ego Block” [ETB: “deep shadows”] “Crow’s Nests”;

left-right brain alternates “Super-Id Block” [unpreferred functions] castaways “Id Block” [ETB “near shadows”] opposite-brain “Double agents” “Strong” Preferred functions and their shadows “Weak” unpreferred functions and their shadows “Valued” Ego-syntonic (“primary”) “Unvalued” Ego-dystonic (“Shadow”) Accepting “spine” Producing “arm” Mental (1, 2, 3, 4) [same “J/P”] same brain hemisphere Vital (5, 6, 7, 8) opposite brain hemisphere

It should be noted, that “mental” functions are considered “conscious”, while vital ones are “unconscious”! So they divide the stack between conscious and unconscious along the lines of 1-4 and 5-8 just like Beebe’s model, only all of the preferred brain hemisphere functions (including what we consider the bottom of the shadow and thus furthest from the Ego) are now “conscious”; while all of the brain-lateral opposites (including what we consider the “ego-syntonic” tertiary and inferior) are considered unconscious.

This would in a way correspond to Lenore’s “preferred + right/left brain alternates”, as if based on a misunderstanding of it, thinking these two functions are “conscious”, because (according to her theory), they happen to come up first when the dominant can’t solve the problem. But that’s not really “conscious”, and she at that point (the book) was speaking of the functions as things “used” pretty much like this model (and most other typologists), but later on moved more toward a focus on them being conscious or unconscious “perspectives”. Plus, she also says when the person grows, they begin using the tertiary (what Socionics would consider “mobilizing”, and an unconscious #6) more instead.

How the eight “function” roles seem to correspond to the Beebe archetypes (http://www.sociotype.com/socionics/model_a)

Function 1 (Base/Leading) Source of confidence; how someone lives their life; most comfortable state of mind; personal motivation in life

Function 2 (Creative) Used to Interact with others; feel: needed when used to help solve others’ problems; overuse by others can cause irritation

These two naturally make a clean analogy to the Hero and Parent (including #2 being the head of the “arm”, involved with relating to others)

Function 3 (Role) Perceived as personal weakness; sometimes makes hard attempts to improve; criticism causes irritation: activated when anxious

I can see the Demonic Personality here, especially in the “personal weakness” part, especially now with the revelation from Beebe that the complex is about “narcissism” and seeking “integrity”. (And so it would naturally produce “anxiety” and particular “irritation” at criticism. For me, it doesn’t even have to be a direct criticism; but rather a moral issue that may implicate me indirectly, like many conservative arguments).

Function 4 (Vulnerable) Usage causes extreme irritation; avoided as much as possible; has to be developed by personal experience; often ignored

This is a totally generic “shadow” description, that does not tie into a specific Trickster analogue. Since it is in the “conscious” half, then this probably covers the old dispute of the attitude of the tertiary. So this model essentially has it as the opposite attitude from the dominant, (instead of the same attitude, as the Grant/Beebe model commonly used) and makes it 4th place instead of tertiary.

Function 5 (Suggestive/Dual-Seeking), Entertaining; soothing; Energizing; leads to self-actualization; deficiency causes attempts to self supply

“Dual-seeking” and “self-actualization” are the clues for the “anima/animus” archetype!

Function 6 (Mobilizing/Activating) Appreciated; overuse by others can be seen as excessive; may be overindulged or severely neglected; can cause boredom

This sounds compatible with the Puer/Puella, which “inflates” (“overindulged”), and then “deflates”, and can be overwhelmed and intimidated by too much of the function.

Function 7 (Ignoring/Observing) Constantly annoying; mostly used in private; can be summoned when needed; causes boredom; avoidance makes it appear weak

I can see “ignoring” covering the fact that this is the rejected attitude of the dominant function. “Constantly annoying” is general “shadow” trait, and “causes boredom” reminds me of a citation someone made of a Beebe lecture, that we think the “Opposing Personality” functional perspective is “so stupid”.

Function 8 (Demonstrative) Used often in private; often made fun of; important to worldview; perceived as obvious information

This at first seemed to have nothing to do with the Witch[Crone]/Senex, especialy the term “Demonstrative”. But if you think of it, you take your dominant attitude, and then the auxiliary function, which you “parent” others with (or even in this model, are “creative” with), pair the function and attitude together, and this is what you have (The shadow of the auxiliary).

“Obvious information” I’m not sure of, but probably covers it being the opposite attitude of the auxiliary. You focus on the preferred attitude, and probably take the opposite attitude for granted (which again would tie right into the whole Senex/Crone concept). On that point, it might also explain the “made fun of” part. (Think some “young whippersnappers” harassing the old cranks). “Important to worldview” might also connect to the archetype, since it involves “wisdom”. “Used often in private” I don’t know about.

The “blocks” (from above link and http://www.the16types.info/vbulletin/content.php/258-Model-A-Blocks-and-Functions-of-the-Socionic-Model-of-the-Psyche):

RING 1 (Conscious, Mental) Strive to verbalize information and formulate observations and form the core of the individual’s intellectual activity

Block 1 (EGO) Most confident; used in most areas regardless of relevance; prone to overuse: source of purpose; indifferent to praise

“I know I can.” (“I know I can. I want to.”)

Zone of confidence, expertise, willfulness, and self-actualization. What you think about when things go right.

Block 2 (Super-Ego) Lack confidence; sensitive to criticism; prone an overreaction; source of stress and anxiety: appreciates praise

“I know I can’t.” (“I’m not good enough. I must work on that.”)

Zone of self-criticism, self-doubt, guilt, and self-perfection. What you think about when things go wrong.

RING 2 (Unconscious, Vital) Tend to manifest themselves without words in the process of doing things or inadvertently in the loan of spontaneous sentiments.

Block 3 (Super-Id) Poorly developed; seen as chores best left to others; prone to being desired; source of recreation; appreciates help

“I don’t know I can’t.” (“Why doesn’t anyone help me?”)

Zone of dependency, childishness, and suggestibility. What you feel and do as a result of others’ care or lack of care for you.

Block 4 (Id) Well developed; seen as boring and meaningless; prone to being ignored; source of skill growth; indifferent to help

“I don’t know I can.” (“How is it I do that?”)

What one does automatically when one is being oneself

If they placed “Id” before “Super-Id”, it would be the same as Lenore’s order. Really don’t know at all what the basis of the order is, but we see these “rings” and “traits” (below) are what set the order.

Accepting (independent): focus on obtaining a picture of reality

Producing (dependent): create some sort of new product model to that part of reality

Here we see the clear analogue to the “spine” and “arms”; one being about the ego itself, and thus “independent”, and the other “dependent” on others.

Overall, these “function” roles seem arbitrarily placed, though there are these parallels. They don’t fit together as symmetrically as Beebe archetypes, where the name of each one is obviously a compensatory reflection of the opposite position. They’re thus harder to remember, and thus, to me, just don’t “click” and make sense the way Beebe’s model finally did. (It’s sort of like the way Beebe’s model looked before I saw the symmetry of it, and people saw that as too difficult to grasp, so I wonder why some are more open to this system, which doesn’t seem to have the symmetry behind it).