Chapter 7
Socionics as a Periodic System of TIMs (PSTIM)
The universe is not only stranger than we imagine — it is stranger than we can imagine. — Haldane’s Law
As is known, C. G. Jung in his typology spoke of eight types. As we now, knowing socionics, understand, he did not distinguish the kindred types. However, by the logic of the dichotomies he introduced, there should have been sixteen types — and in the Myers–Briggs typology worked out on this basis there were already sixteen of them. However, in all their real fullness they were genuinely presented only in Aušra Augustinavičiūtė, in socionics. She built a model of the TIM, on whose basis it became possible to obtain not only a more exact description of the types, but the meaning of all the typological categories introduced by C. G. Jung was also successfully refined — extraversion-introversion, the semantics of the psychic function, the structural aspect of the type, and the like. It is precisely after the works of Augustinavičiūtė that it becomes possible to speak of a periodic system of the types of information metabolism — and, on its basis, of a periodic system of human characters as well.
Let us refine the meaning of the concepts of system and periodicity as applied to psychological types and human characters. Speaking of a system of types, we presuppose that their set satisfies a series of requirements:
- Above all, this is a non-random set of types;
- At the basis of the identification of the elements entering into the system there must lie a quite definite principle;
- Between the elements of the system there must obligatorily be essential connections;
- The static state of the system can be represented by a structure.
Periodicity, however, presupposes that the set can be broken up (and not obligatorily in a unique way!) into subsets whose elements
- are ordered or strictly ordered;
- the place occupied by an element in a subset has a semantic marker, which can be substantively interpreted in accordance with the semantics of the subject domain;
- between the elements of the subsets there is a one-to-one correspondence;
- the semantic markers of the corresponding elements of different subsets coincide or are homologous;
- the subsets of elements are also ordered or strictly ordered (this requirement, incidentally, does not appear obligatory for the definition of periodicity).
Let us note only that the psychological typologies of Cattell and the MMPI, well known in the world, do not satisfy the requirements adduced above and are not systems — all the less periodic ones. These are empirically found aggregates of relative psychological invariants, which are more or less effectively used in practice, but of which it is not known whether their set is complete, and what the degree of positive and negative correlation between them is.
Aušra brilliantly divined (an intuitive extravert!) the periodization of the types by quadras, and although she did not call them periods (which, of course, is not obligatory), in essence they are such. The only thing that needs to be changed in her order, fixed in the table of V. Lyashkyavichus, is, in the last quadra, to make the dyads of Stirlitz and Huxley change places — which follows from the structure of the Churyumov square.
The scheme of the proof of the Theorem on the strict orderedness of the set of types in the socion is adduced in the chapter on differentiating traits. Strict orderedness means that each type is located in a definite place of the socion and cannot be moved to any other. This also means that at the beginning of the socion only one quite definite type can be placed — and this type is the intuitive-logical extravert. At the level of the humanities-style understanding of science such a declaration may seem absurd, since it is difficult to suppose that the basis of human characters presupposes their unambiguous orderedness. However, the strict mathematical proof points precisely to this.
There are also semantic grounds for considering that the socion begins with Don Quixote. As was shown in the chapter on differentiating traits, to Don Quixote corresponds the differentiating trait “existence.” This is not an intuitive fantasy, but flows from the postulate of the one-to-one correspondence between TIM and ART. The trait “existence,” in accordance with its semantics, can be placed only at the beginning of the whole sequence of traits — simply because existence precedes all the other parameters of any object. And if this is so, then the type Don Quixote (Il) corresponding to this trait must begin the sequence of types — and in this case one cannot speak of the relativity of the arrangement of the types. Of course, you can move the types about in accordance with the tasks standing before you — but only in completely the same sense in which we use the numbers of the natural series: we can arrange them as is convenient for us, but in doing so their quantitative and ordinal meaning does not change.
In order to see this, let us build the configurations expressing the TIMs and IR through the ART. Let us do this in two variants: with the use of the pattern of the Churyumov square, and with the use of the pattern of the socionic square. The result is presented in tables 7.01 and 7.02.
Table 7.01. The periodic system of the types of information metabolism (presented in the patterns of the Churyumov square) and Fig. 7.01 (explication of a cell). Each of the sixteen cells of the table carries the following fields: the conditional semantic equivalent (an abstract concept representing one of the possible projections of the archetype of the TIM); the pattern of the Churyumov square, in which, in place of the TIMs, the poles of the ART corresponding to the TIM are inserted — the poles entering into the system of the TIM Don Quixote shaded gray, and those opposite to them left white; the symbolic designation of the TIM; the abbreviated name of the TIM; the code in the court-card deck; the number of the Aušra–Reinin trait; the symbol of the relation dual to the given TIM; the dichotomous code in the tetrad of Ki; and the MB (Myers–Briggs) code.
The sixteen cells (translator’s reconstruction of the scan; the semantic-equivalent labels are printed in a scrambled block in the source and have been restored to their cells by semantic matching, with the anchor Do = HUMANISM given explicitly in the source’s own explication example):
| TIM | Name | Court code | ART no. | Relation | Tetrad code | MB | Semantic equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Il | Ki (Don Quixote) | Knight of Knights | 00 | Id | 1111 | ENTP | INVENTION |
| sE | Dm (Dumas) | Dame of Dames | 01 | Du | 0100 | ISFP | ADJUSTMENT |
| Es | Hu (Hugo) | King of Kings | 02 | Ac | 1000 | ESFJ | ACTIVATION |
| lI | Ro (Robespierre) | Page of Pages | 03 | Mr | 0011 | INTJ | COGNITION |
| Ei | Hm (Hamlet) | Knight of Kings | 04 | Or | 1010 | ENFJ | DRAMATISM |
| lS | Go (Gorky) | Dame of Pages | 05 | Cn | 0001 | ISTJ | ORDER |
| Sl | Zh (Zhukov) | King of Knights | 06 | Bu | 1101 | ESTP | POWER |
| iE | Ye (Yesenin) | Page of Dames | 07 | Mg | 0110 | INFP | FREEDOM |
| Li | Lo (London) | Knight of Pages | 08 | Qi | 1011 | ENTJ | ENTERPRISE |
| eS | Dr (Dreiser) | Dame of Kings | 09 | Cf | 0000 | ISFJ | PRESERVATION |
| Se | Na (Napoleon) | King of Dames | 10 | Se | 1100 | ESFP | INFLUENCE |
| iL | Ba (Balzac) | Page of Knights | 11 | Op | 0111 | INTP | DOUBT |
| Ie | He (Huxley) | Knight of Dames | 12 | Kn | 1110 | ENFP | INFORMEDNESS |
| sL | Ga (Gabin) | Dame of Knights | 13 | Sd | 0101 | ISTP | MASTERY |
| Ls | St (Stirlitz) | King of Pages | 14 | Ro | 1001 | ESTJ | TECHNOLOGY |
| eI | Do (Dostoevsky) | Page of Kings | 15 | Rc | 0010 | INFJ | HUMANISM |
(Translator’s note: for the four asymmetric relations, the assignments here — Hm↔Or, Go↔Cn, St↔Ro, Do↔Rc — are the converses of those in Table 6.03 of the preceding chapter (which had Hm↔Ro, Go↔Rc, St↔Or, Do↔Cn). The chapter’s explication states that the relation field indicates the relation dual to the given TIM, which accounts for the flip on the asymmetric pairs. Also, the court codes for Robespierre and Zhukov are garbled in the scan and have been restored from the system’s own logic: Knights = intuitive extraverts, Dames = sensory introverts, Kings = sensory extraverts, Pages = intuitive introverts.)
Table 7.02 presents the same periodic system in the patterns of the socionic square.
The symbolic Jung–Augustinavičiūtė code is represented by two Latin letters — a capital and a lowercase one. The capital corresponds to extraversion, and the lowercase to introversion, while the letters themselves are the initials of the terms intuition/sensorics, logic/ethics. So that, for example, the symbol Il is read as “intuitive-logical extraversion.” The dichotomous code — or, what is the same, the code of the poles of the Jungian dichotomies — is set in the tetrad of Don Quixote. The first digit, 1 or 0, points to extraversion/introversion. The second digit — irrationality/rationality; the third — intuition/sensing; the fourth — logic/ethics. The symbol of the relation, in accordance with the designations adopted in this book, points to the relation dual to the given TIM. The abbreviated name of the TIM is formed by two letters from the full name proposed by Aušra. The number of the Aušra–Reinin trait, from 0 to 15, is given in accordance with the natural order of the traits, as shown in the chapter on differentiating traits. The code in the court-card deck corresponds to the elaborations of S. Savchenko. The letters stand for the words Knight, Dame, King, and Page — so that the combination “Knight of Dames” is read literally so, and “Dame of Knights” the reverse. The MB (Myers–Briggs) code is widely accepted in American typology and needs no explanations. The Latin letters in this code designate E/I — extraversion/introversion, N/S — intuition/sensing, T/F — thinking/feeling (that which Aušra replaced with the concepts of logic/ethics), P/J — perceiving/judging, the American replacement for the concepts of irrationality/rationality. The conditional semantic equivalent is an abstract concept representing one of the possible projections of the archetype of the TIM.
Apparently, the semantic field of a column in the PSTIM admits various substantive interpretations. The “court” thematics of S. Savchenko can, for example, be collated with the “stimuli to activity” discovered by V. V. Gulenko. Thus, common to the extravert-intuitives, the Knights, is the striving for uniqueness; for the introvert-sensorics, the Dames — the striving for welfare; for the extravert-sensorics, the Kings — the striving for social status; for the introvert-intuitives, the Pages — the striving for self-sufficiency. However, let us turn attention to the fact that between the regular foursomes of TIMs one can establish at least 35 homologies. This can be understood thus: there exist 35 variants of periodic correspondence in the columns. Unquestionably, this does not abolish the meaning of periodicity — it simply becomes richer; but this requires a deeper interpretation of periodicity.
The fundamentality of the quadras as structural components of the socion is indirectly pointed to by a numerical invariant — the equality of the sums of the binary codes of the types entering into one quadra. This sum is equal to 30 (the quadral invariant of Shulman–Kaminsky) and does not depend on the mode of coding. The constancy of this quantity in the transition from quadra to quadra is simply the statement of the fact that all the Jungian dichotomies are represented in each quadra quantitatively identically. No other meaning can be attached to this invariant. For example, there are no grounds for considering this quantity an indicator of the harmoniousness of the combination of types in the quadra, since it is not difficult to assemble several other foursomes with the same quantitative evaluation of the set of Jungian dichotomies. Among such foursomes there will also be groups in which the relations turn out to be extremely tense (see the “Saw” or the “Zig-zag”).
The sum of the codes of the elements standing in the columns is not constant and, with the chosen coding, is equal to 50, 10, 42, 18. These quantities are unambiguously determined by the mode of coding of the Jungian axes and by their representedness in the set of TIMs standing in one column. With the chosen mode of coding, the relation ex > in, ir > ra, it > sn, lg > et will hold. Therefore the sum of the codes in the first column is greater than in the second, and in the third greater than in the fourth, since in the first and third columns stand extraverts, and in the second and fourth introverts. The numerical characteristic of the first column is greater than that of the third column because, given an equal contribution of extraversion, irrationality, and logic, in the first column stand all intuitives, and in the third all sensorics. By choosing one or another mode of coding, one can change the numerical indicators of the columns — but this will always be connected with the order of the axes in the tetrad and their representedness in the aggregate of TIMs standing in one column. Incidentally, the sums of the dual columns are invariantly equal: 50 + 10 = 42 + 18 = 60.
It should be said that tetrad coding is a particular case of the coding of types by the set of ART. Thus, the full ART-code of Don Quixote will be a sequence of sixteen ones: 1111 1111 1111 1111, while the full code of Dumas will look like 1010 1010 1010 1010. These codes simply reproduce the structure of the poles of the ART forming one or another type. At the present time no sense whatsoever is seen in perceiving such a code as binary and translating it into decimal — although from Shulman’s coding it differs only by the completeness of the reproduction of the ART. All such codes are easily read off from the tables of the correspondence of TIM, IR, and ART. However, an important moment here is that in these sequences the proven sequence of the ART is observed, which does not admit arbitrary permutations; and in this sequence extraversion — introversion precedes the axis of rationality — irrationality, which, incidentally, stands in the next-to-last place. So that, if someone has a need to use the shortened, tetrad-Jungian codes, then the proven sequence of the dichotomies will be the following: extraversion — introversion, intuition — sensing, logic — ethics, irrationality — rationality. However, as becomes clear from the analysis performed, the decimal representations of binary structures give only an indirect notion of these structures, and therefore it is better to use the binary representation, which may come in useful for the performance of arithmetical operations in the attempt to find invariants of relations.
The same results, but more simply, without translation into decimal code, can be obtained by counting the quantity of zeros and ones in the binary representations of the TIMs. Having done this, one can see that in each quadra there are eight ones and eight zeros — and this precisely means that each of the dichotomies is represented in the quadra twice; but, of course, this result is not unexpected. At the same time this result is valuable, since it shows that the whole set of dichotomies in the socion is divided among the quadras equally.
Unquestionably, here it is necessary to take into account that there are many variants of tetrad coding according to Shulman, and it has as yet not been proven that the set of variants of coding is strictly, or at least partially, ordered. G. A. Shulman took as the basis of the tetrad coding of the TIMs the tetrad of the LSE (“Stirlitz”). He adduced a series of arguments in favor of such a variant of coding — up to proposing to consider the tetrad “Stirlitz–Yesenin” as singled out by virtue of its maximal polarity. However, against this one can advance the argument consisting in the fact that the intensity of polarity in each conflict dyad is qualitatively identical — this assertion leans on the supposition of the primordial value-equality of the homologous pairs, on the basis of which not one of the pairs can be considered less valuable than the others. But, of course, this is a very strong assertion, and it must be understood either as an axiom — and then its acceptance leads to a definite series of consequences — or as a theorem, but then it must be proven by reduction to axioms, which must be presented in explicit form. In this place we shall accept this supposition in the capacity of an axiom; however, let us present its content in the form of a table of comparison (table 7.03).
Table 7.03
| Conflict dyad | Character of the confrontation |
|---|---|
| ILE — ESI | The search for the new, intellectual romanticism — the preservation of stability, common sense |
| SEI — LIE | ”Aestheticized” consumption — dynamic entrepreneurship |
| ESE — ILI | Emotional-optimistic enthusiasm — critical pessimism |
| LII — SEE | Conscientious analysis — manipulative appropriation |
| EIE — SLI | Ideological sweep — pragmatic usefulness |
| LSI — IEE | Rational order — artistic improvisation |
| SLE — EII | The forceful appropriation of power — ethical humanism |
| IEI — LSE | Causally unconditioned licence — all-encompassing technologicalness |
From the table it is evident that the intensity of the conflict confrontation in each pair bears a limiting character, and no grounds are seen for considering any one of the polarities less acute than the others. A more thorough discussion of Shulman’s socionic constructs is placed in the chapter on the inevitability of methodology (chapter 19).
For a better survey of the PSTIM, let us give in the text its simplified representation in the form of table 7.04.
Table 7.04. The PSTIM in tabular form
| Periods | 1st group | 2nd group | 3rd group | 4th group | Sum of codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| α | ILE, 15 | SEI, 04 | ESE, 08 | LII, 03 | 30 |
| β | EIE, 10 | LSI, 01 | SLE, 13 | IEI, 06 | 30 |
| γ | LIE, 11 | ESI, 00 | SEE, 12 | ILI, 07 | 30 |
| δ | IEE, 14 | SLI, 05 | LSE, 09 | EII, 02 | 30 |
| Sum | 50 | 10 | 42 | 18 | |
| Sum | 60 | 60 | 120 | ||
| Court cards | Knights | Dames | Kings | Pages | |
| Stimulus to activity (Gulenko) | Uniqueness | Welfare | Status | Self-sufficiency |
From table 7.04 it is evident that on the diagonal going from left to right, from top to bottom, is located the ring of control beginning from the ILE — the right ring; and on the diagonal going from right to left, from top to bottom, is located the ring beginning with the LIE — the left ring.
It is not difficult to prove the assertion that the quadral invariant does not change upon a change of the mode of tetrad coding — that is, that it is invariant also relative to the change of the tetrad code, and, consequently, one can speak of it as a double invariant.
And indeed, since in a quadra there are four relations — Id, Du, Ac, and Mr — then, independently of the mode of tetrad coding, in each quadra all the Jungian dichotomies are represented in equal quantity: two extraversions and two introversions, two rationalities and two irrationalities, two intuitions and two sensings, two logics and two ethics. Possibly, it is precisely this that makes the quadra a harmonious and stable structural unit of the socion — it disposes of a full set of the functional means answering for interaction with the surrounding world. And since the tetrad code codes the poles of a dichotomy as 0 and 1 (which, of course, is a convention and reflects no real content apart from simple opposition), then not only will the aggregate quantity of zeros and ones in the codes of all four types entering into the quadra be identical, but identical also will be the quantity of zeros and ones standing in identical positions of the code. And since the positions are matched to the numerical places of the binary number system, the sum of the binary codes in each quadra will always — that is, with any mode of coding — be one and the same. It is not difficult to count up this sum.
Since to the tetrad code are matched binary numbers with four numerical places — 8, 4, 2, 1, correspondingly — and each of these numbers, in the four codes of the types entering into the quadra, is encountered exactly two times, then it is understandable that the sum of the codes in any quadra will be equal to 2(8+4+2+1) = 30.
It is obvious that this indicator will not be preserved in arbitrary groups. For example, in the “Bouquet” (Id, Du, Op, Se): 2(ex+in) + 2(it+sn) + 2(lg+et), but (ir+ra) will be represented differently — either 4ir + 0ra or 0ir + 4ra (where ex-in is extraversion-introversion, ir-ra irrationality-rationality, it-sn intuition-sensing, lg-et logic-ethics) (see table 7.05).
Table 7.05. The periodic structure of the socion if the group “Bouquet” (Id, Du, Op, Se) is accepted as the period
| Periods | 1st group | 2nd group | 3rd group | 4th group | Sum of codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| α | ILE, 15 | SEI, 04 | SEE, 12 | ILI, 07 | 38 |
| β | EIE, 10 | LSI, 01 | LSE, 09 | EII, 02 | 22 |
| γ | LIE, 11 | ESI, 00 | ESE, 08 | LII, 03 | 22 |
| δ | IEE, 14 | SLI, 05 | SLE, 13 | IEI, 06 | 38 |
| Sum | 50 | 10 | 42 | 18 | |
| Sum | 60 | 60 | 120 |
Let us consider other possible four-member groups with the same invariant as possible pretenders to the role of the period of the PSTIM. For this, in such a group all four dichotomies must be represented evenly. As an example let us consider two such groups — the group of “domination” (Id, Du, Or, Cn — table 7.06) and the group “secret police” (Id, Cn, Se, Rc — table 7.07). In both cases all the axes are represented evenly, and the numerical invariant of the groups is equal to 30. In the second case the sums of the columns also turn out to be identical, which may instill an almost mystical horror. However, this is merely one of Reinin’s regular foursomes, and neither of these two groups is suitable for the role of a period, since in the first group the “block diversity”¹ is not preserved, and in the second the “block symmetry”² of the Aušra–Reinin traits is violated.
Table 7.06. The periodic structure of the socion if the group “Domination” (Id, Du, Or, Cn) is accepted as the period
| Periods | 1st group | 2nd group | 3rd group | 4th group | Sum of codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| α | ILE, 15 | SEI, 04 | EIE, 10 | LSI, 01 | 30 |
| β | ESE, 08 | LII, 03 | SLE, 13 | IEI, 06 | 30 |
| γ | LIE, 11 | ESI, 00 | IEE, 14 | SLI, 05 | 30 |
| δ | SEE, 12 | ILI, 07 | LSE, 09 | EII, 02 | 30 |
| Sum | 46 | 14 | 46 | 14 | |
| Sum | 60 | 60 | 120 |
Table 7.07. The periodic structure of the socion if the group “Secret Police” (Id, Se, Rc, Cn) is accepted as the period
| Periods | 1st group | 2nd group | 3rd group | 4th group | Sum of codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| α | ILE, 15 | LSI, 01 | SEE, 12 | EII, 02 | 30 |
| β | ESE, 08 | IEI, 06 | LIE, 11 | SLI, 05 | 30 |
| γ | SEI, 04 | EIE, 10 | ILI, 07 | LSE, 09 | 30 |
| δ | LII, 03 | SLE, 13 | ESI, 00 | IEE, 14 | 30 |
| Sum | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | |
| Sum | 60 | 60 | 120 |
The comparison of the configurations of the socion presented above compels one to draw the conclusion that the numerical invariants distinguish only those four-member groups in which the quantity of Jungian dichotomies is different — and, consequently, they must not be used as an absolute criterion of the qualitative characteristic of a group. Thus, the “Saw” (table 7.08) differs from the “Quadra” not by the quantity of dichotomies, but by their redistribution inside the dyads. When we pass from the “Quadra” to the “Saw,” only the combination of irrationality — rationality in the dyads changes, as a result of which duality is changed into conflict. However, from the formal point of view, the “Saw” looks the most balanced. Here all the dichotomies are represented once each in every conflict pair, which leads to the appearance of Shulman’s numerical “conflict” invariant, equal in the chosen coding to 7. Nevertheless, the quantity and quality of the Jungian poles represented in a group must be essential for the evaluation of the primary quality and potential of the group, and this stands in need of additional investigations.
Table 7.08. The periodic structure of the socion if the group “Saw” (Id, Cf, Ac, Op) is accepted as the period
| Periods | 1st group | 2nd group | 3rd group | 4th group | Sum of codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| α | ILE, 15 | ESI, 00 | ESE, 08 | ILI, 07 | 30 |
| β | EIE, 10 | SLI, 05 | SLE, 13 | EII, 02 | 30 |
| γ | LIE, 11 | SEI, 04 | SEE, 12 | LII, 03 | 30 |
| δ | IEE, 14 | LSI, 01 | LSE, 09 | IEI, 06 | 30 |
| Sum | 50 | 10 | 42 | 18 | |
| Sum | 60 | 60 | 120 |
In the group “Zig-zag” (table 7.09) all the numerical invariants of the groups considered above are preserved. This, incidentally, points to the very relative value of such invariants, since they do not guarantee the uniqueness of the groups connected with them. Of course, this group, even at first glance, seems extravagant — but there exist substantive causes for which this group cannot be accepted as a period. Incidentally, this group is one of the regular foursomes entering into Reinin’s list, and this makes it “competitive” for the role of a period in the system of the socion.
Table 7.09. The periodic structure of the socion if the group “Zig-zag” (Id, Cf, Rc, Bu, Kn) is accepted as the period (the relation list as printed in the source)
| Periods | 1st group | 2nd group | 3rd group | 4th group | Sum of codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| α | ILE, 15 | ESI, 00 | SLE, 13 | EII, 02 | 30 |
| β | EIE, 10 | SLI, 05 | SEE, 12 | LII, 03 | 30 |
| γ | LIE, 11 | SEI, 04 | LSE, 09 | IEI, 06 | 30 |
| δ | IEE, 14 | LSI, 01 | ESE, 08 | ILI, 07 | 30 |
| Sum | 50 | 10 | 42 | 18 | |
| Sum | 60 | 60 | 120 |
The structure of the “Zig-zag,” like any other group structure, changes the distribution of the ART in the foursomes. The distribution of the ART set by the “Zig-zag” operator is presented in table 7.10 (the sign pattern is corrupted in the source scan; its content is recoverable from table 7.09 itself). At first glance the pattern obtained in this case differs little from the pattern of table 7.02. However, if the ART patterns are replaced by the letters a, b, c, d (table 7.11), corresponding to the quadras, and a scheme of the representation of the quadras in the groups of the “Zig-zag” is built, then we shall easily see that the “Zig-zag” operator transforms the initial pattern in a law-governed way, moving the types among the foursomes and destroying in doing so the “block diversity” and the “block symmetry” of the Aušra–Reinin traits.
Table 7.11
| a | c | b | d |
|---|---|---|---|
| b | d | c | a |
| c | a | d | b |
| d | b | a | c |
Let us consider the numerical invariants for the case where clubs are chosen as the four-component groups (table 7.12). Here the types are coded in the ILE tetrad according to Churyumov. As we see, in this case the numerical marker of the scientists and humanitarians turned out to be higher than the markers of the socials and managers. This is only because we coded intuition with a one, and sensing with a zero. However, we remember that we are dealing here with “quasi-numbers,” which represent an unmotivated arithmetical mapping of structural codes, and therefore their magnitude as numbers has no relation to the semantics of the groups. This means that if one changes the coding (see table 7.13), the arithmetical representation of the clubs will change. The non-invariant character of such a representation compels one to come to the conclusion that no fundamental semantics stands behind it. It only indirectly points to the different representedness of the Jungian dichotomies in the clubs.
Table 7.12. The projection of the structure of the socion when the group “Club” (Id, Mr, Qi, Op) is accepted as the primary group; numerical characteristics in the ILE tetrad according to Churyumov
| Periods | 1st group | 2nd group | 3rd group | 4th group | Sum of codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scientists | ILE, 15 | LII, 03 | LIE, 11 | ILI, 07 | 36 |
| Humanitarians | EIE, 10 | IEI, 06 | IEE, 14 | EII, 02 | 32 |
| Managers | SLE, 13 | LSI, 01 | LSE, 09 | SLI, 05 | 28 |
| Socials | ESE, 08 | SEI, 04 | SEE, 12 | ESI, 00 | 24 |
| Sum | 46 | 14 | 46 | 14 | |
| Sum | 60 | 60 | 120 |
In table 7.13 the situation with the clubs is presented in the coding according to Shulman.
Table 7.13. The projection of the structure of the socion for the group “Club” with the natural succession of TIMs; numerical characteristics in the LSE tetrad according to G. A. Shulman
| Periods | 1st group | 2nd group | 3rd group | 4th group | Sum of codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Managers | SLE, 07 | LSI, 11 | LSE, 15 | SLI, 03 | 36 |
| Socials | ESE, 14 | SEI, 02 | SEE, 06 | ESI, 10 | 32 |
| Scientists | ILE, 05 | LII, 09 | LIE, 13 | ILI, 01 | 28 |
| Humanitarians | EIE, 12 | IEI, 00 | IEE, 04 | EII, 08 | 24 |
| Sum | 38 | 22 | 38 | 22 | |
| Sum | 60 | 60 | 120 |
As we see, the interchange of the axes ex-in / ra-ir (table 7.13) only changed the sums of the columns — which is not surprising, since now the “weight” of the introverts has risen, and that of the extraverts fallen. Thus, by changing the position of a dichotomy in the tetrad code, one can change the “weight” of a club — and therefore there are no objective causes whatsoever for considering any one of the clubs more important in the socion. If, however, to relatively random decimal arithmetical codes there is ascribed an objective meaning absent in them, then an illusion of the singled-out-ness of one or another object may easily arise. It is precisely this that is discovered in the configuration of G. A. Shulman. Since in this configuration the TIMs are coded by the tetrad (ra-ir, ex-in, sn-it, lg-et), thereby the weight of the rationals — among whom half are introverts — is sharply increased. Of course, the LSE turns out in this case to be the weightiest and the most singled out.
It is understandable that, by choosing another variant of coding and other rules for the arrangement of the TIMs in the configuration, one can code the singled-out-ness of any other object.
Let us consider, as a pretender to the form-generating element of the period of the PSTIM, the “temperament” groups, with which V. V. Gulenko occupied himself much and fruitfully. As was shown above, the choice of the tetrad code has no relation to the meaning of the invariants, but only changes their magnitude in different groups. Let us perform the coding, for example, in the ILE tetrad. The result is presented in table 7.14.
Table 7.14. The projection of the structure of the socion when the “temperament” groups (according to Gulenko) are accepted as the primary groups, with the natural succession of TIMs; numerical characteristics in the ILE tetrad according to Churyumov
| Temperaments \ Sets | Managers | Socials | Humanitarians | Scientists | Sum of codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linear-assertive | LSE, 09 | ESE, 08 | EIE, 10 | LIE, 11 | 38 |
| Flexibly maneuvering | SLE, 13 | SEE, 12 | IEE, 14 | ILE, 15 | 54 |
| Receptive-adaptive | SLI, 05 | SEI, 04 | IEI, 06 | ILI, 07 | 22 |
| Balanced-stable | LSI, 01 | ESI, 00 | EII, 02 | LII, 03 | 06 |
| Sum | 28 | 24 | 32 | 36 | |
| Sum | 52 | 68 | 120 |
It is obvious that a homology between the rows is present here. This is the homology between quasi-identical and opposite types. The quasi-identical homology is present in the base variant of the PSTIM presented in table 7.01 — there this homology exists between the odd and even periods. As for the homology between opposite types, it can be interpreted as too “sharp,” although, of course, its meaning should be acknowledged and investigated.
All the same, the basic argument against such a primary arrangement of the TIMs is that the “block symmetry” of the Aušra–Reinin traits is violated. Nevertheless, the presence of homology between the rows in this table should also be regarded as one of the manifestations of periodicity in the socion. And, thus, one can speak of the polyperiodicity of the socion, manifesting itself in the fact that in the socion one can choose various groups of two, four, or eight TIMs, which will be ordered in the group, and between the TIMs that have entered into one or another group there will exist a correspondence by a definite criterion. Proceeding from this, one can say that the socion admits various periodic representations — which points to the presence of numerous intertype correlations and to the existence of a multidimensional periodicity of the socion. Thus, for example, one can establish homology between TIMs by the styles of communicability, by stress-resistance, by temperament, by the set toward a kind of activity, by intra-quadral roles (V. V. Gulenko), and by many other criteria. However, in favor of the quadra as the fundamental substructure of the socion and its period speaks a multitude of factors, and there are no sufficient grounds for accepting, in place of the quadra, some other four-element group as the period.
However, there exists yet one more important consideration increasing the priority of the quadras as the base periods of the PSTIM — this is the strong homology between the quasi-identical octaves. Let us present this correspondence in the form of a table (table 7.15).
Table 7.15. The first and second octaves of the socion as homological series of TIMs
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st octave | ILE | SEI | ESE | LII | EIE | LSI | SLE | IEI |
| 2nd octave | LIE | ESI | SEE | ILI | IEE | SLI | LSE | EII |
To the types standing in identical places of the octaves one can, not very strictly, ascribe the following semantics.
- The generator of ideas of the octave — generates new ideas, brings in a fresh stream, overcomes stagnation, sketches broad perspectives, forms goals and sets.
- The harmonizer of the octave — smooths the corners, carries out communication among the members of the octave, helps to find a common language.
- The activator of the octave — ensures the energetic feeding of the members of the octave.
- The selector of the octave — selects the valuable ideas proposed by the generator, carries out the critical work.
- The stabilizer of the octave — mobilizes and motivates the octave, brings the energy of the octave up to the highest level, raises the resoluteness and readiness of the quadra to go to the end, diminishes the scatter of the activity of the octave, raises the stability of its trajectory in the phase space of activity.
- The finisher of the octave — polishes the small things, refines the details, works through the formal side of organization.
- The realizer of the octave — carries out the general leadership of the octave and embodies in himself its unity, unites the energy and activity of the octave into one whole, directs and leads toward the goal.
- The soul of the octave — represents the humanistic value of the octave, embodies in himself its conscience.
One can build a large quantity of octaves — namely C(16,8), that is, the number of combinations of 8 out of 16, which is equal to 16×15×14×13×12×11×10×9 / 8!; but the number of primary octaves, corresponding to the Aušra–Reinin traits, is only 15 — more exactly, 16, but the sixteenth is opposed to itself. However, among the great diversity of octaves, the two quasi-identical octaves occupy a special place, directly revealing themselves in the natural structure of the PSTIM.
It is important to note that the octave roles in the quasi-identical octaves have the meaning of semantic markers, which turn out to be identical in both octaves. It is obvious that the quasi-identical octaves play a special role in the PSTIM, representing the lengthened, or double, periods of the system.
Thus, one can make the supposition that the attempt to choose, in place of the quadra, any other group as the period of the system leads to a violation of the distribution of the Aušra–Reinin traits in the socion — and this can be considered, at the least, a formal ground for accepting the quadra in the role of the period of the PSTIM.
Since the theorem on the strict orderedness of the socion has been proven, the redistribution of the TIMs among various foursomes has no relation to a change of the structure of the socion, but bears a purely situational character — as takes place in the use of digits in different numbers. This means that although you can arbitrarily move the types about in the socion and among the foursomes, this neither changes nor abolishes their primary order. The substantive side of the periodicity of the socion, manifesting itself in the homology of the TIMs standing in one column, does not disappear anywhere under arbitrary permutations — simply the order in which this homology is considered changes.
Returning to table 7.02 and evaluating the structural symmetry of the TIMs in the socion, one can understand that not a single TIM can be moved — not only from one column into another, which violates the character of the “block-ness,” but not a single TIM can be moved from one row into another either, since in each row all the TIMs have a generalized pattern set by the structure of the TIM standing first in the row. Presumably, this “horizontal” pattern can be interpreted substantively — for example, correlated with the quadral values — and this corresponds to the natural order in the Universe.
Conclusions to Chapter Seven
- Socionics represents a periodic system of the types of information metabolism.
- As the periods in this system, on the basis of the arguments adduced, one should accept the quadras and the quasi-identical octaves. In the latter case the quadras can be regarded as subperiods. Between the elements of the quadras and of the quasi-identical octaves there exists the relation of homology — a deep internal similarity, thanks to which, between the elements of all the sets regarded as periods, a one-to-one correspondence can be established.
- The TIMs inside a period are strictly ordered, and therefore cannot be moved about arbitrarily. This orderedness is determined by the character of the distribution of the Aušra–Reinin traits.
- Since the semantic field of the ILE corresponds to the semantic field of the relation of IDENTITY (Id) and to the semantic field of the trait EXISTENCE — the limiting trait without whose presence everything else loses meaning — it is precisely the ILE that is the initial TIM of the PSTIM, and behind it, in accordance with the character of the strict orderedness, all the remaining TIMs line up.
- The whole set of TIMs is a strictly ordered set.
References
- Mendeleev, D. I., The Periodic System of the Chemical Elements.
- Churyumov, S. I., “The Socion as a Periodic System of TIMs,” SMiPL 1, 2003.
Notes
- That is, in some foursomes are gathered types with “large-block” and “small-block” patterns, and in others only those with “half-block” and “one-and-a-half-block” patterns.
- This means that in each group are gathered types with only one variety of the diagonal symmetry of the block pattern.