Extraverted Thinking or Te, is one of the eight cognitive functions in Jung's theory.
It is a Judging function, meaning that it makes judgements about the data that is taken in by the Perceiving functions.
Since it is a thinking function, it focuses on logical reasoning. Being an extraverted function, it looks outwards and accumulates.
As with all extraverted functions, it's more objective than subjective.
Te in a nutshell: What is the purest objective truth? How can it be utilised?
Te is all about cold, hard, data. Facts. Truth, derived from proper method and application. It's about reaching truth through aggregate, and then utilising that data to create and expand through structure which is now available due to the perceived reliability of the data. In some cases the data is truly reliable, such as, say, the schematics required for constructing a stable building, or a higher number indicating a particular trend i.e. a certain actor/director's name drawing in larger audiences. While in other cases, these facts are less reliable, like when a studio makes a film purely based off of charts, demographics and trends only to somehow be shocked when it flops or is critically panned.
Te is associated with inductive reasoning. To borrow from Stephen West of the Philosophize This! podcast (as I will probably do fairly frequently), I'll use his example: in inductive reasoning, if you were to hypothesise that 'all dogs have wet noses', you'd check the noses of as many dogs in as wide an area as possible to determine whether this can be accepted as a universal rule.
Quantitative research methods such as surveys, statistics and closed questions, are all also in line with Te.
Since Te is an extraverted function, it primarily uses all of this data to enact logic into practical reality. Plainly speaking, Te wants to get things done. As quickly and efficiently as possible so it can move on to the next thing on the proverbial to-do list. Te also relates to planning and strategy. This is part of the utilisation side of the function, the part that takes all the data it has in order to craft the optimal use of said data for whatever purpose. Making sure all operations are running smoothly, logically, to ensure maximum chances of maximum success.
In addition, Te has a natural inclination towards accumulating esteem, they want to achieve, and they want their achievements to be reflected in the external world: "The more people think as highly as poossible of me, the more objective value I can ascertain of myself." To put it another way, if enough people think they are good, or respectable, or worthy, or lovable etc. the more objectively reliable they can assume that assessment to be, which puts them at ease.
The last aspect of Te to note is assertiveness, these are not typically people who shy away from conflict or fear coming across as 'mean'. They need to command and demand in order to get things done.
The Counter-Balance Points of Te
Symbiotic Introverted Thinking - Both Judging functions, both oriented around emotion and values, but since Ti is introverted, it looks inwards and refines. They align in what they focus on but have very different approaches. Ti prevents Te from solely focusing on external data to make any kind of logical conclusions.
Distorted | Balanced |
Within self, this results in a dogmatic and extreme need to have everything backed up by facts, data, statistics and they will always trust the ‘expert’ opinion over the one being presented by someone with less credentials, even if the non-expert has valid points. They will also have no trust in their own internal logical judgements. | Healthy Te will work with Ti to recognise that individual logic can sometimes be just as valid or strong as an accumulation of data if it is appropriately verified by diligence. It will also assess that credentials aren’t everything and maintain a healthy scepticism when it comes to evaluating someone’s opinion just because they have established esteem. |
Towards others, this results in a judgement of Ti as arrogant or foolish. How can the judement of one mind compare to the weight of what can be proven by volume or due process? | Healthy Te will recognise and appreciate the way Ti can follow trails of logic that lead to outside-the-box conclusions and innovation. It will appreciate external opinions on its operations as valuable, even if only as further verification that they are maintaining optimal efficiency. |
Action Points
Train the 'Ti muscle' by practicing critical thinking based on one's own internal assessments and verifying the logical consistency of these assessments.
Deconstruct the roots of over-valuing external validation.
Explore and become familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of Ti, either theoretical, or practical via direct interaction if possible.
Learn from the Ti philosophies.
Challenging Introverted Feeling - Both Judging functions, but Te has a logical focus while Fi has an emotional focus. In addition, Fi is introverted and therefore looks inward and refines. Te is impersonal, calculating and efficient, while Fi wants to honour values, individuality and creativity.
Distorted | Balanced |
Within self, this results in workaholism; a disregard for subjective experience, as it is irrelevant and will be viewed simply as an annoyance in the way of getting things done, staying objective and aligning with the empirical data provided by amassed facts. Can also take the form of repressing the desire to stay true to inner values and form strong bonds with others because these things are 'impractical'. | Healthy Te will work with Fi to discover and stay true to their own values, as well as be aware of and value their own health and positive (or at least neutral) emotional/mental state. They will be able to express positive emotions more easily and effectively and have respect for emotional matters and communication. |
Towards others, it is a judgement of Fi as 'too soft', 'bleeding-heart', and ineffective. An intolerance of personal emotion in favour of practicality, or of truth derived from accumulated data. | Healthy Te will recognise and appreciate the way Fi can create and protect values. Also, the way it can navigate one's internal emotional landscape and help others do the same. It will understand that emotions are an unavoidable part of life and that Fi is the tool designed for this complicated minefield. |
Action Points
Train the 'Fi muscle' by reflecting on what one values in this world and exploring emotional responses, with an emphasis on a logical approach to understanding them.
Encouragement to relax and take health matters seriously.
Emphasis on forming a relationship with oneself.
Emphasis that their main priority to produce effective results is a valuable trait but needs to be smoothed out.
Explore and become familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of Fi, either theoretical, or practical via direct interaction if possible.
Learn from the Fi philosophies.
Dichotomous Extraverted Thinking - The most difficult dynamic, because they are fighting for the same space, so to speak. Both are extraverted and so are outward-focused and trying to accumulate. Fe is concerned with emotional information, while Te is focused on factual, logical data.
Distorted | Balanced |
Within self, this results in a lack of external expression of emotion, or even a total inability to do so, as well as an ignorance to being socially appropriate or likeable. | Healthy Te will work with Fe to recognise the importance of expressing oneself emotionally and being socially aware. It will also understand the potential benefits of group cohesion, the effects of morale on productivity, and be mindful of ethical concerns. |
Towards others, it is a judgement of Fe as people-pleasing, impractical and even obstructive to efficiency. A cold, uncaring disposition towards things like ‘morale’ or whether their entire team/group hates them. The only things that matter are efficiency and results. Ethical concerns will also be of little consideration. | Healthy Te will recognise and appreciate the way Fe can inspire rather than demand, and rally others to its cause, boosting effectiveness through the accumulation of value-based passion. |
Action Points
Train the 'Fe muscle' by exploring the practical benefits of things like morale, teamwork, social favour etc and how these things are achieved.
Explore and become familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of Fe, either theoretical, or practical via direct interaction if possible.
Learn from the Fe philosophies.
The 8 Attitudes of Te
Hero - ENTJ | ESTJ - Champions of management, strategy, procedural productivity etc. Te Hero gets results; they achieve, they build and expand. They ensure all the pieces are in place in order to reach a desired outcome, and the desired outcome is often ambitious in nature. Risk of becoming tyrannical and enslaving all other functions to its will, demanding enterprise and productivity at all costs. Te Hero requires no conscious input, it is first nature.
Parent - INTJ | ISTJ - The Parent function keeps the Hero responsible. Te Parent will support Ni or Si Hero by providing direction on whether it is taking the factual data into account. It won't be as concerned with the breadth/volume or potential acclaim of results as Te Hero. Risk of becoming authoritarian and helicopter-y, demanding and expecting others to be as responsible in their aspect, i.e. "You should be adhering to the objective truth and practicality at all times."
Child - ENFP | ESFP - The Child function wants to play, it's where we like to defer to when we're at ease. Te Child wants to plan, it wants to enact and achieve optimal results. It's just childish in the way it does so and is also strongly affected by the influence of the Hero and Parent. Developed Te child can excel in these areas, but is unlikely to have the same natural internal alignment of Hero/Parent types. Risk of becoming bratty, using the aspects of Te in immature ways and getting easily upset in matters that concern this function. EXFPs have the worst case of need for external validation in relation to esteem but unlike Te Hero, it also affects their self-esteem. They also have a tendency to make plans that are poorly-thought-out or never have enough effort put in to be enacted. They are also often easily manipulated by the thinking of others and general consensus. We all tend to feel deep shame when we fail in this function and this may lead to further defensiveness.
Inferior/Aspirational - INFP | ISFP - Planning. Logic. Robotic procedural efficiency. All these things fly in the face of emotional values, free individuality and creative expression, and so are highly contentious to IXFPs. If left unchecked, can sink into the unconscious and become deep-rooted insecurity. Te inferior types can become even more absorbed into their emotional responses and fail to take any kind of productive external action. They also can become deeply insecure in this area, and are often secretly very worried that they are useless and ineffective to the world, that they serve no practical purpose, even that they might actively be a burden on the effectiveness of others, even though they will simultaneously assure themselves that actually none of that really matters anyway since they have inherent value as a person. Can also become a source of jealousy when others display ease in this aspect.
Nemesis - INTP | ISTP - Te tries to pull Ti away from falling in love with its own logic and bringing attention to external logical data to fact-check. This can become a source of irritation and stress, internally and externally and can also become a source of jealousy when others display prowess in the gifts of Te.
Critic - ENTP | ESTP - Te acts as the superintendant to Ti, making sure its being responsible in its role. The Critic is sort of like an overzealous advocate for its corresponding function so it treats its own associated function as trouble. So in this case it's saying: "Ti has an important job, it's important to develop and live by one's own internal logical framework, but that pesky Te keeps getting in the way, I must prevent this as much as possible by making sure Ti is behaving properly and consistently pointing out Te's flaws." This applies within self and towards others.
Trickster - INFJ | ISFJ - The Child wants to play, and whatever function is in the trickster position interferes with that play by its nature of opposition. Therefore, the Child wants nothing to do with it. The Child will roll its eyes, stick out its tongue, ridicule the Trickster function and devalue it. So Te Trickster will treat everything Te values as a rebellious child would. "Pay attention to what everyone else thinks? Their numbers don't make them any less likely to be wrong! Assert my presence in the external world? No thanks, I'd rather stay away from too much attention and ruminate."
Demon - ENFJ | ESFJ - The Demon function is the most suppressed aspect of the 8. It's deep in the unconscious and is the least comfortable aspect of life for us to interact with. Having to interact with it makes us unhappy and stressed, especially for long periods of time. However, the Demon is also akin to an over-protective guard dog and becomes our ally in times when we are being unfairly treated. It is actually the function that cares most about our well-being, a little too much even. It's extremely pessimistic and ultimately not very helpful usually unless directly addressed, but it is protective of our own psyche to a fault. One really important thing about that: it's not weak. Not at all. It's almost as strong as the Hero in whatever function it presents as, but we don't like that function, and so we suppress it, but when it does take over, it can wield its gifts like a weapon you might never expect. Te Demon will plan and organise and command to make their transgressor look incompetent - especially by comparison - and damage their perceived esteem. Less severely, it can suddenly laser-in on data and evidence to prove the target irrefutably wrong.
Te Demon can get very easily frustrated with having to put aside emotional concerns for the sake of practicality. The Demon will use the Hero's own gifts to reinforce its negative outlook. Te Demon will pull Fe Hero down and reinforce the perceived inhumanity of Te: "Look at all the times 'efficiency' or cold logic has resulted in ethical nightmares! The Nazis and Soviets were pretty 'efficient' after all! Horrible inhumane scientists are all 'objective' and 'logical'! It's evil!"
Common traits in high Te types (ENTJ | ESTJ | INTJ | ISTJ)
Rational, empirical outlook
Productive
Strong in numerical reasoning
Correlations with Conscientiousness and Disagreeableness in the Big 5
Ambitious ( even if only in the sense of getting the best results)
Organised and efficient
Focused on results
Can come across as cold, robotic, or domineering; lack of social grace.
Assertive
Often in management or C.E.O. roles
Entrepreneurial
Notable Te Philosophies/Worldviews
Meritocracy | ENTJ
Empiricism | ESTJ
Pantheism | INTJ
Stoicism | ISTJ
Philosophical Pessimism | ISTJ
Machiavellianism | ENTJ
German Idealism | INTJ
White Nationalism | ISTJ
Objectivism | ENTJ
Eugenics | ENTJ
Technocracy | INTJ
Malthusianism | ESTJ
Men's Rights Movement | ISTJ
Anti-theism | ISTJ
Consequentialism | ENTJ
Determinism | INTJ
Social Darwinism | ENTJ
Marxism | INTJ
Logical Positivism | ISTJ
Marxism-Leninism | ENTJ
Humanism | ENTJ
Moral Absolutism | ESTJ
Gender-critical Feminism | INTJ
Blackpill Feminism | ISTJ
Facism | ESTJ
Anti-Natalism | INTJ
Transhumanism | INTJ
Philosophical Realism | ISTJ
Patriarchy | ESTJ
Misanthropy | INTJ
Oligarchy | ESTJ
Protestant Theology | ISTJ
Legalism | ESTJ
Ethical Egoism | INTJ
Notable Figures with High Te (Real)
Aristotle | ENTJ
Jamie Lee Curtis | ESTJ
Friedrich Nietzsche | INTJ
Sigmund Freud | ISTJ
Cleopatra | ENTJ
Gordon Ramsey | ESTJ
Robert J. Oppenheimer | INTJ
Christopher Lee | ISTJ
Julius Caeser | ENTJ
Harry S. Truman | ESTJ
Nikola Tesla | INTJ
Queen Elizabeth II | ISTJ
Alexander Hamilton | ENTJ
Chris Hansen | ESTJ
Maynard James Keenan | INTJ
Thomas Hobbes | ISTJ
Genghis Khan | ENTJ
Uma Thurman | ESTJ
Karl Marx | INTJ
George Washington | ISTJ
Carl Sagan | ENTJ
Alex Ferguson | ESTJ
Sir Isaac Newton | INTJ
Jean-Paul Sartre | INTJ
Morgan Freeman | ISTJ
Simon Cowell | ENTJ
Sharon Osbourne | ESTJ
Cillian Murphy | INTJ
Jeff Bezos | ISTJ
Arnold Schwarzenegger | ENTJ
Martha Stewart | ESTJ
Hajime Isayama | INTJ
Richard Nixon | ISTJ
Jimmy D. DonaIdson (MrBeast) | ENTJ
Bill O'Reilly | ESTJ
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel | INTJ
Kim Kardashian | ISTJ
Martin Heidegger | INTJ
Napoléon Bonaparte | ENTJ
Sharon Osbourne | ESTJ
Steve Jobs | ENTJ
Notable Figures with High Te (Fictional)
Erwin Smith | Attack on Titan | ENTJ
Sokka | Avatar: The Last Airbender | ESTJ
Wesley Wyndham-Pryce | Buffy The Vampire Slayer/Angel | INTJ
Amy Santiago | Brooklyn Nine-Nine | ISTJ
Light Yagami | Death Note | ENTJ
Vegeta | Dragonball | ESTJ
Walter White | Breaking Bad | INTJ
Gustavo Fring | Breaking Bad | ISTJ
Thomas Shelby | Peaky Blinders | ENTJ
King Theoden | The Lord of the Rings | ESTJ
Gandalf | The Lord of the Rings | INTJ
Megumi Fushigiro | Jujutsu Kaisen | ISTJ
Number 5 Hargreeves | The Umbrella Academy | ENTJ
Cordelia Chase | Buffy The Vampire Slayer/Angel | ESTJ
Severus Snape | Harry Potter | INTJ
Rick Grimes | The Walking Dead | ISTJ
Leia Organa | Star Wars | ENTJ
Monica Geller | Friends | ESTJ
Stephen Strange | MCU | INTJ
Hermione Granger | Harry Potter | ISTJ in the books, ESTJ in the movies
Patrick Bateman | American Psycho | ENTJ
Nobara Kugisaki | Jujutsu Kaisen | ESTJ
Elizabeth ''Effy'' Stonem | Skins | INTJ
Dexter Morgan | Dexter | ISTJ
Azula | Avater: The Last Airbender | ENTJ
Jean Kirstein | Attack on Titan | ESTJ
Wendy Carr | Mindhunter | INTJ
Darth Vader | Star Wars | ISTJ
Griffith | Berserk | ENTJ
Regina George | Mean Girls | ESTJ
Wednesday Adams | Wednesday | INTJ
Sheldon Cooper | The Big Bang Theory | ISTJ
Dio Brando | Jojo's Bizzare Adventure | ENTJ
Dolores Umbridge | Harry Potter | ESTJ
Beth Harmon | The Queen's Gambit | INTJ
Geralt of Rivia | The Witcher | ISTJ
Tywin Lannister | Game of Thrones | ENTJ
Helen Parr | The Incredibles | ESTJ
Henry Creel | Stranger Things | INTJ
Mikasa Akerman | Attack on Titan | ISTJ
Madara Uchiha | Naruto | ENTJ
Dwight K. Schrute | The Office (U.S.) | ESTJ
Bruce Wayne | Batman | INTJ
Ross Geller | Friends | ISTJ
Lord Voldemort | Harry Potter | ENTJ
Eugene H. Krabs | Spongebob Squarepants | ESTJ
Thanos | MCU | INTJ
Rei Ayanami | Neon Genesis Evangelion | ISTJ
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