What does Introverted Thinking (Ti) look like as Puer or Puella?

Star Trek seems to really appeal to INFJs (and ISFJs, too) — lots of big Extraverted Feeling (Fe) lessons to instruct and enlighten in order to appeal to their auxiliary Fe. The solutions are diplomatic and big on empathising and directly connecting with the antagonists. Contrast this with the big lesson of Star Wars: opening yourself up to the realm of unknown possibilities (Extraverted iNtuition — Ne). To this INTP, Star Trek often seems obnoxious in its touchy-feely lecturing, whereas Star Wars gives real insight… but that’s just my type talking. If only author David Brin could appreciate that taste does not equal truth!

(Incidentally, Brin’s screeds on Star Wars and George Lucas have that particular “tar baby” Introverted iNtuition (Ni) feel to them that drives me up the wall — he spins every fact to suit his own agenda so that he’s right no matter what. Folks, never argue with an IN_J!)

Anyway, what does Ti look like in I_FJs? I think the answer lies in the character of Data in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Data is obviously an instance of the Puer archetype: naive, ageless and generally child-like. Data tries to understand human relationships and customs by placing them in theoretical frameworks, reducing communal values to intellectual principles. He’s clearly a caricature of Ti. (It’s no wonder I find that show so condescending!)

The conclusion any armchair psychoanalyst should draw here is that this is in fact how Ti manifests in I_FJs themselves, though they instead choose to project it onto I_TPs. Ti in the I_FJ is clumsy and juvenile, being somewhat disconnected from reality. Again, check out David Brin’s far-out conclusions regarding George Lucas (i.e. that Star Wars is designed to promote anti-democratic elitism to impressionable children) — he’s using Ti theorising as a post-hoc rationalisation for (in this case) his own Ni spin.

I should add here that this is not to say that I_FJs are all intellectually-dishonest nutjobs. We’ve all got our little Puer or Puella inside us; I_FJs just have Ti in this role instead of some other function.