In a previous article I explained what the cognitive functions are and why they are so important for understanding the MBTI framework. Without them, MBTI is extremely superficial.

You can find the cognitive ‘stacking’ of your type just by Googling it. But if you get to know the – very simple – system behind it, you’ll be able to figure out the cognitive functions of each type yourself. This article presents a step-by-step guide on how to do just that.

If you are new to cognitive functions, first read this article.

A very short recap: there are two Perceiving functions (Sensing and iNtuition) and two Judging functions (Feeling and Thinking). These four functions can be introverted or extraverted. This makes a total of eight cognitive functions. They are colored below:

Perceiving
– Sensing: Se, Si
– iNtuition: Ne, Ni

Judging
– Thinking: Te, Ti
– Feeling: Fe, Fi

Each MBTI type has their own preference for which functions they like to use most. A type’s first two preferences are the most important ones.

In this article I will guide you how to find the first four functions of each type. Let’s start with two basic rules about the order of the functions:

i-e-i-e or e-i-e-i
The functions alternate between introverted and extraverted functions.

P-J-J-P or J-P-P-J
The first and the last functions are either Perceiving or Judging, as are the second and third.

In other words, the first two functions consist of one Perceiving and one Judging function, and the same goes for the second two, in reversed order. Since the functions alternate between introverted and extraverted, this means you have one extraverted and one introverted Perceiving function, and one extraverted and one introverted Judging function.

There are four different steps needed to ‘read’ the four-letter code of your MBTI type. I will be using the INTP as an example (because this is my type!).

The first thing we have to do is to look at the middle two letters.

Step 1: middle two letters

Remember that the second letter of your type is the Perceiving function (Sensing or iNtuition). And the third letter is the Judging function (Thinking or Feeling). In this case, they are N and T, which stand for iNtuition and Thinking.

Step 2: last letter

INTP

Now look at the last letter, P or J, which stands for Perceiving or Judging. This letter reflects if your most important extraverted function (whether this is the first or the second) is a Judging function (T or F) or perceiving one (S or N).

Understand it in this way: P or J reflects how you prefer to deal with the world. How you deal with the world is determined by the function that is oriented externally: your extraverted function.

In the case of the INTP, the P tells us that the extraverted function is the N, so this makes Ne. This renders the other function introverted: Ti.

Step 3: first letter

INTP

Finally we look at the first letter. This is E or I and stands for extraverted or introverted. This reflects whether your first preferred function is the extraverted or the introverted one. (So this does not necessarily mean if you prefer socializing or time alone – it just reflects what function you direct outward and what you direct inward.)

In this case, the I shows that the INTP’s first function is Ti, leaving Ne to be their second. We can write the two most important functions for the INTP in this way: Ti-Ne.

Step 4: determine remaining functions

INTP = Ti-Ne

Do you remember the two rules for stacking? Extraverted and introverted functions alternate and the Judging and the Perceiving functions do not. So the second function here being a Perceiving function (Ne), the third one should be as well, but with a different orientation: S and introverted (Si). The fourth one is the remaining Judging function, but then extraverted: Fe. This makes the full stacking of the INTP Ti-Ne-Si-Fe.

INTP = Ti-Ne-Si-Fe

As I said before, the first two functions are by far the most powerful, so often only they are used to indicate the type: Ti-Ne. Basically, saying Ti-Ne is the same as saying INTP. Got it?

Here is another example. Say someone is an ESFJ.

Step 1. middle two letters
The middle two letters are S and F: the Perceiving function is Sensing and the Judging function is Feeling.

Step 2. last letter
The last letter is a J, for Judging. This means that this type’s extraverted function is the Judging function, in this case F. So this means Fe. And the other cognitive function will be introverted, so this is Si

Step 3. first letter
Because of the E, we know the order of these two: the first one is extraverted. So Fe comes first, then Si. The stacking of the ESFJ is Fe-Si.

Step 4: determine remaining functions
The first two functions being Fe-Si, the third one will be extraverted and the fourth one introverted. The second one is a Perceiving function (Si), so the third one will be a Judging function as well: Ne. The last remaining function will then be Te. The full stacking for the ESFJ is Fe-Si-Ne-Ti.

Done! Easy?

Learning what your cognitive functions are and what they do will be a game changer in what MBTI can do for you. Good luck!