Type Comparison: ILI (INTp) and ESE (ESFj)

Socionics Characteristics

Observable Differences in Behavior

  1. ESE' psychic energy more often flows outwards, whereas with ILI, their psychic energy more often flows inward.
  2. ILI' energy levels tend to improve when they're alone whereas ESE' energy levels increase when they're interacting with larger groups.
  3. ESE' energy levels tend to decrease when they're alone whereas ILI' energy levels will decrease when they're interacting with larger groups of people.
  4. With regards to energy levels, ESE tend to have higher energy levels than ILI.
  5. ILI are more often focused on their thoughts and feelings where as ESE are more often focused on their surroundings.
  6. ESE tend to be more active and initiating with others where as ILI tend to be more passive and less initiating.
  7. ILI often have a smaller, closer network of friends where as ESE often have a wider network of friends.
  8. ESE are often more cognizant of their outwards appearance and are thus better at presenting themselves than ILI.
  9. ILI are generally better at concentrating on specific tasks for longer periods of time than ESE.
  10. ESE often prefer to work with others in a team where as ILI often prefer working alone.
  11. ILI tend to be more idealistic with their heads-in-the-cloud. ESE, on the other hand, are more realistic and down-to-earth.
  12. ESE are better at noticing details than ILI. ILI on the other hand, are better at seeing the big picture than ESE.
  13. ILI are more focused on ideas and concepts than ESE. On the other hand, ESE are more focused (than ILI) on their surroundings.
  14. ESE are more naturally comfortable with physical confrontations than ILI.
  15. ILI are often more interested in the idea or theory of something, whereas ESE are more interested in the actual practice or implementation of it.
  16. ILI are more likely to make decisions based on logical reasons than ESE, who are more likely to make decisions based on their own feelings.
  17. ESE are often better at solving and minimizing interpersonal problems, where as ILI often struggle understanding them.
  18. ILI are often more interested in studying systems, structures, and functionality than ESE.
  19. ESE tend to prefer using persuasion as a means of convincing others to do something, where as ILI prefer to use argumentation as a means of convincing others.
  20. ESE are more vulnerable to logical manipulation than ILI. However ILI in contrast, are often more vulnerable to emotional or ethical manipulations than ESE.
  21. ILI place greater value on their interests than ESE. For example, ILI will maintain high levels of energy and focus on an interest they value, even deprioritizing their other resources to maintain the interest. For example, ILI may spend a large amount of energy on an interest they value, often to the detriment of their time, sleep, relationships, money, etc.
  22. ESE place greater value on their resources than ILI. For ESE, resources like their money, time, sleep, etc., fall into their "inner personal space," and the ESE will be more likely to deprioritize an interest if it starts to drain these resources too much.
  23. ILI pay more particular attention to aspects of a situation or plan that are insufficient or lacking. This can be interpreted by others as ILI having a negative assessment of various situations and events (.e.g, "the glass is half empty). On the other hand, ESE pay more attention to what is actually present in a situation, and this can be interpreted as an affirmative or positive manifestation of the surrounding world, situations, possibilities, and prospects (e.g. "the glass is half full").
  24. When assessing an option or available choice, ESE tend to focus more on how the choice could benefit them (what it would potentially yield) than ILI would. On the other hand, ILI would be more cognizant of the potential risks and potential losses that may accompany the decision that ESE may unconsciously minimize.
  25. ILI are relatively better at assessing the emotional atmosphere occurring in a group or during an activity than ESE.
  26. When meeting someone knew, ILI are not as likely as ESE to perceive "getting to know somebody" as a special kind of activity. ILI know very well whey they are getting acquainted (i.e., what the purpose of the relationship is, be it business, personal, travel, etc.). ILI, in contrast with ESE, do not divide the process of getting acquainted into consecutive stages; rather ILI immediately establish the necessary emotional distance in contact and can regulate it if needed. To bridge the gap between poorly acquainted people in a group ILI amp up the emotional tone; this can be mutually experienced happiness or misfortune. The name and title of the person are of secondary relevance to ILI and their relationship with the other person.
  27. ESE are more likely to believe in objective truths than ILI. That is, ESE are more likely to believe there is a correct or best way of doing something than ILI.
  28. ILI are more inclined to believe there are relative truths than ESE. That is, this relativity is perceived by ILI as an extenuation of the differing beliefs, opinions, intentions, etc. of each person.
  29. When something is perceived by ESE as being incorrect, they are more likely (than ILI) to tell the person who made the error what they did wrong and how to do it the right way. ESE are focused on who made the error and helping them to correct the mistake.
  30. When something is perceived by ILI as being incorrect, they are more likely (than ESE) to ask why it was done that way. Instead of necessarily trying to correct the person who made the error, ILI attempt to understand the person's reason for their decision/action.
  31. ESE tend to internally combine emotional exchanges with other activities rather than separating them out like ILI. E.g., ESE see having fun occurring simultaneously with other activities, such as work or even serious affairs. ILI are more likely to internally separate out having fun with other activities, although the two can be interchanged at a high frequency.
  32. The "comparison and verification of concepts" is a more common phenomenon among ILI than ESE. This comparison not only concerns ILI methods, but also their understanding, terminology, etc. ILI are attuned to the fact that different people might understand and interpret different concepts and terms differently. They perceive terminology as well as actions of other people as part of the subjective concept inseparable from personal opinion, position, intent, etc. In contrast to ESE who perceive terminology as "objective," ILI understand personal differences behind terminology (this applies even to well established terms) and they attempt to compare and verify them.
  33. ESE are not as inclined to compare and verify concepts as ILI. ESE assume that these can have only one unique interpretation (the "correct" interpretation), and ESE often do not think about the fact that the other person may be interpreting them differently. Much more than ILI, ESE apply concepts such as "objective reality," "unequivocal facts," and de-emphasize concepts; ESE consider that they know the "right" way of doing things, how something "truly is," etc.
  34. ESE are more likely (than ILI) to use special rituals or other culturally accepted formalities when forming relationships with others. What that means is that the emotional proximity and relationship status for ESE be more externally predetermined. Additionally, ESE generally progress in relationships through stages, and therefore are more familiar with these stages than ILI. ESE tend to be more linear in their relationship progression than ILI, and ESE assign importance to the formalities of recognizing the start and end to each of these stages.
  35. ILI are rmore relaxed in their natural state than ESE. However ILI will mobilize and concentrate when needed to accomplish an objective. After the task has been completed, ILI demobilize again. This state of demobilization is the natural state of ILI.
  36. When contemplating a task, it takes ILI longer time to mobilize than ESE; i.e., ILI prefer to spend some time in a more natural state of relaxedness which will then prepare them to subsequently mobilize and concentrate at the crucial moments, improving their performance.
  37. When working on a project, ILI are more likely than ESE to break up larger tasks into several stages. Then ILI mobilize to carry out each stage (and demobilize between the stages).
  38. When getting ready to start a project, ILI spend more time planning and preparing for the project than ESE. In particular, ILI spend more time discussing the plan, discussing options and ways to approach the project, etc.)
  39. When describing their reasoning for their actions, ILI (more so than ESE) tend describe how and why they came to a certain decision, and focus less on the timing and initiation of the action.
  40. When it comes to completing a task, ESE are more likely than ILI to mobilize for longer periods of time. Specifically, ESE tend to mobilize for an action early and stay mobilized for a longer period of time after the task has been completed. For ESE, this state of readiness is their natural state.
  41. ESE are more likely than ILI to tackle a task in its entirety, rather than breaking it up into smaller separate stages.
  42. When doing a task, ESE are inclined to work for the sake of the result (for example, a reward or bonus for completing the task). In contrast to ILI, ESE can renounce their comforts and conveniences for this; ESE evaluate their place of work by looking at what returns they get for the effort they invested (e.g., monetary, prestige, etc.).
  43. When describing why they undertook a project, ESE are more likely than ILI to focus on the moment when a decision is made and to speak in detail about the stages of its implementation.
  44. When discussing work, ESE are more likely than ILI to focus on the fruits of their labor, about what their effort will yield. ILI on the other hand are more likely to focus on the environment they work in, e.g., their work conditions, conveniences, commute time, etc.
  45. ILI tend to plan ahead, making decisions early. On the other hand, ESE tend to prefer a wait and see, more spontaneous approach.
  46. ESE are relatively more flexible and tolerant than ILI.
  47. ILI are relatively more rigid and stubborn than ESE.
  48. ESE are comfortable making changes and adjustments to their decisions quite frequently. ILI, on the other hand, prefer to not make changes to their decisions.
  49. ILI tend to put more effort than ESE into finishing any new project they start.
  50. ESE tend to start more tasks and other projects than ILI, but the ESE are less likely to complete all of them.
  51. ILI tend to have stiffer more angular movements. ESE tend to have more relaxed fluid movements.
  52. ESE tend to have a more democratic leadership style than ILI.
  53. ILI tend to have a more authoritarian, hierarchical leadership style than ESE.
  54. ESE have a relatively higher stress tolerance than ILI. ILI often struggle with continually changing situations more than ESE do.
  55. When developing a plan of action or process, ESE tend to see themselves as "within the process"; they are immersed in it. Often because of this, they have more difficulty managing several plans at once. On the other hand, ILI tend to place themselves "outside of the process"; they dissociate from it. For them the process or situation is something external from themselves.
  56. When working on a project, ILI experience more discomfort (than ESE) if the project does not have a clearly delineated end-goal or result. This happens because ILI have more difficulty monitoring and understanding how the project is developing than ESE because they are outside of the process.

Compare/Contrast Sociotypes