Type Comparison: ILI (INTp) and ESI (ISFj)

Socionics Characteristics

Observable Differences in Behavior

  1. ILI tend to be more idealistic with their heads-in-the-cloud. ESI, on the other hand, are more realistic and down-to-earth.
  2. ESI are better at noticing details than ILI. ILI on the other hand, are better at seeing the big picture than ESI.
  3. ILI are more focused on ideas and concepts than ESI. On the other hand, ESI are more focused (than ILI) on their surroundings.
  4. ESI are more naturally comfortable with physical confrontations than ILI.
  5. ILI are often more interested in the idea or theory of something, whereas ESI are more interested in the actual practice or implementation of it.
  6. ILI are more likely to make decisions based on logical reasons than ESI, who are more likely to make decisions based on their own feelings.
  7. ESI are often better at solving and minimizing interpersonal problems, where as ILI often struggle understanding them.
  8. ILI are often more interested in studying systems, structures, and functionality than ESI.
  9. ESI 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.
  10. ESI are more vulnerable to logical manipulation than ILI. However ILI in contrast, are often more vulnerable to emotional or ethical manipulations than ESI.
  11. ILI place greater value on their interests than ESI. 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.
  12. ESI place greater value on their resources than ILI. For ESI, resources like their money, time, sleep, etc., fall into their "inner personal space," and the ESI will be more likely to deprioritize an interest if it starts to drain these resources too much.
  13. When solving a problem, ILI rely more heavily on their generalized past experiences than ESI. ILI are inclined to use already prepared, preformulated methods and processes to solve a problem.
  14. When solving a problem, ESI are more inclined (than ILI) to solve it by relying predominantly on only the presently available information. Essentially, ESI will develop a process or method uniquely fitted towards the present problem, and this method is designed using the present conditions and information.
  15. ESI tend to plan ahead, making decisions early. On the other hand, ILI tend to prefer a wait and see, more spontaneous approach.
  16. ILI are relatively more flexible and tolerant than ESI.
  17. ESI are relatively more rigid and stubborn than ILI.
  18. ILI are comfortable making changes and adjustments to their decisions quite frequently. ESI, on the other hand, prefer to not make changes to their decisions.
  19. ESI tend to put more effort than ILI into finishing any new project they start.
  20. ILI tend to start more tasks and other projects than ESI, but the ILI are less likely to complete all of them.
  21. ESI tend to have stiffer more angular movements. ILI tend to have more relaxed fluid movements.
  22. ILI tend to have a more democratic leadership style than ESI.
  23. ESI tend to have a more authoritarian, hierarchical leadership style than ILI.
  24. ILI have a relatively higher stress tolerance than ESI. ESI often struggle with continually changing situations more than ILI do.
  25. ESI tend to perceive events in an episodic manner, i.e., they see events evolve in discrete states rather than continuous changes. On the other hand, ILI tend to perceive events in a continuous sequence; i.e., they see events evolving fluidly rather that one state to the next.
  26. When describing the stages of an event, ILI are more likely to focus on how stage A leads to stage B, how stage B leads to stage C, etc. ESI, on the other hand, focus more on the stages themselves without necessarily seeing or emphasizing the transitions or causes and effects of the stages to the extent that ILI do.
  27. When describing reality, ESI are more likely to talk about the properties and structure of reality. ILI are more likely to describe reality as movements, interactions, and changes.
  28. When developing a plan of action or process, ILI 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, ESI tend to place themselves "outside of the process"; they dissociate from it. For them the process or situation is something external from themselves.
  29. When working on a project, ESI experience more discomfort (than ILI) if the project does not have a clearly delineated end-goal or result. This happens because ESI have more difficulty monitoring and understanding how the project is developing than ILI because they are outside of the process.
  30. When conversing, ILI types are inclined to communicate in the form of monologues, where each party has "its turn." Because of that they subconsciously attempt to transform a dialogue into a series of monologues. Conversely, ESI tend to prefer more of a question and answer style format.

Compare/Contrast Sociotypes