Socionics Aspects

The next step in the development of socionics was the identification of information metabolism aspects. In each of the four functions described by Jung (logic, ethics, sensing, intuition), two components were distinguished: extroverted and introverted. This resulted in 8 aspects that can break down any information perceivable by a person. However, the concepts of extroversion and introversion, when applied to aspects, take on a slightly different meaning:

• Extroverted aspects focus on the perception of the object or process itself (“black” aspects, represented by shaded figures, see the table below).
• Introverted aspects focus on the perception and evaluation of relationships and interconnections between objects or processes, and the harmony of their combination with one another (“white” aspects, represented by unshaded figure outlines).

Each socionics aspect can be manifested on several levels: material (manifestations in the world of inanimate objects) and social (manifestations in human society).

The conceptual content of the aspects is briefly presented in the following table. By clicking on the name of an aspect, you can read a more detailed description:

Aspect	Material Level	Social Level
White Logic (structural logic)	Systemic vision of the object, identifying its parts and the relationships between them. Various classifications and rules.	Formal hierarchies in organizations, formalized rules of interaction between people (etiquette rules, job descriptions, etc.), legal laws.
Black Intuition (intuition of possibilities)	Assumptions about the internal structure of the object, hidden from the observer's view. Scientific and pseudoscientific ideas, laws of nature.	Insight into a person’s abilities, qualities, and character traits, and forecasting what to expect from them in various situations.
White Ethics (ethics of relationships)	Hidden interactions between objects (attraction, repulsion).	Likes and dislikes, personal preferences of an individual. A sense of tact, informal relationships in a group.
Black Sensing (forceful sensing)	Object properties: strength, massiveness, identifying weak points in the object for purposes of change or destruction.	A person’s ability to withstand pressure or exert pressure on others. Perception of someone’s sphere of influence, their “status,” and visual signs of their position in a hierarchy.
Black Ethics (ethics of emotions)	Changes in the internal state of the object. Viewing the world as interconnected flows of energy.	Influencing emotional states, ability to calm or cheer someone up. Empathy, the capacity for sympathy.
White Sensing (sensing of sensations)	Perception of tastes, smells, colors, and evaluation of the harmonious combination of objects.	Comfort and awareness of one's own body, physical well-being, and the well-being of others.
Black Logic (business logic)	Movement of objects in space, algorithms, technological processes.	Planning activities to achieve specific goals, determining the necessary resources, and organizing business processes.
White Intuition (intuition of time)	Coordination of various processes with each other, a sense of world harmony and interconnectedness.	Time management, coordinating activities, understanding when to start or stop actions.

In addition to the introversion/extroversion ("color" of aspects) distinction mentioned above, several other characteristics group aspects:

• Perceiving (BI, WI, BS, WS) and Judging (WL, BL, WE, BE), also known as irrational and rational, respectively.
• Static (WL, BI, WE, BS) and Dynamic (BE, WS, BL, WI). Static aspects describe states (or time-ordered sets of states) of objects, while dynamic aspects describe processes and changes in objects over time.
• Objective (WL, BL, BS, WS) and Subjective (BE, WE, WI, BI). Information from objective aspects is perceived similarly by different observers, with the possibility of establishing formal rules for interpretation. For subjective aspects, perceptions can vary significantly depending on the observer.
• Verbal (WL, BL, BI, WI) and Non-verbal (BE, WE, WS, BS). Verbal aspects require information to be expressed through words, while non-verbal aspects convey significant information through gestures, expressions, and physical contact.

Aspect properties can be summarized in the following table:

Yellow highlights non-verbal aspects, and blue highlights verbal aspects.

It is important to note that, in practice, information processing is always carried out by a block—a pair of aspects, one of which is irrational (perceiving) and the other rational (forming judgments and evaluations of the perceived information). One aspect in the block is always extroverted, and the other is introverted, allowing the processes of perception and evaluation to occur in parallel (but one aspect is more dominant than the other, leading to the dichotomy of rationality/irrationality).

The introduction of the concept of the information aspect enabled the creation of socionics Model A, which allowed for a more detailed description of the information metabolism of each type and helped explain the regularities of communication between representatives of different types—intertype relations.

White Logic (Structural Logic)

White Logic (WL, structural logic, or systemic logic) is an introverted aspect that gives its holder the ability to clearly perceive objective information about an object. For example, it allows one to understand and select an item in a store based on objective parameters. A person with strong White Logic is reliable for tasks such as purchasing a new computer because they will know exactly which parameters to compare when evaluating different components.

This logic can also be related to understanding what is right or wrong in our world. Ideally, laws should be created using structural logic.

White logicians are adept at identifying and clearly describing the relationships and rules that govern the world. They are capable of creating their own rules and laws and communicating them effectively to others. They excel at using logical arguments, agreements, and laws (as in a court of law) and can create instructional materials or guides that explain concepts clearly in scientific language.

Basic White Logicians: LII (INTj) and LSI (ISTj) .

Black Intuition (Intuition of Possibilities)

Black Intuition (BI, intuition of possibilities) is an extroverted aspect. It helps one perceive the potential possibilities of various objects and is often associated with generating new, original ideas. Not every person with strong Black Intuition becomes a genius, but such breakthroughs can happen, and it is impossible to predict whose intuition of possibilities will lead to the next discovery in our remarkable world.

Those with strong Black Intuition are constantly searching for new insights, curious about everything in hopes of finding something novel or birthing another interesting idea or even a brilliant concept.

Basic Black Intuitors: ILE (ENTp) and IEE (ENFp).

White Ethics (Ethics of Relationships)

White Ethics (WE, ethics of relationships) is an introverted aspect that helps individuals easily understand the nature of their relationships with others. This aspect helps one comprehend how others feel about them, such as their boss at work, and what kind of relationships to build with colleagues and family members.

People with strong White Ethics are attuned to moral norms and social behaviors. They can integrate well into social groups and workplaces, yet because they sense people’s inner nature and moral character, they may choose not to engage in close relationships with certain individuals.

Basic White Ethicists: ESI (ISFj) and EII (INFj).

Black Sensing (Forceful Sensing)

Black Sensing (BS, forceful sensing) is an extroverted aspect that, when strong and valued, enables an individual to grasp concepts such as power, strength, dominance, and the conquest of things or people. This aspect is about force, focus, and the ability to direct oneself and others.

Basic Black Sensors: SLE (ESTp) and SEE (ESFp).

Black Ethics (Ethics of Emotions)

Black Ethics (BE, ethics of emotions) is an extroverted aspect, commonly strong among individuals who enjoy performing for others. This aspect allows people to create the mood at even the dullest party, and they often know just the right amount of emotion to bring excitement to the situation.

Basic Black Ethicists: ESE (ESFj) and EIE (ENFj).

White Sensing (Sensing of Sensations)

White Sensing (WS, sensing of sensations) is an introverted aspect. If an individual has strong White Sensing, they instinctively know how to create a comfortable environment for themselves and others. It is a concrete aspect, operating on the principle of the "here and now," focusing on meticulous attention to detail.

Basic White Sensors: SEI (ISFp) and SLI (ISTp).

Black Logic (Business Logic)

Black Logic (BL, business logic, or logic of actions) is an extroverted aspect that helps organize various processes, often with the goal of maximizing efficiency and benefit. Strong Black Logic is commonly found in successful business people or individuals who are highly effective in their work.

Basic Black Logicians: LIE (ENTj) and LSE (ESTj).

White Intuition (Intuition of Time)

White Intuition (WI, intuition of time) is an introverted aspect that provides individuals with a natural sense of timing. People with strong White Intuition are highly attuned to when specific actions should be taken to meet the right moment.

Basic White Intuitors: ILI (INTp) and IEI (INFp).