Cognition is the result of where you naturally focus your attention, your desires, and your interests. Regardless of what your momentary desires or interests may be, each of us has certain deep, secret hopes that mean more to us than anything. While moods and opinions may change, these deepest desires are such a pure reflection of who we really are. In a world where there is so much to do, so much to experience, so much need and so many discoveries waiting to be found, we each inadvertently focus the most on some things over others. The things that we focus on most of all reflect what we want most out of life, deep down. This comes out through cognition, as the unique specialization of your cognitive type.
As the ISTJ Sentinel, perhaps nothing is more important to you than honoring and protecting everything good and useful in the world as it already stands, by living according to the principles of what makes life work. Cognitively, you focus on the use (T) of the world (IJ) as it already stands (S). This causes you to think of everything in terms of how it applies to theoretical people, to the lives of the human race overall. What matters most to you, deep down, is standing by timeless principles in order to derive the most benefit from the world as it is.
This gives Sentinels their careful, even stoic exterior, combined with a tender and passionate heart dedicated to protecting everything beneficial and useful in the world. Sentinels are ever aware of the value of the past, fascinated with its legacy and how it has constructed the complexities of the present. Learning to live in accordance with the present world is a way of honoring the past that brought it here. ISTJs therefore seek to apply their understanding of universal principles to derive the most use out of living in the world as it presently is, working hard, supporting others, and seeking to create safe havens amid the changes of life.
In this way, Sentinels celebrate all the good in things as they already are as reflections of principles; any threat to the present order of things can seem like a threat against timeless principles themselves. Healthy ISTJs stand as watchmen at the gate of all change, judiciously accepting beneficial change while defending everything good about present culture so that precious truths and memories will never be lost. As an ISTJ Sentinel you can be very sweet, silly, even recklessly charming, since you know the value of enjoying the things you protect. Yet when needed, you are always ready to stand up and defend your world, your culture, and your way of life.
None of this means that your specialization of taking the world as it is and living effectively in it comes easy for you. You have to work at it, just as much as anyone else would. The difference between you and other types is that you care to work at this, above all else. Some may say that it’s just easier for you to work hard and diligently do what’s expected of you, but that’s not true; you simply care enough about standing by everything useful and practical in the world, that you’re willing to work much harder at it.
No cognitive type has it easy; every type has to work just as hard at their specialization as anyone else would have to. And every type has to deal with social pressure that tries to make them feel ashamed or embarrassed of their unique specialization. This pressure results in unhappiness and deep, internal conflict, as people feel tempted to ignore their specialization in an effort to not stand out, rock the boat, or look foolish or make anyone else uncomfortable. When we try to ignore our own deepest desires, the reflection of who we really are and really can be, we feel torn, frustrated, and unfulfilled.
This is why understanding our own cognition is so important! As we come to understand what we already wanted in the first place, we learn how to get out of our own way. We learn to let ourselves shine, rather than hiding our light. The world needs what each of us can uniquely offer. We need all the strengths of all the types; each is special at the same time, because each is special in a different way. You don’t do anyone any good when you hide your unique strength, even if you’re afraid it will make others feel uncomfortable. Let yourself be the Sentinel you are, live powerfully in the world as it already is, and do it in your own personal way. As you do, you’ll stand as an example to others of how to adapt their own dreams and desires to the realism and practicality of life as it currently works.
Recent Comments