The same functions are in use albeit a bit flipped around. As a
result the differences between the two are rather nuanced.
Extraverted Thinking (Te) in the dominant
position is characterized by a tendency towards
segmentation, organization, systematizing, and a desire to understand
the external world.
Ti as a function, is the most logical of all. Te by contrast, is
the most rational. While logic is founded upon axioms, driven forward
by static principles, rationality is characterized by general
pragmatism. Te is a tool used to guide action and solve problems
based upon the empirical aspects of the world, hence it’s frequent
association with the sciences and business. Due to it’s empirical
nature, it is not moved by emotional arguments, or even pure logic.
It emphasizes hard evidence, and in the absence of that, literal
testing or verification.
In the dominant slot Te also creates an overwhelming desire to
control the external world. To the ENTJ, being made subject to the
whims and conditions of the empirical world or even external
individuals, is intolerable. One could view their desire to master it
as a pre-requisite to dominating it (a la’ Napoleon, Julius Caesar,
Mao Tse-Tung, and the plethora of ENTJ CEOs.)
When paired with Ni, it has a tendency towards reformation,
although this frequently resembles the usurpation of power or
overthrowing of established systems. The Ni factor causes it to prize
effectiveness over efficiency, noting that one can be highly
efficient at something that ultimately yields poor results. To the
SJs, this type resembles a bringer of chaos, every decision and
action however has been carefully deliberated upon, the likely
effects shrewdly calculated. Nothing is ever left to chance.
Introverted Intuition (Ni) in the dominant
positionis characterized by an unconscious processing that
precedes reason, frequently manifesting as insight or foresight.
The processing of Ni is unconscious. Due to that the typical Ni
dominant experiences the majority of their “thinking” as fantasy,
subjective imagery, or the conjuring of symbolic devices. From these
constructs emerge sudden realizations that come paired with a
conviction of things to come, or a sense of having tapped a hidden
truth.
Ni also engages in a form of meta-perspectivism, noting objects
and the interpretations that they most commonly warrant. Those
interpretations are perceived as projections trying to elicit very
specific thoughts or actions. The attitude of Ni however, is to
contradict and ultimately exploit those projections.
A good example of that being parasites that have learned to give
off the same pheromones as ant larvae. The ants perceive the
pheromones (objects) as coming from an infant (interpretation)
telling them to bring it food (the elicited thought and action.) The
ants end up feeding the parasites even after they’ve grow to ten
times the normal size of a larva, never stopping to question what
they’re doing.
The meta-perspectivism of Ni combined with the empiricism and
systematizing of Te, creates a penchant for masterminding or “gaming
the system.”
For ENTJ, Ni plays a supporting role
to their Te. They are primarily unaware of it and
experience it as visceral instinct, or vague direction pointing that
allows them to forsee obstacles and to predict actions. Their
intuition is primarily used to point out such things and to guide the
offensive-mindedness of their Te, as a result their strategies
typically center around preemptive striking and blitzkrieg-ing.
Due to having Se in the tertiary position, ENTJs are typically
less patient than their INTJ cousins, prone to taking immediate
action and responding the moment a problem or threat emerges. That
lack of patience and tendency to not strategize far enough into the
future has the potential to bring about ruin (reference the itchy
trigger finger of Napoleon, or foolhardy actions that lead to the
assassination of Caesar)
However, they are far more in touch with the concrete world and
less fearful of it, creating a solid balance between the abstract and
literal. Between Te-Ni-Se, action and planning occur at once, moving
dynamically in the present with their minds always 3 steps ahead.
When time is taken to develop Ni, they improve strategically, able to
patiently plan further into the future and avoid the silly mistake of
shooting before aiming, or trying to do both at once.
For INTJ Te plays a supporting role
to their Ni.Whatever is conjured up by their
intuition, is automatically assumed to be valid and they set their Te
to work thereafter. This occasionally becomes the equivalent to
demanding alchemy of a chemist, although this is sometimes a virtue,
considering the scientific and technological achievements of the
type. But such ad hoc thinking can be detrimental to say the least,
creating models and strategies that fall apart upon
being applied to the real world. As such, time has to be taken to
develop Se.
Se in the inferior position creates a fear of the external world,
hence INTJs are inclined to control it much like the ENTJ, but
with it lower in the stack, INTJs are also very patient. That
patience tends to either make or break them, sometimes causing the
type to utterly miss windows of opportunity or to wait for so long
that their strategies are no longer applicable.
When the proper balance between Ni-Te-Se is found, the type
maximizes it’s strategic abilities, playing their rivals like chess
pieces. A case in point being Hannibal Barca, his enemies left with
the sensation of having been struck down by the heavens themselves.
When these types take the time to cover their weak points they
begin to temporarily work out of the others primary strength. In
certain contexts they can resemble the other so far as personality
traits; ENTJs resembling INTJs in the lab setting; INTJs resembling
ENTJs in management.
That can be further skewed by enneagram.
Type 3 and 8 INTJs can seem very ENTJ-like.
Type 5 and 6 ENTJs can seem very INTJ-like.
