Te, or extroverted thinking is a great cognitive function to have. It is an extroverted judging function, which means it is used to make decisions.
High Te users are adept at figuring out how things work, being most efficient, & making money. They tend to start their own businesses and often seek to learn how to become wealthy or achieve a higher status.
Paired with Fi, they also enjoy a high status lifestyle, standing out in the crowd, and are all about the finer things in life. They often place high value in first impressions and appearances.
If I could sum up Te into a few words, I would call it “Objective Thinking” because to the Te user, beliefs are reality. They gain their sense of truth from statistical data, information, and what the majority of people think about a certain topic or consensus.
In this article we will explain what Te is, what it’s used for, and which types have it. By the end you’ll be able to spot extroverted thinking in people and in the real world.
What Is Extroverted Thinking & What Does It Look Like
Like all cognitive functions, Te manifests in different ways. Here are a few ways you might encounter Te:
Objective Thinking:
Extroverted thinking is the objective form of thinking. It’s based on consensus such as “best practices”. The saying “If enough people believe in something, then it must be true” is a very Te statement.
What do the numbers say? A Te user places a lot of value in numbers. How many positive reviews does my business have, how many followers do I have on instagram, how many new visits did my website get this month compared to last month? They want to see that data. They want to be informed.
They always ask “What do you think about this or that…” because they want to get the opinions of the majority in order to come to a conclusion.
Mechanical Awareness:
If you hand a Te user a broken car or bike, they are more easily able to troubleshoot & figure out a solution. If not already equipped with the knowledge to fix the problem, they can quickly gather the best practices from people who have already solved that problem.
Mechanical awareness also translates to electronics or other systems-based ways of thinking. For example, I (Alex) learned to work on aircraft during my time in the military.
Afterwards I was able to easily learn to work on cars, because the mechanical & electrical inclinations were already developed.
So, once an underlying system is learned, it can then be applied in other areas. Another example is an entrepreneur who after 1 successful business can go on to start many other similar operations.
Status:
Te users are also acutely aware of status & hierarchies among people & things. They respect the chain of command & look towards ascending positions within organizations. It’s all about being the best, acquiring titles, & developing respect or reverence from others.
Efficiency:
“Have a sense of urgency!” Whether they are preparing dinner, business plans, or making sure all employees are doing their jobs, Te is all about getting things done in the quickest & most efficient manner. That means cleaning the kitchen from top to bottom, observing the numbers from this month’s sales, and mastering the systems for success. For this reason, they excel at managing & operations. Everything is “a machine” to them.
Examples of Te
Oftentimes we see them in managerial positions, or as a business owner. The manager of your favorite band, the corporate CEO, your high school principal, your local Walmart manager, and that one family member who “made it ” are likely all Te users.
The stereotype of a husband who doesn’t act affectionate but wakes up early to clear the ice off of his wife’s car is a classic example of a Te parent.
They don’t have Fe, so they are not outwardly emotional, but express their appreciation for you with acts of service. They put oil in your car, pick you up from work, sometimes they will even lend you money. They feel good when they can help solve people’s problems & be useful.
Strengths & Weaknesses of Te
“Mimic the greats” is a sentiment that Te users tend to abide by. Why pave a new path when you can replicate the path already paved by successful people?
An important strength of extroverted thinkers is that they replicate what’s already proven to work & so they don’t have to waste time trying to figure things out accurately like a Ti user would. They can grab & go and quickly achieve success.
On the other hand, high Te users are portrayed stereotypically as greedy business people. They are shown as being bad for seeking wealth & climbing the ranks.
In real life they face a dilemma where they place so much importance on high ratings, perceptions, and profit that they don’t realize they’re making others feel bad by not valuing them enough.
The result is others might view them as lacking ethics or morality. This can alienate the ENTJ or ESTJ from their peers, and can make them have a low sense of self worth.
Remember that your Te user shows their affection from acts of service, so try to remember all that they do for you, and make them feel appreciated.
Relation To Introverted Feeling Fi
Te is on an axis with Fi, meaning every person who has Te also has Fi. They go together.
Fi is the Te users identity function. It’s where their self worth comes from. Oftentimes a Te user will use Te to feed their Fi.
Meaning they want to be successful in business or solve people’s problems to make themselves feel better.
A Te user female might take herself out to get a fresh manicure and buy a nice bra so she feels sexy. A Te user male might invest in a nice suit or watch to make a statement wherever he goes.
Fi users like to feel like a million bucks, and paired with Te, they like others to know it, too.
Which Personality Types Have Extroverted Thinking Te
Gamma Quadra:
ENTJ (Te Ni Se Fi)
The Te hero in the ENTJ is an outgoing and social person. They seem to know a lot of people, and always want to look good. Their Te hero is optimistic, so they are always thinking up solutions. With their Se child, they love to treat others & share their success with the ones that they care about.
INTJ (Ni Te Fi Se)
The Te parent in the INTJ makes for a super intuitive and introverted problem solver. Sometimes they feel responsible for solving others’ problems and it annoys them, but they will do it anyway.
INTJ’s will likely become entrepreneurs and work for themselves as a solo operation. Because they have Fi child, their branding is always on point to reflect their inner identity.
ESFP (Se Fi Te Ni)
The Te Child of the Esfp likes to fix things, they like to know how things work, and really look up to Ti heroes and make good friends with them. Te child likes to watch youtube tutorials, and even have their own businesses at times. Kat Von D is a great example of an ESFP business owner. Her Fi is based off of her Tattoos and art, and she uses her Te to monetize it.
ISFP (Fi Se Ni Te)
The Te inferior in the ISFP has them portrayed as the cliche “starving artist”. They pour their heart and soul into their artwork, but have a very difficult time getting others to value it as much as they do. They want others to love their art genuinely & hate having to convince others that they have value. They can be averse to social media or marketing but once they learn to use these as tools, they can make a living off of their art, music, or whatever it is that they pursue.
Delta Quadra:
ESTJ (Te Si Ne Fi)
The Te hero of an ESTJ tends to do things by the book because of their Si, but excel in pushing boundaries of efficiency. This pairing also gears them towards seeking out finer experiences for themselves & those that they truly care about.
ISTJ (Si Te Fi Ne)
The Te parent has the slogan of “All you need in life is common sense”. ISTJ are quiet souls who have a very stoic philosophy. They are often very practical people who love to fix cars, bikes, and go fishing.
ENFP (Ne Fi Te Si)
The Te child of the ENFP is very good at shaping the perceptions of others. This makes them good influencers & salespeople. They are all about beliefs & sometimes struggle with finding the truth in things.
INFP (Fi Ne Si Te)
The Te inferior of an INFP can make them upset when something is not working the way that it should. They might complain about how things are run at their work. They create systems based on their strong moral compass & often work to benefit the greater good. They also want people to think highly of them.
Signs That You Might Be an Extroverted Thinker
- You like to take in multiple points of view before coming to a conclusion.
- You can see the flaws in systems & how they can be run more efficiently.
- You feel like everything can be viewed as some form of “machine”.
- You value credentials in yourself & other people.
- You are practical & use common sense in your approach to solving problems.
- You seek to be respected for your usefulness by your peers.
- You like fancy things such as jewelry, eating at nice restaurants, and other luxuries big or small
Conclusion
Extroverted Thinking is commonly called Te. It is an extroverted judging function that values consensus and statistical data. Te users love their status & the status of things in general (what is “the best”). They also respect hierarchies within organizations & are acutely aware of everyone’s position or standing. Oftentimes Te appears in the form of “common sense” and tends to stick to “best practices”.
Te is also on an axis with Fi, which results in Te users loving to indulge in things that make them feel good about themselves. This can include providing acts of service to others, and things like conspicuous consumption. They’re also great at building business based on their personal branding. Can you spot the Te users in your life? Or are you one of them?
