Why Ne and Si are an axis

It is common knowledge that socionics elements are paired into four axis: Ne-Si, Fe-Ti, Ni-Se, and Fi-Te. These pairs of elements are intimately tied together and are unable to exist with each other – you cannot value one of them without valuing the other, and a person leading in one element is seeking the other from their dual. 

However, an important question to ask is here is “why?” Why, exactly, do these specific elements necessitate each other? I think the answer must lie in the nature of the elements themselves. In order to justify this unification and make it not arbitrary, something about their very essence must be connected. 

My personal suspicion is that paired elements somewhat “flow” into each other – you cannot use an element in any meaningful way without engaging with its “companion.” At the moment of writing this I feel like I do not have a clear understanding of how this actually manifests for three out of four axes. However, I believe I got close to the essence of the connection between Ne and Si, so I will attempt to summarize my thoughts on it. 

I see Si as information about the interdependence of concrete, currently existing processes and factors. Through this element a person can connect a particular whole with the specific factors that go into it. Thanks to this they will know which factors can be changed or adjusted on order to bring the whole closer to its desired state. For example, when making a soup, an individual strong in Si can understand the connection the soup’s ingredients have to its taste, and how a particular ingredient will affect this taste. Thus, if they want to achieve a particular taste for the soup, they will know which ingredients need to go into it and in which proportion. 

On the other hand, I see Ne as information about different states an object can be in. This is why it gets called “intuition of possibilities” or “potentialities,” since a potentiality is something that could exist, but does not yet. Returning to the soup example, Ne is the element through which an individual can understand which tastes it can possibly have. 

Where, then, is the connection? I would define it as the following: information about possible states an object can be in (Ne) is impossible to utilize without knowing how to bring an object into a particular state (Si). Likewise, one cannot deliberately change the object’s state (Si) without knowing the possible states it can be in (Ne). One of these elements cannot get realized without the other. 

Of course, each person uses all 8 elements in their daily life. Just as an Ne lead would utilize Si to make use of their Ne, so would an Si lead utilize Ne to make use of their Si. However, the suggestive is naturally weak, and what the person can do through it on their own is limited. This is precisely why it is so important to get support on it, especially the dual’s support. Without such support an Si lead is at risk of being locked into a cycle of monotony (not knowing what is possible beyond what they already know and are already doing), while an Ne lead is at risk of ineffectiveness (knowing what is possible, but not knowing how to reach it, often resulting in inaction or a lot of activity that does not lead anywhere). 

I will end this post with a small tangent. I often see people claiming that Si leads want to maintain “homeostasis” or “equilibrium” at all times. However, I am not convinced this is the case, as it seems quite contradictory to the fact that these types are seeking Ne. I believe that, while there is indeed a tendency for some Si leading types to maintain homeostasis with very little changing in their day to day lives, this phenomenon is not a result of their desire, but rather is something they cannot avoid without support on their suggestive Ne. In other words, if they do not receive enough Ne from other people, these types do not know which changes are possible and how their life could be different from the way it currently is. Thus, they end up doing what they already know and what already worked for them in the past, leading to homeostasis. Rather than being normal and desirable, this tendency should be recognized as a sign of the individual being undualized. 

Duality

It is a commonly held view that, as your perfect complement, your dual will take everything you struggle with on their own shoulders, making your life as difficulty-free as possible. Of course, this view is especially prominent in relation to the vulnerable function - the idea of never having to deal with such a weakness on your own is understandably attractive, and who is best suited for handling it instead if not the dual, the one who has the same element as one of their two strongest ones? This idea of duality implies that it is desirable to have someone else constantly protect you from the difficulties you would otherwise face, so that you can safely live as if the worrysome information does not exist to begin with. 

But let us suppose duality is exactly that, and you did manage to find a perfect dual - how would it actually work? The only way the dual could always solve your problems would require them to be involved in every single area of your life, which hardly seems possible. Moreover, if your dual left you for one reason or another, you would end up even more helpless than before, since the time you spent dualized would have you sheltered and not gaining any experience. The only solution, then, would be to find another dual as quickly as possible, and it is not hard to see why this is suboptimal. Indeed, if this was the case, duality would not be different from financial dependency in its essence, and would need to be approached and considered with the same level of caution. The fact that it is mutual makes it worse and not better - instead of dependency it turns into codependency. 

However, I would argue that real duality is much more intricate than that, and that codependency has little to do with the idea of it. While the vulnerable and the suggestive functions are weak, the commonly overlooked fact is that they can be improved. The way to do that is through gaining experience, and this is where the dual comes in. Due to their own function stack the dual is able to present information you need in the most optimal form, greatly accelerating this process of improvement. I see it as filling an empty vessel with water - on your own you are still able to find a couple drops here and there, but the dual can pour water into the vessel at a much more steady pace, while making sure nothing splashes out.  

This means that duality is not about forever staying in your respective comfort zones - on the contrary, duality makes it easier to get out of the comfort zone. The direction and the safety net the dual provides allows you to be more confident in knowing that no harm will come to you, and that you will be protected if something goes wrong. By virtue of being 4D in your vulnerable element, the dual is someone whose very existence forces you to reconcile with the fact that this information also exists, while making it feel as understandable and not anxiety-inducing as possible. Duality is not about sheltering - it is about constantly teaching each other, and this is exactly what makes this relationship beneficial; the information and experience you gain can be used throughout your entire life, even after you and the dual have parted ways.