Ishaan Awasthi

Opening note: This is going to be an analysis on Ishaan Awashti (from "Taare Zameen Par" also known as "Like Stars On Earth"). This is a classic Jungian analysis with references drawn from Psychological Types Chapter X. He comes closest to type IN(F) as per this analysis. Ni (dominant function): Introverted intuition deals with subjective perception of unconscious images, while the dominant function is the most habitually used function for being consciously most distinguished. Throughout the movie it is seen how Ishaan is lost minded into abstractions, detached from sensory details of the world. He perceives and takes the imagination to absurd extreme ends. Like a simple problem asking what's "3 times 9" results in him imagining inter-planetary war where Earth on 3rd orbit destroys 9th planet Pluto, resulting in answer as 3. And even his art style are reimagined scenarios about developments and trajectories, like the flip book showing his separation from the family. This is introverted in nature because of their focus on understanding object within subjective point of view, instead of utilizing the objective connections to produce tangible output. Fe (auxiliary function): Extroverted feeling deals with objective judgment of values, while the auxiliary function is the supporting function to dominant function, which aids it instead of opposing it. His art works itself are showcase of emotional pieces. These aren't merely personally believed values, but these are values that are externally displayed. For example, the flip book itself, showing expression of growing emotional distance. Because he lives in a suppressive society, art becomes his way of expression than with people who won't listen to him. Se (inferior function): Extroverted sensation deals with objective sensation, while inferior functions are subconsciously suppressed by the dominant function. It is pretty much evident in his disconnection from physical details of the world, and lack of focus on presentation. Good presentation and being sensorily pleasant or effective is a key manifestation in extroverted sensors, for using sensory aspects of the world to produce force or impact. Ishaan instead used to lack a sense of awareness about his clothes, forgetting tie, keeping shoes unclean unlike other children, not being aware of his hairstyle or dressing and thus being scolded by his parents and teachers alike. Counter-argument against IN(T): IN(T) which is written as INTJ in MBTI and ILI (INTp) in Socionics is same with its dominant function with IN(F), while having different auxiliary function as extroverted thinking. Ishaan doesn't seem to use Te, as IN(T) use logical systemic organization to express their visions and abstract nature in outer world, while IN(F) like Ishaan use more emotional expression, whether directly or through their works like his art. Counter-argument against IF(N): IF(N) has introverted feeling as its dominant function, where they habitually orient around understanding their values deeper and resonate more with their preferences. Ishaan was clearly soaked in abstract representation of the world. Feeling being a judging function, filters data through a evaluative criterion. While him being a perceptive type, was soaked more with observing the world in a certain way. But it might become confusing because of how he was treated, where most of us would feel suffocated and stick to non-compliance, not necessarily meaning all of us are Fi-dominant. Counter-argument against EN(F): EN(F) has extroverted intuition as its dominant function, where they habitually orient around objective unconscious images, dealing with more practical nature of the world being an externally aligned function. They perceive a real-world connection and seek to utilize it or bring it to success, while introverted intuitive types are soaked in making sense of the world using same intuition. Difference lies in deeper subjective understanding or objective utilization, where object needs to be already established or proven in reality. He was more of someone who had subjective perception about everything he encountered.