Michael Scofield

I would be providing an analysis of Michael Scofield from the series Prison Break. Determining the dominant attitude in Scofield would be slightly difficult there appears a good balance between internal standpoint (introversion) and external adaptability (extroversion). So I will start with identifying a function first, where I would lean towards a thinking-first character, which is paired with intuition. And the thinking appears to have introverted in attitude with extroverted intuition to provide INTP type with dominant Ti and auxiliary Ne. I would explaining how in the next paragraph. To understand Michael's profile, we must not just look into the events taking place post his arrest, but also how he was before, and how he plans the whole execution. Starting with his life before Lincoln's arrest, his motivation to take interest in structural engineering was revealed in his interview for the first job. The interviewer asks, "Why structural engineering?" Scofield answers, "I've always been interested in structure, geometry. How things fit together. How an object that performs a function can also be a work of art." This line reveals his interest in understanding, analyzing structural or logical properties of infrastructures or systems in general, leaning towards logical elegance and structural beauty. As Jung mentioned introversion is about having an internal standpoint that filters information as per existing impression with the subject. And thinking is a function that judges the information in terms of logical properties and concepts. Introverted thinking is about analyzing object and forming coherent internal database of impression of logical structures, discarding what doesn't fit their mental model. It is also worth considering that while he was locked up as a child in his room, he would spend time analysing objects around him in darkly lit room, showing his natural orientation towards introverted logic. For planning phase where he was architecting to break Lincoln out, it reveals his processing style further. He pasted all the blueprints for prison and its surrounding infrastructures to wall to analyze. And how he does that? He tried to form mental model for everything on the blueprint in his mind, trying to make sense of it and getting frustrated for not being able to remember connections among the compartments, before he got idea to use tattoo from the pizza delivery girl. This is representation of Ti in planning, trying to forming coherent model in mind to decide how systems could be exploited or a path could be made out by relying on available understanding. While Te is concerned more with using objectively verified data, being more oriented towards what's practical and works out in reality. Michael's plan was tightly packed, requiring a lot of theoretical accuracy and strong reliance on what was absorbed as understanding. Not necessary, but Te users would tend to use law systems, networking, connections, and other channels for very same purpose. But Michael instead uses trust in his theoretical understanding to achieve the goal. Also Te is highly adaptive. While Michael is also adaptive, the entry to exit routes in his plan always remains tightly knit than major adaptations drifting everything away. "If Hooke's law makes logical sense, it will work regardless when drilling holes in walls with a seemingly weak tool." Extroverted intuition being his auxiliary function plays a vital role in the planning. Intuition is about implications and perception beyond what senses can directly register, and extroversion makes it perceive them in external world, adapting, instead of forming impressions internally to subject. His inspiration to use tattoo from delivery girl itself was a major Ne information processing. He saw the tattoo, and it struck him that he could use them with alternate utility than what's directly visible. Also his smartness was defined by how his closely packed Ti plan was balanced and integrated by exploration of possibilites and alternative use case of what would be inside prison. Abruzzi is not just an inmate, he is someone who could provide access to private jet for escaping. Henry Pope's bonding nature provides access to his office. How any tool can serve an unconventional alternative use case in the plan, despite how normal or useless they are perceived by the senses. Whereas Ni is concerned more with forming a singular impression what underlying deeper meaning, same as intuition but subject forms a single meaning instead of seeking pattern in external world. Michael wasn't trying to find meaning in his experience, or he was using his experiences and interpretations to help him with the plan, which Ni is all about. While for his inferior Fe, as an inferior function it remains largely unconscious and polluted by its content, very crude and not habitual like stronger functions (like Ti and Ne here). Seen in how Scofield values harmony with people, and sensitive to emotional atmosphere and pain of others like suicides by young inmates, and observing how people are affected in the prison and outside, occasionally feeling guilty for it too. But he is usually detached and focused on analyzing, and executing his plan with theoretical accuracy, but occasionally bottled up emotions bursting as Fe takes over Ti temporarily for mental compensation.