When discussing Sextas in Attitudinal Psyche, it is important to note that we are dealing with imaginary constructs. A Sexta only exists in real life when four individuals, each representing one of the four types within a single Sexta, interact in isolation. However, these scenarios are rare and transient and are not the way we should conceptualize Sextas. Instead, when describing the nature of a Sexta and its associated behavior patterns or preferences, we are really conjuring a fantasy society that is pure potential with almost no actualization in the real world. This allows us to grasp the essential themes of the Sexta that would otherwise be obscured by exceptions. A Sexta is not a temporary event; it is an eternal composition of orientations.
It is important to recognize this nuance since it may not be immediately apparent how a Sexta can be relevant to a type in isolation. However, a type, through its attitudes, holds preferences concerning what attitudes others should exhibit and hence subconsciously manifests its Sexta in the world. It accomplishes this passively when it expects others to conform to its attitudes and actively when it seeks to shape society and the environment.
- The Confident Position prefers others to be Unbothered or Confident.
- The Flexible Position prefers others to be Insecure or Flexible.
- The Insecure Position prefers others to be Flexible or Insecure.
- The Unbothered Position prefers others to be Confident or Unbothered.
Even in isolation, a type subtly exhibits its Sexta, and it surrounds the individual like an unspoken invitation. Sextas are collections of types who share the same aspect orientations, but they also radiate from individual types as a result of their attitudes. This is an example of a general principle in social psychology: the interrelation between individual behavior and collective constructs.
We can see now that the nature of a Sexta is dual. It consists of the behaviors we expect from its four types when they interact with each other in isolation, as well as a latent set of orientations shared by those types which they subconsciously project outwards. Let us now move on to the various angles from which we can distinguish Sextas.
The first angle is to look at the orientation affinities individually. This allows for easy comparison to other Sextas. For example, taking Pente, we can list and evaluate the separate natures of Results Volition, Results Physics, Process Emotion, and Process Logic.
The second angle is to describe the combination of each Result orientation with each Process orientation. These “meta-affinities” are not unique to a Sexta because another Sexta may share them. Nonetheless, meta-affinities help us distinguish a Sexta from the others. For example, both Tria and Tessera share Results Volition with Process Physics.
The third angle is similar to the second, but we elaborate on how the combination of the two Result or two Process orientation affinities produces a unique meta-affinity. For example, Dio is the only Sexta with both Results Logic and Results Emotion, making the interplay between these two Results orientations unique to that Sexta. The same is true for Dio regarding Process Physics and Volition.
The fourth angle references the Aspect Block Pairs in relation to the third angle above. Each Sexta has a Block Pair that is always Results Oriented for its types and a Block Pair that is always Process Oriented. For example, Exi types are always Results-Oriented when it comes to LF/FL (Precision and Logistics) and always Process Oriented regarding VE/EV (Motivation and Inspiration). This angle is useful because it illustrates the areas in which a Sexta is extreme.
The fifth angle of looking at Sextas notes which of the four Clubs are represented and which are absent. For example, Tria is represented by the Adept, Vigorous, Enlightened, and Festive clubs, but not by the Thorough and Spirited clubs. This angle is important because it sheds light on which social roles or life paths are deemed valuable for specialization and which are not. The fifth angle is related to the fourth because the unrepresented clubs are also areas of extreme orientation. In the case of Tria, it is extremely Results-Oriented in VE/EV, which corresponds to the absent Spirited Club, and radically Process-Oriented in LF/FL, which corresponds to the absent Thorough Club.
The sixth angle indicates the position of the Sexta within the “Evolution Cycle,” also known as the “Chaos Cycle” or “Social Progression Cycle.” The Evolution Cycle is a linear progression consisting of six phases, followed by a return to the initial phase to begin again. It represents the way that the management of chaos evolves as one paradigm leads into the next. Each Sexta is inclined towards one of these phases. For example, Ena is positioned at the initial phase of the Evolution Cycle, which involves coming to grips with chaos as a direct experience:
Evolution Cycle: Experiencing chaos. Seeking the unknown and trying to understand what is happening through emotions, raw sensations, and comfort (or discomfort).
Ena Sexta
As an analogy to cycles of civilization, Ena would be the period after complete civilizational collapse where all has become frontier/wilderness again and chaos is at its highest external manifestation. Related to the Evolution Cycle is the Sexta’s Role:
Role: Beginning lifecycles. Starting anew. Uncovering secrets, taboo, the hidden and bringing them to light through playful banter and discussion. Prefer comfort in the immediate environment, discomfort in the outside environment. Separating work and pleasure. Hands-on discovery of the new and interesting.
Ena Sexta
Creating a comprehensive guide to the Sextas should involve depicting them from each of the above angles. I plan to do that soon.