This page is a work in progress
Part I, Part II, Part III, and Part IV
Disclaimer: Information in this article may be inaccurate. I am new to the AP/PY community, so please understand and help me correct any errors (loretrekker@protonmail.com).
Introduction
In July 2022, I encountered Attitudinal Psyche (AP). It’s a theory of personality developed by Rob Collopy. His website can be found here.
Rob’s theory is a modification of an older theory by Alexander Afanasiev1:
In the late 70s of the twentieth century, Aushra Augustinavichyute founded psychological science, information typology – socionics.
Socionics was based on Jung’s description of psychological types, Freud’s teaching on the structure of the psyche, and Kempinski’s teaching on informational metabolism. On the basis of psychology and computer science, the possibility of a structural study of personality types arose.
In 1986, Alexander Yurievich Afanasiev, having read one of the first works of Aushra Augustinavichyute, developed his own typology of priorities, which he called at first psyche-yoga, that is, translated from two languages, the path of the soul. He currently calls it psychosophy.
link
With the aid of translation software, the English-speaking reader can find out more about Psychosophy at bestsocionics.com.
I cannot read the Russian language and hence I do not have direct access to Alexander Afanasiev’s as yet untranslated writings on Psyche Yoga/Psychosophy (Abbreviated PY). As far as I am aware, the theory has an active community in Russia and Ukraine although it is smaller than the Socionics community. Over a decade ago, I was an active member on the16types.info, an English language Socionics message board, and so I consider myself knowledgeable about that theory. I am also familiar with Jung’s Psychological Types, MBTI, Factor Models, and Enneagram (the last less so than the others).
From what I understand, Rob has kept many elements of PY in AP. The main change is that PY rated the Positions of Aspects based on the mental energy or attention that individuals put towards them whereas Rob rejects this and rates them solely based on the observed Disposition or Attitude the individual has towards the Aspect. In other words, a seemingly slight but important shift from Quantitative to Qualitative at this fundamental layer of the theory. He has provided his own descriptions of the components of the theory, commissioned visual illustrations for his site, and I am assuming he has also fleshed out the theory in other ways, but I cannot know because I have only a skeletal knowledge of PY. The portion of the original theory that dealt with “ego defense strategies” was discarded due to Rob’s modifications and was offloaded to another existing theory, Enneagram, which he has attempted to integrate into AP. It is also notable that Rob claims to have gathered substantial data through questionnaires and face-to-face interviews.
You can find a detailed explanation by Rob of the differences between PY and AP here.
I have no contact with Rob although I would not be opposed to communication or collaboration with him in the future. The aim with my website, in so far as the topic is AP, is not to steal Rob’s thunder nor to claim his ideas as my own. I would merely like to air my thoughts about his valuable efforts.
Now I will present a walkthrough of AP mostly in my own words and using my own visualizations. It will condense the core of the theory on Rob’s site into a linear format. I will utilize my own experiences to describe the theory, but mostly I will try to work within Rob’s frame and refrain from contradicting him or innovating overmuch. I hope these articles may serve as references in later posts or as an introduction to AP for newbies. In the future, I may explore Psychosophy proper or riff on my own theories.
1 Querying a search engine with “Alexander Afanasyev” yields meager results about the author and instead directs to a Russia folk-lorist and ethnographer from the 19th century of the same name. This long dead individual is falsely attributed as the author of The Syntax of Love on many sites including Wikipedia.
Part I Overview
In this part of the walk-through, we will cover the basic elements of the system which build up to Types and their internal functioning.
Layer 1 – Aspects and Positions
An Attitude is composed of an Aspect and a Position. Types are composed of Attitudes.
Aspects
Human experience can be divided into four “Aspects.” Each of these Aspects has its own abbreviation.
Physics (F)
Concerns the experience of material things, sensations, the environment, practical activities, appearances, etc. Can be likened to the “Body” in new age spirituality or pop psychology. Abbreviated to “F” to match the term’s phonetics.1
Logic (L)
Concerns the experience of reasoning, factual accuracy, argumentation, calculation, etc. Can be likened to the “Mind.”
Emotion (E)
Concerns the experience of moods, feelings, sentiments, art, fantasy, morals, relationships, etc. Can be likened to the “Soul” or “Heart.”
Volition (V)
Concerns the experience of willpower, vision, the future, goals, power, character, etc. Can be likened to the “Spirit.”
Aspect Dichotomies
The Aspects can be distinguished from each other across three dichotomies:
Expansive vs. Emphatic
Volition and Logic are Expansive. They invoke masculine “yang” energy. They have a tendency to rise beyond the immediate context.
Physics and Emotion are Emphatic. They invoke feminine “yin” energy. They have a tendency to emphasize what is immediate and instinctual.
Visceral vs. Communicative
Volition and Physics are Visceral. Behaviorally they register more through the non-verbal than the verbal. Another way to put it is that they tend not to be understood in an explicitly communicative way.
Logic and Emotion are Communicative. Behaviorally they register more through the verbal (and/or gestural in the case of emotion) than the non-verbal. Another way to put it is that they are more explicitly communicative and symbolic.
Spiritual vs. Temporal
Volition and Emotion are Spiritual. They deal more often with synthesis and are understood in a nuanced or hard to define way.
Logic and Physics are Temporal. They are more analytic and understood in a granular or detailed way.
The temporal aspects are easier to quickly understand, because there is often real and available evidence to support their existence.
– Rob
| Physics – | Emphatic | Visceral | Temporal |
| Logic – | Expansive | Communicative | Temporal |
| Emotion – | Emphatic | Communicative | Spiritual |
| Volition – | Expansive | Visceral | Spiritual |
The Aspect Dichotomies help us grasp the nature of the Aspects.
Positions and their Dichotomies
Rob’s overview of the Positions concept was sufficiently succinct that I would struggle to paraphrase it:
“There are four positions in Attitudinal Psyche. Each position expresses a positive or negative disposition towards the self and others. These two dispositions are what come together in combination with the aspect held within to form a holistic portrayal of one’s attitude. “
Positions are like empty boxes. Aspects are put into these boxes to form the complete “Attitudes.” One can imagine the Positions as four quadrants, with the horizontal axis being the positive or negative Disposition towards Others, and the vertical axis being the positive or negative Disposition towards the Self. Here is a visual representation:
Self Dispositions
Vertically, we have the Self-Positive and Self-Negative Dispositions. The Confident (1) and Flexible (2) Positions are Self-Positive. An individual believes that they are sufficiently competent in these Aspects; they project an attitude of self-certainty. The Insecure (3) and Unbothered (4) Positions are Self-Negative. An individual believes that they are insufficiently competent in these Aspects; they project an an attitude of self-doubt.
Others Dispositions
Horizontally, we have the Others-Negative and Others-Positive Dispositions. The Confident (1) and Insecure (3) Positions are Others-Negative. An individual believes that “others” (meaning particular people or society at large) are insufficiently competent in these Aspects; they project an attitude of skepticism and protectiveness (or even aggression). The Flexible (2) and Unbothered (4) Positions are Others-Positive. An individual believes that others are sufficiently competent in these Aspects; they project an attitude of open-mindedness and receptivity.
Orientations
Diagonally, we have the Result and Process Orientations. The Confident (1) and Unbothered (4) Positions are Results-Oriented. These Positions are disposed to produce or receive complete chunks of decisively conveyed information. The Flexible (2) and Insecure (3) Positions are Process-Oriented. These Positions are disposed to judiciousness, discussion, and continual exploration.
Another way to look at Positions is to use the analogy of energy flow. The Result Orientations are disposed to uni-directional energy flow. The 1st Position seeks to pour the excess of energy concerning its Aspect into others, but does not want the reverse. The 4th Position has a deficit of energy in its own Aspect and wants to rely on others for charging. The Process Orientations are bi-directional. The 2nd Position feels some excess of energy, but also a desire for more. This gives it a sanguine2 quality. The 3rd Position feels a deficit of energy, but also anxiety about outside influence.
The Positions Summarized
Confident (1) Position
— Self-Positive; Others-Negative; Results-Oriented
— Self-assured; dominant; seeks to deliver results.
Flexible (2) Position
— Self-Positive; Others-Positive; Process-Oriented
— Fearless; open-minded; seeks to guide exploration.
Insecure (3) Position
— Self-Negative; Others-Negative; Process-Oriented
— Apprehensive; skeptical; seeks reassurance and guidance.
Unbothered (4) Position
— Self-Negative; Others-Positive; Results-Oriented
— Unconcerned; deferential; seeks to receive results.
1 Recently, Rob appears to be toying with the idea of relabeling Physics to “Foundation.”
2 Yet another way to analogize the Positions would be to compare them to the Four Humors of ancient and medieval medicine – 1:Choleric. 2:Sanguine. 3:Melancholic. 4:Phlegmatic.
Layer 2 – Attitudes
An Attitude is formed when we place an aspect into a position. There are 16 total Attitudes in Attitudinal Psyche.
– Rob
To recapitulate, there are Aspects (four realms of human experience) and there are Positions (four ways we can be disposed towards those realms). These are combined to form Attitudes. Here is a table with all possible Attitudes:
| 1F | 2F | 3F | 4F |
| 1L | 2L | 3L | 4L |
| 1E | 2E | 3E | 4E |
| 1V | 2V | 3V | 4V |
Recall the following abbreviations from above: Physics (F), Logic (L), Emotion (E), Volition (V), Confident (1), Flexible (2), Insecure (3), Unbothered (4).
All sixteen Attitudes are flavorful and interesting. I recommend the reader check out Rob’s site to gain a deeper comprehension of how they influence personality. I find it entertaining to mull over his descriptions, to reflect on various people you know of, and to identify these Attitudes manifesting in their personalities. My descriptions of the Attitudes below are merely highlights.
Attitude Summaries
1F – Confident Physics
— Resourceful, tasteful, indulgent, picky
2F – Flexible Physics
— Keen Senses, attentive, dispossessive, trendy or fadish
3F – Insecure Physics
— Anxious vanity about physical appearance, hypochondriacal, worried/obsessive about health, money, living space, etc., cleanly and neat
4F – Unbothered Physics
— Unattached to living space, messy, devalue material things, open to advice about practical matters
1L – Confident Logic
— Scholarly, puzzle-solving, know-it-all, defensive about ideas
2L – Flexible Logic
— Informative, patient tutors, over-complexify, argue for amusement, lawyerish
3L – Insecure Logic
— Skeptical, question experts and intellectuals, odd or irrational notions, may misrepresent ideas, notice facts/concepts others may miss
4L – Unbothered Logic
— Not motivated by academic success, rely on others to systematize, open to alternative PoVs, listen to experts
1E – Confident Emotion
— Self-Assured expression, often theatrical, outspoken, stubborn about their feelings, disruptive
2E – Flexible Emotion
— Emotional validation, active listeners, fickle, manipulative
3E – Insecure Emotion
— Distrusting of intentions, blow up emotionally, confused by their own feelings, may find hidden potential in art
4E – Unbothered Emotion
— Even-keeled moods, Unexpressive, emotionally unsophisticated, admirers of expressive/artistic people
1V – Confident Volition
— Strong-willed, leadership qualities, one-person-show, domineering
2V – Flexible Volition
— Motivational, offer multiple solutions, diplomatic, overly-judicious
3V – Insecure Volition
— Anxious about work-ethic, power structures, energy levels, motivation, the future, etc. Can be hyper-vigilant towards authority figures or subtle influencers
4V – Unbothered Volition
— Unconcerned about life-direction, feel their character is static, take time to energize themselves, recognize others with leadership qualities
There is a nuance here that I would like to draw the reader’s attention to. When we say that someone has “Unbothered Emotion,” we should not think that this means the person is generally “Unbothered.” That person may be quite bothered due to anxieties related to their Insecure Position or to traumatic/stressful life experiences otherwise. And the same rationale applies to the other three Positions. We should not conflate the Position of someone’s Emotion Aspect with their overall neuroticism. Instead, we should view the Emotion Aspect as really pertaining to what I call “Emotion +” which is the more sophisticated or deeper side of emotionality beyond basic stress, fear, anger, happiness, lust, etc. This deals with emotional intuitions, art, expression, passion, fantasy, relationships, morals, etc. When we view Emotion in this manner then we avoid overlap with the Positions themselves. A Type with Unbothered Emotion may be quite bothered, but their disposition towards recognizing the emotions in a complex way or to expressing themselves is going to be weak and muted. A Type with Confident Emotion is not negative towards other people just because their disposition is “Others-Negative!” What the theory actually implies is that they put their Emotions (positive or negative) “up against the world”; they are resistant to being influenced by others and confidently trust their grip on the emotional realm. A Type with Insecure Emotion is not a completely insecure person who is always anxious or negative. The Insecure Emotion does not cover their entire personality just because all dispositions have an element of affect. Instead, they are Insecure when dealing with complexity in Emotion because their feeling is that “I am bad at this/I don’t want to put energy towards this,” but also “I can’t trust others/the world, so I must painstakingly work through this.” We can extend the lines of reasoning above to differentiate Intelligence and Logic, Bodily Constitution and Physics, and Status/Success and Volition.
Layer 3A – Types
A Type in AP is composed of four attitudes arranged according to their position (1, 2, 3, and 4). There are twenty-four such possible combinations of Attitudes in AP. Here is a table of all the Types:
| FVLE | FLVE | EVLF | ELVF |
| LVFE | LFVE | EVFL | EFVL |
| VLFE | VFLE | ELFV | EFLV |
| VFEL | VEFL | LFEV | LEFV |
| VLEF | VELF | FLEV | FELV |
| LVEF | LEVF | FVEL | FEVL |
I will not attempt a description here of the Types. You can find Rob’s descriptions here. I would suggest skipping that link until you understand the loftier layers of the theory. Then head back there and enjoy Rob’s efforts with clear comprehension.
Layer 3B – Blocks and Functions
Blocks and Functions are how a Type’s Attitudes relate to one another. This part of the theory concerns intratype relations.
Blocks
A Block is composed of two Aspects, one that is Dominant, and the other Supporting. There are twelve possible Block combinations and six Block Pairs. They have been given appropriate nicknames. Each row in the following table is a Block Pair.
| VL/LV | VL – Expertise (punditry, negotiation, authority) | LV – Action Planning (strategy, mapping, diagramming) |
| VF/FV | VF – Command (control, force, poise) | FV – Composition (survival, adaptation, configuration) |
| VE/EV | VE – Motivation (provocation, pushing, teamwork) | EV – Inspiration (diplomacy, encouragement, enthusiasm) |
| LF/FL | LF – Precision (order, accuracy, structure) | FL – Logistics (coordination, surveillance, prospecting, appraisal) |
| LE/EL | LE – Education (pedagogy, enlightenment, erudition) | EL – Artistry (vocalization, correspondence, narration) |
| FE/EF | FE – Enjoyment (Indulgence, pleasure, taste) | EF – Excitement (passion, portrayal, entertainment) |
The Dominant Aspect of a Block “harnesses” the Supporting Aspect. To harness something is to both limit that thing as well as to utilize its power (for example, to harness electricity or to harness a horse). Other words we might use are “channel” and “format.” So the Dominant Aspect constrains the Supporting Aspect and makes use of its power for the Dominant’s own ends.
For example, let us look at the VL/LV Block Pair. VL is when a Dominant Volition harnesses Logic such that Logic supports Volition. In a debate or negotiation, this Block is activated. Volition keeps the desired goal of the interaction in focus while Logic is gathered or manipulated to further the agenda. This Block is also useful when trying to appear as an expert or authority figure. Do not get it twisted – VL is not necessarily manipulative or superficial, it is just that it subordinates Logic to the ends of the Will. VL asks, “If I want to actualize my vision, then how can I use Logic to bring it about?”
The reverse of this is the LV Block, which is Logic harnessing Volition. LV wants to reformat Volitional topics such that they accord with a Logical schema. An analogy would be the study of Game Theory. Game Theory reduces complex decisions into payoff matrices. The specific decisions are not of interest because what matters is that decision-making in general be made digestible to Logic. LV constrains Volition into formats that promote logical analysis and information gathering. LV manifests when someone tries to unpack a complex situation by logically breaking it down into distinct options. In fairness to VL, which may have been perceived as manipulative, LV can suffer from analysis paralysis and “good on paper, but not in practice” syndrome.
Functions
Functions govern the relation between two Positions within a Type. Because there are six possible combinations, there are six Functions. For example, the first, or “Lifepath” Function, governs the relationship between the 1st (Confident) and 2nd (Flexible) Position. Each Function will be associated with a Block Pair based on the relevant Positions involved.
One Block in the Pair will be the Automating Force and the other will be the Restrained Force. The Automating Force is the Block that matches the Function Left to Right (1>2>3>4) and the Restrained is the reverse (1<2<3<4). For example, an LVFE’s Lifepath Function (1<>2) will contain the VL/LV Block Pair. The Automating Force is LV (1>2) and the Restrained Force is VL (1<2). For the VLFE, this would be switched.
If the automating force is triggered and operates independently of the restrained force, then the trap is activated. The trap is the common ways in which each AP type falls into attitudinal conundrums and conflicts. When the restrained force is triggered and operates in tandem with the automating force, the gift is activated.
– Rob
As he explains, when the Automating Force operates without restraint, the Trap is activated. The Trap of a Function is an unbalanced cognitive and behavioral pattern that one falls into. The instinct of the unbalanced individual is to double-down on their habitual behavior which causes further unbalance and suffering. By balancing oneself, one is able to activate the Gift and escape the psychological trough.
The first three Functions are called “Cognizant” and the last three are called “Reflective”
Individuals tend to place most of their own ego and personal mental energy into the cognizant functions, while conceptualizing, hypothesizing, undervaluing, ignoring, or minimizing their attitudes towards the reflective functions.
– Rob
| Cognizant: | Lifepath (1<>2) | Growing Edge (1<>3) | Resolution (1<>4) |
| Reflective: | Construction (2<>3) | Insight (2<>4) | Outsource (3<>4) |
A brief summarization of the Functions:
Lifepath (1<>2)
Contains the most self-confident part of the ego
– Rob
These Positions are both Self-Positive.
Growing Edge (1<>3)
Contains the most vulnerable, subjective, and protected part of the ego
-Rob
These Positions are both Others-Negative.
Resolution (1<>4)
Contains the most efficient, stubborn, and resolute part of the ego
– Rob
These Positions are both Results Oriented.
Construction (2<>3)
Contains the most thought-provoking, changeable, reflective and inconsistent part of the ego
– Rob
These Positions are both Process Oriented.
Insight (2<>4)
Contains the most accepting, open-ended, and fearless part of the ego
– Rob
These Positions are both Others-Positive
Outsource (3<>4)
Contains the least confident and most fatiguing part of the ego. Rob has not finished the page on the Outsource Function as of yet, so I am filling in the blanks.
These Positions are both Self-Negative.
Example
Lets continue our LVFE example from above and display all the Functions in a table:
| Cognizant | Lifepath: LV/VL | Growing Edge: LF/FL | Resolution: LE/EL |
| Reflective | Construction: VF/FV | Insight: VE/EV | Outsource: FE/EF |
The Automating Blocks are displayed before the / and the Restrained Blocks after. Types will sometimes share the same Block structure in a Function. For example, both the LVFE and the LEFV share LF/FL as their Growing Edge which adds to their cognitive-behavioral similarity.
Clubs
Club is an element of AP that does not have an obvious place in the theory stack, so I decided to stick them here at the end of Part I as Blocks and Functions are still fresh in the mind.
The concept is simple enough to comprehend: Take the Lifepath Block Pair of a Type and group them with the other three Types that share that Lifepath Block Pair. For example, the LVFE, VLFE, VLEF, and LVEF all share VL/LV (Expertise/Action Planning). There are thus six of these groups in total. The Types in these groups have an outward similarity to one another and often share interests and occupations because their attitudes are self-confident in those topics. Clubs are somewhat superficial, but still valuable for typing purposes.
The Adept Club
VLFE – VLEF – LVFE – LVEF
Volition and Logic are Expansive, so these Types have a tendency to look beyond the immediate context and are often gazing towards the horizon in anticipation of the next frontier. They tend to take an interest in politics, technology, business, new theoretical models, futurology, or anything cutting edge. Because their self-doubting Aspects are Emotion and Physics, they downplay aesthetics, mood, and comforts particularly in social contexts.
The Vigorous Club
VFLE – VFEL – FVLE – FVEL
Volition and Physics are Visceral, so these Types tend to have a very physical manifestation of their energy, constantly on the move and getting things done. They often take an interest in sports, combat, athleticism, survival skills, feats of strength or dexterity, or anything physically competitive or otherwise strenuous. Because they are self-doubting about Emotion and Logic, they downplay topics dealing with sophisticated communication, art, philosophy, and education.
The Spirited Club
VELF – VEFL – EVLF – EVFL
Volition and Emotion are Spiritual, so these Types tend to address the loftier side of human affairs dealing with motivation, inspiration, religion or ideology, and community leadership. They are often trying to bring people together to change the world in some way, but always with an element of spiritual or emotional transformation for those involved. They believe themselves incompetent in Logic and Physics, so the more detail-oriented areas of life remain unaddressed and left to others.
The Festive Club
FEVL – FELV – EFVL – EFLV
Physics and Emotion are Emphatic, so these Types are mainly interested in the immediate context that real life takes place in. This context concerns the relation between the physical environment and the emotional states of those in it. Moods, aesthetics, atmospheres, festivities, etc. are in focus for this Club, so it is usual for them to become event planners, designers, caretakers, artisans, creative-types, musicians, and performers. They downplay Logic and Volition and so are not particularly far-seeing.
The Enlightened Club
LEVF – LEFV – ELVF – ELFV
Logic and Emotion are Communicative, so these Types take a special interest in sophisticated, highly verbal or symbolic correspondence between people. Teaching, philosophy, fine art and art theory, literature, poetry, theater, and any other field which is both informational and affective. Due to their belief in self-incompetence regarding Volition and Physics, they will be inclined to avoid areas that are physically exhausting, competitive, and materialistic.
The Thorough Club
LFVE – LFEV – FLVE – FLEV
Logic and Physics are Temporal, so these Types give off an impression of groundedness, rigor, and detail-orientation. Systematizing the physical world in a thorough way feels natural to them. It is common to find them as technicians, merchants, administrators, consultants, scientists, and operators of complex equipment. On the other hand, they downplay their spiritual natures and it is therefore rare to see them taking a leading role regarding motivation, inspiration, or spiritual transformation.