Guest Post by Hogan, INFP

Calvin And Hobbes

Dominant Introverted Feeling (Fi): Calvin follows his own path at all times and doesn’t care what anyone thinks of him. He doesn’t seem very emotional at first, but this is just because he expresses his feelings in ways that aren’t generally socially acceptable. He despises anyone who tries to control him or allows themselves to be controlled. He never plays with other children not because he doesn’t want a companion, but because he sees them all as sheep (“Today for show and tell I’ve brought a tiny marvel of nature: a single snowflake. I think we all might learn a lesson from how this utterly unique and exquisite crystal. . . turns into an ordinary, boring molecule of water, just like every other one, when you bring it into the classroom. And now, while the analogy sinks in, I’ll be leaving you drips and going outside”). In his loneliness, he creates Hobbes, someone as independent as him.

Auxiliary Extroverted Intuition (Ne): Calvin is an incredibly imaginative child who lives in his own world. He is the MacGyver of fun, enjoying himself with just a cardboard box and a stuffed tiger. He sees possibilities in everything and small things will prompt him to bizarre philosophical rants.

Tertiary Introverted Sensing (Si): When Calvin is interested in something, he will obsess over it and seek all the information he can on the subject. The most obvious example is dinosaurs. He repeatedly goes back to certain fantasies (Spaceman Spiff, Stupendous Man, Tracer Bullet) most of which are his own interpretations of TV he’s watched or comic books he’s read. His life revolves around a stuffed tiger he’s had presumably since he was an infant.

Inferior Extroverted Thinking (Te): He has no problem questioning things that don’t make sense to him (the annual camping trip, school, rules in general) or harshly criticizing those who he thinks are wrong, but he generally has a very poor grasp of objective reality, to the point that his fantasies sometimes overshadow reality entirely.