The Dark and Light Sides of the LII

ESE’s emotional palette can sometimes differ so drastically depending on their mood that it feels like you're dealing with two completely different people. When a ESE is in a positive mindset, they are one person; when they are in a negative one, they are someone else entirely. This manifests in everything—their thinking, their habits, even their facial expressions. It’s the exact same story with LIIs, except it takes on an even more radical form.

Broadly speaking, there are two types of LIIs: the kind ones and the "mean" ones.

• There are LIIs who radiate lightness, warmth, and simplicity. Very chill guys who don't hold grudges, mind their own business, and are easy and pleasant to be around.

• And then there are those bitter ones, resentful of the entire world, heavy characters who are genuinely difficult to communicate with because they act like emotional vampires, sucking all the energy right out of you.

I’ve encountered the second type more often. Highly focused, LIIs often take long pauses before answering and wear a bitter, snarling expression like a beaten dog. After interacting with one, you feel as emotionally exhausted as if you had done ten consultations.

Though not overtly emotional, their feelings are easily readable and weigh heavily on others. They rarely voice dissatisfaction directly; instead, they bottle it up and broadcast a silent storm of negativity. You end up exerting massive emotional effort—reassuring, inviting dialogue, trying to resolve contradictions—just to drag anything out. When finally cornered, a torrent of criticism and negativity often pours out.

This stems from their Ne (Extraverted Intuition) serving their base Ti (Introverted Logic). LIIs hold unshakeable internal opinions that are rarely explained outright. Facts contradicting them are ignored. Backed into a corner, they creatively construct narrow scenarios where only their hypothesis holds, selectively using confirming evidence while dismissing alternatives. They may formally acknowledge your points, only to neutralize them with a deadly “Yes, but...” that reframes everything in their favor.

LIIs accept only logic that fits their system, making argument largely pointless. They almost never admit being wrong, as doing so would threaten their ego. Alternative views are only considered on their own terms; being proven wrong by someone else is intolerable. In this sense, they act as martyrs to their principles, willing to sacrifice relationships to preserve “I am right.”

They are inflexible in communication yet skilled at subtle, gradual brainwashing—planting ideas through careful allegories and roundabout suggestions so the target reaches the desired conclusions themselves. This is especially damaging in ESE-LII pairs. Lacking valued Fi and Se, LIIs don’t confront directly; instead, they create a schizophrenic atmosphere where the ESE suddenly feels undermined, worthless, or paranoid without any explicit accusation. The ESE grows gloomy, hardened, and bitter, often unable to pinpoint why.

According to my observation, relationships in ESE-LII pairs fail in about 9 out of 10 cases. LIIs harm themselves through this paranoid, projective negativity—seeing oppression, humiliation, or hidden motives everywhere. Unlike ILIs, whose negativity is more fact-based and supported by valued Se (making them harder to break), LIIs display a hypertrophied sensitivity to pressure that poisons their interactions.

Anyway, let's not dwell on the sad stuff. There are "light" LIIs too. As a rule, these are the guys who don't need to prove anything to anyone, who don't need to fight anyone. They mind their own favorite business, are left to their own devices, and hold an expert position.

For instance, one of them owns an electronics repair shop. I have a young child who manages to break a laptop and various other electronic devices several times a year, so I visit him often. He’s a very pleasant guy to talk to. Quiet, calm, reasonable. He manages to fix even the most battered things. If you ask, he always explains the cause of the breakdown. It's incredibly easy to be around him; he knows how to soothe you with his reasoning.

Seriously, you leave with the confidence that the problem is fixable, that you just need to do X and Y, and the thing will work again.

For as long as I’ve lived here, I’ve known about this shop. They don't do any advertising; they are known purely through word of mouth. A few other LIIs and one ILE work in his office. When the ILE is on duty, the quiet, low-key atmosphere fills with laughter and positivity. When he’s not there, the guys work in deep concentration. They have tons of microchips, circuit boards, and even that distinct smell of electronic equipment. Piles of disassembled computers, sensors, lamps, soldering irons.

I also think I’ve noticed LIIs in a stage of transformation, transitioning from the light side to the dark side. This is when the LII hasn't turned bitter yet, but that ray of kindness is already gone. Situationally, it's always tied to social status—when a certain figure appears and starts drilling into the LII that they aren't making enough money, that they're wasting time on nonsense, that they need to be more aggressive/pushy, etc.

ILEs can seemingly allow themselves to slack off, to mess around—they have a very light approach to life. But LIIs are not like that (farsighted, strategic negativists). They are always under some sort of pressure from responsibilities and obligations. It's as if LIIs always need to prove something to someone. But this isn't their own desire. It's an external program imposed on them. And perhaps a mechanism kicks in here: since I'm hurting, you're going to hurt too.

Source: S. Ionkin