Basic e*fa (IcFuAu)

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This is a relatively common and generally effective adjustment of the primitive IFA orientation. The e*fa individual has reacted against his succor dependency needs and has developed some discipline of intellectual and autistic activities. In addition, he has learned to exploit his sensitivity. This combination can often result in considerable creativity and imagination. The e*fa is socially and interpersonally oriented and is both willing and eager to take responsibility or assume authority. Since, as a primitive F, he must have some understanding before he can learn, it can be expected that the e*fa will be realistic about skills; he will rarely undertake anything that he does not understand or appreciate.

Behavioral activity, of the sort seen in the e*r*a*, [IcFcUc] is also characteristic of the e*fa. He does not have the highly individualized toughness of the e*r*a*, [IcFcUc] but he does tend to have highly individualized interests. For example, many excellent tennis and basketball players and football quarterbacks will come from this adjustment group. Dancing, swimming, golf, and vigorous outdoor activities are common here. The e*fa are people who like to be active and, in most instances, they have a high tolerance for fatigue.

The e*fa is experientially curious. He gets a thrill out of all types of sensual stimulation, from cold showers to music to social conversation. The i*fa, [EcFuAu] in contrast, tends to be passive and contemplative because he is defending against his early activity. On the other hand, the i*fa [EcFuAu] will be active intellectually and can be characterized as intellectually curious. The e*fa is also sexually active, but is usually very well controlled. Masturbation, as such, is very threatening to him because of its autosexual and autistic connotations. He will react very much against autosexualilty by becoming extremely active in heterosexual relationships in spite of the fact that he is not inclined to become involved, in the reciprocal sense, of efa [EuFuAu] or the i*fa, [EcFuAu] with his partners.

The practical application of ideals is an important motivating factor for the e*fa. He feels he learns something in order to use it. If he becomes interested in religion, which is common, he really wants to practice what he preaches. Not only this, he also wants others to do so, too. Thus, the e*fa is an advocate. He enjoys persuasion, argument, and discussion. Under most circumstances, he is not authoritarian or discipline-oriented. He really wants people to believe, to understand, and to accept his ideas and beliefs. In this sense, he is tolerant and understanding person.

However, once he recognized that someone cannot, or will not, understand or accept his ideas, he can be quite arbitrary and unfeeling in the way he rebuffs or rejects them. Many young socialists and young communists come from this cluster; as they grow older, however, they lose much of their enthusiasm and dedication and devote more time to their individual interests. Initially, the e*fa is very perceptive of, and attracted to anything that has a group feeling and group enthusiasm. However, he is equally perceptive of lack of true identification and readily becomes disillusioned with the group. A primary characteristic of the e*fa, that is extremely difficult to define is that he will abandon a group or an individual that does not live up to his ideals; however, he really modifies these ideals, but continues to look for other groups or persons that may live up to his expectations. Thus, the e*fa, like the i*fa, [EcFuAu] has a low threshold for disillusionment. However, the i*fa [EcFuAu] is inclined to look within himself to find out what is wrong with his ideals. The e*fa has no need to do this, since he is sure about his ideals, but may become bitter and cynical at the failure of others to come up to a standard. This is the sort of adjustment that can produce the individual who is very concerned with raising standards in school, professions, and occupations in order to keep out those who cannot really qualify. There is, thus, an element of snobbishness in the e*fa. He sets very high standards for his associations and relationships and will rarely compromise them. It is this kind of person who, if raised in Nazi Germany, could accept and identify with the social purification ideas of National Socialism. If reared in the deep south of the United States, or as a white South African, he can accept and identify with the concept of segregation or apartheid. If reared in the Soviet Union, he can accept and identify with the "new man" idea of communism. More so than most, the e*fa will hold on to, and remain loyal to, the principles, ideals, and concepts established early in his life. Dedication, enthusiasm, and zeal are all characteristics of this adjustment. The e*fa is the kind of person who knows in what he believes and has the courage of his convictions.