In this reflection, I talk about socio-emotional learning (SEL) as the latest buzz word in education. I use the concept to make a case that humans are social and emotional beings and considering our socio-emotional capacity (maturity) is critical to our wellness and growth.  

In this reflection, I use two loose (incomplete) metaphors to explore self care and personal responsibility (bubblegum and fire).  Along the way, I consider the following:  the self as a pattern of behaviors (as represented by a recognized pattern of responses to those behaviors); growing yet still loving within intergenerational trauma; respecting certain elements of the socio-emotional world as harmful; perceiving trauma versus feeling trauma; the need for extroverted thinking to have verifiable data; and emotions as a layered phenomenon.  

Much of this reflection is about me exploring my relationship to anger as an INTJ8. I talk about when I distance myself from anger and when I lean into it (specifically considering each of the cognitive functions of my stack). Interesting side discussions: INTJ5s relationship to anger and extroverted sensing; rational anger versus irrational anger; and an update on my father (with Stage 4 cancer) and my sister's repressed (??) reaction to it.

In response to a content creator  I have affectionately named the "INTJ Academic", I connect to his musings about the tertiary function (and its awkwardness).