Dual Relations

Relationships of consonance, of complete psychological complement.

Union of opposites up to the point of merging. Compatible opposites. There's a basis for union—3+1: opposition in 3 fundamental traits and similarity in one (Rationality/Irrationality). There is a possibility to establish a temperamental balance, which lies at the core of compatibility. It resembles, in nature, the relationship between species called symbiosis.

Warm relationship.

At first, things aren't great, but then, once they get used to each other, a strong bond forms—so strong it's impossible to break apart. Different sounds that first need to tune to one another, and then they create harmony together.

At first, you don't know what to do—it's confusing, difficult, you feel stuck. But then suddenly, something clicks, it starts to flow, you begin to enjoy it, things get better, and eventually it becomes stable and good. A dual (in socionics) is usually not appealing at first, especially from a distance. When you first meet them, you don't feel like talking to them—they seem uninteresting, they think about the “wrong” things, they're hard to understand. Things tend to slow down and even drop into a kind of emotional pit. Then there's a kind of turning point—a “click”—where you do something for them and they respond in kind. It's like mutual support begins. You start thinking, “Actually, they're not so bad,” and you begin communicating. The interaction becomes engaging, interest grows, and soon it stabilizes at a consistently positive level.

In the beginning it feels wrong, but once you've adjusted to each other, a strong bond forms—so strong it's hard to break. Often, duals even meet through conflict. But as they work through it, the relationship strengthens. A dual isn't initially attractive—“not the kind of person I thought would suit me.” People are often guided by stereotypes, like someone who's generally appealing to everyone (for example, an LSI if it's a man, or an EIE if it's a woman). But when it comes to a truly compatible partner, most people don't really know who they need—unless they've had experience with dual interaction in their family or school environment, which helps them understand different group roles better.

An example of dual relations: a binary star system—two objects of equal mass orbiting around a common center of gravity, forming a very stable, eternal cyclic repetition of circular motion.

The flip side of duality can be a strong merging with the dual, a dependency so intense that separation feels like death. You become so de-trained, narrowly focused, and fused together like two halves of a whole, that if one half is torn away, the other cannot survive.

With a dual, at first, you lose energy, argue, don't understand each other, adapt, but once the adjustment happens, you reach a comfortable energy level and want to stay there all the time.

Periodically, dual relationships tend to shift into Extinguishment relationships (mutual criticism), and back again.

In dual relationships, there is a harmonization and balance that a person needs for a full and meaningful existence. These relationships have a calming effect. It's like when you're hungry (in your suggestive function) and someone feeds you exactly what you crave. There is a sense of rest in these relationships, and no rush—but it can be difficult to gain momentum and build energy, because the dual partner tends to relax and calm you down just as you begin to become highly active.

Purpose: Personal life, recreation

Integral Type: Mediator (SEI / -Si)

Characteristics: Comfort, Care

Comforting, caring, compatible, good treatment of a partner. Symbiotic relationships, averaging out so much that a state of maximum physical and ethical comfort is achieved. You feel relaxed, constantly ethically supported and understood with proper integration. Introverted – outside interference worsens these relationships. Sensory – shouldn't engage in something abstract or distant unless it's combined with eating, relaxing, etc. Irrational – you can't really agree on anything definitively; you agree on one thing and then end up doing something else instead. These relationships are not rationally manageable, so they don't suit work well, as they relax rather than organize or motivate—they're more for rest.

Symmetrical relationships (horizontal, as equals).