Why I'm sticking to serving vegan businesses—it's an ISTJ thing, and it's so stubborn

Your cognitive functions may reveal the premise behind your choices. It may explain why you're super stubborn about stuff you truly care about.

Fulfillment.

A few types exist.

Personal fulfillment. Order fulfillment.

I'm trying to talk about the former.

You see...

Personal fulfillment matters a lot to me. I'm an ISTJ* type, after all.

And no, you don't have to be me to desire the same.

You only need to have a very strong, super stubborn Fi—introverted Feeling—driving you.

And nope, this isn't just about emotions.

This cognitive function, this Fi thing, doesn't only refer to feelings.

It's more about one's core values.

The deepest ones. Those that words couldn't seem to describe in full.

When you're driven by this cognitive function, you're essentially choosy.

And that's not necessarily a bad thing.

You're choosy because you can't afford to behave the opposite way.

You can't afford to live your life otherwise.

Why?

Because doing so will eat away at your identity.

Yes, identity matters a lot to people with strong Fi.

To such individuals, their identity ties tightly with their core values.

Now you might think it has to be that way for anyone.

Uhm, no, not really.

Believe me, my friend, some people can afford to work on something they don't actually agree with.

As long as it's paying them, it's fine.

It happens.

Are we judging them?

Nah. Far from it.

I'm only saying that if you feel you're gasping for air at work...

What I'm trying to illustrate here might just be the case.

Sure, there may be many other reasons.

Like... you could simply be drowning in debt.

And stress from your boss.

Or, you're under a pile of overdue paperwork.

But...

If those are just the tip of the iceberg...

Then the bulk of the iceberg—the one thing that's keeping you from moving forward...

That gigantic chunk could be your 90%—

Yup, the 90% of the berg, the huge hidden part...

The part that's below the waterline...

That one enormous thing could be your strongest drive.

Your deepest core.

The entirety of your dearly held values.

Problem is... you're hiding them.

You're suppressing the principles that make you you.

Thing is... you're likely afraid.

Sometimes, you can't explain these "reasons" using logic.

Ironic that we often refer to them as reasons, yuh...

When, to many people, they're simply unreasonable.

That's why we refer to them as part of your "introverted Feeling" function.

You just know.

You simply know within you what you want and what you don't want.

You have that feeling other people just don't get.

And most people...

They would not understand.

That's why we call those values "feelings."

They're not supposed to be easily understood.

Sure, someone genius could weave a logical explanation.

They could trace your cultural background.

They could examine your beliefs from childhood.

Patterns. They might discover clues in your upbringing.

When they begin the examination, the brilliant could reach a data-based conclusion.

But...

That's not always the case.

At least not apparently.

Or immediately.

In most circumstances, people couldn't explain the thing.

Not even you can.

Not fully.

The subjects that matter to you, those principles...

Sometimes it would feel like you've drawn them from the very depths of your being.

Or from the farthest galaxies that your eyes alone could behold.

Huh!

Fantasy?!

Honestly, that's what many people still think of when it comes to veganism.

Maybe.

Perhaps it's a fantasy.

But not so with me.

I know why I'm making my choices.

That's what you'd typically get from a person who only has Fi—introverted Feeling—as their third function, not their first or second.

In my case, my Fi is under my Te—my extroverted Thinking.

My Te looks at all available data, those that are external. Those outside of me.

I see the world with a point A and a point B.

I recognize the consequences that naturally result from certain choices.

Some divert me to a point C.

I could easily detect those pathways and ignore them in a blink.

I take note of what works.

I pick the most efficient road.

So when I look at veganism, I see it for what it is.

It's the path.

It's the champion.

The potential solution to most of the troubles this world is experiencing.

Oh, I know, I know.

My Fi is fighting back. Hard and strong.

It says, Nah. There's actually something deeper. You're calling it "love is the theory of everything." That's what you really believe in, Karen.

Okay, my dear Fi, I got you.

But let me remind our dearer reader here...

Yes, you.

Veganism is actually just a manifestation of this LITTOE thing.

LITTOE?

Uhm, that's short for "Love Is The Theory Of Everything."

I'm thinking maybe I should write a book on this subject.

Anyway...

As I was saying...

Veganism is just love in action.

When people embrace its principles, they're choosing to vote against animal cruelty.

They're choosing kindness. Compassion. Mercy.

Someone might ask...

Karen, these things don't matter. We're talking about business here. Why bother?

See?

I just told you a few lines ago.

Some people would prefer to treat life as only a business venture.

Nothing more.

To these people, veganism won't make any sense.

We're all going to die anyway.

I've repeatedly heard them say that.

Like... a million times already.

And to attempt to argue with these minds...

It's tiring.

It would seem like punching the air.

You won't land a jab, a hook, an uppercut.

No, nothing, nada.

You try to explain.

You can't.

To you, it seems so clear.

To them, everything's murky...

Like floodwater mixed with decades-old stinking garbage.

So, vegan businesses?

That reads like an oxymoron.

A putting together of two things that seem to contradict each other.

After all, businesses, in general, are only after the moolah—oops.

Really, though?

Not all, of course.

Many successful ventures have prospered because of a virtuous mission statement.

And vegan businesses are like that.

They're golden.

In a wasteland of only indulgent marketing, vegan brands are a breath of fresh air.

Of course, I tremble at the thought of generalizing all other niches as rubbish.

Many more industries are fighting a just cause.

It's just that, maybe, I don't share their battles.

And that's a huge part of why I'm sticking to serving the vegan market.

If that sounds ridiculous and illogical, it's prolly because of my Fi stubbornness.

You see...

Veganism is also my battle.

It's personal to me.

I could write about it and for it.

Endlessly.

Without any internal resistance.

And when I write with sustainable energy...

I know it's always when the topic is personally meaningful to me.

Otherwise, the energy just dies.

The fuel is unrenewable.

Truth is...

It's only when I write with a conscious conviction that I don't get exhausted.

Veganism satisfies that criterion oh so well.

It fits the bill.

I believe it, I embrace it, and I have all the energy to promote it.

When veganism is the subject, I'm an infinite, bottomless well.

There's always something to draw. To drink. To fill your thirst with.

It's like a burning passion.

But f*ck passion!

There, I mentioned it.

Again, some people would not believe in passion.

And I let them be.

It's their style.

I dare not make them my punching bag.

They have their own way of dealing with things.

Yup, you could say they have a different set of cognitive functions.

That's how their mind operates.

So why waste my energy on arguing against them?

I'm sticking to my stubbornness.

Why?

Reasons.

Huh.

I could not operate otherwise, anyway.

Sure, sure.

I could struggle and strive for a few more years.

Just doing what everybody else does.

But—and here's a huge one.

My Te favors me this time.

You see...

My kind reader, the vegan industry is booming today.

Why stop now?

I mean, from a purely profit-based standpoint, however evil that may seem to sound...

It's a miss if you don't join the trend.

Heck, even mainstream favorites such as KFC and Starbucks are joining the game.

Yuh, it might only be a game for them.

But people are noticing the hustle.

Entrepreneurial giants are sensing the change.

Even lawmakers are giving in.

They're modifying the rules.

They're now listening.

Why, of all times, stop now?

With both Te and Fi on board, why venture otherwise?

And to think...

I haven't even discussed my Si—introverted Sensing—yet.

The Si is my hero function.

It's my primary driver.

It's my dominant cognitive preference.

Like the Fi, my Si is internal.

It senses past experiences, those embedded inside my memories.

It's internally sensing.

Instead of giving most of my attention to external tangible things in the now...

My mind naturally turns to what's already been.

And the lessons thereof.

And that speaks a lot about my preference for the vegan market.

If you didn't know, my dear reader...

My vegan journey began in 2008.

With 14 years of personal experience with the lifestyle...

It feels like I already have a treasure chest of anecdotes with me.

My Si naturally goes on hero mode when veganism becomes the talk of the town.

It's a familiar path.

A road much traveled by.

Writing about veganism is a no-brainer to me...

As it is second nature to Thor to hold his Mjolnir upright.

When I create a sentence about the subject, it easily turns into a paragraph.

My internal source is a rich body of experiences, woven together.

These bits and pieces of knowledge all agree.

In fact, this whole idea that everything connects...

To me, it is the foundation of my bold statement:

Love is the theory of everything.

Veganism is simply a practical manifestation of that love.

That other-centered love is the key to life.

That other-centeredness manifests itself in kindness to all sentient beings.

Choosing the opposite brings with it destructive consequences.

By choosing to harm animals, we're essentially damaging the planet.

By consuming animal flesh, we're basically welcoming lifestyle diseases.

As much as love comes right back to bless whoever gives it...

So does anti-love result in hurting whoever chooses it.

All these things make sense to me...

Like an indestructible, solid piece of art and grandeur.

The facts all come together beautifully.

If veganism is a mathematical proof, it is the most elegant.

If you liken it to an orchestra, it is the most harmonious.

And the ability to see and say things that way...

All that comes from the heroic power of the Si.

introverted Sensing is a force for good if I choose to use it so.

And I am definitely choosing it.

It's the ISTJ stubbornness.

Combine the internally woven tapestry of the Si (introverted Sensing)...

With the efficiency prowess and big-picture insight of the Te (extroverted Thinking)...

And the solid core values of the Fi (introverted Feeling)...

Then you got someone like me who will continue choosing to serve the vegan market.

The question is...

What are the vast possibilities through which I could extend help?

I'm inviting every passionate vegan business owner to join me in my quest.

I'm sharing more inside my exclusive email list.

By joining, you'll get my email marketing kickstarter for free.

But make no mistake—there's more to emails and vegan marketing than just freebies and pitches here and there.

Ugh. I already told you about my standpoint.

This whole thing is not just about business and moolah—

Although obviously, we'll have to permeate the entrepreneurial space if we want to turn this into a vegan world—

This whole thing is about bending my energies and yours toward a cause we both believe in.

Hence, vegan businesses.

I'll tell you more inside my exclusive, separate newsletter.

See you.

;)

*Interested in the ISTJ thing and MBTI?

I might dig more deeply into this personality type in future LinkedIn newsletter editions. Plus, maybe add insights into related personalities and how to use yours to fuel your freelancing or vegan business goals. Feel free to subscribe to this LinkedIn newsletter if you want to have a heads-up when those writeups are coming.

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