Charles Manson - EIE

 

Fe 1: Charles Manson, through the lens of the EIE's dominant Fe (Ethics of Emotions), demonstrates a powerful ability to manipulate human emotions, creating intense emotional environments and exerting control over those within them. For the EIE, emotions are both a tool and a field of study, where they explore the depths of human experiences. Manson's life and actions reveal how this dynamic plays out.

Manson's infamous ability to "charm" and control his followers can be traced back to his innate talent for reading and manipulating emotions, a hallmark of the Fe base. Like the description of the EIE, Manson created emotional tension and unease in his surroundings almost effortlessly. This is evident in how he could draw people into his emotional world, often using charisma and fear to dominate their feelings, making them malleable to his influence. He wasn't simply a passive observer of emotions but rather someone who actively shaped them to serve his purpose.

His theatricality, another trait common to the EIE, played a large role in how he presented himself to his followers and the world. Manson knew how to craft his image to evoke the emotional responses he desired. Whether it was through cryptic speech, intense stares, or unpredictable outbursts, he could create an oppressive emotional atmosphere, keeping those around him in a constant state of unease, making them more susceptible to his will. This mirrors the Fe base's ability to orchestrate the emotions of others as if conducting a performance, where they pull strings behind the scenes, using empathy and emotional cues to guide behavior.

Manson’s emotional extravagance extended to his manipulation of his followers' fears, insecurities, and desires. He created an environment where people felt both drawn to and dependent on him, shaping their emotional realities to such a degree that they felt compelled to carry out his orders, no matter how irrational or destructive. His life was seen as a drama, where he was the main character. This level of emotional influence is characteristic of the Fe base in the EIE, which not only experiences emotions intensely but also directs and manipulates them in others to align with their personal objectives.

Charles Manson's command over emotions and his ability to craft intense emotional dynamics around him, manipulating others into obedience, resonates strongly with the EIE's focus on Fe. His actions show how this function, when twisted by darker intentions, can lead to powerful and dangerous forms of emotional control and influence.

Ni 2: Manson's Creative Intuition of Time

Manson as a direct influence to time

The EIE’s Ni function allows them to "feel" the direction in which time is heading, perceiving how emotions unfold over the long term. Manson’s ability to manipulate his followers was in large part due to his perception of time as a tool that could be shaped and directed. It all started as a harmless cult, but quickly progressed to something criminal, reflecting Manson's ability to brainwash his followers and to predict trends, using this skill to create a dependency upon others. Manson's own identity was twisted, in favor of a more acute perception of the passing of the time around, the situations and the influence of the world's time, all characteristics that can only be attributed to EIE's adaptative and skilled perception of time. The EIE’s tendency to view themselves as not an individual with personal feelings and goals, but as an influencer in the world, part of a larger picture, as someone who is destined to bring about great change is an obvious characteristic of Manson, classic of Hamlet.

For Manson, the concept of “Helter Skelter” — his apocalyptic vision of a race war — was his way of molding the future in the image he foresaw. He convinced his followers that this chaotic future was inevitable, and they had to prepare for it. The notion of “Helter Skelter” was more than just a concept; it was a vivid, emotionally charged vision of the future that Manson used to emotionally engage his followers and align them with his worldview. His manipulation of the concept of time and future events made his followers believe that they were living on the cusp of a great, world-altering moment.

Strategic Emotions of Hamlet

Manson’s Ni creative function also allowed him to shape the emotional development of his followers, understanding how their emotional states could evolve over time and how their belief systems could be manipulated through gradual shifts. He didn’t just provide emotional guidance in the present moment; he crafted long-term emotional models for his followers, showing them how they would evolve and how their beliefs would mature.

He used this insight to create a sense of inevitability — followers were led to believe that they were part of something that had already begun and could not be stopped. Their participation in the Manson Family wasn’t just about the present, it was about being on the “right side” of history. Manson’s ability to project emotional growth and the eventual unfolding of his vision made his manipulation particularly effective.

Manipulation and Interaction with Timelines

As an EIE with a creative Ni function, Manson understood the importance of timing in his emotional expressions. Just as an EIE musician knows how to pace their performance, Manson knew when to escalate situations emotionally, when to pull back, and when to create tension. He was able to manipulate his followers by knowing exactly when to introduce new ideas or increase the emotional intensity, drawing them further into his narrative. He could force a reaction upon not only his followers but even outsiders using his emotional expression. 

In all of his known interactions, he would go from calm to manic, agreeable to neurotic, - similar to how Hamlet masters not only emotions, but the time in which they should be expressed - keeping his followers emotionally charged and dependent on him for direction. Manson’s ability to manipulate time in this way — using pauses, silences, and emotional build-up — created a sense of drama and significance in every interaction, much like a performer commanding an audience’s attention.

Manson’s Sense of Historical Destiny

Manson’s Ni function also contributed to his strong sense of historical predestination. He believed that he was a messenger of change, a person who would bring about a significant transformation in society. His sense of historical significance was amplified by his understanding of the emotional temperature of the time. The 1960s, with its political and social upheavals, created an environment that Manson could exploit, as he tapped into the fear and confusion of the era to craft his apocalyptic vision.

Manson’s view of time wasn’t linear; he saw time as a fluid force that could be shaped and directed. He believed that the cultural and political shifts of the 1960s were the precursor to the larger upheaval he envisioned. He positioned himself not just as a product of his time, but as a key figure who would influence the course of history. This fits with the EIE’s ability to feel out the nature of an era and see themselves as part of its unfolding drama.

Te 3: The EIE's difficulties with interacting with business and practical matters are evident in Manson's tendency to exploit emotional pressure and psychological tactics to control others. Although Manson wasn’t running a conventional business, his "family" structure resembled a chaotic, emotionally driven collective. He relied on manipulating the emotions and personal beliefs of his followers to drive them toward his goals, rather than on clear, structured management or financial incentives.

Manson’s leadership involved frequent emotional manipulation to maintain his position, and he exploited the emotional nuances within the group, similar to the EIE’s use of emotional pressure to get what he wants. The EIE typically dislikes mundane tasks like overseeing work or managing logistics, and Manson’s behavior aligns with this: he did not focus on routine tasks like the material needs or practical management, even being openly critical about it; instead focused on controlling minds and shaping the emotional trends, such as his attempt on becoming a musician, creating psychological dependency, and instilling a sense of fear and loyalty. Manson's call to action was an emotional, not a logical one. The actions made by his cult and his further influence on media even while imprisoned demonstrates his clear focus on emotions and the use of time to amplify his own emotional states and the emotional manipulation of others, transforming the physical, material world into an abstract world of emotions and trends. 

Si 4: The Si polr often manifests as a person’s inability to tolerate physical discomfort or manage sensory experiences effectively. For Manson, this may have been reflected in his constant need to create dramatic, intense environments that elicited extreme emotional responses from himself and others. Just as much as Hamlet can't stand his own existence, his rest, his health, his interaction with subtle and meaningful sensory experiences, Manson shows the classic discomfort with himself that is known for people of this type. He regarded himself as both a hobo and greater part of some big plan, showcasing more how EIE Si polr manifests: a distaste for the physical world, and a tendency to overdramatize emotional states. Manson’s life was marked by discomfort with society and himself, from his difficult childhood to his later years of imprisonment. His actions, including his erratic behaviors and public outbursts, suggest that he might have been battling internal stress and sensory overload.

The EIE may feel overwhelmed by mundane aspects of daily life, such as managing the household or dealing with routine tasks, as they don't offer the stimulation that satisfies them. Manson's life, characterized by chaos and disorder, could have been a result of this discomfort with the routine, leading him to create extreme situations where he could find some sense of control or emotional intensity. Manson's reliance on manipulating others and creating disruptive social environments can be seen as a way to compensate for his lack of ability to find comfort in the physical world. His tendency to lash out and create conflict might also be a reflection of his underlying emotional turbulence, which was often rooted in his physical discomfort, similar to how EIEs try to escape their inner restlessness with emotionalism.

An EIE’s sensory discomfort can extend to irritability towards bureaucracy or relaxing in a calm environment. In Manson’s case, it’s possible that he was hypersensitive to society exaggerated focus on bureaucracy and politically correct, responding to sensory discomfort with the world with a heightened emotional response that matched his internal state. This aligns with the descriptions of EIEs experiencing physical discomfort that they can't escape, leading them to act out.

Additionally, EIEs with a polr Si can struggle with daily tasks such as taking care of their health or maintaining an orderly lifestyle, as these tasks can feel like an excessive and agonizing burden. Manson’s chaotic and deplorable living conditions, his influence over his followers, and his extreme disregard for societal modes of aesthetics fit this pattern. Rather than managing his own life focusing on health and comfort, he created an environment that mirrored his internal chaos, where control came from emotional manipulation and trying to dominate and impose his own views on how society should appear. 

Manson’s behavior reflects the discomfort and instability often seen in EIEs. His life was marked by an aversion to routine and comfort, and an inability to find sense in mundane experiences. Instead, he generated intense emotional environments to cope with his inner turbulence, trying to impose his own emotional world into society, showcasing the struggles of the EIE with Si polr in a deeply disruptive and destructive way.