Sensing versus Intuition... I think I figured it out.

[Stella]

Tell me if I'm completely/mostly wrong, okay?

So, you are talking to your friend. You recently were a bit rudeto him.

Would sensing be "He is scowling at me," and intuition be "He is angry at me?"

Also, if there is already a thread for this, feel free to delete this and lead me to the right thread.

 

[uuu]

I would like to understand this too. That seems like the difference, but I don't know which is which.

 

[ZcM4xzkjgzCjytBc]

If you don't understand the difference between S and N other than physically seeing the difference between people who are S and N, then you're probably an S.

 

[tfg345i4u5lw]

I think your example is heading in the right direction. Intuitive types tend to also think in patterns and use general principals to come to conclusions about things. That's why intuitive people are usually better at the sciences because we can apply concepts like "natural selection" to common occurrences in nature.

Intuitive thinking isn't always better than Sensing. Sometimes a very intuitive person (like myself) can look too far into a situation and come to a totally wrong conclusion. Often the more tangible and obvious observance is the most useful. So for example; the person might be scowling because they want to be funny. In this case, the intuitive person would be wrong by assuming the scowling person is angry.

Jumping to conclusions and being self righteous are the INFJ's weak points.

In other words, like in music theory, sometimes less is more.

edit: spelled scowling wrong

 

[bickelz]

Sensing would be like interpreting what he said. Intuition would be interpreting how he said it (tone, delivery, body language). Intuiting looks at the big picture but not the little details. I think S types still hear and see the abstract parts of communicating face to face but choose to omit it in their final interpretation (?).

 

[88chaz88]

We all have a sensing and intuitive function. As such there is no S vs N.

 

[ceri]

We all have a sensing and intuitive function. As such there is no S vs N.

Yes there is... i don't know what you're thinking about (well i do, you're just confusing people :V), but this thread is obviously more about which is more dominant/primary.

Intuitive thinking isn't always better than Sensing. Sometimes a very intuitive person (like myself) can look too far into a situation and come to a totally wrong conclusion. Often the more tangible and obvious observance is the most useful. So for example; the person might be scowling because they want to be funny. In this case, the intuitive person would be wrong by assuming the scowling person is angry.

I think this is a decent response. From my knowledge, if you want to simply it just to S vs N, then you can consider that they're both perceiving functions - meaning how one takes in information. Simply put: S - real-world/tangible perception, N - abstract/pattern-like (as ^ says) etc perception. Everyone uses both to some degree.

 

[Atticus]

Well I didn't want to do another S/N topic my problem fits here just perfectly well.

First off English is not my native language so I'm going to have a few mistakes here and there.

Recently I started to dig more deeply into MBTI other than MyPersonality.org. I found a couple of pages, working papers, and I became suspicious about tests whether they were valid and/or reliable. But currently it's just not possible for me to consult with an expert so I must stick to tests and... well, my intuition. I heard Humanmetrics is quite accurate but thank God it doesn't matter which one I took.

I got an I?FJ on almost every occasion. My I and J are particulary strong and I'm pretty sure by now that I'm an F as well.

You guessed it S/N is my main field of uncertainity.

Every test give my quite a 50-50% so I dug deeper into the MBTI Step II process through templates - which quite accurately describes *what* to measure. I went step by step comparing the subtleties of the S/N question and the thorough process came to an exact 50-50%. (You know the comparisons of concrete-abstract, realistic-imaginative, etc. and it's defining characteristics.)

Well purely based upon the process of my research you would go with an S easily. But I instictively analyzed random previous situations whether I behave like an S or N, instictively caught a glimpse of myself or others behave like S or N (or any other preference as a matter of fact) and overall I have a gut instict of me being an N. More broadly I can easily tell who is motivated by what and people usually find me a very pleasure company if we can discuss deeper topics. I also think it really is the trial itsself: do I trust my basic intuition enough to believe I am an N?

I could just as well accept that I don't have such a strong preference so consequently my dominant function is not at its best and my interior function is of better quality.

But I just want to know which I am by 'default'. I read the sticky topic concerning this and I know our very type is all the same during our lifetime. I also think out of the 5 most common problems listed I have the 2nd and 3rd - I can deeply immerse in people-oriented situations to the point of not knowing where I am and what I represent.

I honestly can't see you can come up with a more or less definitive solution or at least a little more clarification but I shared this story anyway. Who knows.

Edit: All in all thank you for your help in advance.

 

[mooseman]

Just heard a piece of lyrics while reading this thread.

"Listen for the sound
That is not in the music
Only you can hear it
Only you can use it"

This is intuition to me.

(Todd Rundgren - Healing Pt.1, by the way.)

 

[Norton]

A bratty sensor kid picks up a stick and says, "I'm going to hit you with this stick!"

A bratty intuitive kid picks up a stick, points it at you, and says, "bang, bang!"

 

[bickelz]

The best way to determine if you're S or N in my humble opinion is to ask yourself how you come to conclusions about things. Do you sit on it for a while and then something spontaneously arises? When asked to explain your opinions do you know exactly how you got to that opinion? Can you tell what is going on with an idea in writing whether it be math or a post on the infj forums by just reading a few lines and skipping through most of the material and still understand it in depth?

If your answers were yes, no, yes, you are probably an intuitive. Obviously this isn't a professional test or anything so it might give you the wrong results.

 

[Saru Inc]

Well I didn't want to do another S/N topic my problem fits here just perfectly well.

First off English is not my native language so I'm going to have a few mistakes here and there.

Recently I started to dig more deeply into MBTI other than MyPersonality.org. I found a couple of pages, working papers, and I became suspicious about tests whether they were valid and/or reliable. But currently it's just not possible for me to consult with an expert so I must stick to tests and... well, my intuition. I heard Humanmetrics is quite accurate but thank God it doesn't matter which one I took.

I got an I?FJ on almost every occasion. My I and J are particulary strong and I'm pretty sure by now that I'm an F as well.

You guessed it S/N is my main field of uncertainity.

Every test give my quite a 50-50% so I dug deeper into the MBTI Step II process through templates - which quite accurately describes *what* to measure. I went step by step comparing the subtleties of the S/N question and the thorough process came to an exact 50-50%. (You know the comparisons of concrete-abstract, realistic-imaginative, etc. and it's defining characteristics.)

Well purely based upon the process of my research you would go with an S easily. But I instictively analyzed random previous situations whether I behave like an S or N, instictively caught a glimpse of myself or others behave like S or N (or any other preference as a matter of fact) and overall I have a gut instict of me being an N. More broadly I can easily tell who is motivated by what and people usually find me a very pleasure company if we can discuss deeper topics. I also think it really is the trial itsself: do I trust my basic intuition enough to believe I am an N?

I could just as well accept that I don't have such a strong preference so consequently my dominant function is not at its best and my interior function is of better quality.

But I just want to know which I am by 'default'. I read the sticky topic concerning this and I know our very type is all the same during our lifetime. I also think out of the 5 most common problems listed I have the 2nd and 3rd - I can deeply immerse in people-oriented situations to the point of not knowing where I am and what I represent.

I honestly can't see you can come up with a more or less definitive solution or at least a little more clarification but I shared this story anyway. Who knows.

Edit: All in all thank you for your help in advance.

You sound like an ISFJ, babe.


When doing an assignment, do you look at the directions, or try to figure it out without even *thinking* of looking at the directions?

 

[bickelz]

Yeah, I agree. You sound like you use Si instead of Ni quite a bit.

 

[Atticus]

Well first off thank you for all your answers.

The best way to determine if you're S or N in my humble opinion is to ask yourself how you come to conclusions about things. Do you sit on it for a while and then something spontaneously arises? When asked to explain your opinions do you know exactly how you got to that opinion? Can you tell what is going on with an idea in writing whether it be math or a post on the infj forums by just reading a few lines and skipping through most of the material and still understand it in depth?

If your answers were yes, no, yes, you are probably an intuitive. Obviously this isn't a professional test or anything so it might give you the wrong results.

I tend to do things this way increasingly often but I feel like it's quite a new approach for me. At least the first and third question. I do the second one for years though.

Recently I feel like it's a waste of time getting through all the details of, say a working paper for my thesis when I feel like I could easily grasp what was the author's intention and point of view with it. This thesis thing is really starting to expose this tendency - my other works beforehand were not made this way and I still feel a little insecure if I could interpret the meaning well. But I just don't want to take in useless details.

As for the 1st question it's a new way as well as I said. I have not been able to choose a particular topic for the thesis so I just waited for ideas to come up in myself. I accidentaly sketched up the rough outlines of the work on a morning instantly after waking up because I suddenly felt I can see the connections I could bee able to see before.

So to sum it up I use intution more recently and feel a little insecure about it. The thing is I have always had unusually low self-esteem. This could be a pro for S and N too.

1) I don't want to use S unlike I did before because my self-esteem is so low that I think it wouldn't work consequently it's better not to even begin with it.
2) I had low self-esteem in the past so I tended to avoid using intuiton simply because I did not trust in my gut insticts like I start to do now that I became interested in these things, starting to figure out how MBTI works and adopting a more liberal view of preferences consequently starting to accept myself more.

When doing an assignment, do you look at the directions, or try to figure it out without even *thinking* of looking at the directions?

Interesting point. I used to do it both ways to see which works best. I read the outlines to be precise in my answers but I have a hard time using the directions literally when I *know* and *see* what the given question wants to point to.

(Wow these little post really began to enhance my written English skills. Again it's not my native so I may have had some typos.)

Another point of interest could be the way I counsel people: do I give literal concrete advices when they come up with their problems or do I give insights into the motives of the people they are dealing with. I'm inclined I do the latter one more easily - but as ever because my Sensing is very well developed I used to do the first one as well.

 

[donkeybals]

We all have a sensing and intuitive function. As such there is no S vs N.

I agree with this part. Everyone uses sensing and intuition. But we have preferences to use one more frequently over the other. Sensors will choose to describe what they see in the moment intuitives are always asking what does this mean.

Example. Describe a remote control.

Sensing comments: "It's gray, has buttons, made of plastic, shiny."
Intuitive comments: "It's used to turn on the television. Convenient if you don't want to get up. This one has x button which does this event. They can be easily lost."

As far as the op goes, a better question to ask would be. Describe what happend during the arguement. If you were describing posture, his voice tone, the look he gave you. That's all sensing. If you started getting into the how's and why's and what the arguement means for the relationship. That's using intuition. Sensors see the tree. Intuitives see the forest. Both know they exist. One focuses on one more than the other.

 

[jn56uytrx]

Derail notice

A bratty sensor kid picks up a stick and says, "I'm going to hit you with this stick!"

A bratty intuitive kid picks up a stick, points it at you, and says, "bang, bang!"

I think Colin Firth must be an "N". Check out his description of a childhood "fight" at minute 11:00.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=den5U4evjak"]Colin Firth - 60 Minutes[/ame]

"Do we have to do the practical now...I mean, we've done the theory?"

 

[Atticus]

Guys I think I figured it out finally. (Well... Me too after the OP. But I wrote to this topic as well.)

Well, to say the least, I'm now quite angered, stuck up in a hopeless situation involving a girl, I won't give you details - an mostly INFJs I think most of you could very well imagine the situation -, but the main point is that I'm angry, jelaous, and feel powerless to do anything against it because of the nature of the situation. I can't vent my frustration.

And I suddenly started to really analyze this sentiment of myself. I found this sentiment quite familiar - I have been in it every now and then. At times like these I really really close out others, not saying a word unless I'm asked, completely shut others out, I stop 'reading' people - well if I catch myself doing it, I don't care about it - and it's like enlightenment: suddenly I realize 'things' in the world, what are my priorities excluding people, and what needs to be done to achieve them.

All in all I think I use Se in these times.

Assuming that it's not my 'normal' state of mind - I *know* it's not, I know what I am when I'm calm, at peace... with myself and with others - so assuming that, Se is my least function which tends to only come up in situations like this.

Consequently I'm an INFJ.

Strange way to realize it...

Comments?

 

[88chaz88]

A bratty sensor kid picks up a stick and says, "I'm going to hit you with this stick!"

A bratty intuitive kid picks up a stick, points it at you, and says, "bang, bang!"

Huh? In my day all sticks were lightsabers. Always.

 

[Billy]

Huh? In my day all sticks were lightsabers. Always.

Oh didn't you know? apparently "sensors" are stupid and unimaginative. Its why so many sensors self describe themselves as N's, its so much more glamorous.

 

[88chaz88]

Oh didn't you know? apparently "sensors" are stupid and unimaginative. Its why so many sensors self describe themselves as N's, its so much more glamorous.

Well to be honest I can't claim there being much imagination out of it, as every other kid in my town did the same thing.