The inner workings of Ni

[Tin Man]

I'm having some trouble understanding Ni. I've read numerous articles on this function and they all make it sound so mysterious, it almost seems like a crystal ball that can see the future. I'm pretty sure that I'm an INTJ but I don't use Ni like that. When I have an instant intuitive understanding of something, I can usually break down the process and can see why I've come to this conclusion.

For example, when I watch a movie; four out of five times I can tell how it will end within the first thirty minutes. Most films follow a certain pattern, if you know the genre, the characters and the themes, it's possible to see the twists and turns and how it will conclude. I couldn't understand how most people lauded "The Usual Suspects" for it's brilliant twist, when I thought it was so obvious.

There are times when I have a sudden understanding of the future and can't explain the reason behind it, but these instances are rare. Perhaps I don't identify with these descriptions because the people who write them don't use Ni or perhaps I'm mistaken and am using a different process?

 

[Gaze]

I'm having some trouble understanding Ni. I've read numerous articles on this function and they all make it sound so mysterious, it almost seems like a crystal ball that can see the future. I'm pretty sure that I'm an INTJ but I don't use Ni like that. When I have an instant intuitive understanding of something, I can usually break down the process and can see why I've come to this conclusion.

For example, when I watch a movie; four out of five times I can tell how it will end within the first thirty minutes. Most films follow a certain pattern, if you know the genre, the characters and the themes, it's possible to see the twists and turns and how it will conclude. I couldn't understand how most people lauded "The Usual Suspects" for it's brilliant twist, when I thought it was so obvious.

There are times when I have a sudden understanding of the future and can't explain the reason behind it, but these instances are rare. Perhaps I don't identify with these descriptions because the people who write them don't use Ni or perhaps I'm mistaken and am using a different process?

Sounds like you just explained it. It seems to be a knowing or understanding without being conscious of the process. It's probably more mysterious for INFJs because they use Ti (process the recognition of what's happening internally and unconsciously) whereas you process things externally (Te) as an INTJ which is why you are conscious and aware of the steps or structure. INFJs may know the solution instinctively and may not be able to explain why, but you may know it and be able to break it down. Te is a useful thing. I am INFP so i'm Ne-Te. So, I can relay possibilities all day and lay down my reasoning for it and I can recognize patterns or trends as well but it works on probability not immediate knowing (Ni).

 

[ImpureHedonism]

Sounds like you just explained it. It seems to be a knowing or understanding without being conscious of the process. It's probably more mysterious for INFJs because they use Ti (process the recognition of what's happening internally and unconsciously) whereas you process things externally (Te) as an INTJ which is why you are conscious and aware of the steps or structure.

How is it that introverted functions are unconscious? Intuition is an unconscious process for the most part, whether it is extroverted or not, so Ni is to me more like letting ideas swim around, sitting on the idea before expression. Ne has more immediacy of expressing intuition. A sensing function is similar, at least to the extent that awareness of an environment is not all a conscious process. Thinking processes (and feeling ones) are very conscious processes, because their use depends on accessing knowledge that you have. Te ends up just being thinking out loud. The only thing about INFJs is that Ti might not always be so developed.

If you can break down where your intuition is coming from, you're just using your T function well. Whether it's Ti or Te depends entirely on how you express your thinking with yourself and others.

 

[Paladin-X]

I think you've all explained it well from different aspects.

The mysterious part of intuition is the AHA moment. The light bulb that goes off when all things make sense. This is when you might be able to logically explain how a conclusion was reached, but not before. Ni picks up so many intricate pieces from everywhere, not just the task you are focussed on. In the first 30 minutes of a given movie, when you can tell how it will end, did you consciously and logically put the pieces together to form your prediction? Or did the idea just come to you, then you logically broke it down to explain your conclusion? Ni is knowing how a movie will end without consciously putting the pieces together to form that conclusion.

It is a system building function. Like a computer. You input the data and it spits out the desired report. You could look at the data yourself and manually create the report, but for us, it's faster and easier to use the computer.



NOTE:Also to better explain if anyone is confused between Ni & Ne, I will try using the movie context to provide an explanation. Ne is akin to educated guessing at how the movie might end. It is a creative/brainstorming process. It generates several possibilities and then narrows down to the most likely. Ni deals with objective data and uses probabilities to generate how a movie will most likely end. It is a systematic process. It narrows down what is most likely from the raw data. They can both be equally accurate and inaccurate. The difference is in the process used to reach a conclusion.

 

[Jana]

You expained it well. Ni is not crystsl ball, but recognizing the pattern and seing things in more symbolic way.

 

[Gaze]

How is it that introverted functions are unconscious? Intuition is an unconscious process for the most part, whether it is extroverted or not, so Ni is to me more like letting ideas swim around, sitting on the idea before expression. Ne has more immediacy of expressing intuition. A sensing function is similar, at least to the extent that awareness of an environment is not all a conscious process. Thinking processes (and feeling ones) are very conscious processes, because their use depends on accessing knowledge that you have. Te ends up just being thinking out loud. The only thing about INFJs is that Ti might not always be so developed.

If you can break down where your intuition is coming from, you're just using your T function well. Whether it's Ti or Te depends entirely on how you express your thinking with yourself and others.

We may use different words but we pretty much said the same thing.

 

[Kmal]

[MENTION=5667]Jacobi[/MENTION] Ni is definitely symbolic and deconstructive, as in seeing things from the whole then to the details. That's one reason why you like to think of the end of the movie before its come. (Sometimes theyre just too predictable) Ni wants to see the whole system at all times and then go to details in their understanding if need be. Ni is a big imagination tank that is focused inward. Seeing the future, even with confidence, is an imagination game.
As for the magic crystal ball description, I certainly get that. It feels like understandings come from no where and just hit me in the face, so its not consciously done and I can take no credit because its the 'crystal ball' showing me. Sleeping on something or just forgetting about it seems to work the best for me in trying to understand something.

 

[Tin Man]

Thanks for the replies. It's strange, I didn't understand Ni when I started writing the thread but by the time I posted it, I had worked it out. The magic of Te.

I also see now why I have trouble understanding the descriptions; Ni seems so natural to me but I would find it very difficult to translate. Whereas, I could explain Te or even Fi, I would be at a loss when it comes to Ni.

 

[Jana]

Thanks for the replies. It's strange, I didn't understand Ni when I started writing the thread but by the time I posted it, I had worked it out. The magic of Te.

I also see now why I have trouble understanding the descriptions; Ni seems so natural to me but I would find it very difficult to translate. Whereas, I could explain Te or even Fi, I would be at a loss when it comes to Ni.

Sometimes I could see Ni as those children drawing games. You knwo, when you have spots and then you have to draw lines between and boom - you have picture. That is how I sometimes work...I get spots unchained at first, but Ni something does and - picture is here.