Of the four dichotomies, the largest discrepancy lies in the difference between Sensors and Intuitives. Whereas there is an approximate 50/50 split in the population between the other preferences, a full 70% of the population prefers Sensing versus only 30% favoring Intuition.
When you distill it down, the difference between Sensors and Intuitives is this: Sensors prefer reliability of information, and Intuitives prefer speed and depth of insight. This ends up manifesting itself a couple of unique ways. First, Intuitives learn to trust pattern recognition to help them understand information quickly and see things that aren’t ‘there’. Basically, they extrapolate large amounts of information from only a few data points.
Sensors, of course, have this same ability. But they don’t trust it, and so they don’t hone it. Instead, they trust reliable information – things that can be verified in the Real World. Therefore, they become masters of historical information – their own history as well as other people’s. They also become fantastic at manipulating objects in real time. There is no need to question reality when it’s right there in front of you. Reality is reliable. Speculation isn’t.
Second, how they see information informs how both these preferences see time. If real, reliable, solid information is what you choose to focus upon, then the here-and-now context becomes far more important, as well as past information (which used to be the here-and-now context). Sensors can’t rely on what hasn’t happened yet, so the future becomes far less interesting. On the other hand, Intuitives are already comfortable seeing what ‘isn’t there’ – as in, they’re comfortable theorizing and speculating on what could be in both the here-and-now as well as into the future. The past doesn’t really hold their interest any more than a reference point for future predictions.
Third, these differences alter both values and basic interests. For Sensors, values surround things like family, tradition, getting into action, old friends, etc… these are all rooted in the known and knowable, and therefore can be trusted. For Intuitives, values focus more on the cerebral – possibilities, memes, paradigms, perspectives and concepts. Conversation will generally revolve around these things, with little interest in small talk.
Both Sensors and Intuitives have an important role. Sensors often “hold down the fort” – uphold infrastructures that keep us going as a society. Intuitives are generally the “trailblazers” – coming up with new ways of looking at and doing things which fashion new technologies and paradigms. It makes sense that fewer Intuitives would be needed – too much innovation and everything collapses. But without innovation, the world stagnates.
Understanding and appreciating these differences is how we cooperate to create both a stable system as well as pathways to whole new worlds.
Share:
What's the REAL difference between "Introverts" and "Extraverts?"
Are "Thinkers" Rational, and "Feelers" Irrational?
90 comments
You might be capable of gathering lots facts or plenty of ideas, unless and until you find logical(T) ways to make them possible its all in vain..
as an ISFP
I’d like to say I’m both idealistic and practical.
so i feel like I’m in the middle or something.
cringe
GMN, yours is an excellent and much-needed point. I’ll piggy back on you and add the following. Type conflicts, and type harmonies, are comprised of much more than type. Type is a starting point, but it’s not the only card in play, or even the critical card. When I think of all my friendships, I can certainly see the type conflict and type harmonies. But ultimately, the relationship thrived or dived depending on the emotional maturity of both parties, and the willingness to take emotional risks, such as emotionally honest communication, or admitting one has overlooked something, or allowing we don’t share the same views but that is okay. It includes humility – like being able to cherish that, even if you’re not going to get your way or be understood, the other person has sincerely tried to understand you and sincerely means to do no harm. It is the sincere effort that counts the most, because sincere effort is the only thing any of us can control, it is the only thing any of us can offer under all circumstances. I truly might not understand you – our personalities and life experiences might be so different – but I can always offer you my sincere effort to try to bridge the gap. When you’re sincere, there’s no judgment, there’s receptivity to learning, to being corrected, there’s commitment to speaking with care so as not to hurt. That kind of sincerity is all we can give to each other, and it is the most important thing to receive. Because guess what? Even with between best friends, between loving family members, between your fellow N’s or fellow S’s, life goes on, and what you were harmonizing over today may be surpassed by tomorrow’s WTF moment. And even a wonderful relationship between spouses who are the best of friends is built not on compatibility, which is never complete, but on this kind of sincere effort when there are the inevitable differences and disappointments.
It’s the lack of sincere effort, and/or the appreciation of sincere effort, that brings us to N’s being judged by S’s, and S’s being judged by N’s. I feel that the conflicts described above are reflections of type conflict, but only in part. The worst outcome of sincere effort is to agree to disagree, which would be a vast improvement over the pain that both N and S have experienced.
Ah how sensor-y. And conflicts don’t seem so bad to be honest. We will stagnate if we don’t, don’t you think?