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.
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Amen!!!! (S)
“Try me(intuitive) on facts- that is no problem. We can acquire facts, but sensors cannot acquire philosophical way of thinking.”
That’s a pretty big generalization to apply to 75% of the population.
If you have no problem with facts , ask yourself this: was that statement based on actual facts and experiences with real people,
or was that just based on your own personal opinion?
And by the way:
1) the tone of what you’re saying sounds a lot like the “covert secret superiority” that Lily said she hated.
2) it’s not just intuitives who visit this site, and if you don’t want to create conflict with other people reading this stuff you might not want to go posting statements like that.
Sincerely
- A Sensor
Lily, you write: “By the way I really hate it when people say that sensors are inferior to intuitives, harboring a covert superiority”.
I can tell you why: Intuitives can talk about any issue with Sensors, but NOT vice versa. Try sensors on philosophical or other abstract things – they are lost!
Try me (intuitive) on facts – this is no problem. We can acquire facts, but sensors cannot acquire philosophical way of thinking.
But you’re totally making sense. Ti-Ne-Si-Fe. I’m awkward when walking, but I’ve done martial arts, I play multiple instruments, and I dance (for fun, yet I also cannot dance well at weddings and such). People ask me for directions when I’m in their country/area, despite me not knowing where everything is, and once, my friends got lost in a new city when I didn’t go with them. I can figure out locations and things with a shoddy map (say a metro map), and take us to where we need to go.
Your “inconsistency” in the use of your body is due to your Si being tertiary; as in you think you’re really good at its use, when in reality, you have a certain area you focus it onto. Which is why you can list when and how you use Si. Si-Dom people use it everywhere, so they don’t even need a list. It’s their first filter. Just like Ti is something we use constantly, that we also don’t need a list in explaining how we analyze everything around us.
I wouldn’t say necessarily that your job defines you as typical INTP; anyone can do any job. I believe I read a statistic that said ISTJ types are the most frequent types in the world of coding… so… maybe what you think is “obvious,” may not actually be conclusive of anything, but just a correlation.
As for lacking improvisation, I think that’s because you sound like you’re in a Ti-Si loop of sorts (I’ve read that every INTP is likely dealing with some form of Ti-Si loop at any given time). Also, re-engaging in Ne development and trying out new styles will over time, help you figure out how to improvise better = Developing extraverted intuition.
Try looking at the ways different types think and behave in extreme stress. The possible ways of acting out or the likely dangers they face when their functions start skipping over one another or just get stuck in the inferior. I had always typed the same since I was 19. Again at 26. Again at 37. Then my life splattered all over my lovely wall paper and guts were sliding down to rest on walnut floor. And I didn’t even know who I was anymore. So much of everything had changed or been lost forever or caught fire or simply died. I didn’t recognize my life or myself and the death spiral loop came upon me and then the rejection of my inferior, of which I had no idea at the time, no way to explain my compulsions or odd behaviors and stubborn ways. I just knew that is the only way I felt save enough to survive and so it is what I did. And it lingered and did not pass. For years it did not pass and I didn’t even really notice the time passing. I only knew that I could see no other options that I was capable of by myself and I did not know how to or want to burden anyone else by asking for help. And I wasn’t convinced, even after 2 years, that I even needed help. This was just who I was now. Everyone changes throughout life. Complete agoraphobia and isolation was just me and even though I wanted the resulting depression to go away, I could think of worse things to be than a hermit. So who can judge me. I made every excuse in the book to stay this shell of myself and my lower, devil functions were happy to help out by providing all kinds of self abusive whispers that kept me firmly attached to my prison. The prison of myself.
After finally being forced to look for answers and really wanting to know why because I had a daughter who couldn’t be affected by this acceptance of my own self hatred, blame, or lack of will to continue on in this life. I wouldn’t let her be. She did not deserve to be in this dark prison and I tried to fake joy and intensity but she didn’t deserve that either. She didn’t deserve fake anything. She deserved her one terrific life and I had no right to rob her of that because I didn’t have the energy or will to try and recapture who I used to be. So I read. And searched. And even though I had no idea where to start and no faith that a counselor could help me before she went to kindergarten, in beginning the thing some sort of magic happened and I started out with my type. I hadn’t thought about MBTI in years. It’s not the rage where I’m from and I majored in Poetry not Psychology. I don’t even remember why I started my search with type instead of depression or phobias or any number of other relative topics. In no time I had exact answers that I never thought I would have. Not to that extent. I even knew the thought processes that went haywire to protect me and compensate and read exactly the few ways that my death spiral loops and grips could manifest into my life from the small degree to the absolute worse. My life blew up then I blew it up again it seems. It was a large price to pay, I guess. I’m not sure I’d recommend it. It did, however, make me beyond certain of my type and has led to more than a few other epiphanies and insights that I am grateful for. I say a thank you to Jung and the rest of you lovely people who provide this information that can literally lead to miracles of the soul over and over.