How can you tell if you use Ne or Ni more?

I'm actually probably going to post myself as "unknown personality" even though, I hate doing that (sigh) because I put myself so confidently as INFP, and I'm realizing I don't really use Fi all that often. I tend to prefer Fe to Fi.

Now I know the difference, kind of, between Ne and Ni, but I'm not sure which one I use more, because I tend to use both. (I pretty much neglect both sensing functions and prefer to use Intuitive ones, so I guess when one doesn't work, I use the other, which tells me, I'm probably an Intuitive dominant rather than Feeling dominant anyway)



So is there any way, any good and accurate assessment, or line of questioning to determine which one a person uses more than the other?

This is always a good one.

Prepare for a long post...

First off both of them work off inspirations, but it is how they reach these inspirations that is important.

Ne is more arrested by the external environment than Ni. When it comes to Ne it is constantly scanning and picking up bits of information that allow it to work at lightening fast speeds to make a new connection by also using information it can observe and is aware of around it. So a Ne dom walking down the road might see a crack in the pavement, it might send his/her mind running off down a tangent that involves a series of super fast and usually sub-conscious connections to come up with an idea for a new substance for filling in that crack which then wont crack, he/she may be so elated by this sudden understanding or idea that he/she might want to rush home right now and start writing down the formula.

Of course that is just an example, the context of it's usage is as varied as any context you can think of, that was just an example using chemicals and solutions. It can be applied to anything as can all the functions.

In this sense Ne is often seen as more creative than Ni.

Ni on the other hand is like Si, it picks up bits of information and experiences from the past, future and present and then it stores them away at the back of the mind. However unlike Si which uses this data like a dictionary or encyclopaedia, as in bringing up relevant bits of information for the appropriate context, Ni actually uses this ability to build up new idea's or ways of looking at something.

It is often seen as slower than Ne in it's formulations, but it can in fact be very fast, provided it isn't stuck on something.

So a Ni dom walking down the street and seeing that same crack, might wonder, how did it get there? How was it caused? For that matter how did we get here? How were we caused? It's like having a mini philosopher in your mind which constantly looks for deeper implications into things and can usually stretch to a conclusion or new thought from the most obscure influences.

For example im eating crisps...I note how crisps are made by slicing potato's very thin and frying them. This leads me instantly onto the problem many farmers have these days of competeing with the factory style farming methods of big supermarket chains like Tesco's. Then I start thinking about the bigger implications for the my country and the world, if local farming was to die out. Then I start thinking about our role in the universe, these insignificant over-evolved monkey's whose ability of conscious thought strives to put meaning, sense and reality to everything, or else risk going insane. This usually all happens in an instant without needing to go through the steps inbetween.


In any case both these functions change both with context, the functions they are paired with and whether or not they are dominant.
This might become more confusing since a Ne user can dwell upon things like a Ni user and a Ni user can be creative and come up with new ideas, however one will tend towards the other more often and it is this tendency that you need to recognise when it comes to wondering about which function you use more.

Originally Posted by Worriedfunction

So a Ni dom walking down the street and seeing that same crack, might wonder, how did it get there? How was it caused? For that matter how did we get here? How were we caused? It's like having a mini philosopher in your mind which constantly looks for deeper implications into things and can usually stretch to a conclusion or new thought from the most obscure influences.

My grasp of the cognitive functions isn't that developed yet, but this part sounds like Ti to me, perhaps paired with Ne: breaking down an idea or problem into its constituent parts (Ti) and relating it to other concepts via intuitive connections (Ne).

Is there a particular reason why that example is not Ti+Ne? Can you provide more examples of Ni?

Originally Posted by Serial Hero

My grasp of the cognitive functions isn't that developed yet, but this part sounds like Ti to me, perhaps paired with Ne: breaking down an idea or problem into its constituent parts (Ti) and relating it to other concepts via intuitive connections (Ne).

Is there a particular reason why that example is not Ti+Ne? Can you provide more examples of Ni?

To be fair you have a point, the example may be a poor one on my part. Communication is everything afterall.

In any case as I understand it Ti is more to do with analysing things and ideas rather than the actual producing of the conception in the first place. Ti will look for inconsistancies and consistancies, but it will often look only for those that support whatever idea it is currently focusing on, whereas Te will be more interested in the bare facts, perhaps efficiency but that word can be interpreted in many ways and application and may be dissatisfied with an incomplete theory.

Ti often holds the process and development of the theory/idea/whatever as more important than it's application. As you said it want's to break it down into its different parts.

But both thinking functions do this as part of a logical framework. There is nothing logical about the perceptionary functions, Si-Se Ni-Ne, they observe but they do not evaluate.

Ni is hard to describe because it is so ethereal in nature, to me it is like abstraction personified. I suppose perspective is the best word in this case because Ni, out of all the perceptionary functions, tends to offer a different perspective or view of something, but this isn't in an analytical manner, it's in more of a metaphorical sense if anything. The use of the metaphor is probably very appealing to both Ne and Ni, but with Ni it is used to try and explain something in a deep and meaningful way, to give clarity to a clouded thought or straction to the abstraction.
In fact a quick way in my mind of identifying the differences between Ni and Ne is like this:

Ne: What if?

Ni: Why?

One comes up with creative idea's the other wants to know the deeper meaning behind everything.

Of course I would say that it is the coupling of Ni, (or Ne), with an auxiliary function that produces a more obvious effect.

In an INTJ, with aux Te, for example it produces a person who wants to apply these almost philosophical observations to something a bit more tangible, yet impersonal, thus we have something like science, or rather we have a personality who is most likely to use a scientific process in which to realise an outcome or theory as a way of explaining things around us. I believe I mentioned in a different post how during the conception of the Big Bang theory, Ni may well have played as big a part as something like Te/Ne or Ti, afterall it was brought about by more than just one person. Ni allows someone to get an instant and often inexplicable understanding of something, it's almost instinctive. Basically you KNOW something, but the hard part is explaining how you know it since it skips the steps normally required to reach that understanding.

In an INFJ, with aux Fe, it produces a person who wants to apply these observations to people, humanity, in this sense the person tends to choose a more philosophical or humanistic approach. They are more likely to try and explain human behaviour and why we are the way we are. Our complex ability of conscious thought and self awareness are all things this person might wish to explain, in this sense they may tend towards a softer science like psychology.
They are also more likely to try and influence others, through the use of writing or even verbalisation, to try and help those around them in an empathetic manner.

Of course these are all just tendencies as ive said many times, either may take the others route for a different reason and ultimately the individual, with their individual experiences, memories and opinions, is the most important part of a personality.

@Worriedfunction, phenomenal! Wish I could thank your posts multiple times!

Based on what you've explained here, my understanding is this:

Ni seeks to discover truths: realistic ways of explaining phenomena, deeper meanings based on evidence which cannot be denied.
Ne seeks to explore and create regardless of how real their playing field is; to conjure for the sake of conjuring.

Originally Posted by Serial Hero

@Worriedfunction , phenomenal! Wish I could thank your posts multiple times!

Based on what you've explained here, my understanding is this:

Ni seeks to discover truths: realistic ways of explaining phenomena, deeper meanings based on evidence which cannot be denied.
Ne seeks to explore and create regardless of how real their playing field is; to conjure for the sake of conjuring.

Exactly, in fact that's a good way of summing it up, nice one.

Im glad what I said made sense, that's the hardest part for me sometimes.

Im so used to jumping the gun and not explaining my thought process, but fortunately living with a family who primarily do things step by step has taught me the value of an understandable explanation. Im really pleased it made sense.

this is why I can never find my type. based on the definition, it changes. Like that example with the crack in the pavement and how to fix it kinda sounds like me, but I wouldn't call myself a random idea generator. Plus talking to someone who is clearly either an INTP with overdeveloped Ne, or ENTP, I was finding it annoying to how they operated. They were always asking me if it will work. My ideas I kept to myself, but I would make hints that I was working on something. Plus they always were defining things, and I don't like to define things by principle. But I also wouldn't call Ne inferior either, or tertiary.

More on topic now... Ne basically generates ideas randomly, then generates more ideas based on the results. Ni has a goal, like "I want to beat that idea.", so they define it kinda, like by saying "based on this, it's so and so (archetypes), but if we look at it this way, it's the same as so and so. so why do it that way, it will result in that. so I'm gonna do it this other way." With Ne, it's more step by step, a b c, etc. With Ni it can skip steps, because it sees the archetypes and what will already happen to them, so it just skips to what it will be.

Originally Posted by Serial Hero

Ni seeks to discover truths: realistic ways of explaining phenomena, deeper meanings based on evidence which cannot be denied.
Ne seeks to explore and create regardless of how real their playing field is; to conjure for the sake of conjuring.

This seems pretty close. I'm not so sure that Ni is realistic in itself though, but it's hard for me to describe what it would be instead. I've joked before that I am only an Ne type rather than Ni because I'm still kind of bad at getting Ni right, but I bet there's actually truth in that: if you have a pretty well-rounded understanding and you still can't quite get at what certain functions are (relative to your better/more-natural grasp of others), then that may be a clue that you don't have them.

While @Worriedfunction provides outstanding analyses to clear the fogs that plague the road between the Ni and Ne functions, here are quotes from Typelogic that describes the functions separately in accordance with the specific type.

Ne - ENFP

Extraverted iNtuition
The physical world, both geos and kosmos, is the ENFP's primary source of information. Rather than sensing things as they are, dominant intuition is sensitive to things as they might be. These extraverted intuitives are most adept with patterns and connections. Their natural inclination is toward relationships, especially among people or living things.
Intuition leans heavily on feeling for meaning and focus. Its best patterns reflect the interesting points of people, giving rise to caricatures of manner, speech and expression.

Ni - INFJ

Introverted iNtuition
Introverted intuitives, INFJs enjoy a greater clarity of perception of inner, unconscious processes than all but their INTJ cousins. Just as SP types commune with the object and "live in the here and now" of the physical world, INFJs readily grasp the hidden psychological stimuli behind the more observable dynamics of behavior and affect. Their amazing ability to deduce the inner workings of the mind, will and emotions of others gives INFJs their reputation as prophets and seers. Unlike the confining, routinizing nature of introverted sensing, introverted intuition frees this type to act insightfully and spontaneously as unique solutions arise on an event by event basis.

Ne - ENTP

ENTPs are nothing if not unique. Brave new associations flow freely from the unconscious into the world of the living. Making, discovering and developing connections between and among two or more of anything is virtually automatic. The product of intuition is merely an icon of process; ENTPs are in the business of change, improvement, experimentation.

The attraction Extraverted iNtuition has toward the real and physical amounts to a cosmic non sequitur: theory is drawn to practice. Such encounters are clearly puzzling. Both parties--the intuitor and the realist--are aware of a xenic quality in their meeting, with reactions ranging from recoil to reverie.

Ni - INTJ

Introverted iNtuition
INTJs are idea people. Anything is possible; everything is negotiable. Whatever the outer circumstances, INTJs are ever perceiving inner pattern-forms and using real-world materials to operationalize them. Others may see what is and wonder why; INTJs see what might be and say "Why not?!" Paradoxes, antinomies, and other contradictory phenomena aptly express these intuitors' amusement at those whom they feel may be taking a particular view of reality too seriously. INTJs enjoy developing unique solutions to complex problems.

Hope this helps.

Originally Posted by Lol Dictator

@Worriedfunction, phenomenal! Wish I could thank your posts multiple times!

Based on what you've explained here, my understanding is this:

Ni seeks to discover truths: realistic ways of explaining phenomena, deeper meanings based on evidence which cannot be denied.
Ne seeks to explore and create regardless of how real their playing field is; to conjure for the sake of conjuring.

you took the words right out of my mouth. i was trying to find a way to give an example of the actual process of each without making it too involved (since then it would incorporate more than itself and be more likely to look like something else as well).

i was going to say...

Ni--internalizes the object(s) and shifts it around itself, reorders the objects based on notions, and/or, moves itself around the internalized object. here, the "position" the object was found in isn't important, all that is important is the object, so Ni attempts to find ways to mentally rotate it in order to fully understand it--understanding comes from focus upon the object. (as in perspective shifts, not craziness)

example:
A: here's a box.
B:you're saying it's a box, and it looks like a box, but how do i know that you haven't just put a square, two-dimensional piece of cardboard in front of me and forced it somehow to stand up.
(walks around box, sees it from multiple perspectives... ok, that's terrible, but you get the idea)

Ne--takes the object and then recreates it and its surroundings in order to fully understand the object. since the object itself is more or less a "clone" it's still being viewed in more or less the way it would have been since its field-of-view (or the perspective it was found in) has not changed. from this i would say that Ne more or less focuses "recreation", and therefore focuses mainly upon on what surrounds the object for understanding.

sorry if this doesn't make much sense, have to hurry it up or i'll be late for class and me mind is coffee deprived.