[PhotoGeek]

I was reading that thread a little ways down about some ENTP lady and her ISTP who had been dating for 8 years, yada yada. And reading you guys' responses was like.... "WHOA" for me. I couldn't relate to anything you guys told her.

Ok so. Here's my thing. I'm obsessed with the future. Not literally, but I'm almost constantly thinking about where I will be in x years. In fact, every time I try to talk to my husband about a long term project or long terms ideas/goals--which is very often--he zones out and won't listen. It drives me crazy that he doesn't care (he's gotta be SP, Mr. in the present), because they really excite me. I love to plan and "dream" about the future (although I almost never follow through on my plans). And I don't mean those kinds of dreams that would make me want to gag.

I know for sure that Ti is my dominant process. And considering my previous confusion (and the way I actually preferred abstract math/physics subjects and examining artwork for hidden meanings, and coming up with ideas for various things--Ne probably--among other things) I'm really starting to think I really am INTP after all............



I'm starting to wonder if I've over-exaggerated my building/doing skills to you guys here on the forum. I have some inclinations (having a great sense of direction, and I generally like to be moving around, but then again I can be very sedentary, especially when I am learning about a subject that interest me, and I'm very good at figuring out how things work, but only when forced to do it, I usually don't care a lick about how things--mechanical or otherwise--work unless I have to care). But, I also have natural inclinations towards abstract math (those classes came the most easily to me in school), symbolism/coming up with meanings of poetry/books. I find that I love abstract dissections in various subjects (art history, english lit), and will often stay after class to talk about the subject with the few interested students and/or teacher. These are the topics that never come up in the ISTP section that have got me wondering... maybe I'm typed wrong after all? Every time I think I feel sure, something clicks that I hadn't thought of before and it makes me second (triple/quadruple/etc) guess myself. There are still quite a few things about the ISTP section that I relate to, but I wonder if most of those are more general introversion traits?

Oh yeah, and I used to not be much for going outside. I used to stay inside all day for weeks and didn't mind a bit as long as my mind was engaged. I think this whole liking outside thing might be something I've learned (especially since my husband loves it). That and my mom always making us as kids to "Go play outside!" Oh and I have a HORRIBLE memory. My husband tells me I'm the most forgetful, absent-minded person he's ever met. I wouldn't think of any sensors as being particularly forgetful, but maybe I'm wrong. It would seem that even Se is always going around collecting data (and remembering it). I can't remember details for SHIT. I am always looking for the big picture in most subjects.

BLAH. Anyway, done rambling. What do you guys think? I know you have only seen the small side of me that I have shown, but maybe you can help me explain some of my confusions?

[DJArendee]

Well if you want to test Ne, talk to yourself, and if you learn new things as you talk to yourself, that means you're spewing data and pulling it back in as something new. Ever see those movies with physics professors talking to themselves at the chalkboard until EUREKA! (spelling?) That's basically Ne. Ni means, if you give yourself a lot of time alone and think quietly to yourself, you can learn new things by connecting the dots in your head from all the information you've collected throughout the day. That's an Ni thing (intj, istp, infj, enfj, esfp etc)

Try it out. As for thinking about the future, I'm still quite unaware how it works. I used to think I thought about the future, but by that it was simple daydreams that were inspired at that moment. One day I said "I want to be an astronaut." And from there I connected the dots on where I need to go to accomplish that, even though many days I forget my original drive and inspiration and totally don't feel like putting forth the work to become one.

I believe thinking about the future and past is more about seeing the coming days as a whole, a flowing ribbon of events all connected; almost like a mutual fund. so ISTJ's and ISTP's will often think things like "I'll never get a girlfriend, I'm hopeless," after they come home from a terrible date, while INTP's probably just don't care, because they know something will happen in the future regardless how that particular day has gone for them, and it takes significantly more consistent action to alter this "flowing ribbon" as their entire MONTH would have to suck for it to make a difference and for them to recognize a problem.

[PhotoGeek]

Well if you want to test Ne, talk to yourself, and if you learn new things as you talk to yourself, that means you're spewing data and pulling it back in as something new. Ever see those movies with physics professors talking to themselves at the chalkboard until EUREKA! (spelling?) That's basically Ne.

Hah! I do that ALL the time. Often it is via text (like, I'll be typing something out, and by doing that figure something out). So that's Ne? I've been so confused over which intuition is which..... hmm. What's Ni then?

I used to think I thought about the future, but by that it was simple daydreams that were inspired at that moment. One day I said "I want to be an astronaut." And from there I connected the dots on where I need to go to accomplish that, even though many days I forget my original drive and inspiration and totally don't feel like putting forth the work to become one.

Yep, I do the same thing. But I do it very often..... So is that an ISTP thing, or is it just one of our quirks?

I believe thinking about the future and past is more about seeing the coming days as a whole, a flowing ribbon of events all connected; almost like a mutual fund.

I love the way you put that. :)

[DJArendee]

I actually felt some pleasure reading that myself. Strange how that is.

To put Ni and Ne into perspective; Say you have a dog, and you see pee on the floor of your house. Ni connects the dots to arrive at a new conclusion that the dog peed on the floor. That is a new fact. I talk to myself constantly and learn new things, I talk to myself in the shower, on the toilet, in the car (and then forget I'm driving and have to swerve). So talking to yourself and arriving at intermediate conclusions would be both Ni and Ne. So if you see a road to the left, and you see a road to the right, and mathematically decide to go perfectly in between both of them and create your own third road, that is Ni. Its more concrete and down to earth, it makes sense.

INTJ's can get carried away if left unchecked because they'll make an assumption, then they'll connect the dots of two assumptions, until they have an entire network of bullshit that isn't actually correct, and the mature ones recognize this flaw.

Ne is voodoo. Imagine a fountain of water coming out of your mouth, but somewhere in the air the water molecules rearrange into plasma, spit, fire, frogs... random things fly out in all directions that are hard to keep track of, and never really comes back down to land on your face as you once expected. The fountain of water coming out of your mouth somehow has all the ingredients to create frogs, fire and plasma, but you never knew that. Its why ENTP's invent things constantly, but they're so unpractical because they can't keep track of the original concept that inspired them to create it in the first place. Its also why INTP's don't actually know if what they're spewing is correct or not, they just start talking random crap and people tell them "oo ahhh... that makes sense." Hmm, sounds like a sweet painting.

As for thinking about the future, that's kind of our Se at work. I know for sure I'll have a direction in life if I see pictures or sit outside and observe new things. If I see a brochure for amazon rainforest geodesic dome homes, I'll say "holy crap that looks awesome I want one!" and then I'll think about how I'll get one, and use my Ni and Ti to think up a way to get there. Its not really thinking about the future, its more of a tactical decision, similar to how marines would look at a battlefield and on the spot create the next three actions they'll take: I'll hide behind that car, I'll shoot the guy in the window, and I'll move up to the wall once he's dead. Same concept.

[MissFixit]

abstract math/physics subjects and examining artwork for hidden meanings,

I absolutely never do that. like, ever. abstract meanings? in ART? I just like colors cuz they're pretty. ;)
And I hate abtract math, the only reason I studied engineering was because i thought we would get to DO something -- turns out not.

I find that I love abstract dissections in various subjects (art history, english lit), and will often stay after class to talk about the subject with the few interested students and/or teacher.

and I absolutely never do that either. You'd have to put a gun to my head.

I wouldn't think of any sensors as being particularly forgetful, but maybe I'm wrong.

Thing is, I am a total space cadet and live in my head most of the time.


Ti is very strong, and I wondered if I was INTP as well simply because of the intense Ti and forgetfulness. But that's not enough. I'm too much of a Sensor to be interested in the sorts of discussions that INTPs like to have.
You sound like you might be INTP!

[DJArendee]

Well I sometimes wonder if I am an INTP, because I enjoy talking about strange things with my brother; but mostly if they bring up awesome imagery. Like one time he was describing this random theory he created where every human has a single conscious that cycles through every human being a trillion times per second, much like a CPU processor. I find things like that interesting to talk about.

But I can't really add to anything, I just enjoy the ride.

[MissFixit]

It's not that theory isn't interesting. I have read books on Einstein so it's not like I can't comprehend it...it's just that I'm never interested in talking to people about theories... the more abstract the ideas become the more I start looking at the wallpaper, wondering if anyone would notice if i started peeling it off.

[DJArendee]

Ha. Yeah I've been there.

[Capsicum]

I absolutely never do that. like, ever. abstract meanings? in ART? I just like colors cuz they're pretty. ;)

Same!

But saying that used to get me in trouble.

I have no real interest in abstract theories either: I like theories that I can apply or that seem to have a practical purpose. Yesterday I had a convo with a guy about time travel and why it's impossible, that was pretty interesting.

To be honest, I'm not very future orientated. I'm not really thinking of where I'll be in five years, or ten, or whatever. I just make sure I keep my options open, save some money, don't become an alcoholic and so on.

[MissFixit]

Same!

I just make sure I keep my options open, save some money, don't become an alcoholic and so on.

Yeah that about covers it