[Erbse]

The benefit is that you have better access to your intuitive function than I do, since they're closer together. However, your Se is still in conflict with your Ni, and their proximity means they're going to fight more often. Generally, when you're immature, your Se is leading your Ni.

This is a misconception. With functions there is only one certain hierarchy that exits; All serve the dominant, and your inferior is your inferior - meaning Ni and Se aren't in conflict whatsoever but are called upon as needed by the judging function.



Basically, judging doms are one dimensional when it comes to their ability to judge things (T/F), while perceiving doms are one dimensional in regards to how they perceive the world (S/N).

[Stephen]

This is a misconception. With functions there is only one certain hierarchy that exits; All serve the dominant, and your inferior is your inferior - meaning Ni and Se aren't in conflict whatsoever but are called upon as needed by the judging function.

Basically, judging doms are one dimensional when it comes to their ability to judge things (T/F), while perceiving doms are one dimensional in regards to how they perceive the world (S/N).

I was basing this on the functional theory that access to our functions is linear, so to access your Ni you need to do it through your Se, and to access your Fe, you need to do it through your Ni.

[Erbse]

I was basing this on the functional theory that access to our functions is linear, so to access your Ni you need to do it through your Se, and to access your Fe, you need to do it through your Ni.

Exactly why I called it a misconception

Although I do realize the thread is a tad older than I originally thought.

[Marac]

I don't completely understand introverted intuition yet, but I think I use it regularly (though less often than Se.)

Whenever I get lost in my mind (in the classroom, on the bus, doing boring work), which I think happens when there is lack of Se-stimulation, I get visions of the future (they are usually very visual and actually almost feel real).

For instance, I have a month to make up my mind about whether I want to start at architecture or industrial design this fall. Since I've thought about it a lot, I've sometimes gotten these visions of how my life situation will be depending on the choice.

I also often imagine future events if there is a girl I have a crush on. Like the dream scene from Dumb Dumber:

[Poptart]

Oh, yeah. I've actually been in what could be described as a dom-tert loop of Ti and Ni for the past 3 years and am now finally coming out of it. During these years I pretty much stopped intentionally using Se because I didn't see the value of it, and became extremely introverted. There was a period of literally 8 months in which I didn't hang out with one friend due to the social anxiety this caused. I would just think about theoretical issues all day and the whole thing was really confusing. When I took MBTI tests, I'd always score INTJ with weak N+J preferences, and that made sense to me since my behaviour was superficially similar to an INTJ's.

However I don't regard this experience as a negative thing, in retrospect. It's made me way more intuitive and more intelligent since I was focusing on education rather than physical experience. Thinking I was an INTJ, I tried to live up to the expectation that I should be intelligent, and it paid off somewhat. It was just hell to live through because it's not who I am. It's cool to be back.

[itsme45]

Oh, yeah. I've actually been in what could be described as a dom-tert loop of Ti and Ni for the past 3 years and am now finally coming out of it. During these years I pretty much stopped intentionally using Se because I didn't see the value of it, and became extremely introverted. There was a period of literally 8 months in which I didn't hang out with one friend due to the social anxiety this caused. I would just think about theoretical issues all day and the whole thing was really confusing. When I took MBTI tests, I'd always score INTJ with weak N+J preferences, and that made sense to me since my behaviour was superficially similar to an INTJ's.

However I don't regard this experience as a negative thing, in retrospect. It's made me way more intuitive and more intelligent since I was focusing on education rather than physical experience. Thinking I was an INTJ, I tried to live up to the expectation that I should be intelligent, and it paid off somewhat. It was just hell to live through because it's not who I am. It's cool to be back.

very interesting. I don't know my type for sure yet, but anyhow... I had an experience slightly similar to yours. When growing up, at one point (age 18 or so), I started thinking about general things, about the world, a lot of abstract things, requiring not only introversion but N usage as well. The world kind of opened up to me more and I just sooo had to analyse it.

Over the course of about 9 months or so, my S slowly got weaker and as a result, I got "disconnected" from direct sensory experiences and when I noticed this, it was so weird. -.- I just didn't enjoy sensory activities anymore, I felt too out of touch with all of it. I didn't really know what the hell to do about it though so I just left it at that. Overall it was not feeling like hell though, just weird at specific moments.

(There was a deeper degree of this process after that in the next couple of months - where I also got disconnected with my feelings as well but I managed to make myself snap out of it quickly, and no, it was not depression. Anyhow, I vowed to myself to never let myself go there again! And I never did.)

Later, after finally answering all my questions about the world and stuff that needed heavy use of introversion and N as well, I slowly reconnected with the world, over years. I don't have that crappy disconnection feeling to sensory experiences anymore, though I'm definitely a bit more reserved about sensory experiences now. That is, I'm not as focused on them as I was as a kid.

You could even say I got bored with a lot of the more plain sensory stuff as it's nothing new anymore, like, when I go around somewhere, I scan the environment quickly and most things will not take my attention for more than a fraction of a second so I keep moving on. So most of this scan is not even fully conscious, because I move on so quickly. Like, my stimulation threshold is quite a bit higher than it used to be. New stuff that does take my attention is cool though! It just has to get past my threshold. :P

Also, If I'm to stay in one place, then after the initial quick check of the environment I will just not pay attention to it and will try to find some activity instead to keep myself busy, or worst case I will introvert and think about whatever stuff I'm most involved with in general at the time.

I don't think this will ever change but I'm fine with it. I still live in this world and I still enjoy it no problem. I still love living in the present and interacting with the world. I'm just more thoughtful at times and that's fine too. :) And I of course still have all the neat thoughts and conclusions I got to while I was in that reclusive mode and they are all very useful too.

There is a seemingly more permanent side effect of course, and that is that sometimes when I've been introverted too much for a while or just simply not been focusing on the world around me, I feel somewhat drained and then I get a strong urge to snap out of it asap, to reconnect with the world around me, and then I do so, no problem.

[Sayonara]

I like my Ni function, especially since it allows me to focus more on possibilities and to look at things differently when I get stuck in an unfavorable situation that I feel I have no way out of...at the time. It also fosters some nice escape fantasies while I'm waiting lol.

That being said, it's not always roses. For some reason I find Se very weak with me as a whole...I am very unaware of my surroundings and heck I doubt I could tell you what the outside of our apartment building looks like once I leave it. And boy do I ever get lost if I don't have my much more aware partner with me.

I think that it's my lack of Se that actually is what winds up screwing me over if anything. I have been in that place @Benja: talks about, trapped in a world of meaningless and anxiety and generally blaming society for being the way it is.

@Kito: Your comment about your Ni making you find meaning in things that you'd rather not deal with got me thinking too...I've always had a severe inferiority complex when it comes to being intelligent...that's probably why my Ni is so high. I'm using it as a crutch, to try and keep up with my family of geniuses...I honestly feel it really is the only function I have that enables me to understand hidden meanings of things more clearly, so I don't feel quite so dull and stupid all the time. o_O

Dang...*brainsplodes*

[itsme45]

That being said, it's not always roses. For some reason I find Se very weak with me as a whole...I am very unaware of my surroundings and heck I doubt I could tell you what the outside of our apartment building looks like once I leave it. And boy do I ever get lost if I don't have my much more aware partner with me.

Are you truly unaware of your surroundings or do you just quickly filter out the information on a subconscious level? I also won't be able to describe things in very much detail if it is some place I don't go to often because I just don't care that much. Though some general attributes do stick in memory and I can describe pretty well in details the outside of the house where I live no problem.

The thing about getting lost does sound like the former option for you, though. I may not pay much attention to my surroundings yet I don't get lost. -.-

[Sayonara]

Are you truly unaware of your surroundings or do you just quickly filter out the information on a subconscious level? I also won't be able to describe things in very much detail if it is some place I don't go to often because I just don't care that much. Though some general attributes do stick in memory and I can describe pretty well in details the outside of the house where I live no problem.

The thing about getting lost does sound like the former option for you, though. I may not pay much attention to my surroundings yet I don't get lost. -.-

Hmm, I think some of it may be the fact that my mind is simply like a camera without film...it takes full interest of what's around me, but it doesn't register. So the second option I guess? Or I could just be the victim of an extremely horrible memory...most of the time in order to remember something, it has to trigger a feeling or remind me of something else I've experienced to fully register.

[itsme45]

Hmm, I think some of it may be the fact that my mind is simply like a camera without film...it takes full interest of what's around me, but it doesn't register. So the second option I guess? Or I could just be the victim of an extremely horrible memory...most of the time in order to remember something, it has to trigger a feeling or remind me of something else I've experienced to fully register.

ok, cool, I see what you mean. :)

as for memory... yeah, mine is weird too. I'm very spatial in general, and probably due to that my memory is the same way. I don't recall memories by smell or whatever else is supposedly common to other people, but I will readily recall a lot of memories by physical location/space. Like, I go around and I look at a specific location and I'll spontaneously remember something that happened there or whatever I was thinking of if nothing was happening.

I guess for you it's feelings that help remember then... funny.

Overall, I did notice before that it is really variable as to what helps people remember and recall. So I wouldn't claim you necessarily have a horrible memory, just needing its own kinds of cues.