# Question for Sensors: How do you know when someone is an intuitive?



## FreeSpirit (Jun 1, 2011)

To clarify the title of this thread:

This is a question posed to the sensors here on PerC.

Sensors: In real life, when you decide that someone 
you meet is an intuitive- what characteristics do they
usually have that makes you decide this?

Or, stated another way: How can you tell when someone
is an intuitive?

(By the way- I don't mean this thread to be so serious people
are careful with their answers for fear of insulting someone.
It is all in good fun.)


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## Owfin (Oct 15, 2011)

I'm not good identifying them in real life, but I say I'm a bit better on forums.

I consider myself pretty good at seeing Ne, and not so good at Ni. Ne is because I recognize it as half of how I perceive things. Ni is not so good because I confuse it with Si. I'm getting better at identifying Ni recently after learning that Ni is having faith in systems instead of models (by the mathematical definition). 

In practice, Ni tends to start off telling you the whole big idea, then gets into the details.


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## Glenda Gnome Starr (May 12, 2011)

They are so busy talking about the theory of something, nothing, everything, string cheese, etc., that they walk into a really huge brick building that they had not previously observed as having been directly in their path!!!!!!!!!!!


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## zynthaxx (Aug 12, 2009)

@walking tourist: It's good you stopped typing those exclamation marks. One more and you would have reached critical mass...

@FreeSpirit: N types (primarily Ne users, I think) tend to jump between subjects in a peculiar way when you talk with them. You can usually follow the thread if you replay the conversation in your mind, but it tends to run off on a tangent very often.


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## U-80 (Mar 12, 2010)

Ne: prolific idea-generating
Ni: strength of convictions


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## LotusBlossom (Apr 2, 2011)

I don't. It's the hardest dichotomy for me to detect. With time, I can make an educated guess whether somebody is an I/E, F/T or J/P, but S/N eludes me. I've seen enough 'exceptions' to blow stereotypes out of the water, and I put exceptions in quotes because they're only exceptions because people make rigid criteria of what they think is indicative of S/N, and suffocate others with them.

Neither is it important for me to know whether somebody is S or N for me to effectively communicate with them.


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## FreeSpirit (Jun 1, 2011)

walking tourist said:


> They are so busy talking about the theory of something, nothing, everything, string cheese, etc., that they walk into a really huge brick building that they had not previously observed as having been directly in their path!!!!!!!!!!!


Ha! Ha! I _knew_ it!


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## Owfin (Oct 15, 2011)

walking tourist said:


> They are so busy talking about the theory of something, nothing, everything, string cheese, etc., that they walk into a really huge brick building that they had not previously observed as having been directly in their path!!!!!!!!!!!


Or they could be a Si type who is too busy looking at the sky and remembering that cirrus clouds don't bring rain, bringing back the lesson in school and how some of them had really long hard to remember names like nimbo-*smacks into building*

What? No! Why would you think something like that has happened to me? That's nonsense. :wink:


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## underdog (Jul 27, 2011)

I'm not a sensor but an easy way to tell whether someone is a an intuitive is to steer the conversation into something speculative and theoretical and see how they respond. Sensors will most likely say "yeah" then change topics, while intuitives will stay interested.


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## WickedQueen (Jun 1, 2009)

I don't type people in real life. I don't like making assumptions without previously get these people to do the test.

However, I have guesses.

Me and my Sensor friends likes to quickly jump from one topic to another. We can talk about several topics within an hour. Intuitors seem to have difficulty in catching up with this kind of conversation. You can see that from their facial expression and eye movement, there's a blank expression, confused, or overwhelmed feeling caused by too much information. I also sense a tiny bit of panic/fear of being left behind the conversation, as others continue to 'run' from one topic to another.

On the other hand, my Intuitor friends seem to enjoy talking about a single topic for hours. They broadened the issue, seeing it from different angles, compare it with other issues, and dig deeper. Sensors seem to be impatient with this kind of conversation. You can see that from their body language, there are signs of boredom and "oh-please-can-we-talk-about-other-things-and-just-get-over-this-I-had-enough" attitude. They also faking smile and nod a lot with hope that the topic will finish soon.

There are other details too, but I don't know how to explain it. It's a mix of matching consistency between the body language and facial expression with sentences and tones. The result will give me a _sense _of whether or not the person is Intuitor.

I could be wrong, though. So take it with a grain of salt.


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## Hastings (Jan 8, 2011)

WickedQueen said:


> Me and my Sensor friends likes to quickly jump from one topic to another. We can talk about several topics within an hour. Intuitors seem to have difficulty in catching up with this kind of conversation. You can see that from their facial expression and eye movement, there's a blank expression, confused, or overwhelmed feeling caused by too much information. I also sense a tiny bit of panic/fear of being left behind the conversation, as others continue to 'run' from one topic to another.




This is too funny. When I read this, I felt myself make a sad face. Jumping from topic to topic with no space for depth is the introverted intuitive's nightmare.




> On the other hand, my Intuitor friends seem to enjoy talking about a single topic for hours. They broadened the issue, seeing it from different angles, compare it with other issues, and dig deeper. Sensors seem to be impatient with this kind of conversation. You can see that from their body language, there are signs of boredom and "oh-please-can-we-talk-about-other-things-and-just-get-over-this-I-had-enough" attitude. They also faking smile and nod a lot with hope that the topic will finish soon.


And when I read this, I made an approving happy face.


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## pepperpotts (Aug 2, 2011)

I think it’s Ne that’s jumping from one topic to another, it’s fun. Ni tends to concentrate on a single topic for hours, days, months, leads to a depression.

If a mouse tells you about a cheese, it’s always correct?
If a mouse tells you about a fish, it’s uncertain?
If a cat tells you about a fish, it’d always be correct that even makes it false?

Question for A: How do you know when someone is a B?
Question for B: How do you know when someone is an A?
How do you know A is B and B is A and AB is C?
How do you know A is A and B is B?

(I am truly not looking for a response, please don’t bother to respond)


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## infinitewisdom (Jan 23, 2011)

walking tourist said:


> They are so busy talking about the theory of something, nothing, everything, string cheese, etc., that they walk into a really huge brick building that they had not previously observed as having been directly in their path!!!!!!!!!!!


If I exclude theory from your list of subjects. I seriously would have thought you were talking specifically about your own type.

I think wickedqueen described it best so far.


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## firedell (Aug 5, 2009)

I recognise Ne more than Ni. 

I just listen to their words, and decisions they make, how they came about them ect:


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## Glenda Gnome Starr (May 12, 2011)

Actually, I was describing your type, lol. I am too busy scanning my environment to walk into the huge brick building. And, yes, I thought that wickedqueen's description was very thorough.



infinitewisdom said:


> If I exclude theory from your list of subjects. I seriously would have thought you were talking specifically about your own type.
> 
> I think wickedqueen described it best so far.


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## Brian1 (May 7, 2011)

You just know. It's like this internal psychic ability one possess. Almost like a sixth sense. I see intuitive people.

Tell them a bunch of facts and logic. That's one way to know. Rebel rouse. Become a gadfly-trust me this works,Ns don't like conflict and are more willing to jump on a bandwagon.


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## U-80 (Mar 12, 2010)

Brian1 said:


> Ns don't like conflict and are more willing to jump on a bandwagon.


Those traits have nothing to do with N/S. Also the way you described intuitives sounded a bit derogatory. I'm not sure they will appreciate the "facts and logic" thing.

But anyway. It's kind of hard to generalize, since not all intuitives are exactly alike. Just as not all sensors are alike, not all extroverts are alike, etc etc. For one thing there's a big difference between Ne and Ni, and secondly there's also a big difference between dominant and auxiliary. Not to mention the difference between NTs and NFs.

From all the "guess the type" threads here, it should be known that N/S can be hard to determine. Even in real life it's not always possible to tell. It depends so much on what is going on inside the person's mind, and we don't have direct access to that.

Still, very generally I'd say that intuitives seem more "out there" than sensors. Their ideas seem to come out of left field. I marvel at them sometimes because I think to myself, "where do you get this stuff?" As sensors, our thoughts are almost always tied to reality in some way. Intuitives aren't restricted by reality at all. Their thoughts can go off in any direction, at any time. So in a room full of sensors, an intuitive might stand out as being a tad quirky. In a business setting, intuitives are greatly valued by the sensors because they're ideas-people. (Sensors are good at perfecting an existing product or service, but without intuitives the business would never evolve or diversify.)


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## Fizz (Nov 13, 2010)

WickedQueen said:


> I don't type people in real life. I don't like making assumptions without previously get these people to do the test.
> 
> However, I have guesses.
> 
> ...


That could be the cause of the stereotype about how Sensors get bored in "deep" conversations. We sort of get to the point on things and dicking around playing philosopher will only annoy others. There was one time when a group of friends and I hung out and talked all night. One N asked another to talk about quantum superposition, that's fine and all but the first inquisitive N is a very fake person and was putting on a front of intellectualism. He's always been like that and it came off as very desperate. The other N is INTP and he's just really intelligent and can explain things well. That's why I usually have a problem with "deep talk" because it can be very uninteresting when someone forces it into a conversation like that.

That's not to say an S would never do that, that's just from my experience. I have no interest in talking about science with a group of friends because of varied interests and most stuff I know is very disturbing.


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## Brian1 (May 7, 2011)

The top part I was being whimsical, the bottom part I got down to business. I think these things are hard to define. I've never gone into a room and said oh that's an intuitive person, or that person is a rational or a sensor. I've gone into rooms and said that person is a woman, and that person is a man, and that person is gay or that person is disabled, but other than that a lot of people look and act the same to me. I would say from experience and reading lots of David Keirsey, that if someone said "let's rob a bank." some N, may rest upon their morals and say that is just wrong, however if the whole group is devoid of that, if one person says that's wrong, a lot of them are going to let the person be a rebel rouser so that another person can say "you're making people uncomfortable with disagreeing with our plans to rob a bank so we can give the money back to the people.You're not one of us." Even though there may be logical reasons as not to rob a bank, the fact that everyone's on board with it means the argument against it is lost. I'm not saying Ns are bank robbers. I am saying they fall into the fallacy of the bandwagon effect. But again, I also made a point this is from my experience. Other people's experiences may be different, and I'm not disregarding their views. 



Era said:


> Those traits have nothing to do with N/S. Also the way you described intuitives sounded a bit derogatory. I'm not sure they will appreciate the "facts and logic" thing.
> 
> But anyway. It's kind of hard to generalize, since not all intuitives are exactly alike. Just as not all sensors are alike, not all extroverts are alike, etc etc. For one thing there's a big difference between Ne and Ni, and secondly there's also a big difference between dominant and auxiliary. Not to mention the difference between NTs and NFs.
> 
> ...


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## Brian1 (May 7, 2011)

This is what I'm going on, I may be wrong and that's a chance I'm willing to take,but I've been really influenced by David Keirsey, and based upon my experience, I would say this has something to do with the Ni:

Idealists are sure that friendly cooperation is the best way for people to achieve their goals. Conflict and confrontation upset them because they seem to put up angry barriers between people. Idealists dream of creating harmonious, even caring personal relations, and they have a unique talent for helping people get along with each other and work together for the good of all. Such interpersonal harmony might be a romantic ideal, but then Idealists are incurable romantics who prefer to focus on what might be, rather than what is. The real, practical world is only a starting place for Idealists; they believe that life is filled with possibilities waiting to be realized, rich with meanings calling out to be understood. This idea of a mystical or spiritual dimension to life, the "not visible" or the "not yet" that can only be known through intuition or by a leap of faith, is far more important to Idealists than the world of material things.

Keirsey Temperament Website - Portrait of the Idealist® (NF)


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