# How can iNtuitives be Sports Superstars?



## Fanille (Sep 3, 2009)

This is an article that was originally posted in the Articles section of the forum on October 3, 2009. I'm re-posting it because the thread in the Articles forum is closed, and unlike with the other articles I have posted, this one does not have a corresponding forum post (I originally posted this as a blog, but deleted the blog when I was asked to put this in the Articles section). So I figured I'd re-post the article so that people can continue to discuss it. To avoid asking redundant questions, though, I would suggest reading through the old thread.

*How can iNtuitives be Sports Superstars?*​
Sports are often associated with Sensing. They require a great deal of attention to the outside environment. And reinforcing the idea that sports involve Sensing is Jonathan Niednagel's Brain Type system, which states that Sensates have greater motor control than iNtuitives. And indeed, many of the most successful athletes are SPs.

Yet NPs can be successful even at the highest levels of sport, even more so than SJs! How can someone with a dominant iNtuitive function be more successful than someone with a dominant Sensing function in something that primarily involves Sensing?

Niednagel, Lenore Thomson, and others have associated the "J" functions (Te, Fe, Si, Ni) with the left brain and "P" functions (Ti, Fi, Se, Ne) with the right brain. The left brain/right brain difference is significant for several reasons.

*More fluid movement*

All right-brained individuals have more fluid movements than their left-brained counterparts, who tend to be more mechanical. Mobility and smooth movements tend to be more advantageous in sports.

In fact, iNtuitives, because their motor skills are *less* dominant, can have *greater* mobility. As I mentioned in the Brain Types thread, NFL placekickers are often iNtuitives, despite the fact that placekicking uses the gross motor movements entirely. SFs especially tend to become tighter in their big muscles under pressure.

*Greater peripheral vision*

Niednagel describes right-brain dominance as seeing the whole field in an inexact way and left-brain dominance as seeing part of the field in an exact way. In sports where you only have to hit a stationary target, such as golf or baseball pitching, the latter isn't as much of a disadvantage (and indeed, such sports tend to be more J-friendly, as ISTJ Jack Nicklaus and ESTJ Nolan Ryan have proven). But in sports where you have to process a lot of things at once it is very important to be able to see the whole field. For example you will rarely see a J type as a starting point guard in the NBA.

*Split-second decision making*

Perceivers tend to make decisions at the last minute, and on the field this is often a good thing, as it allows one to see plays develop rather than trying to force things. The left side of the brain processes things more sequentially, which takes longer. In sports you often don't have that kind of time. Perceiving allows you to make quick decisions, which is especially helpful in the fast-paced, chaotic nature of sports.

Of course, all three of the above things can apply to SPs as well. But what can NPs bring to the table? Here are some things that are more unique to iNtuitives:

*High Pain Tolerances*

According to Niednagel, ENTPs and ENFPs tend to have the highest pain tolerances of *all *athletes. He says that Si is the function that is most in touch with physical pain, and for ENxPs, Si is the inferior function.

This, along with the added mobility, helps explain why iNtuitives can be especially successful in endurance events (Lance Armstrong and Michael Phelps are both ENTPs according to Niednagel). As I explained before, SF gross muscles tend to become tighter under pressure, and S types are more susceptible to pain (however, SFs can and often are successful in sprinting events, as ESFP Carl Lewis and ISFP Michael Johnson have shown).

*Visualization*

Another thing in which iNtuitives excel is visualization. This is helpful for translating complex strategies into meaning (as I mentioned in my NFL post), as well as for building confidence and "mentally" rehearsing routines. ENFPs especially are often very successful in sports that involve creative routines, such as diving (Greg Louganis) or figure skating (Kristi Yamaguchi, Michelle Kwan).

*Abstract Knowledge*

Again, being able to understand the abstract world helps when it comes to strategy. And while I don't like to think of Ns as being more intelligent, SPs often do have more difficulty with the academic standards necessary to compete at the collegiate level (which, as I mentioned in the NFL post, is why sports like football, which rely heavily on athletes with collegiate experience, tend to have a greater abundance of ENTPs).

*Introverted Intuitives*

Most of the things I've mentioned above appear to apply more to the dominant Ne-types. INxx types often aren't as attracted to sports as other types, but that does not mean they can be successful athletes as well. Here are some examples:

INFP: Tiger Woods, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Roberto Clemente, Dirk Nowitzki, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Julius Erving, Hicham El-Guerrouj, Dick Fosbury
INFJ: Chris Dudley, Jim McIlvane
INTJ: Randy Johnson, Mike Mussina, David Cone
INTP: Art Monk, Arthur Ashe, Dikembe Mutombo

*What about ENxJs?*

Most of the things I mentioned in my original post apply mainly to NPs. While ENxPs are far more common at the highest levels of sport than ENxJs, ENxJs can be successful athletes as well. The added mobility (from a lack of motor skill dominance) gives NJs more of a "right-brained" look in their movements, especially the ENTJs (which are generally considered the best of the J types). As Grim mentioned, Ni does give NJs an ability to anticipate which can overcome slower reaction times.

Notable ENTJs: Ryne Sandberg, Paul Molitor, Greg Maddux, Tom Seaver, Pau Gasol, Kevin McHale, Rick Barry, Roger Staubach, Steve Young, Eric Lindros, Mia Hamm, Karch Kiraly
Notable ENFJs: Mark Grace, Robin Ventura, Vinny Testaverde, Drew Bledsoe

Another interesting tidbit about ENTJs is that they're apparently the best when it comes to shooting "granny" free throws. :laughing:

*INTPs vs. INTJs - The Effect of Thinking?*

While Intuition can give Js a "right-brained" look, overuse of Thinking can give Ps a "left-brained" look, becoming more mechanical in their movements. Actually all four TP-types can be susceptible to this, though STPs are generally less likely to "live in their heads" than NTPs. Of course, this can be a source of confusion between INTPs and INTJs when it comes to motor movements. As a Yankees fan I have seen David Cone and Mike Mussina quite a bit and I'm not so sure that Niednagel's assessment is correct with those two. As NTs, both are very cerebral, but they are athletic as well, having participated in multiple sports at the high school level.

It is interesting to note that, as I have read through _Your Key To Sports Success_, only the INTx types have a larger listing of J athletes than P athletes. Again, Niednagel may just be confusing the two. Or perhaps INTJs, being Js, maybe be more likely to participate in sports as a means of exercising their secondary Te? I'm not sure.

*Conclusion*

Just because you are an iNtuitive does not mean you can't be successful in sports. Intuitives will need to learn to be more aware of their surroundings and spend time practicing their motor skills, but they have a lot to contribute to a team.


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## Daimai (Feb 14, 2010)

Too bad I hate teamsports.


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## justinhammar (Oct 23, 2009)

As an INTJ, I am an athlete. I lift a wide variety of weights from 10 pounds to 400. I run faster than any man I know. I play baseball in a special league in the city in which I live and coach a young boys wrestling team.


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## Modal Soul (Jun 16, 2013)

justinhammar said:


> As an INTJ, I am an athlete. I lift a wide variety of weights from 10 pounds to 400. I run faster than any man I know. I play baseball in a special league in the city in which I live and coach a young boys wrestling team.


said the ENFJ


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## Dedication (Jun 11, 2013)

Modal Soul said:


> said the ENFJ


Why did you felt the need to respond to a post that was made 4 years ago? You don't even know if he really is an ENFJ and we don't know if you're an INTJ so your post looks pretty stupid as well.


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## Modal Soul (Jun 16, 2013)

Dedication said:


> Why did you felt the need to respond to a post that was made 4 years ago? You don't even know if he really is an ENFJ and we don't know if you're an INTJ so your post looks pretty stupid as well.


I'm just a lost little girl who wanted to poke fun at the frivolity of self-typings and it was all done in good fun, with no intent to harm. I am sorry for hurting your feelings, mon frere, how would you like me to reimburse you?

Sidenote: I'm not sure of my type either. I'm an ENxP, your natural match. Would you like to date me? <3


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## disguise (Jan 17, 2014)

No, no, no, no, and no! I'll still add one: NO!

Do please look into the brains abilities and adaptions, and don't assume that there really is people that are "right-brained" (≠ creativity and what not related to sports) or "left-brained" (≠ logic and what not related to sports). Everything else in the post is to some extent alright, but I really always have to come up to people, and inform them of the misinformation that has been flooding from the field of neuroscience a while ago. Maybe back in 2009 this theory was more accepted, but thus has been proven wrong. The human mind is too complex to divide people so rigidly in the use of one or the other hemisphere. Rather talk about parts of the brains instead of these concepts mentioned.

Despite what you've been told, you aren't 'left-brained' or 'right-brained' | Amy Novotney | theguardian.com

Nothing else this time  (+ I'm terrible at sports, sincerely, ENTP)


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## Dedication (Jun 11, 2013)

Modal Soul said:


> I'm just a lost little girl who wanted to poke fun at the frivolity of self-typings and it was all done in good fun, with no intent to harm. I am sorry for hurting your feelings, mon frere, how would you like me to reimburse you?
> 
> Sidenote: I'm not sure of my type either. I'm an ENxP, your natural match. Would you like to date me? <3


You can start with the kitchen while I'm busy with my ESFP, the true INTJ match.


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## Modal Soul (Jun 16, 2013)

Dedication said:


> You can start with the kitchen while I'm busy with my ESFP, the true INTJ match.


I'll take that as a yes.


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## Dedication (Jun 11, 2013)

Modal Soul said:


> I'll take that as a yes.


:happy:


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## theft23 (Feb 10, 2014)

Tiger Woods. INTP. Debate over.


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## monemi (Jun 24, 2013)

Okay, so where are the sensors being typed in the creative and intellectual fields? Where are the majority SP superheroes? 

Two way street right?


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## Dedication (Jun 11, 2013)

monemi said:


> Two way street right?


No...

Why?

Because the OP has mistyped pretty much everybody on his list, so this entire thread is based on invalid information, and yes, that includes the conclusion.

But yes, there is a two way street, but not this way. Not the way this thread has been build. It's also from 2010, so we shouldn't delve into the matter too much because it's dated.


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## Spider2YBanana (Jun 1, 2014)

Basing someone's athleticism off of being "S" or "N" seems like an oversimplification at times. Athleticism is something you're born with and the great ones work to reach their potential day and night. That's why someone like Michael Jordan was so spectacular because he had this God-given talent and he put in all the work to make that talent work for him out on the court.

Probably one of the best examples of an upcoming young "N" athlete is Andrew Luck, the quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts (That's an American football team for all of you who don't know and I am biased because he is my favorite athlete.) He's an NT but I'm not exactly sure from there. Off the field, he's nerdy (He was an architectural engineer at Stanford and he plays Settlers of Catan for fun) and he can seem socially awkward like a lot of NTs. He dresses pretty sloppily and he has the "charming" neckbeard that he just doesn't seem to care about. He places a huge emphasis on education and really values encouraging young NFL fans to read and excel in the classroom. 

On the field, he is a world-class athlete. He's a 6'4", 239 lbs man who can run the 40 yard dash in 4.67 seconds, has a 36" vertical, and 124" broad jump. He's hard to tackle with just one guy and he can take a hit. And he has physical awareness that you just can't teach. Some people are just born with that talent. 






But his NT traits are what make him the rising star of the NFL. He has an eye for how all the details of a playbook fit together to make a winning gameplan. His throwing mechanics are flawless because of hours of meticulous practice and constant challenging to self-improve. And he never makes the same mistake twice. He rarely takes chances unless he's positive that they'll end up with a hefty reward. All in all, he's the biggest reason that I think "N" athletes can play at the highest level and moreover, excel at the highest level.


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## FearAndTrembling (Jun 5, 2013)

lol at Chris Dudley being an INFJ. Weird to see him used as an example. I am better than him at free throws.


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## Super Samurai (Dec 11, 2014)

Great post. I am an ENFP and I play competitive soccer. I would say the most important thing for success as an N in athletics would be motor skills. I know a lot of people on my soccer team are N. I dont know why people think only sensors can be athletes.


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## Highway Nights (Nov 26, 2014)

Not entirely sure why a post from 2010 keeps getting resurrected but......
I agree. The ENTPs and ENFPs I've known in particular seem to gravitate towards athletics. Tom Brady (quarterback for New England Patriots) is supposedly an ENFP.


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## AdroElectro (Oct 28, 2014)

I can confim that inferior Si can lead to a very high pain tolerance.


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## Pressed Flowers (Oct 8, 2014)

You'll be surprised how well any intuitive can perform when their parents were both contestants for Most Atheletic and the intuitive highly values pleasing their parents.


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## Deadly Decorum (Feb 23, 2014)

Why should we limit careers to one type? I think capabilities have to do with skills and what one enjoys, not jung/mbti. People are going to get different things out of the same career, and we need that. Everyone has something to offer, even if it's a case study or research or new finding on society, lol.


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