# Is driving a Se-related activity?



## Sequestrum (Sep 11, 2011)

JungyesMBTIno said:


> I mean, focus as in, one's natural _mode of focus_. Think like a focal point in artwork - where one's attention is automatically and naturally directed without you even trying much, if at all. In cognitive functions, this process is unconscious, like you described.


Hmmm, in that case, I can't decide which sounds better. They both seem to have weaknesses and advantages to me. Se being reactive, and Ne being predictive.


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## Neon Knight (Aug 11, 2010)

firedell said:


> I'm too scared even too take a driving lesson. I can't even get the right amount of control on an arcade game.


Don't feel bad I was a late starter too  The idea of me controlling a heavy piece of machinery at 100 km/h doesn't make me feel too safe when there are tons of incompetent, distracted drivers zooming around with me. I had too many near calls being the driver and being the passenger. I haven't driven much in years so it's like I'm basically starting over. Once a while back I was rather confident. It does get easy after enough practice though.


Also to clarify my rather biting comment before (I'm finally getting over this awful bug! Though at the time I was trying to be funny), I now realise I was not using proper terms by saying things like "Se-related activities", though I haven't found a proper replacement just as for "using" a function is technically wrong. If anyone has better ideas, please share or start a thread so maybe we can all get on the same page as well .


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## passionfruitx3 (Dec 29, 2009)

hey! So...I think driving has to do with sensing in general-it can be both Se and Si. I use my Si frequently (I'd like to think I do), and that has helped me immensely in gauging spaces and having spatial awareness to smoothly drive. My parents say out of me and younger brother (who's ESFP), I drive much more smoothly and with control. Of course, he just started learning and I've been driving for a year and half. But he's so into thrill-seeking that he tends to speed a lot and take a lot of risks. Another ESFP friend of mine is a bit of a sloppy driver (I blame it on her lack of practice, though). She also speeds at times and can be reckless at times. My ISTJ friend is a good driver. But on the other hand, and ISTP friend of mine is also known to be a good driver lol. My mom has driving anxiety so she's very reluctant about driving anywhere and when she does she's really careful and stressed-out. She's ISTP though, which is weird.

Anyway, just some observations. But I know that Se users might be more prone to learn driving quickly....my esfp brother who's just 15 is pushing to get his license, whereas when I was his age that wasn't even on my mind. I guess where we live driving gives you a sense of freedom to go out and do the things you want to, since everything is so far away lol and there's not much public transportation. I know driving can also be kind of a "rush" feeling. 

Anyway, just some observations.


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## passionfruitx3 (Dec 29, 2009)

sorry I don't have anything against Se users....I think I portrayed them as "sloppy" and "bad" drivers. That in no way speaks for Se users.


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## Neon Knight (Aug 11, 2010)

passionfruitx3 said:


> sorry I don't have anything against Se users....I think I portrayed them as "sloppy" and "bad" drivers. That in no way speaks for Se users.


No, I don't think you did. I had no use for mine at all, I just preferred walking or cycling. Plus I never had money for a car and all that goes with it.


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## Sequestrum (Sep 11, 2011)

I'm starting to get the impression that type doesn't have too much to do with how good or bad you drive, or how comfortable with it you are at all. Maybe everyone can drive just as well as each other depending on how well they implement their perception style in a way that works for them?


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## Uralian Hamster (May 13, 2011)

Sequestrum said:


> I'm starting to get the impression that type doesn't have too much to do with how good or bad you drive, or how comfortable with it you are at all. Maybe everyone can drive just as well as each other depending on how well they implement their perception style in a way that works for them?


I think it has more to do with spacial perception than anything else. Some people can't tell 10 feet from 12, and are never really comfortable with their vehicles size. I've seen people scrape curbs and ruin tires, take off mirrors in drive throughs, all that stuff. So no, regardless of type, some people just plain can't (and shouldn't) drive.


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## Sequestrum (Sep 11, 2011)

bollocks said:


> I think it has more to do with spacial perception than anything else. Some people can't tell 10 feet from 12, and are never really comfortable with their vehicles size. I've seen people scrape curbs and ruin tires, take off mirrors in drive throughs, all that stuff. So no, regardless of type, some people just plain can't (and shouldn't) drive.


Yeah, I usually rate pretty high on visual-spatial tests as well, so that is probably part of it. I have fit my car through spaces that had only a couple of inches of wiggle space. I did that very slowly while getting out of a spot someone had blocked me in at.

Also, the drive-through thing reminds me of someone I saw merging on to the free way once. They merged straight into the side of a big truck (just grazing the side of it). Didn't seem like the truck took any damage, the person who merged without looking lost their driver's side mirror onto the freeway though. Then the truck took off, so they probably didn't have insurance or didn't want to exchange information or something, I don't know. I just face palmed and kept driving. The expression on the person's face who lost the mirror was one of bewilderment. It almost seemed like they didn't even realize they lost the mirror.


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## owlet (May 7, 2010)

I know an ISTP and INFJ who are both very good at driving. They're both relaxed and seem perfectly comfortable on the road. I also know a possible xSxJ who is terrifying to be in the car with, as he's scared of the road and clutches the wheel like it's going to kill him.


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## zynthaxx (Aug 12, 2009)

As some of the posters have already observed, different types have different pros and cons when driving. Mostly, I'd say good driving is a question of maturity. For example, heavy Se users tend to be aware of their surroundings, but they might lack in forethought or in understanding the movements of other traffic. Heavy Ti users might have a good understanding of a given situation, but might be too slow to react to the current situation.

As a driver matures, they will become better drivers, not necessarily by reacting faster to sudden changes, but by anticipating conditions. Your reaction time from the time when you see a danger to the moment you press hard on the brake might get worse with age (I've barely passed 30, and already I notice a difference in reaction times to when I was 18), but with enough experience, chances are pretty high that you've already checked your mirrors for tailgaters and begun slowing down and looking for escape routes when a less experienced driver just moved his foot from the accelerator to the brake.

The above is also valid when it comes to driving fast. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. I could probably drive in circles around the 18-year old me today simply by being a less cocky and more insightful driver.


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## LotusBlossom (Apr 2, 2011)

VenusianMizu said:


> I think teleportation would make life easier, tbh, but I'm thinking that's about 1000 years from now.
> 
> Dang it NT's, get busy! Lol
> 
> ...


 Ne? focused? Seriously if you've been observing this site long enough you will notice that the posts made by some Ne-doms can be as scattered or even more scattered than Se-doms. Then again, I get a feeling from your OP when you said the idea of even using Se turns you off, that anything you think has to do with S functions is considered undesirable. 

FYI I'm a Se-using non-driver because first of, I never really cared enough to bother taking driving lessons because public transportation where I live is more than good enough to get me around, and more importantly than that I have this unreasonable fear of driving straight into things. I don't trust that I have that good a hand-eye coordination esp in real time situations like that.


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## Monkey King (Nov 16, 2010)

Oh god I hope it's not JUST a Se thing..... I value my life and would like to think driving is attributed to, oh say, attention span and maybe just a tad bit of sanity when on the road. Besides driving is not too hard--- it's actually easier to learn than a bike because you don't have learn how to balance your body; only draw back is it's far more dangerous to drive a car than a bike.


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## Sequestrum (Sep 11, 2011)

Kayness said:


> Ne? focused? Seriously if you've been observing this site long enough you will notice that the posts made by some Ne-doms can be as scattered or even more scattered than Se-doms. Then again, I get a feeling from your OP when you said the idea of even using Se turns you off, that anything you think has to do with S functions is considered undesirable.
> 
> FYI I'm a Se-using non-driver because first of, I never really cared enough to bother taking driving lessons because public transportation where I live is more than good enough to get me around, and more importantly than that I have this unreasonable fear of driving straight into things. I don't trust that I have that good a hand-eye coordination esp in real time situations like that.


The word focus is relevant to context. In this particular case, the word focus is used along the lines of focused attention. Ne doesn't have problems with focusing attention. What you're referring to is more like organized thought, which I agree, Ne sucks at organizing anything. At least, I can't really organize my thoughts well. It has always been my weakest area.

Edit: Actually, isn't thought organization something Ti does?


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## LotusBlossom (Apr 2, 2011)

Sequestrum said:


> The word focus is relevant to context. In this particular case, the word focus is used along the lines of focused attention. Ne doesn't have problems with focusing attention. What you're referring to is more like organized thought, which I agree, Ne sucks at organizing anything. At least, I can't really organize my thoughts well. It has always been my weakest area.
> 
> Edit: Actually, isn't thought organization something Ti does?


 Neither does Se, actually (when it comes to focusing attention, something that the poster of this thread seems to imply otherwise). Unless you're going to say that Se gets distracted by all the lights and shiny stuff while driving, which isn't true at least for me, and because I don't drive I'm going to say..when i ride a bike or something.

organizing thoughts can be either Ti or Te I think, depending on how it's applied. It's hard for me to pull out specific examples or how to describe it exactly at the minute but if you read through, say @Functianalyst's posts, you'll see what I mean (IMO he's my favourite example of Ti-use on this site)...He's great at pointing out internal logical inconsistencies and constructing internal logic...stuff. On the other hand @MBTI Enthusiast, a Te user, often uses charts and excel tables in her posts as a way of organizing her thoughts.

Thanks for pointing that out.


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## snail (Oct 13, 2008)

I don't know, but I am 33 and still can't drive. I tell people it is because of my anxiety disorder, but it might be because I just wouldn't be capable of it even if I didn't freak out. I suppose I will never know. The thought of it terrifies me.


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## Sequestrum (Sep 11, 2011)

Kayness said:


> Neither does Se, actually (when it comes to focusing attention, something that the poster of this thread seems to imply otherwise). Unless you're going to say that Se gets distracted by all the lights and shiny stuff while driving, which isn't true at least for me, and because I don't drive I'm going to say..when i ride a bike or something.
> 
> organizing thoughts can be either Ti or Te I think, depending on how it's applied. It's hard for me to pull out specific examples or how to describe it exactly at the minute but if you read through, say @Functianalyst's posts, you'll see what I mean (IMO he's my favourite example of Ti-use on this site)...He's great at pointing out internal logical inconsistencies and constructing internal logic...stuff. On the other hand @MBTI Enthusiast, a Te user, often uses charts and excel tables in her posts as a way of organizing her thoughts.
> 
> Thanks for pointing that out.


Yeah, that makes sense to me. Like you, I don't have trouble focusing attention, but the thought organization thing is always a problem for me. I've tried to improve on this weakness by taking notes more, but I find I often forget that I took notes about something and have it either stuffed away in some file I'll never open again, or written on a piece of paper somewhere in my backpack that I will probably never think of again. -.-


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## Sequestrum (Sep 11, 2011)

snail said:


> I don't know, but I am 33 and still can't drive. I tell people it is because of my anxiety disorder, but it might be because I just wouldn't be capable of it even if I didn't freak out. I suppose I will never know. The thought of it terrifies me.


My wife has the same problem with anxiety and driving. She'd be a great driver if she weren't so scared of it, but she gets scared and then loses her cool. She's really smart and highly skilled at everything else, so it pains me to see her falter like this when the only thing that is stopping her from being excellent is fear.


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## Uralian Hamster (May 13, 2011)

My friend (ENFJ) is like that also, she can drive manual on back roads but as soon as she sees pavement and other cars she puts up these mental barriers. It's really sad since she has 2 kids and driving would make her life so much more convenient.


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## Dark NiTe (Mar 5, 2012)

I've tried to quantify driving a car using MBTI, but it just isn't there. One would think SPs make the best drivers, but I know some that are the absolute WORST. A strong Se user probably enjoys driving their vehicle to its limit more than average, but that's about it. I am the archetypal absent minded Ni-dom, but in over ten years and 150k city driving miles, I have caused zero accidents. Hit zero vehicles in any manner other than simply tapping a bumper while parallel parking. I knew an ESFP male in high school who caused five accidents when he was sixteen.


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