# Developing Si?



## spicytea (Nov 10, 2012)

How can I develop Introverted Sensing?


----------



## Acerbusvenator (Apr 12, 2011)

I'd recommend getting to know an ISFJ. :wink:


----------



## surgery (Apr 16, 2010)

spicytea said:


> How can I develop Introverted Sensing?


Depends on whom you ask.


Since Introverted Sensation is considered an "irrational" function (meaning it doesn't need to organize data, just collect it), one typologist suggests that for ESTJs and ESFJs (who already prefer Si as their auxiliary function), developing it further doesn't actually mean focusing harder on physical details and minutæ. Rather, she thinks that ESJs need to gain a better sense of the "subjective" information in a situation as it's happening, without judging the with their accustomed dominant functions. They need to get in touch with what facts about life are important to them, as well as their personal physical, mental and emotional needs, instead of bypassing this sort of information in order to conform themselves with external principles.

She prescribes a similar method of self-improvement for ISPs and ISPs who want to develop Extraverted Sensation or Extraverted Intuition, which like Si, are considered irrational. She thinks that INTPs, for example, may not necessarily need to focus on consciously developing ideas. Instead, they should try to stop projecting their subjective (Introverted) thoughts and expectations onto objective (External) reality.

According to this author Introverted Sensation in INPs is so far out of reach, that it wouldn't be beneficial to try to develop that function. Moreover, since Si is also "subjective", it wouldn't give Ti the kind of "objective" information it needs in order to operate well. The better alternative would be to actually get in touch with Extraverted Intuition_,_ _in a truly extraverted way_, ie.focusing on outward reality instead of reflecting on your self-experience and fully focusing on observing and interacting with the moment, instead of judging the situation by how logical or illogical it is.


Despite that, author Dario Nardi prescribes a series of exercises that are supposed to help improve Si. He doesn't really discourage any type from trying to use any particular function. Here are his "introductory exercises" associated with Si:



"*Interview an Elder:* Sit down and interview one of the oldest people you know, preferably someone who knows your family's or organization's past every well and ideally someone you share roots with. Give the person time to speak, and be ready to hear information you didn't know or plan on asking about. Ask questions to get detials and clarity on what happened when, with whom, where, and so on" (48).
"*Research all the details:* Pick elements from the interview to research, ideally areas that relate further to you and also to a larger historical picture. You might research a foreign country or far away town that your ancestors came from or a prestigious role someone played, such as being the head chef to king. Research as much as you can. Read books and watch factual films. Go to a large library and sift through relevant newspaper and magazine articles. Understand the context as well as the specifics. For the king's chef, what was going on in the country at that time? Visit other people to find out more. And look through old letters, heirlooms, and other items of the period" (48).
"*Continue a Tradition:* Reflect on what you've unearthed. What feels as though it really reconnects you to your roots? Add an element of that tradition to your life whether it's a restored photo, a recipe, or a piece of artwork an ancestor created" (48).


----------



## electricky (Feb 18, 2011)

Tell your Ti to chill a bit and your Ne to stand aside and listen to the voice of the actual.


----------



## myjazz (Feb 17, 2010)

surgery said:


> "*Interview an Elder:* Sit down and interview one of the oldest people you know, preferably someone who knows your family's or organization's past every well and ideally someone you share roots with. Give the person time to speak, and be ready to hear information you didn't know or plan on asking about. Ask questions to get detials and clarity on what happened when, with whom, where, and so on" (48).


I love doing this, well not interviewing at least. Give elderly person a lending ear and the desire to listen, they will tell you some pretty cool stuff.


----------



## Teen Rose (Aug 4, 2018)

Acerbusvenator said:


> I'd recommend getting to know an ISFJ. :wink:


It doesn't work, atleast for me. I gradually got it when i had to, before that i cudn't understand literal meanings, even reading books, i used to search for metaphors, iam getting to read as it is.


----------



## Sidhe Draoi (Nov 25, 2016)

You know.. its an introverted function, so I think its important to find your sense of Si for yourself. but as has been said, an ISFJ could help guide you on your way.

Thats what Ive been doing. Talking to my ISFJ aunt. Everything is connecting wonderfully.''''''''''''''


----------



## bremen (Apr 25, 2016)

You can't develop it


----------



## Guajiro (Nov 16, 2017)

spicytea said:


> How can I develop Introverted Sensing?


Since you are INFJ it would be better to balance Extroverted Sensing. And being an Introvert, regardless of what type of introvert you are, accentuating the introverted attitude is not the best path for a balanced psyche.
But since you asked.... To be more in touch with *Si* you need to pay attention to the details, pay attention to the subtle details of your sensations. You need to ruminate on your experiences. For example... you eat and you start feeling sick: you ruminate on what food you ate, where in your body hurts, when did it you start to feel pain, what did you do after you eat and before you started to feel sick... To pay attention to the details you need to foccus on the past and start building an understanding of how every subtle thing influences *you*. And with that understanding you gradualy make changes to improve your life and attend to your individual needs and taste.
The goal of ruminating on the past is not to find out _"why?"_ (like *Ni* does). Foccus on the sensual experience, not the hidden meanings. The goal is to extract, understand and integrate the details from your past experience, in order to improove your present and future experiences. Making your experience more and more refined as time goes by.


----------



## Drecon (Jun 20, 2016)

For an INTJ I'm convinced that it's impossible to develop Si since it's not part of your function stack. 
Yes, you can develop skills that people would normally associate with Si, but that's not really Si. 

It's like looking at a hammer and asking how you use it to unscrew a screw. Sure, you can use the hammer to remove the screw from the wall but it's not really unscrewing is it? 
What I'm trying to say is that we have different tools in our toolbox and you can't actually learn to use a tool that's not in your toolbox. Just learn to use the tools that you do have. Ni and Se can do plenty of things that Si can do as well. 

Of course, all of that is based on the assumption that the four-function model is correct. The eight-function model would allow for development of Si, but that's not a model that is widely accepted here on PerC. There's no proof towards either model though, so interpretations might vary.


----------

