Are you observant?

[Apollanaut]

It can go either way for me. Often I'm very observant of people and things around me, but at the same time I can often be preoccupied with my own thoughts.

I can recount the one incident when I was waiting for some friends to see a movie, and I literally walked right past them without noticing. They had to shout out to me before I snapped out of my deep thinking.

I'm exactly the same. I seem to have two modes

1. Lost in thought
2. Highly observant of everything.

Mode 1 is my default state. I have to actively switch on the second mode, but it's become much easier and more natural to do this as I've aged. I guess I've finally gaining conscious access to my inferior Se function. Also, my job as a forensic scientist depends on being highly observant.

 

[Wiley45]

I never pay attention to physical details. If I talked to someone for an hour, I wouldn't be able to tell you what they were wearing afterward, unless it really stuck out to me as something beautiful. I'm in la-la land inside my own head most of the time. However, when it comes to reading people, I'm always extremely aware of body language, facial expressions, and the way they show what people are feeling.

 

[d@v3]

I observe my surroundings often and pay attention. I am almost always aware of the environment around me. However, I don't look around like I'm paranoid... it is more like a photographic memory. I can tell when something is out of place if I have been to that area in the recent past.

 

[MrME]

Hell yeah I'm -- (*is hit by a car*)

 

[whimsical]

very, although i am very much inside my mind most of the time

 

[Xenofile]

It differs from time to time. If I have something important to think about/formulate, then I'm likely to be completely lost inside my head and the chance that I'll walk into a stationary object is high. Otherwise, I'm constantly scanning the area and people around me,

 

[ThatsWhatHeSaid]

Isn't it kind of weird that you're asking if it's an NP thing? Isn't it the definition of NP? Looking for themes and perceiving?

 

[Gauche]

Isn't it kind of weird that you're asking if it's an NP thing? Isn't it the definition of NP? Looking for themes and perceiving?

Ok, but then we have "theory" that NPs are inside their heads most of the time dreaming/speculating, therefore not paying attention to surroundings.

Basically, I'm trying to find out if NPs, or other types, can be easily recognized by their heightened level of observing surroundings, be it physical aspects, meanings, connections, vibes... just if they look around more.

 

[Kasper]

I notice a lot of things but they don’t register they just slip into my head to be recalled at weird times to answer random questions with absolute confidence that I’m right but without having a clue how I know this.

My answer: I constantly look around at my surroundings but am totally lost in my mind.

 

[Mort Belfry]

I find that both existing inside my head and being observant aren't mutually exclusive.

 

[Halla74]

Clothing type and condition, how much money in their wallet, items in pockets or purse, dandruff or other physical conditions, eye color, hair color, height, weight, affect. Environmental conditions and abnormalities. Yep, pretty much.

Damn! That's specific!

 

[cascadeco]

I don't know that I'm consistent when it comes to this. I'm extremely observant in some contexts, and pick up on things others don't, but in other contexts things pass me by and I don't even bother paying attention. I am in my head a lot, so obviously there's a lot I probably don't notice -- or I see things but don't make a mental note of seeing them, so effectively don't see them. (autopilot mode)

When talking about physical surroundings, in a new setting I am in observational mode. Once I feel comfortable and know my way around, I go into autopilot mode. But I should also point out that I get a really big-picture sense of a place, and the layout/organization of it -- and once I get that spatial orientation I'm golden (I rarely get lost). Doesn't mean I pick up on details, though. Exception is when I'm out in nature - I hone in on the details, and seek the details out, even though I'm also trying to concentrate on the forest too. ;-)

When it comes to people -- I think I'm *extremely* observant when it comes to behaviors and interactions, and group dynamics and all of that. I need to observe a lot before I can really get a feel for people or groups.

 

[garbage]

I'm polarized. Either I'm hyper-aware and can make small and accurate predictions about my environment, or I'm lost in my head and unaware of my surroundings, on "autopilot." In the former state, my eyes are darting around constantly, looking around at everything and everyone and just assimilating it all.. in the latter, not so much.

 

[Intricate Mystic]

Am I observant? Not usually. I'm mostly preoccupied with thinking about something or other rather than looking at my surroundings. The exception to that is if I'm in a social setting, then I observe people who are interesting in some way. I also tend to observe my surroundings if I'm in a new place, particularly a large, busy city. I tend to have a heightened sense of awareness in that situation.

I walk in a dreamworld. I am so unaware most days of what is around me. Even when I try to focus in on specific details I have realized I really pick up potential patterns, not the details. I often dont even see the people really, more just people blobs.

One day-perhaps it was hormones, I was at wal-mart standing in line and suddenly I noticed everything around me in explicit detail. It was..horrific on some level. Everything was so ugly. passed quickly thank god.

My ISTP ex husband was profoundly attentive to details, to the point where he was overwhelmed by them. He wanted a white painted room with black carpet, black furniture and minimal objects.

(I have endless piles of crap everywhere)

Oh, yeah... Wal-mart is ugly ... spacing out is definitely the best approach, plus getting in and out as fast as possible. :horor:

 

[NewEra]

Physical details? Not so much.
But people, if I don't have other things to do I occasionally just start observing and figuring them out. It's fascinating the things you can observe from both a psychological and sociological perspective.

I'm the opposite, I notice physical details more than people. Sometimes someone that I know will walk by me and say hi to me, so I say hi back but I wouldn't even have realized that they walked by me before. Anyway for the most part, I really am in my own world more than focusing on the outer world.

 

[ThatGirl]

I am mostly stuck in my head. At the same time I am brainstorming, I am consiously aware even if not focused on the patterns going on around me. Mostly they just run smooth but the second that something is off or breaks the pattern, I'm observant to the point of probably staring at times........with a sublte smile on my face......in a creepy creepy way.......

I wish this worked with my keys.

 

[ThatGirl]

LMFAO! Check out my post in nts see logic all the time thread.

I'm switching my answer to a flat no.

 

[placebo]

I like looking around a lot but it's like I don't really know what I'm looking at. It's maybe like I'm trying to absorb in the atmosphere of my surroundings, but when it comes to remembering actual details, and the orientation of things, I'm not so good at recalliing it.

 

[Shelovesyoumaybe]

It really depends on my varying mood. I'm always extremely aware, even though a whole other world is playing out in my head. I often will scan over everything, process it, and only hold onto certain details that don't matter.

For instance, I was in a store with my ENTx mother and we ran into someone we hadn't seen in a while. Mom did most of the small talk (as usual, I stood behind smiling and nodding) and I noticed the woman rubbing her french manicured right index finger on the outside of her left hand, (A self-reassurance gesture). I also noticed her highlights were probably around 3mnths old, because they were varying widely in color and size, fading quietly. Did I catch this woman's name or anything that she said? Not at all. It frustrates me that I'm like this, but sometimes I can't help it. It's like I'm extremely aware and observant, yet totally at the wrong things. This pattern often interrupts my day-to-day life...such as checking out at a store, paying at a restaurant, etc. I will seem like I'm blanking out, yet I'm really just focusing on one thing..noticing it's specific detail, etc.

 

[Orangey]

It really depends on my varying mood. I'm always extremely aware, even though a whole other world is playing out in my head. I often will scan over everything, process it, and only hold onto certain details that don't matter.

For instance, I was in a store with my ENTx mother and we ran into someone we hadn't seen in a while. Mom did most of the small talk (as usual, I stood behind smiling and nodding) and I noticed the woman rubbing her french manicured right index finger on the outside of her left hand, (A self-reassurance gesture). I also noticed her highlights were probably around 3mnths old, because they were varying widely in color and size, fading quietly. Did I catch this woman's name or anything that she said? Not at all. It frustrates me that I'm like this, but sometimes I can't help it. It's like I'm extremely aware and observant, yet totally at the wrong things. This pattern often interrupts my day-to-day life...such as checking out at a store, paying at a restaurant, etc. I will seem like I'm blanking out, yet I'm really just focusing on one thing..noticing it's specific detail, etc.

+1

During class, I noticed that my prof had a strange, dull red line extending from his elbow to his wrist on the inside of his arm. I also noticed that one of his shirt buttons was unbuttoned, and that he was wearing a Macy's jacket. Do I know what the hell he was talking about for three hours? Hardly.

Also, I hyper-focus on the environment when I'm out. I'll notice all kinds of little things that others don't pick up on, but I won't notice big events or what's going on at public happenings. For some reason, the crow chasing the squirrel in that bush over there, or that SUV driver cursing at the cyclist are more interesting to me than the display or the speaker that everyone else is watching.