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Intellectual Laziness...

B

beyondaurora

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Okay, I admit...

I'm lazy. And not just around the house but intellectually lazy.

I've realized lately what a fraud I am. I graduated with honors in college, and I quickly "rose to the top" in my past corporate career (thank god, that's over)!.

But it's not because I can "think".

It's because I know how to sort through information and find that which is necessary for me to succeed. And I rely heavily on this talent.

I honestly don't care how most things work. I just want to know how to apply the key points to my situation. I want an outline to follow. Tell me the grammatical rules ("i before e except after c", comma splices, etc.), and I'll follow them to a "t", but tell me the parts of a sentence (prepositions and all that mumbo jumbo), and you'll lose me. It's just not relevant to me.

In school, I memorized only what I needed to know in order to ace the test. I can honestly say that I've probably only retained 10% or less of what I "learned" in college. That's the problem...I didn't really learn much of anything. I memorized.

What's interesting, though, is that I'm great at troubleshooting and clarifying. And I think I overuse my critical thinking skills. I'm quite the "killjoy" in my family.

So...

Help me out here. What personality temperaments/types and/or cognitive processes are at play (or absent) in my situation?
 

Colors

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Sounds like Te over Ti to me. Te as a backup process.

I still want a cookie if you decide you're an ISFJ.
 

Simplexity

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I would say S and F are at play there.

The figuring out relevant parts of data and being highly proficient at it screams S to me. I am absolutely horrendous at figuring out just the necessary data to go by, In trouble shooting I'm much more apt to completely use whatever random process or concept my mind chooses to access. I don't do procedural concepts. I go from concepts and then move forward in terms of thinking of the procedure, I have no sense of templates when it comes to procedures.

Understanding the inner workings of something is something that T's grasp subconsciously and almost effortlessly, I would even say thats one thing that I've never had to study and it allows me to skim or read over and still maintain the logistics of things even though I couldn't formally reproduce the steps in a thoroughly meticulous manner. ST's are excellent at that sort of thing and make phenomenal mechanical engineers because of it.

Te by the standard definition is similar to what you described just partitioning out and remembering just the necessary steps to solve the problem, it doesn't access a vast system at all times for each thing. It only externalizes what is necessary for the problem
 

entropie

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Okay, I admit...

I'm lazy. And not just around the house but intellectually lazy.

I've realized lately what a fraud I am. I graduated with honors in college, and I quickly "rose to the top" in my past corporate career (thank god, that's over)!.

But it's not because I can "think".

It's because I know how to sort through information and find that which is necessary for me to succeed. And I rely heavily on this talent.

Sounds like you are a little bitch who is longing for some slapping on the ass.


I honestly don't care how most things work. I just want to know how to apply the key points to my situation. I want an outline to follow. Tell me the grammatical rules ("i before e except after c", comma splices, etc.), and I'll follow them to a "t", but tell me the parts of a sentence (prepositions and all that mumbo jumbo), and you'll lose me. It's just not relevant to me.

In school, I memorized only what I needed to know in order to ace the test. I can honestly say that I've probably only retained 10% or less of what I "learned" in college. That's the problem...I didn't really learn much of anything. I memorized.

What's interesting, though, is that I'm great at troubleshooting and clarifying. And I think I overuse my critical thinking skills. I'm quite the "killjoy" in my family.

So...


Sounds like you are growing up. I am sorry but this WILL take a long long time.

But I am really offended by you saying that you do not want to know how most things work ;)
 

The Ü™

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I used to be very intellectually curious. But now, for some reason, I can't bring myself to be curious about anything. For some reason, I'm getting tired of thinking. I'm getting tired of feeling. I'm getting tired of intuiting and sensing.

That's a real puzzler, isn't it?
 

entropie

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I used to be very intellectually curious. But now, for some reason, I can't bring myself to be curious about anything. For some reason, I'm getting tired of thinking. I'm getting tired of feeling. I'm getting tired of intuiting and sensing.

That's a real puzzler, isn't it?

If you get tired of living, I am gonna kill you
 

locke

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If you get tired of living, I am gonna kill you

I think he's more likely to take some people out before killing himself. I think you just made yourself one of the lucky ones.
 

Quinlan

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I'm like that too, all through Uni getting good grades had more to do with figuring out the formula that the markers wanted and then memorising the core of what was necessary and applying that formula than anything else.

I don't see it as lazy, it's a talent in its own right.
 

entropie

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That's yet to be seen, I am up for taking some people out before I go myself. Dont you remember, I am german :devil:
 

Ism

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So you're still trying to find out, huh?

Well, it seems that you're able to pick up on the established rules that don't change and remain consistent in any situation, like the grammatical rules you discussed.

Considering the prepositions, antecedents, predicates, and everything else relevent to sentence structure, it could be that you weren't able to find or develop some kind of simple, pneumonic system that could ingrain the idea into your head. You could perhaps develop one if that were the case, but the fact that you haven't could indicate something, but that's a farfetched assumption.

All you've done, according to the post, is memorize and retain only what is necessary. It seems that you didn't go out of your way to try and understand the system behind it, and accepted it for what it was. The only reason why you bothered to learn it was because you wanted the grade, we can assume.

I'm confused about this, though:
But it's not because I can "think".
...And I think I overuse my critical thinking skills.
The "thinking" you described and critical thinking itself are basically the same definition, I think. If that isn't the case, and "think" means something else, then ignore that comment.

What's most important to consider, concerning you're thinking, however, is the context of both situations. What was the corporate job, specifically? It seems that you utilized the lower faculties of intellectualism to progress, so you should find out why this is the case, because when you're with your family, as you say, these critical thinking skills suddenly arise.

What do you mean by critical thinking near the bottom of your post? What was it that "killed" the atmosphere of whatever topic discussed during your family gatherings (or any other area where critical thinking, for you, takes place)? By answering those questions, you can create a defined idea of when it is you use certain mental capacities and why.

What's interesting, though, is that I'm great at troubleshooting and clarifying.
This could possible indicate your knowledge of particular details of certain topics that allows you to differentiate, rather than whatever else it is that I think you think is the reason.

I want an outline to follow.
Alright. So, do you mean you want to make an outline to follow, or do you mean you just want a pre-existing outline to follow? If you want to make an outline to follow, then you're making a schedule or plan in accordance to your own rules and necessities. In following a pre-existing outline, then you're able to work with what was organized prior to your presence.
It's all on what you feel most inclined to do.

So, reviewing everything I've just wrote, I think I went down a different road separate from what you were initially intending to ask. Take it into account, though, because while this "intellectual laziness" could very well be circumstantial, other traits you have mentioned could help further identify why it is that certain situations stimulate a response that utilizes your critical thinking skills, as opposed to others.

Note: I apologize if my "analysis" lends itself more to the 'SJ' temperament. Try taking my points individually and see if they apply, rather than as a whole that may describe an ESFJ, ISTJ, and so on.
 
B

beyondaurora

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Sounds like you are a little bitch who is longing for some slapping on the ass.

Sounds like you are growing up. I am sorry but this WILL take a long long time.

I have no idea what I've ever done to you to warrant such a nasty response. If it's an attempt at humor, I'm not laughing.
 
B

beyondaurora

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Sounds like Te over Ti to me. Te as a backup process.

I still want a cookie if you decide you're an ISFJ.


This is my thought as well...

*heats up the oven*

Chocolate chip? Peanut butter? What'll it be? ;)
 
B

beyondaurora

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I used to be very intellectually curious. But now, for some reason, I can't bring myself to be curious about anything. For some reason, I'm getting tired of thinking. I'm getting tired of feeling. I'm getting tired of intuiting and sensing.

That's a real puzzler, isn't it?

Sounds like depression...

You used to be very intellectually curious but no longer are. I never have been.
 

entropie

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I have no idea what I've ever done to you to warrant such a nasty response. If it's an attempt at humor, I'm not laughing.

You are innocent, as always .

Just ignore me, I am a dirty old man :)
 

Domino

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BA - have you ever considered you may be lead by Te? I know a lot of highly successful people who are Te primary who express that they feel they're running on only half power and STILL manage to achieve more than most people. Some of them have said they fear they're lazy, but others aren't sold on the laziness thing because finding the easiest (read: most efficient) way around a problem/obstacle is surely the aim.

Could it be something of that nature?
 

Randomnity

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I do everything you said, and do it well - I consider it a big strength for me. I hope it's not Te because I'm not supposed to have much of that.

Oh well, functions are only theoretical anyway ;)
 

Simplexity

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BA - have you ever considered you may be lead by Te? I know a lot of highly successful people who are Te primary who express that they feel they're running on only half power and STILL manage to achieve more than most people. Some of them have said they fear they're lazy, but others aren't sold on the laziness thing because finding the easiest (read: most efficient) way around a problem/obstacle is surely the aim.

Could it be something of that nature?

I think you're on to something. My dad is an INTJ(Ni-Te) and due to his primary Introverted Intuition he is obviously more in tune with the theoretical aspects of things, hes an electrical engineer, but he is absolutely efficiency oriented. He only ever expresses his ideas and thoughts on a topic in little bite sized pieces that are just the bare minimum required for the overall whole body of work. Hes rather meticulous too.

It's absolutely maddening to me as a Ti-Ne because he will just express the facts and ideas necessary to complete (I drive him away with theory, convos always end in thats nice but wheres the deliverable) the task at hand and is remarkably good at it. I think with what seems like you're S preference you are even more acutely aware of the details necessary and don't bother focusing to much on the theoretical background of why they may be necessary. I think it's perfectly normal and is just a function of the way you process things, I don't think its up to a lack of intellectual curiosity, its a skill that many wish they could have.
 
B

beyondaurora

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BA - have you ever considered you may be lead by Te? I know a lot of highly successful people who are Te primary who express that they feel they're running on only half power and STILL manage to achieve more than most people. Some of them have said they fear they're lazy, but others aren't sold on the laziness thing because finding the easiest (read: most efficient) way around a problem/obstacle is surely the aim.

Could it be something of that nature?

Oh my god. Have you seen the ENTJ videos on YouTube? Shoot me if I'm like that, please. :shock:

Actually, this is an interesting idea, but I'm very most likely an introvert. How about Te as auxilliary?
 

entropie

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Oh my god. Have you seen the ENTJ videos on YouTube? Shoot me if I'm like that, please. :shock:

Actually, this is an interesting idea, but I'm very most likely an introvert. How about Te as auxilliary?

*peng*
 
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