I don't know if this will help, but I used the response below in a thread in the SP forum for someone who wanted to know if their ESTP friend might be ENTP.
To elaborate a bit more....an important thing to remember is that BOTH Se & Ne types perceive possibilities, both have ideas, both make connections. That's all perceiving is - an awareness that "sees" possibilities, ideas & patterns. All the P functions do it, but of course Pe "looks outward".
Jung describes Se-doms as often being aesthetes, making an art of everyday living (ie. eating, dressing, etc; where the "artisan" association likely comes from). I think they will also note physical dynamics & what those imply realistically, such as body language between people & how two physical elements interact & what they can create. Obviously, they prefer to focus on the possibility of these literal aspects of life, and in the case of an ESFP, will often focus on how to make those ideal (Fi).
Ne-dom focus on intangible possibilities of the concepts of objects, such as imagining what a situation has in store for the future (in a universal & general way, not an immediate, literal way), seeing hidden potential or flaws in a scenario/object, the invisible dynamics between people, the underlying concept of something & how it relates to the concept of something else to highlight a more general idea, etc. From here they pull out new, "random" ideas, but their mind sees all the crosswires. Se-dom see the crosswires in their connections of physical/literal stuff, but they often seem less random because it's more visible to others & easier for them to follow.
Jung negatively describes Se-dom as hedonists, pursuing pleasure & new experience, & Ne-dom as fickle, flighty idea-pursuers. Of course, the experience Se-dom pursue is an idea also, but they often won't view it this way to themselves; to them, it's just the ultimate reality, and that trumps ideas. Just as the Ne-dom's pursuit of ideas can look like pursuit of sensation, but in their mind, it's the concept that is intriguing, which is why they move on so quickly to the next idea (the experience is secondary to the idea, & mainly experienced as inspiration for a new idea). It can definitely make them look alike to a casual observer. It's their attitude that will distinguish them more clearly.
The future vs present oriented difference is real also, but still can be confused, as Se-doms will see themselves as always thinking of the next experience, the next sensation to pursue, but it's an immediate, realistic future. The Ne-dom lives in a hypothetical future, and it's concepts of change that they pursue, which are usually not specific plans, but general ideas. The Ne-dom wants change (or realization of new ideas) for its own sake, and the Se-dom wants experience for its own sake. Fi comes into play by giving them a purpose.
Ne is not [simply] about random connections. Random connections can even be a sign of inferior N.
Se apprehends the literal object & its immediate, realistic possibilities. It also sees connections between these literal objects. These could be seemingly random. A blue car reminds them of the sky, which reminds them that they want to go skydiving. That is actually quite a Se line of thought.
Ne apprehends the concept behind the object and what that concept implies for future, hypothetical possibilities (they don't need to be realistic ideas; if it can be imagined, then it's a possibility). It sees connections between the underlying concepts of objects, not their literal attributes. This is why Ne types appear absent-minded, because they are not focusing their minds on what exists around them literally at the moment, but on what exists in concept in the world in general. The mindset is still focused on external things, but it's abstract, intangible stuff
odd point, but i'm very inclined to agree. i can totally see my ESFP friend doing this. and i'm pretty sure an ESTP friend of mine has done this. but i can totally not see me doing this.
