• You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community, you will have access to additional post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), view blogs, respond to polls, upload content, and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free, so please join our community today! Just click here to register. You should turn your Ad Blocker off for this site or certain features may not work properly. If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us by clicking here.

A Few Observations on Fundamental Differences between Types

Mal12345

Permabanned
Joined
Apr 19, 2011
Messages
14,532
MBTI Type
IxTP
Enneagram
5w4
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
I would like simply to relate some observations from a more personal Ti perspective.

It's difficult for me to imagine what an Fe often goes through when broaching a math problem. But from what I understand, the Fe tries to humanize everything. Imagine if you would a rising sun emanating happy little rays of light and with a smiley face drawn on it, and myriad other examples.

But this is far easier to do with nature, and far more difficult to do with dry, unemotional math problems. The Fe urge here is to see the numbers as having an almost human-like character. The Fe is going to try drawing each number with style. Now in my mind, this solving method is not conducive to getting the right answer.

Now for you Sensors. I'm not engaging in Sensor hatred here. But one thing I have noticed is how grounded you people are. I'm not talking about those who use a high amount of Intuition. I'm talking about those high-use Sensors who don't understand the concept of "outer space," or "galaxy," or "satellite," where this is not due to having a low IQ.

These are extremes, of course. But extremes are helpful in understanding a mindset. And I'm not talking from theory, as I said, but from personal experiences I've had with people throughout the years. And my personal experience is utterly astonished by the variety of perspectives, for example, the SF young adult who doesn't know her alphabet yet.

With the stereotypical Sensors (which do exist, by the way), there is utterly no interest in matters beyond the Earth. Science fiction looks, well, stupid, even embarrassing to watch. I asked a Sensor why Star Trek looks stupid to him, and he said, "Uh, I don't know, it's something about the uniforms." (Sorry, but I happen to like the uniforms, because they look so... futuristic, the way I want the future to look like.) This isn't limited to science fiction, a Sensor might feel embarrassed simply by walking into an average book store.

At the pathological extreme, there is no interest in anything beyond the community the Sensors live in. And from what I've seen, a certain amount of dread of the unknown beyond those psychological barriers.

But then, at the same extreme of the Intuitive, there is on the contrary no interest in the immediate present surroundings, and that's also a problem. This person is very disorganized and disoriented in the real world. Possibilities are not realities, and for this person, never will be. This person's style of dress will be totally off-key, for example, a heterosexual male with long, straight, green hair, and wearing earrings. This is just a sign to the external world that something is not right. I'm not, however, saying that it's wrong. But extremes are rarely if ever healthy. This person likely thinks there is something wrong; however, the problem is with you and not with him. An Intuitive who is more socially functional will dress with an individual flair, and only go the "crazy" route during times of extreme stress.
 
G

Glycerine

Guest
OK. I just tease out the nuances and look for general patterns when doing math problems. How the heck does one humanize numbers?
 

Mal12345

Permabanned
Joined
Apr 19, 2011
Messages
14,532
MBTI Type
IxTP
Enneagram
5w4
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
OK. I just tease out the nuances and look for general patterns when doing math problems. How the heck does one humanize numbers?

You're using Intuition when solving those.

I decided to look for a good example of an Intuitive extreme, and the first thing that popped into my head was the character "George Berger" in the 1979 movie Hair. If you haven't seen this, he was the hippie counterpart to the straight-laced Kansas boy who played the lead character.
 

Mal12345

Permabanned
Joined
Apr 19, 2011
Messages
14,532
MBTI Type
IxTP
Enneagram
5w4
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
And Ti, believe it or not. :)

I've often wondered how an ENFJ could go into something like, say, computer programming. But I guess it just has to do with high IQ and a decent educational system?
 

AphroditeGoneAwry

failure to thrive
Joined
Feb 20, 2009
Messages
5,585
MBTI Type
INfj
Enneagram
451
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
I was good at math in school. I prefer algebra, and dislike geometry (this might just be more a female, non-spatial brain characteristic), with calculus being a close second to that, as in not liking. I liked following formulas, and the rules involved in that, still do. Also love chemistry equations, which are similar.

It was harder for me to abstractly understand the math principles behind the math problems. But some of this, I think, was just the way math is taught in school, with kids not really having time or space to think about the concepts behind the math problem. Might not have been due to my more inferior T. I don't think ability to understand and do well at math has as much to do with N/S as it does with T/F. I know lots of S's good at math, if they have T in their top two preferences.


EDIT: I suck at programming. I elected to take statistics, which I really like, over some basic programming class requirement in college. :huh: And I think the best programmers are those that are Ti dom.
 
G

Glycerine

Guest
I've often wondered how an ENFJ could go into something like, say, computer programming. But I guess it just has to do with high IQ and a decent educational system?

Not necessarily high IQ, if they have a passion for it and have a natural knack for something like that, then they could go into it. I knew an ESFJ computer science major and ENFJ math professor (they were both males though).
 

skylights

i love
Joined
Jul 6, 2010
Messages
7,756
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
6w7
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
I've often wondered how an ENFJ could go into something like, say, computer programming. But I guess it just has to do with high IQ and a decent educational system?

and because we can all use all the functions, even if they're not our dominant or auxiliary, or even preferred. and because "functions" are just shorthand names with descriptions for complex brain process patterns.

i think it would be unusual for an ENFJ to go into computer programming because their thinking patterns tend to push them in the direction of cultivating long-term humanistic progress (ie founding cults ;)), but by that token, there'd really be nothing surprising about an ENFJ developing virtual reality programs for phobia treatment, etc...

plus there are environmental causes, too. i'm seriously considering going into medicine in large part because i grew up in it and am familiar with it... i have a good idea of how the system works and what medical life is like and the triumphs and obstacles of it. because of that, i have an understanding of how my personality type could be an asset and could be a drawback in that role. if it hadn't been for being raised in the medical community, i'm not sure i would have considered that path. but as it is, it seems quite natural.

But then, at the same extreme of the Intuitive, there is on the contrary no interest in the immediate present surroundings, and that's also a problem. This person is very disorganized and disoriented in the real world. Possibilities are not realities, and for this person, never will be.

:laugh: :hi:

staying in the present is hard!
 

Mal12345

Permabanned
Joined
Apr 19, 2011
Messages
14,532
MBTI Type
IxTP
Enneagram
5w4
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
I see the whole "tertiary/inferior" exercise as a matter of neurosis and repression. Stress brings out certain traits that have been held down or under-expressed. But I have seen that certain types learn to develop certain functions healthily. This is probably due to social conditioning. Those who don't develop in accordance with society's wishes become social misfits, like the SF I mentioned who doesn't know her alphabet yet despite having a normal-range IQ.
 
G

Glycerine

Guest
I actually want to go into something like behavioral analysis or behavioral detection.
 

Mal12345

Permabanned
Joined
Apr 19, 2011
Messages
14,532
MBTI Type
IxTP
Enneagram
5w4
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
I actually want to go into something like behavioral analysis or behavioral detection.

I'm certain that Fe motives have something to do with developing your Ti talents.
 

Mal12345

Permabanned
Joined
Apr 19, 2011
Messages
14,532
MBTI Type
IxTP
Enneagram
5w4
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
and because we can all use all the functions, even if they're not our dominant or auxiliary, or even preferred. and because "functions" are just shorthand names with descriptions for complex brain process patterns.

i think it would be unusual for an ENFJ to go into computer programming because their thinking patterns tend to push them in the direction of cultivating long-term humanistic progress (ie founding cults ;)), but by that token, there'd really be nothing surprising about an ENFJ developing virtual reality programs for phobia treatment, etc...

plus there are environmental causes, too. i'm seriously considering going into medicine in large part because i grew up in it and am familiar with it... i have a good idea of how the system works and what medical life is like and the triumphs and obstacles of it. because of that, i have an understanding of how my personality type could be an asset and could be a drawback in that role. if it hadn't been for being raised in the medical community, i'm not sure i would have considered that path. but as it is, it seems quite natural.



:laugh: :hi:

staying in the present is hard!

You wrote: "i have a good idea of how the system works." That just comes more naturally to some than to others. I'm just observing that you pick up on the social aspects first, and that's what the medical system is. Not the record-keeping and the filing-system, but the social hierarchy.
 

skylights

i love
Joined
Jul 6, 2010
Messages
7,756
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
6w7
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
I actually want to go into something like behavioral analysis or behavioral detection.

given the ENFJs i know, you crazy kids would be excellent at this.
 
Top