[MBTI General] INFJs-are you prone to getting concrete info to verify intuition?

[karenk]

When your Ni tells you something are you inclined to find out further with concrete info or do you simply trust it? If you get concrete info that sensors would take at face value and appears to oppose your intuition, are you likely to believe your Ni was still correct to some extent and know the reasons the verifying info appears to contradict it? I'm asking because someone told me not to rely so much on Ni without verifying it with info obtained more by the sensor types. This person claims to be N but I believe this person is S due to so much reliance on the concrete.

 

[cascadeco]

I do pay attention to my intuition but I don't usually rely on it exclusively. So I am inclined to 'wait it out' and gather more info/data - and this could certainly include more sensory/concrete variables - which I think are important as well.

 

[cafe]

I do pay attention to my intuition but I don't usually rely on it exclusively. So I am inclined to 'wait it out' and gather more info/data - and this could certainly include more sensory/concrete variables - which I think are important as well.

Yeah, I try to do this, especially with important stuff.

 

[helen]

Hmm, my intuitions are usually about myself-- what I need and what my conflicts are. I can't imagine sensory/concrete verification being relevant or even possible for such matters (unless I'm misunderstanding the terminology), so I guess the answer to your question is no.

On issues where sensory and concrete data is relevant and useful then (hopefully!) I take it into consideration.

 

[Kyrielle]

When your Ni tells you something are you inclined to find out further with concrete info or do you simply trust it? If you get concrete info that sensors would take at face value and appears to oppose your intuition, are you likely to believe your Ni was still correct to some extent and know the reasons the verifying info appears to contradict it? I'm asking because someone told me not to rely so much on Ni without verifying it with info obtained more by the sensor types. This person claims to be N but I believe this person is S due to so much reliance on the concrete.

Well, the place where verifying or simply investigating the subjects of your intuitions comes into play is with anything dealing with anything other than yourself directly. You could jump to an insight about yourself and any sort of data gathered isn't really relevant. However, if you jumped to an insight about...say...something involving astrophysics or politics, it would probably not be wise to express that idea in a discussion setting without having something to back yourself up. My father and I (both Ni doms) have run into this problem quite a lot and have had such insights shot down very, very quickly by more data-oriented types due to our lack of evidence to support our claims. (Either because we're too lazy to look up information or we intend to research the subject further, but get sidetracked and ultimately forget to do so.)

 

[violaine]

I have strong intuitions that I find hard to ignore. I try and back them up with further investigation if time permits. Just to be prudent, though I don't absolutely feel the need to do this. If time doesn't permit and I have to make a decision my intuition holds a lot of weight. I think it depends on what arena you're talking about, I totally trust my intuitions when it comes to people and group dynamics and buying and selling too... but I usually keep it all to myself. I'm not really interested in whether my friends or family agree with me, it's kind of for me only.

There has been one occasion that fits with the OP. I had a certain insight about someone and I shared it in a very low-key way with some family members that it concerned. Anyway, they couldn't see what I was talking about, so I dropped it. Two years later they completely agree with my original assessment. I'm trying to think of when I've been really wrong but nothing comes to mind at present. I do confine these things to the areas I mentioned above though.

Don't know if any of this helps. Maybe the person you're wondering about has been burned by relying on their intuitions?

 

[redacted]

When your Ni tells you something are you inclined to find out further with concrete info or do you simply trust it? If you get concrete info that sensors would take at face value and appears to oppose your intuition, are you likely to believe your Ni was still correct to some extent and know the reasons the verifying info appears to contradict it? I'm asking because someone told me not to rely so much on Ni without verifying it with info obtained more by the sensor types. This person claims to be N but I believe this person is S due to so much reliance on the concrete.

I basically use my Ti to verify (or throw away) my intuitions. Which means I don't as much look to tangible external evidence as I do to consistency of evidence I've already gathered.

If an intuition fits every bit of data I have, I assume it's right (Ti). Of course, if I'm exposed to contradictory information, I'll have to rework my intuition. But usually if I don't have enough data I won't make a judgment anyway.

When I'm sure enough to make a prediction or offer a new interpretation, I'm right more than 95% of the time. (I just rarely make those predictions or interpretations.)

 

[Jae Rae]

It drives me crazy, but I do. I especially hate it when I get an intuition, come up against someone else who doesn't believe it, and then it turns out to be true. Sometimes I don't trust my Intuition enough.

 

[mlittrell]

INFJ -> Ni, Fe, Ti, Se

look at the shadow function

 

[Sniffles]

Yes very often I use Ti to verify and further articulate my Ni insights. This of course means going out and searching for facts to do this. Although very often my Ni inisghts also help put a new perspective on concrete facts I already knew. Very odd.

 

[Tiltyred]

The problem is that intuition is knowing something is real that has not actually manifested. That makes it hard for other people to respect our process. But the more we're told we're illogical or demented, the more we're crippled and held back from doing what we do best.

My intuition doesn't let me down until I start second guessing it or sitting around waiting for proof (by which time I've lost my decision window).

 

[wedekit]

I never simply trust my intuition. I don't want to look stupid in front of others, so I like to have hard evidence handy for my defense.

 

[BlackCat]

I think this goes for all intuitives, but I think that when you intuit something then there is always something nagging at you to verify whether it's true.

 

[Immaculate Cloud]

I get these vibes about manipulative and opportunistic people and would write it down in my journal, with what I could foresee as the next development. I tell myself - maybe just maybe I am wrong and let's give the benefit of the doubt and in any case, having written it down, I can always go back and check my first impressions. I've been burned before trying to explain to some sensors my intuitions. Perhaps you see things I don't, is how they tactfully say it. And often times, when I have told them, 'see I told you so' in a roundabout way or directly, they had conveniently forgotten or 'oh yea, they had seen it coming'. At this point, I want to puke at the dishonesty. So I don't bother trying to explain anymore. I keep it all to myself.

 

[penelope]

In recent years, I've been more interested in learning the facts to back up my intuition. But I still make my assumptions and judgments based on my intuition about people and situations, but I daren't share them with people until concrete information shows.

 

[EcK]

There's always the mind probe..

 

[Glycerine]

I think this goes for all intuitives, but I think that when you intuit something then there is always something nagging at you to verify whether it's true.

It's probably a bit different for INFJ's. Ni gives the you sense that "you just know" and it is usually right so some INFJ's fall into the trap of just trusting their Ni w/o any thought to verify it.

 

[hopeseed]

I trust my intuition a great deal. However, I'm so cautious with acting on them if it involves another person, that I always question myself in those cases. I look at other evidence to see if it’s supported in other ways. I usually play "devil's advocate" with myself on most things. Plus and this is a big thing...It just comes off weird to people and I enjoy making people feel good so I hold back if they’re the kind of person that may not understand my reactions or what I share with them. However, if the situation does not directly involve another person, I usually just go with my intuition and do not put a whole lot of thought into my reaction or decision.

 

[MrME]

For a long time I had a very skewed intuition. Emotional problems and a crappy upbringing rendered me just short of paranoid, and that made everything in my world relate to what secrets people were keeping from me, what were they hiding, why did they hate me so much?

Yeah, I was messed up. When I realized what was going on in my head, I started tempering a lot of what my N was saying with logic. "If X really disliked me, why did they Y and Z?" And if I needed an outside source, a more objective view, then I would talk to people. It took me years to re-train my N. YEARS.

These days I still seek verification on occasion, especially on "big stuff." I find my N function working just fine otherwise, and I've come to rely on it again. It's actually managed to surprise me a couple times.

 

[Lexicon]

I trust nothing blindly. Actually... I can't say I have 100% faith in anything necessarily.. there's always that margin for human error. I am certainly not exempt...

I can't recall a time where I've been compelled to pass a judgement on a situation/how to handle it, etc., based solely on intuition where I've come up incorrect. However, I'm still not comfortable relying on one means of receiving data and just going with that. Even when I feel strongly about it, I check and re-check things often, and search for other forms of data, more concrete if need be. I get flustered when I share an intuitive judgement I feel strongly about out loud, and concrete info is requested immediately to back it up. Thus, I prefer to be prepared. Gives me a sense of balance, I suppose..