[NT] NT Extroverts - Do you need other people around to be most productive?

[teslashock]

I'd say that being around people fuels my creativity. I don't need to be around people while I am in the process of completing a task, but when it comes to generating ideas, people in my vicinity can be quite helpful. Other people offer a stimulus with which I can work. Somebody says X, I hear it, and it causes a cascade of ideas to go off in my mind, leading to Y to Z to AJK!#AJ%$GD&RI. Then I can talk about my ideas and have them critiqued/enhanced by an outsider's perspective.

It's definitely more helpful when I know the people too; with new groups and acquaintances, I'm more focused on analyzing and understanding than I am on generating my own novel thoughts.

However, people are usually a distraction once I am actually working through the nitty-gritty process of realizing an idea (ie writing papers, researching, carrying out a project). I'm pretty easily sidetracked, and if somebody says or does something that sets off a creative cascade, I'll subconsciously convince myself that the time spent focusing on my explosion of new ideas is worth the time not spent on the original task. It kind of sucks when I actually have a deadline, but it's ultimately more fun that way.

When I'm alone, I often find myself desperately seeking for something or someone to fuel my mind and set me off on some nonsensical tangent. I'm more content when my mind has some kind of buddy around.

 

[tinkerbell]

am I the only ENTP who is not mad keen on brainstorming? I like to have individuals to think with, but I find groups actually prohibitive because they get in the way of the flow. If i have to go to one, I'll try and rock up in the last 15 minutes and double or tripple the list...

 

[Sniffles]

This is embarrassing, because it feels like a form of weakness, but I have a lot of difficulty getting work done if people aren't there. I don't need to talk to them or know them or involve them or anything. I just need them around and visible or else my brain turns to sludge.

If it makes you feel better, I'm literally the opposite: with people around I can't get anything done. I shine best when I'm alone often. If people are around, it can be so draining and distracting even if they're not doing anything.

 

[teslashock]

am I the only ENTP who is not mad keen on brainstorming? I like to have individuals to think with, but I find groups actually prohibitive because they get in the way of the flow. If i have to go to one, I'll try and rock up in the last 15 minutes and double or tripple the list...

Well, obviously it depends on the group. If I'm around a bunch of SPs, I'm probably not going to have a particularly great brainstorming session because their ideas are just so mundane to me (as are mine to them), and we just operate on completely different wavelengths.

The same is kind of true for SJs; I'll say one thing, and they just start asking all these specific questions, and I'm like "LETS JUST WORRY ABOUT THAT LATER OK!? I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF A BRANCHING-OUT SESSION RIGHT NOW!" These guys definitely "get in the way of the flow."

Other NPs and INxJs are great though; they value the same kind of abstract thought processes that I do, and I find them extremely enjoyable to work with.

 

[tinkerbell]

Well, obviously it depends on the group. If I'm around a bunch of SPs, I'm probably not going to have a particularly great brainstorming session because their ideas are just so mundane to me (as are mine to them), and we just operate on completely different wavelengths.

The same is kind of true for SJs; I'll say one thing, and they just start asking all these specific questions, and I'm like "LETS JUST WORRY ABOUT THAT LATER OK!? I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF A BRANCHING-OUT SESSION RIGHT NOW!" These guys definitely "get in the way of the flow."

Other NPs and INxJs are great though; they value the same kind of abstract thought processes that I do, and I find them extremely enjoyable to work with.

LOL you might have caught me out on why I avoid brainstorms these days....

I have a bro who when he was 3 - 6 ears old use to watch Tom and Jerry cartoons on the TV and scream thats not possible.....

Brainstormign with people who don't get the question - wull spend 50% of their time decoding the question rather than generating ideas. SO fructrating, so once they ahve navel gazed for half the time......

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh

 

[INTPness]

Well, obviously it depends on the group. If I'm around a bunch of SPs, I'm probably not going to have a particularly great brainstorming session because their ideas are just so mundane to me (as are mine to them), and we just operate on completely different wavelengths.

The same is kind of true for SJs; I'll say one thing, and they just start asking all these specific questions, and I'm like "LETS JUST WORRY ABOUT THAT LATER OK!? I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF A BRANCHING-OUT SESSION RIGHT NOW!" These guys definitely "get in the way of the flow."

Other NPs and INxJs are great though; they value the same kind of abstract thought processes that I do, and I find them extremely enjoyable to work with.

You didn't mention ENFJ's and ENTJ's. Out of curiousity, how do you find the interaction with those types? More in-line with the SJ's? Or somewhere in between the NP's and the SJ's?

 

[teslashock]

You didn't mention ENFJ's and ENTJ's. Out of curiousity, how do you find the interaction with those types? More in-line with the SJ's? Or somewhere in between the NP's and the SJ's?

Interactions with ENxJs are fun for a bit, but I think I start annoying them in the long-run. They don't take me seriously, and most think I would be a lot more "productive" if I took more action. This is especially true of ENTJs. It always turns into "Ok that's a good idea. You want to go try it out now?" ENTJs are also kind of prone to dissecting all the errors inherent within my ideas, and that makes brainstorming less fun some times.

ENFJs also get tired of the constant banter, but they are at least pretty good at humoring me; though eventually it becomes just that: them humoring me.

I guess when it comes to actually getting something done, it's good to have ENxJs around though. They are smart AND focused, so they help to keep me focused, even though they can be annoying. I'd never marry an ENTJ, but I might take one in as a business partner

 

[INTPness]

Interactions with ENxJs are fun for a bit, but I think I start annoying them in the long-run. They don't take me seriously, and most think I would be a lot more "productive" if I took more action. This is especially true of ENTJs. It always turns into "Ok that's a good idea. You want to go try it out now?" ENTJs are also kind of prone to dissecting all the errors inherent within my ideas, and that makes brainstorming less fun some times.

ENFJs also get tired of the constant banter, but they are at least pretty good at humoring me; though eventually it becomes just that: them humoring me.

I guess when it comes to actually getting something done, it's good to have ENxJs around though. They are smart AND focused, so they help to keep me focused, even though they can be annoying. I'd never marry an ENTJ, but I might take one in as a business partner

I'd have to agree with your assessments all the way through (SP's, SJ's, and all the N's). While I agree with you and can definitely relate, I'm not sure I could have ever articulated it as well or clearly as you did, probably for the simple fact that I typically only have my Ne shoes on for about 20 hours/week.

But yeah, ENxJ's definitely have my respect. They're just harder to goof around with.

 

[paintmuffin]

ABSOLUTELY. Study groups, writing papers over the phone, video chat, you name it -- it's the only way I can focus! I can't sit down and concentrate on something in a closed environment. Such... a short ... attention span.

 

[paintmuffin]

And while it's extremely difficult for me to do any sort of manual or physical task without music, I cannot deal with people speaking to me in those moments. I simply can't have someone talking to me when I am doing the dishes or cleaning the house because it takes me out of the zone. If I'm puttering around, chances are that you should not be speaking to me because I don't want to get distracted from my main goal.

sounds EXACTLY like me.
and for this reason, me + manual tasks = fail.

 

[Kasper]

Bunch of off topic crap moved to the crap off topic thread.

 

[Katsuni]

The only NT type that this rings particularly true for is ENTP, but yes, it's absolutely true for me as well.

I guess it is a weakness in a way, but it's also a strength. I have trouble self-motivating without other people to bounce ideas off of. I chalk it up to Ne never really knowing if its ideas are any good without external validation.

Perhaps I'm a special case or something, but I totally disagree XD

People tend to distract me, and get in the way. They insist on fighting to do things in a poorly thought out way because of 'tradition' or some other silly ill-reasoned excuse.

Most of the time I find I *LEARN* faster when people are around, especially when teaching them, but... in terms of being 'productive'? No, I do that much better on my own, without people getting in the way, or trying to trust them with anything at all because they're just going to screw it up.

Hate group work so much... either A: I do all the work, or B: give them something small I don't think they can break, but they always find a way to screw it up anyway, or just don't do it at all, then I'm left missing something that needs done and should've just done it on my own int he first place anyway.

 

[ThatGirl]

I actually find other people distracting, unless I am in direct competition with them.

 

[Bubbles]

I had a coworker who was ENTP over the summer.

He did his best work when he had the coworkers nearby that he could talk to most. And he always had his headphones. And of course, if he wasn't teasing the lady across from him, nothing was going the right way.

 

[Bowie]

For the most part, yes. Oddly enough, if I'm alone, I can't get any motivation and I draw way too much attention to myself. Being around other people working/creating helps me want to do the same. Especially in art classes.

 

[Timeless]

I don't need it, but I strongly prefer it.

 

[LucrativeSid]

What kind of work are you talking about?

 

[Kenneth Almighty]

I need other people to be enthused, but there are times where noise helps and times where it hinders. At the very least, I need some good jazz going to get me chiiillled (this is where a Starbucks holds some appeal).

It's a bit of a balance. Brilliant people are brilliant to work with, and less-than-brilliant people are just fun to amaze. However, when crunch times comes around and I *need* to focus, I can't do it with people but I can do it with some background stimulation, like a podcast or a nice CD.

The best compensation would be a group project

 

[realmsghzx]

I'd agree with what both of you are saying. If I'm doing any kind of manual task, I need noise. However, if I am trying to do a manual task, and someone interrupts me with something that causes me to remove focus from the list of things I was doing, then I get SUPER irritated very quickly. It happened once when I was moving recently. I was like, "stop talking and let's just get this bullshit done! Then we can talk about whatever."

When I was younger, my parents used to make fun of me because I would have the TV on, the radio on, the computer on, and I'd be reading a book with all this chaos around. But if they came into say something to me, I would get really snappy.

I like getting my math homework done in the library, but if someone keeps trying to talk to me while I'm doing the work, I'll get pissed.

If I'm writing, I need music on. If I'm cleaning, I need music on. Hell, I need music on always.

 

[redsox44344]

It truly depends on what kind of work I'm trying to get done.

With most of my work, however, I do prefer to bounce ideas off of other people.