[NT] Intuition or Paranoia?

[sartrecastic]

Just a thought I've been playing with for a while. I tend to get ideas about the unspoken reasons and motivations for people's actions. That is, I will get the measure of someone very quickly (I believe), or think that I can grasp people's exact intentions or reasons for doing things, without too much trouble.

Almost immediately, when looking at a text e.g. for English, I can take what's important out of it, understand multiple layers of meaning and so on and so forth without really thinking about it at all (I will have a cursory read of a text and be able to say with complete confidence when somebody else's interpretation of it is total bull), but then I do the same with conversational written text as well as spoken verbiage. The thing is a lot of the time I turn out to be right. So a dude will say something and I will be like, "Well, if he didn't think this he wouldn't have said xyz and he knows that abc so uvw" and so on, and I will just quickly have this whole elaborate conclusion mapped out in my head that will be, imo, more or less correct. So I will confront people with it and they will rigorously deny that their words had any ulterior intent which is of course obvious rubbish designed to get out of admitting the truth...

Okay, some of that might just be arrogance and overconfidence in my own ability. But I've turned out to be justified in my beliefs a lot of the time, even in the face of brazen denial, so I tend to trust this not-entirely-rational method of just getting information and getting other information out of it without really knowing how. But then it sometimes goes into overdrive, especially if I can't immediately and concretely come to a conclusion about something like this. Because then I will just think and think and think about every possible permutation of the information and come to really wild conclusions and basically be a fair bit paranoid. (But at the same time, what I've sometimes thought might be paranoia has turned out not to be.) And I will read meanings into actions that others will claim had no meaning whatsoever (a claim I will then use to construct a reality in which they knowingly performed apparently meaningful actions in order to make me think they were so when they were in fact not... This of course goes to build my picture of the person, which I still think is correct, to be honest). And so on.

So what is going on here? I'm tempted, based on my limited knowledge of typology, to say it's Ne and Ti at work... But I don't really know. I don't really know if this is of particular note, or not, either; that is I don't know if everyone is like this, although considering the frequency with which people inform me that I am, in fact, crazy, I guess not. But I just thought it was interesting. Your thoughts are welcome.

 

[ChildoftheProphets]

I don't think I know enough about typology to answer you from that perspective (except to say that you're definitely an N), but I do have a few other suggestions.

The brain has the ability to make a lot of complex calculations, often outside the bounds of our conscious, thinking mind. If I had to guess, you may easily pick up cues from people's body launguage and verbal or written tone of voice, and your brain compares these cues to what you've observed and confirmed in the past, thus allowing you to make fairly accurate predictions about the near future.

If you get the chance, read Malcolm Gladwell's Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking as well as any book on body language, such as Body Language for Dummies or Joe Navaro'sWhat Every Body Is Saying. These books might help you consciously understand what your non-conscious mind has been looking at all this time . . . .

 

[fusetah]

Just a thought I've been playing with for a while. I tend to get ideas about the unspoken reasons and motivations for people's actions. That is, I will get the measure of someone very quickly (I believe), or think that I can grasp people's exact intentions or reasons for doing things, without too much trouble.

Almost immediately, when looking at a text e.g. for English, I can take what's important out of it, understand multiple layers of meaning and so on and so forth without really thinking about it at all (I will have a cursory read of a text and be able to say with complete confidence when somebody else's interpretation of it is total bull), but then I do the same with conversational written text as well as spoken verbiage. The thing is a lot of the time I turn out to be right. So a dude will say something and I will be like, "Well, if he didn't think this he wouldn't have said xyz and he knows that abc so uvw" and so on, and I will just quickly have this whole elaborate conclusion mapped out in my head that will be, imo, more or less correct. So I will confront people with it and they will rigorously deny that their words had any ulterior intent which is of course obvious rubbish designed to get out of admitting the truth...

Okay, some of that might just be arrogance and overconfidence in my own ability. But I've turned out to be justified in my beliefs a lot of the time, even in the face of brazen denial, so I tend to trust this not-entirely-rational method of just getting information and getting other information out of it without really knowing how. But then it sometimes goes into overdrive, especially if I can't immediately and concretely come to a conclusion about something like this. Because then I will just think and think and think about every possible permutation of the information and come to really wild conclusions and basically be a fair bit paranoid. (But at the same time, what I've sometimes thought might be paranoia has turned out not to be.) And I will read meanings into actions that others will claim had no meaning whatsoever (a claim I will then use to construct a reality in which they knowingly performed apparently meaningful actions in order to make me think they were so when they were in fact not... This of course goes to build my picture of the person, which I still think is correct, to be honest). And so on.

So what is going on here? I'm tempted, based on my limited knowledge of typology, to say it's Ne and Ti at work... But I don't really know. I don't really know if this is of particular note, or not, either; that is I don't know if everyone is like this, although considering the frequency with which people inform me that I am, in fact, crazy, I guess not. But I just thought it was interesting. Your thoughts are welcome.

I can relate to this very well. But I rarely voice these hunches, alarming another person about his/her sub-conscious actions tends to get percieved as awkward.

I am aware of them and noting them though. The hunches can, and usually add up to something useful lateron.

 

[Little_Sticks]

One thing though.

The more you believe something and suggest it to the other person adamantly and full of confidence, the more the other person is likely to accept your interpretation. Just something to think about as well.

 

[yvonne]

i can relate to this aswell. the thing is that you have to be very, very careful with these things. this kind of stuff usually leads to jumping to conclusions, which might, or might NOT be right. i have learned to keep these kind of observations to myself, or if i communicate them to others, i make sure i do it in a discreet way, not assuming i am right, or not assuming my observations will have any impact. this is something you should never push and you should always be self-aware and openminded... intuition can be a helpful tool, but it's all about the way we use it and our attitude.

 

[VagrantFarce]

Just a thought I've been playing with for a while. I tend to get ideas about the unspoken reasons and motivations for people's actions. That is, I will get the measure of someone very quickly (I believe), or think that I can grasp people's exact intentions or reasons for doing things, without too much trouble.

Almost immediately, when looking at a text e.g. for English,I can take what's important out of it, understand multiple layers of meaning and so on and so forth without really thinking about it at all (I will have a cursory read of a text and be able to say with complete confidence when somebody else's interpretation of it is total bull), but then I do the same with conversational written text as well as spoken verbiage. The thing is a lot of the time I turn out to be right. So a dude will say something and I will be like, "Well, if he didn't think this he wouldn't have said xyz and he knows that abc so uvw" and so on, and I will just quickly have this whole elaborate conclusion mapped out in my head that will be, imo, more or less correct. So I will confront people with it and they will rigorously deny that their words had any ulterior intent which is of course obvious rubbish designed to get out of admitting the truth...

Okay, some of that might just be arrogance and overconfidence in my own ability. But I've turned out to be justified in my beliefs a lot of the time, even in the face of brazen denial, so I tend to trust this not-entirely-rational method of just getting information and getting other information out of it without really knowing how. But then it sometimes goes into overdrive, especially if I can't immediately and concretely come to a conclusion about something like this. Because then I will just think and think and think about every possible permutation of the information and come to really wild conclusions and basically be a fair bit paranoid. (But at the same time, what I've sometimes thought might be paranoia has turned out not to be.) And I will read meanings into actions that others will claim had no meaning whatsoever (a claim I will then use to construct a reality in which they knowingly performed apparently meaningful actions in order to make me think they were so when they were in fact not... This of course goes to build my picture of the person, which I still think is correct, to be honest). And so on.

So what is going on here? I'm tempted, based on my limited knowledge of typology, to say it's Ne and Ti at work... But I don't really know. I don't really know if this is of particular note, or not, either; that is I don't know if everyone is like this, although considering the frequency with which people inform me that I am, in fact, crazy, I guess not. But I just thought it was interesting. Your thoughts are welcome.

I guess interpreted in terms of the functions, it could be Ni - constantly shifting perspective until the right one "clicks", and suddenly you seem absolutely positive about the conclusion you've reached, despite what appearances might suggest.

 

[Poki]

First dont assume that people say everything with an intent or with a motive. As a perceptive type I base that intent on future interactions. Did they actually do anything with it, maybe it was just an idea, or possibly it was just to see how you would respond.

Not being accusative, but have you ever said something to see how someone responds? That other person may pin an intent on what you said other then you doing it just to see how they respond. Just an example.

 

[Uytuun]

I guess interpreted in terms of the functions, it could be Ni - constantly shifting perspective until the right one "clicks", and suddenly you seem absolutely positive about the conclusion you've reached, despite what appearances might suggest.

When you think you have good use of Ni but you don't, that's where the issues start, m'dear.

I've yet to see a Ni-dom concerned about or doubting or whatevering the way they use the function the way the OP does...I don't think we would consider our intuition paranoia. STPs might...

 

[milkyway2]

I found that talking to other people about my intuitions. About everything really.. helps me ground my thoughts. Just like.. a double check.

 

[niberrizbe25]

To tell you the truth I believe that you are ascribing way too much merit to the thinking process of other people. Most often, people around us are just thinking recycled self deprecating thoughts of a self centered nature. It is sad to say, but true. You, obviously, have great deductive abilities and I don’t doubt that you can quickly grasp situations and know in a gut level reality that something is amiss; intuition is more vital to me than most of my senses. However, I think that you are thinking too much about the present situation. Just like when you lift a box with all your force, expecting it to be full of stones, and end up smashing yourself in the face before you realize that it is empty... I am sure you have seen A Beautiful Mind (if not you definitely would learn something from it.) The main character is obviously brilliant but he cannot seem to control the direction of his thoughts and ends up believing that every situation is monumentally important.
The mind is a good servant but a bad boss. Be sure that you are in charge. The left brain, the one that you seem to be using to derive your conclusions, is a mathematical genius but its background agenda is survival. If you obsess on survival for too long, you will begin to question every action and see it as a potential plot to your demise. Just imagine the slippery slope...
Find your balance again my friend. You don’t want to be like one of those geniuses that end up in the loony bin because they "know too much."

 

[kiddykat]

My interpretation of paranoia is that it's something that we've learned through a reaction-stimulus conditioning.. Sort of like the Pavlovian theory. Ex- we watch something on the news repeatedly, the response is- we fear that person, object or event that was previously a neutral response.

Here's a really interesting piece:
[YOUTUBE="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A95psLAtp0s"]Insight, Intuition, Instinct[/YOUTUBE]


Personally for me, intuition comes from a place of calm. It usually tells me something about the person, place or thing- not necessarily a positive or negative response, but something idiosyncratic.

I think accusatory assumptions come from prejudice, which stems from a learned response.

Intuition for me is also say.. when someone covers up an emotion and says, "I'm okay" when they're really not..

That's how I see it.. and agree with what the video says for the most part.

 

[QPoet]

What you are describing sounds like classic Ni to me. I use it all the time in a very similar manner to the way you describe. And as was pointed out eariler, I trust it completely--it's rarely wrong. I found the more I trust it and work with it (I used to ignore it), the better it works. It's a useful skill to have, as it's less common. It gives you different perspectives and insights on things. I've never associated it with paranoia. Yeah, just work to understand how it operates and keep it on a leash and you'll be fine.

 

[sculpting]

In ENFPs we can do this by monitoring the person ober time and noting they are acting very differently from the way we have seen them in the past-but attempting to identify motives/causes is only valid for other Fi users. You will fuck it up on Fe users.

EXTPs can do this very well on Fe users-the motives. They can pick up very subtle physical signs of difference or distress and then ascribe motives. Again, dont try this on Fi users. You will fuck it up.

NeFi can get real paranoid as it seeks external affirmation and we think everyone hates us. This is when I know I need to chill for awhile.

NeTi folks can get really paranoid too, but I dont understand why-something about Fe I think. They seem to think everyone is plotting against them when they get really distressed. My ENTP says she knows that when she needs a vacation.

 

[Shimmy]

If there's one thing I learned from communication and sales training is that making assumptions about people's motives is, even when you are right, counter productive. People don't like being confronted with their motives.

A better idea would be to just ask people about their motives and go for the words. If you can notice inconsistencies in their words or behaviour, then you can confront them.