[SJ] Intellectually curious SJ's

[substitute]

OMG INTP's really know how to run a smooth discussion eh?

Haha... well, don't pick your pitchforks up yet people - see bold below.

SJ's seem, on average, to have less intellectual curiosity than NT's... is that statement really that surprising and controversial? I'm not saying they are less intelligent.

He is allowing after all, for it just being a surface appearance...

*whinces*

 

[pure_mercury]

SJ's seem, on average, to have less intellectual curiosity than NT's... is that statement really that surprising and controversial? I'm not saying they are less intelligent.

It could be a different type of curiosity.

 

[mlittrell]

all types can be intellectually curious but they all go about it in different ways. its too hard to narrow down if SJs are more or less intellectually curious then say NTs because that depends on the person not the type. the type will change how you go about being intellectually curious

 

[ZiL]

I engage in long, bizarre, speculative conversation a good amount of the time. My sense of humor is very off-kilter and transgressive, as well. My intellectual curiosity is also quite strong, but it's more about trying to learn as much relevant information about a given topic as I can (and, believe me, I get obsessive about it), as opposed to learn the underlying principles that make it work. I enjoy reading about cosmology, for instance, but I couldn't stand to do the simplest equations in Survey of the Universe class at college.

This is the way my ISFJ friend does things. He gets a big kick out of finding information and trying to remember it so that he can pull it out like a big compendium at a later date and blow you away with it. He's curious, but not usually about the same types of things as me, and he expresses the curiosity in a totally different way. I remember we were in AP European history together, and he got the biggest kick out of learning all the details about an event or historical period, while I preferred to find historical patterns that interested me and only research details relevent to the pattern I had found. He could memorize easily by date, while I needed concepts to help with memorization.

 

[dnivera]

SJs perhaps seem less intellectually curious to you than NTs because we are systematic thinkers. We don't challenge your ideas or do the sparring back-and-forth like NTs do. That doesn't necessarily mean that we're less intellectually curious, capable, or intelligent than NTs. SJs tend to think "inside the box" and accept things as they are, incorporating ideas into universal belief systems, rather than challenge mainstream ideas and look for hidden meanings and connections.

So maybe it seems like we're not intellectually curious, but we're just not interested in testing ideas with you or engaging in debates or sparring. I'm not a confrontational person, so if someone tries to provoke me, I'm going to give my (differing) opinion, but I'm not interested in arguing with you. When I get attacked by people I tend to ask them questions about why they believe what they belive, rather than challenge their position. This is IRL face-to-face conversations - in writing, I will tear you apart. But I'm a really curious person who is more 5ish than SJ. I want to know about everything and anything.

 

[Cimarron]

So maybe it seems like we're not intellectually curious, but we're just not interested in testing ideas with you or engaging in debates or sparring. I'm not a confrontational person, so if someone tries to provoke me, I'm going to give my (differing) opinion, but I'm not interested in arguing with you. When I get attacked by people I tend to ask them questions about why they believe what they belive, rather than challenge their position. This is IRL face-to-face conversations - in writing, I will tear you apart. But I'm a really curious person who is more 5ish than SJ. I want to know about everything and anything.

This kind of resonates with me. What do you think about asking "why"?

Do SJ's see no need to ask the question "Why?", or maybe we pass it through the "Why should I care?" and "Does it really matter/make a difference?" filter before bothering to ask "Why"?

 

[ajblaise]

This kind of resonates with me. What do you think about asking "why"?

Do SJ's see no need to ask the question "Why?", or maybe we pass it through the "Why should I care?" and "Does it really matter/make a difference?" filter before bothering to ask "Why"?

Perhaps so to not disrupt harmony and tradition? Perhaps because of valuing functional groups and rules more than the need for change and questioning things?

Or simply just a lack of caring about issues that to them are so removed and abstract and have nothing to do with them and what they do care about.

 

[dnivera]

I'm not interested in arguing because I don't think it's worth the energy, especially if it's something that seems cut-and-dried or black-and-white to me, but not to other people who want to debate it to death. I have other things I could be doing! You can try to engage me, but I'll refuse, unless it's something I'm passionate about. (like defending SJs, apparently....)

 

[ajblaise]

I'm not interested in arguing because I don't think it's worth the energy, especially if it's something that seems cut-and-dried or black-and-white to me, but not to other people who want to debate it to death. I have other things I could be doing! You can try to engage me, but I'll refuse, unless it's something I'm passionate about. (like defending SJs, apparently....)

To me, certain kinds of argument and debate are just one of the many kinds of ways intellectual curiosity expresses itself.

Maybe you could list some ways you see average SJ's expressing their intellectual curiosity? Hmmm, but you did just say you don't like to argue... but don't think of this as arguing.

 

[Cimarron]

To me, certain kinds of argument and debate are just one of the many kinds of ways intellectual curiosity expresses itself.

Then what about listening to other people debate/argue? That would provide an SJ, as an audience, with the exploration of ideas, but wouldn't be using too much energy and wouldn't be getting personally and actively involved in challenging traditions.

 

[ajblaise]

Then what about listening to other people debate/argue? That would provide an SJ, as an audience, with the exploration of ideas, but wouldn't be using too much energy and wouldn't be getting personally and actively involved in challenging traditions.

Do you do this? It definitely shows an intellectual curiosity, especially if the issue being argued/debated over is an especially intellectual matter.

 

[Cimarron]

Well, isn't that part of reading this forum?

I don't know. For whatever reason, it's kind of hard for me to discern these things about myself. That's why I'm trying to always keep a neutral stance on these boards, or something...

(Not sure about relevance: )
Sometimes I listen to others debate, but even that can get tiring after a while. And I guess there is some desire to avoid conflict, so especially with friends, I put myself into the conversation to try to reach a compromise, or get them to understand the other's point. In the process, I suppose I gather some info from both sides, since as I explain it to myself, I explain one side to the other. Of course, my reason for listening to the argument in the first place was to hear some thought about the topic.

Hmm, now that I think of it, there may be another reason for this, if your logic follows. In regards to the last paragraph, maybe if an SJ is taught to value balance of opinions and to shun bias, is taught to value open-mindedness in the sense that it is "good" to consider more than one possibility for a thing, then those values direct the SJ to build those habits. Not a conclusion I like, but it might fit with your train of logic, here.

 

[Mondo]

You know what- I think I learned something today.
The Guardian simply feels less of a need to rock the boat than other temperaments.
The Guardian can still be curious about acquiring knowledge of course.
Rationals rock the boat because they are assholes- same with Artisans.
Idealists will rock the boat when they think that people aren't being cool with ideals.
Then why does everyone associate Guardians as not being very laid-back at all, haha!

 

[Bella]

That sounds about right....

 

[Giggly]

I'm sorry, I'm not intellectually curious enough to read this thread.

 

[Snow Turtle]

I'm not very intellectually curious. These are the only explanations I could come up with for myself...

Ne is a weak point.
When I'm interested in something. I like to find out as much as I can about it, listening to other people's opinions before coming to my own conclusison. To an extent, it could be said that I don't trust my own understanding of something because I feel that I lack the knowledge in that area.

Alot of my time is spent collecting information from various sources. It's not that authority is absolute, but I've got more assurance that they know what they are talking about. I'd expect a book to be reasonable in it's positions, that it can't be countered so easily. To me, a book is someone who has thought through their ideas, rather than being in the process of it. Although it'd make sense that these writers are constantly redoing their works.

Playing on the stereotype. It's all about whether I'd find the information valuable to myself. Most information I find difficult to apply in real life, the idea of knowing knowledge for the sake of knowing doesn't appeal to me. I don't get a kick out of that. However I could see that some might see value in having this information for their own entertainment.

It's all about Si collecting his own world.
I'll come up with theories later on what the big picture is with all the current information. Lots of people probably think my opinions come from somebody else, I wouldn't be surprised when I'm building my world on this data. "Creating within the box" - Though occasionally I look at the box and suddenly it looks completely different. It's turned inside out :O

If you don't collect the information first. You are free to explore since you don't have preconcieved ideas, which can sometimes lead to the out of box thinking appearance.

Theorising is just exhuasting for me, I'm trying to understand rather than coming up with as many possible alternatives and ultimately screwing myself over with knowledge overload.

But I've got to admit, that I'm a pretty lazy SJ.

 

[MEC]

You know what- I think I learned something today.
The Guardian simply feels less of a need to rock the boat than other temperaments.
The Guardian can still be curious about acquiring knowledge of course.
Rationals rock the boat because they are assholes- same with Artisans.
Idealists will rock the boat when they think that people aren't being cool with ideals.
Then why does everyone associate Guardians as not being very laid-back at all, haha!

about the SJ and NF but I think
NT like the mental stimulation and SP the excitement of a debate

 

[Saslou]

Sorry but i am bringing this thread back from the dead.

Intellectually curious .. oh yeah.

I do not have specific knowledge in a particular field, more general knowledge.

If someone speaks to me with such passion on any given subject, if it does interest me, i will go away and find out what i can on the subject. That's just me being curious though.

I love this site for the wealth of information on so many subjects.
It may look like i am always on here, but i've opened other tabs and am reading up on something that spurred my interest again.

 

[Giggly]

I'm sorry, I'm not intellectually curious enough to read this thread.

Heh

You know what- I think I learned something today.
The Guardian simply feels less of a need to rock the boat than other temperaments.
The Guardian can still be curious about acquiring knowledge of course.
Rationals rock the boat because they are assholes- same with Artisans.
Idealists will rock the boat when they think that people aren't being cool with ideals.
Then why does everyone associate Guardians as not being very laid-back at all, haha!

So right.

 

[Magic Poriferan]

For a fictional example of an intellectually curious ISFJ, see Edd, of Ed, Edd, n Eddy.