[MBTI General] Sensor Myths- Fact or Fiction? (for SJs too!)

[Sinmara]

There's also this idea that relating something to personal experience invalidates your opinion and that sensors can't give any sort of good or reliable advice or have any original thoughts because all they do is project their past upon you. I've heard from quite a few intuitives, NTs in particular, that they look down on people who do this and think of sensors as having tiny little minds because that's how many of us work. As though they're somehow exempt from learning through experience and are sooooo original.

 

[miss fortune]

the sad thing is that sensors AND intuitives both secretly understand points made if examples are given

and anyone can feel free to add any other myths to the list as well... I'm not infallible... sometimes

 

[Asterion]

That list is pretty bad. Maths is tough, not that many people like it because most other subjects in life are usually more rewarding.

Sensors and intuives were never made to get along, it's not that they're interested in different things, it's moreso that they're interested in a different perspective of things. People get upset about perspective because it makes it harder to communicate, it causes pointless arguments and misunderstandings. That's where these stereotypes come from.

 

[KDude]

Some of myths probably have some truth to them, but not nearly in the exaggerated way they're portrayed. I think of attention whore as a bad thing, some obnoxious insecure person that steps on people's toes to get recognized.. While to me, it seems an ESTP can project that energy right where they stand. They don't seem so insecure as to have be pushy about it. And ESFP is somewhat of a clown.. Easily willing to make themselves look silly as opposed to stepping on people, all to make them comfortable.

 

[une_autre]

Well actually I like maths a lot - including the theoretical aspects of it. Especially those, I like having proofs of all theorems and such.
I don't think it's though lol. Maybe because I don't suck at it.

And another thing - am I totally not an attention whore.

 

[KDude]

I'd be the first to believe an ESTP is good at math. ISTP too. We can't be all smart though. I know the general inclination on the net is tht everyone says they have a Mensa IQ, but I'll make a stand and say that I don't!

On the flipside, I enjoy learning about science... just as long as too many numbers aren't hurled at me. Technical things, and learning how to fix things can be fun too. Education is not the specific domain of thinkers... one can desire education solely through their sense of wonder, curiousity, or even entertainment. And that's the only thing about the "Stupid" stereotype that's annoying - that it assumes that non-thinkers don't share a fascination with the world. That the rest of us are just out there in la la land or just going through the motions. Bullshit.

 

[miss fortune]

true... I've never met an incurious sensor... and when curiosity dies that's when the learning dies! as I've always told my friends- it's not important to me that you know everything, it's important that you're curious about it!

 

[ZPowers]

The list seems heavily critical. Surely, there must be some regions in which sensors have tendencies to both excel and flounder in comparison to Ns as a side effect of different personal qualities (otherwise the distinction would be meaningless), but this needs spiced up with a few things that are unqualified positives about S's.

PS

[In response to "All SJs love Jesus"]

False, I'm an SP and I love Jesus

Technically, some SPs (or anyone else) being religious does not preclude that all SJs are religious (or, more probably, tend to be religious more frequently than other times).

 

[Quinlan]

sensors don't like math -Hate it

sensors are extremely detail oriented -Depends on the context

attention whores -Not usually, depends on the context

less than loyal I am loyal

sensors don't understand the internet -Intermajig?

we are "sheep" and beleive and do what we are told -No way, I like to stick it to the man!

sensors don't understand things like personality theory -I understand personality theory just fine, I just don't expand it and extrapolate it out into useless conjecture

SJs like rules because they're rules, and rules are meant to be followed -Yes they do those foolish SJs

sensors aren't smart -I'm not smart

SJs all love jesus... or religion in general -SJs love structure

sensors aren't very good at the arts, especially writing fiction -I would be pretty crap at writing fiction

SPs love nothing more than being single or cheating on their SOs -Nope

we're all crazy party animals -I'm a crazy animal not so sure about the party bit

no ability to develop a more clever sense of humor/no sense of humor -I was gunna come up with a witty comment but I went blank.

 

[Quinlan]

Oh yeah and I do think "The Arts" does kinda sound like all sorts of intuitive wankery, I like to create things but I don't want anything to do with "the arts".

 

[KDude]

^If you wrote a book, I'd read it at least. Would be damn impressive for an ape. Don't sell yourself short

 

[stellar renegade]

sensors don't like math - This one seems kinda random to me, but whatever, I'll go with it. I hate complex math because it seems like there's no point to it, but I like figuring out math problems sometimes. I'll play sudoku for a little while if I'm in the mood.

sensors are extremely detail oriented - Extremely? Naw. Like Stepho said, mostly when it's a part of my art or directly pertains to me, then I can be sharp as an eagle. If it's not, I can be completely careless and not notice a ton just because I don't want to expend the energy on something that's not useful to me.

attention whores - hah! Kinda, but I'm not like a little kid. I mean I demand attention from my SO, but how does that not make sense? If I need attention I know how to get it in a productive way.

less than loyal - um, try NO. For instance, I could never cheat on my girl, I'd immediately get a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach if I even started. Try, this is a matter of character. I don't look at girls the same way as I did before I began this relationship. They mildly interest me very occasionally instead of making my head turn constantly. Also, I'm not a backstabber by any means. My past self might've accidentally blabbed your secrets but that's because I'm a public type of person, and I'm pretty good about not doing that now.

sensors don't understand the internet - hahahaha, DOUBLE YOU TEE EFF, MATE!? Who said this!? I would've thought it's abstractoids who would have a harder time understanding the nets because of their ability to so easily tune things out. I'm the go-to guy at work for computer related things. I was remote logging into the server while they were still trying to figure out how to get the printer to work.

we are "sheep" and beleive and do what we are told - HAHAHAHAHA. This is the WORST! I'm the last person to do anything I'm told. I can't conform if I even try. I don't believe the same as anyone around me about pretty much anything. I may not openly confront people all the time, but I easily find a way to slip out the back when I don't care for a particular situation. I've done it my whole life.

sensors don't understand things like personality theory - HAHAHAHA! I understand personality theory more than alot of people. I know this not only because I see people making such horrible mistakes about it, but that the person who helped Keirsey edit his latest book told me that she's amazed by how well I understand temperament theory.

Jeez, people.

SJs like rules because they're rules, and rules are meant to be followed - hahahaha, what's so funny is that my ISFJ girl has surprised me by how much she refuses to follow rules just because they're rules. A really good example is how her old church split up over the fact that they decided it wasn't "God's will" to read the Purpose-Driven Life, and she said she didn't think that was true, and after that alot of people got up in arms about it and just walked away. True, she's pretty loyal to the church we go to now, but only because it appeals to her (and both of us).

My ISTJ coworker would constantly complain about the arbitrary rules that the managers enforced on us at Wal-Mart. He felt that we weren't getting enough respect or room to do things efficiently.

sensors aren't smart - in what way? fuck, man. Everyone's smart in their own way.

SJs all love jesus... or religion in general - haha, I'm pretty sure that's not true, but anyways. I hear tell of one ESTJ who socked his brother straight in the nose because he was being challenged about becoming an atheist.

sensors aren't very good at the arts, especially writing fiction - um, what? SPs = Artisans = the temperament inclined toward the arts. This shows a deep, fundamental confusion about personality type theory. Creativity =/= Intuition/Abstraction. In fact, those more in-tune to the material more readily see more possibilities in how it can be manipulated.

It seems as if the common MBTI perception of S's is really that of SJ's, so the closest it can come up with for an artist is an N type, which is ridiculous. N's might be inclined toward some types of arts, especially fiction/fantasy writing, music, etc - and apparently James Cameron is an ENTJ - but that far from says that N's are the primary type to be involved in the arts.

SPs love nothing more than being single or cheating on their SOs -

we're all crazy party animals - hey, can't deny that one!

no ability to develop a more clever sense of humor/no sense of humor - hahahaha, given that most comedians and entertainers are Artisans? wtf, dude. These people just don't get it, do they?

 

[stellar renegade]

There's also this idea that relating something to personal experience invalidates your opinion and that sensors can't give any sort of good or reliable advice or have any original thoughts because all they do is project their past upon you. I've heard from quite a few intuitives, NTs in particular, that they look down on people who do this and think of sensors as having tiny little minds because that's how many of us work. As though they're somehow exempt from learning through experience and are sooooo original.

Precisely. You can't get abstract knowledge from nowhere. And then they think by a multitude of scientific experiments they can get to irrefutable truth. Um, unless you can show how a thing has to be so by getting to the root cause, you're not gonna figure out irrefutable truth because maybe all your experiments have a common yet undetected variable to them that once removed will create a new surprising result.

For me, giving examples of personal experience is not absolute proof of any kind of universal knowledge. Either I'm just giving a variation on reality, or I'm demonstrating a principle that can be understood by showing how it plays out in real life.

 

[ayoitsStepho]

The only fact worth mentioning is how rad we SP's are.

 

[stellar renegade]

The only fact worth mentioning is how rad we SP's are.

And how fine you ISFP's are.

Second only to ISFJ's, of course!

 

[ayoitsStepho]

And how fine you ISFP's are.

Second only to ISFJ's, of course!

Can we put a vote to that?

 

[OrangeAppled]

sensors aren't very good at the arts, especially writing fiction - um, what? SPs = Artisans = the temperament inclined toward the arts. This shows a deep, fundamental confusion about personality type theory. Creativity =/= Intuition/Abstraction. In fact, those more in-tune to the material more readily see more possibilities in how it can be manipulated.

It seems as if the common MBTI perception of S's is really that of SJ's, so the closest it can come up with for an artist is an N type, which is ridiculous. N's might be inclined toward some types of arts, especially fiction/fantasy writing, music, etc - and apparently James Cameron is an ENTJ - but that far from says that N's are the primary type to be involved in the arts.

I see why SPs love Keirsey so much....as an iNuitive, I find this assertion ridiculous, just as you find these "myths" ridiculous. I'm as much an artist as any ISFP, dammit :steam:! "Artisan" implies hands-on skill anyway, not innovative ideas. Not to say that an SP cannot have innovative ideas. My point is, iNuition is heavily associated with creativity and new ideas; SPs don't have any edge on the arts.

Precisely. You can't get abstract knowledge from nowhere..

Actually, that's pretty much what iNtuition is - perception coming out of "nowhere".
Technically, it's coming from the unconscious

 

[JTG1984]

Can we put a vote to that?

I vote for ISFJs, and my vote is the only one that matters.

 

[ayoitsStepho]

You are so predictable.

 

[KDude]

I see why SPs love Keirsey so much....as an iNuitive, I find this assertion ridiculous, just as you find these "myths" ridiculous. I'm as much an artist as any ISFP, dammit :steam:! "Artisan" implies hands-on skill anyway, not innovative ideas. Not to say that an SP cannot have innovative ideas. My point is, iNuition is heavily associated with creativity and new ideas; SPs don't have any edge on the arts.]

I agree with you there. We don't have an edge. The two are different though. There's something about NF art that doesn't always immediately make sense to me. At least, from what I think may be NF art. It can be even more imaginary than what an SP would do.. be it in a surreal way or fantastical. I think SP artists are a little more grounded in the "real world" - even when their art is symbolic. I could be oversimplifying it though....