• You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community, you will have access to additional post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), view blogs, respond to polls, upload content, and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free, so please join our community today! Just click here to register. You should turn your Ad Blocker off for this site or certain features may not work properly. If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us by clicking here.

S or N

Showbread

climb on
Joined
Oct 3, 2013
Messages
2,298
MBTI Type
ESFJ
Enneagram
3w2
Instinctual Variant
so/sp
Is it really possible to have no preference between S and? Because I test with a 1% preference for S, but I'm really not sure what I am. I keep seeing that ESFJs apparently blindly follow social conventions, which is not me... In actuality, I probably do follow a lot of social conventions, but not blindly. I over think pretty much everything.

I'm very practical and down to earth and generally look at the big picture. However, I am also constantly planning for the future and trying to solve problems. I spend a lot of time ruminating on future possibilities, as well as things that have happened in the past.

So, basically, I would like some help. Opinions? Questions? I'm pretty open to sharing just about anything.

Is it really possible for me to have no preference? Or am I just an S with anxiety?
 

chubber

failed poetry slam career
Joined
Oct 18, 2013
Messages
4,413
MBTI Type
INTP
Enneagram
4w5
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
If you ask me to schedule a language class for you and I haven't done so in weeks. What would you do?
 

Showbread

climb on
Joined
Oct 3, 2013
Messages
2,298
MBTI Type
ESFJ
Enneagram
3w2
Instinctual Variant
so/sp
If you ask me to schedule a language class for you and I haven't done so in weeks. What would you do?

I'm not sure I understand the question... Is this like a college course? Why are scheduling it for me?

All that aside, my first question would probably be "why haven't you done this for me?"
 

skylights

i love
Joined
Jul 6, 2010
Messages
7,756
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
6w7
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
Is it really possible to have no preference between S and? Because I test with a 1% preference for S, but I'm really not sure what I am. I keep seeing that ESFJs apparently blindly follow social conventions, which is not me... In actuality, I probably do follow a lot of social conventions, but not blindly. I over think pretty much everything.

I'm very practical and down to earth and generally look at the big picture. However, I am also constantly planning for the future and trying to solve problems. I spend a lot of time ruminating on future possibilities, as well as things that have happened in the past.

So, basically, I would like some help. Opinions? Questions? I'm pretty open to sharing just about anything.

Is it really possible for me to have no preference? Or am I just an S with anxiety?

You could have a relatively weak preference to the point of practically none, yes.

And whoever on here really believes that ESFJs blindly follow social rules has a lot of studying left to do! That is definitely a nasty, untrue stereotype.

IMO, the key difference between N and S is in conceptual/theoretical versus realistic/practical. Most Js tend to be planners, and that often involves looking at a big picture and thinking about the future.

I don't see a reason to question ESFJ for you thus far.

Are you a conceptual top-down learner, grasping theories first and then using them to arrange facts, or are you a pragmatic bottom-up learner, starting with the facts first and then assembling them into structures?
 

Showbread

climb on
Joined
Oct 3, 2013
Messages
2,298
MBTI Type
ESFJ
Enneagram
3w2
Instinctual Variant
so/sp
I would say pragmatic bottom-up. I like to start with facts to get a baseline understanding. Then from there I tend to try to look beyond the facts for potential causes. Once I have a basic semi-organized structure I try to branch out and gain a better understanding of the more abstract aspects of a concept.
 

skylights

i love
Joined
Jul 6, 2010
Messages
7,756
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
6w7
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
I would say pragmatic bottom-up. I like to start with facts to get a baseline understanding. Then from there I tend to try to look beyond the facts for potential causes. Once I have a basic semi-organized structure I try to branch out and gain a better understanding of the more abstract aspects of a concept.

That would be good evidence for S, then. :)

Ns generally have a hard time keeping track of concrete facts if they don't have an abstract structure to make sense of them in.
 

Showbread

climb on
Joined
Oct 3, 2013
Messages
2,298
MBTI Type
ESFJ
Enneagram
3w2
Instinctual Variant
so/sp
Have you looked into the differences of ESFJ vs ENFJ?

It seems as though you are very sure of Fe preference. So it boils down to whether you're more Ni/Se or Si/Ne.

ESFJ: Fe/Si/Ne/Ti
ENFJ: Fe/Ni/Se/Ti

http://www.typologycentral.com/forums/what-s-my-mbti-type/3532-enfj-vs-esfj.html

That helped a bit. I am very future focused like an N, but I am extremely practical in my planning of it. And I really tend to be more realistic than idealistic. I think I solve problems like an S though. I always have to start the with the facts. But, I also always want to know the "why?"
 

Showbread

climb on
Joined
Oct 3, 2013
Messages
2,298
MBTI Type
ESFJ
Enneagram
3w2
Instinctual Variant
so/sp
Okay, so I finally decided on S... But, I just retook HumanMetrics and I got N, by like 20%. So, I took the similarminds one, which says I favor S by 50%. Is there a better online test out there?
 

Concur_Withall

New member
Joined
Nov 19, 2013
Messages
59
MBTI Type
NFJ
Is it really possible to have no preference between S and? Because I test with a 1% preference for S, but I'm really not sure what I am. I keep seeing that ESFJs apparently blindly follow social conventions, which is not me... In actuality, I probably do follow a lot of social conventions, but not blindly. I over think pretty much everything.

I'm very practical and down to earth and generally look at the big picture. However, I am also constantly planning for the future and trying to solve problems. I spend a lot of time ruminating on future possibilities, as well as things that have happened in the past.

So, basically, I would like some help. Opinions? Questions? I'm pretty open to sharing just about anything.

Is it really possible for me to have no preference? Or am I just an S with anxiety?

Yes it's possible to have little preference on any item.

I'm going to list you as N because you said the word "open" ;)
 

highlander

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Dec 23, 2009
Messages
26,562
MBTI Type
INTJ
Enneagram
6w5
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
Is it really possible to have no preference between S and? Because I test with a 1% preference for S, but I'm really not sure what I am. I keep seeing that ESFJs apparently blindly follow social conventions, which is not me... In actuality, I probably do follow a lot of social conventions, but not blindly. I over think pretty much everything.

I'm very practical and down to earth and generally look at the big picture. However, I am also constantly planning for the future and trying to solve problems. I spend a lot of time ruminating on future possibilities, as well as things that have happened in the past.

So, basically, I would like some help. Opinions? Questions? I'm pretty open to sharing just about anything.

Is it really possible for me to have no preference? Or am I just an S with anxiety?

What test?

The theory would say that you are one or the other. My guess is that you just haven't figured out your type yet. Ss and Ns are much different from each other than would appear on the surface.

An ENFJ would have a cognitive function order of Fe>Ni>Se>Ti.

An ESFJ would have a cognitive function order of Fe>Si>Ne>Ti.

Those two types share Fe as a dominant function and correspondingly, Ti as an inferior function (because if you have the same dominant function, you always have the same inferior function).

Outside of that, Ni and Se are completely and wholly different than Si and Ne.

So if you want to try and figure it out, other than with a good test like MBTI Step 2, I would read the function descriptions for Ni vs. Si and Se vs. Ne to see which you prefer.
 

AzulEyes

New member
Joined
May 16, 2012
Messages
622
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
7w6
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
You are totally an ESFJ. They are very Ne - it's tertiary. (My tertiary/Te is very strong. It is not like you don't use it.)
Ni is so different. I know a lot of ESFJs and ENFJs. You sound ESFJ to me.
 

Showbread

climb on
Joined
Oct 3, 2013
Messages
2,298
MBTI Type
ESFJ
Enneagram
3w2
Instinctual Variant
so/sp
You are totally an ESFJ. They are very Ne - it's tertiary. (My tertiary/Te is very strong. It is not like you don't use it.)
Ni is so different. I know a lot of ESFJs and ENFJs. You sound ESFJ to me.

Yeah? How so? I might just be in a funky mood tonight. Feeling very overwhelmed.
 

Stephano

Almöhi
Joined
Aug 8, 2012
Messages
1,105
MBTI Type
NFP
I'm very practical and down to earth and generally look at the big picture.

Seems like you have no preference, if you have qualities of both. It's like being intersexual, I guess. :D
 

AzulEyes

New member
Joined
May 16, 2012
Messages
622
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
7w6
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
Yeah? How so? I might just be in a funky mood tonight. Feeling very overwhelmed.

It's true that you could sort of be on the fence - I see that from time to time, people are sort of a hybrid of two types.
But this part screamed ESFJ (Ne) to me more than ENFJ (Ni):

I'm very practical and down to earth and generally look at the big picture. However, I am also constantly planning for the future and trying to solve problems. I spend a lot of time ruminating on future possibilities, as well as things that have happened in the past.
 
I

Infinite Bubble

Guest
Sensing is focusing on tangible data.
Intuition is focusing on connections provide by data.

I can give examples of how each perceiving function might work within the context of a staircase (the context is arbitrary, it could be anything.):

Se (not literally said out loud, just mentally taken note of or felt): This staircase is a light brown colour, appears to be made of oak. It is smooth to the feet and not particularly warm of cold.

Si (I imagine this is how an ISTJ might be - Si-Fi): I remember back in my old house, I had this horrible staircase - the carpet on it was an ugly beige colour and extremely rough on the soles when walking on it. It was also uncomfortably steep with narrow steps, which made it awkward to walk up as well.

Ne: I wonder what's at the top of this staircase. Maybe we'll get a good view of the surrounding area, or maybe it'll lead to a doorway. Who knows what's there, let's climb it and find out.

Ni: The concept of the staircase can be represented as meaning the growth and hindrances that life offers us - at some points we may be galloping up it at such a pace that nothing can stop us, and at other times, take a misstep and tumble to the bottom once more.

Which thought process do you relate to most, if you can tell?
 

Showbread

climb on
Joined
Oct 3, 2013
Messages
2,298
MBTI Type
ESFJ
Enneagram
3w2
Instinctual Variant
so/sp
Probably Si because it's related to a memory. Then the Ne, because I really like metaphors. So, I'm thinking I'm and ESFJ with a strong Ne?
 

chubber

failed poetry slam career
Joined
Oct 18, 2013
Messages
4,413
MBTI Type
INTP
Enneagram
4w5
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
The force is strong with this one.
 
Top