I was reading
this thread where
The Liquid Laser (among others) mentioned how Ni dominants (namely, INTJ and INFJ types) have the most trouble putting their thoughts into words.
My brain is not very linear, but I feel it is very organized. Just extremely personalized, which makes it hard to leave a trail of crumbs when, to other brains, things seem to race all over the place and back and around.
But, I have a noticeable memory for birthdays, license plates and phone numbers. I don't try too hard to remember them; sometimes I don't even intend to remember them but I do anyway.
Do any other Ni dominants relate to this? I think it has to do with the way my brain is organized.
My brain is a scattering of thoughts which go
fast in a intuitively uncontrolled yet systematic way. If I get excited about something thoughts jump and jump onto the next as a thought is
finished and it's sometimes very hard remembering where I began. It's "Aha!" then "Aha!" and "Aha!" but "What was the first 'Aha!' about again? Damnit!" If I don't write it down right after it occurs, bye bye spectacular thought! (Same thing with my INTJ sis. When we rollercoaster our thoughts out loud as they come, we fight to turn around and know where we first got on...she's worse when speaking to others, though).
Distract me out of what I'm saying and I'll likely forget it completely. I really agree with nightning's mention of 'linkage'. Connections are easily seen and searched for with our thoughts/memories or outside in the world. Applied easiet to people or ideas of people, I'd assume.
I have to batter new information if mostly objective in nature in order to retain it, depending on what it is and how often I am in contact with the info. If there's a connection to old info remembered, it's easier to learn. If it's completely new or involves a LOT of stats or involvement of dates (
like History!) or a set of instructions being told and not written for me to peer over, it's = "um say that again?" over again.. I can recall the
gist of it, however. I can recall what the stats implied and what it explained in a general way. It's easy remembering what people tell me if it's of a personal matter and I'm likely not going to forget it even if they do.
I find I am eloquent with my words and it's not hard speaking when I
choose to (I thoroughly enjoy class discussions if interesting). The worst thing is when the word I need to express the most is off the "tip of the tongue phenomena" and I recall it waaay after it was needed at the time. The thing is, I will not part with my words to the public unless I have laboriously thought about it. However long it takes, whether short or much longer, is dependent on my familiarity with the subject. In groups, I must feel "secure" with the people at hand and have known them for a little while because I've "gauged" their temperments (even if disagreeable) and "in my head" have armed myself for what I'm gonna get upon opening my mouth.
However, speaking on my most sacred "thoughts/feelings" is
the hardest to explain and
the hardest to let out due to trust issues--the priviledged in my life are ever privy only after a long time of knowing them. When I do speak about it, I've found that repeatedly thinking on the same thoughts on my feelings will help even that out
eventually or when I speak it aloud and they help me with a different perspective I wouldn't have thought of b/c I was so stuck on 'something'.
I concur with you on personal dates. With birthdays, only if people are close to me for the most part or I'll recall at least the astrology sign if they aren't. Same with phone numbers and names. Only if I'm in constant contact and I will make myself remember b/c it'd be rude not to.
As nightning said, I have trouble remember faces though if not familiar, and I believe that's Si terrain, our weakest function. So that makes sense to me. I think Se is the cause of why we have so much trouble speaking our thoughts if there's too much noise. I'll zoom into any sound loud enough to catch my ear or interest. I don't notice when people stop talking because I'm already in my head once the noise is gone. If I play music and it stops, I'll notice after a while unless it's on repeat. If it's on repeat even, I stop actively listening and it's 'background' music for my thoughts. Probably b/c I'm not hearing anything new and am used to them.
Lastly, I don't speak a lot in public unless broached on something or I feel confident in broaching the current subject of my heart without rejection or if so arm myself hard for rejection. If it seems as though I say a lot online, it's because I can "edit-edit-edit" before posting and holistically look over my words and "no one is interrupting my thoughts as they come and I type" (I type very fast...). Even then, I sometimes fear I didn't say something right or I later realise there was some little error.. which always gets me :steam: