[Other/Multiple Temperaments] Curious if this is an N thing.....

[cacaia]

Hi! So, I am curious about whether one can type a child by observing their reaction to the realization that everyone will eventually die.
Let me explain:
My daughter never really thought about her own death as a child. She cried a little when her fish died, and that was that. She moved on quite fast, never truly forgetting her first pet, but also accepting death as a thing that happens.
My son, however, was so distraught by the death of that fish that he began questioning about death since then (he was 3 at the time). He is actually the youngest child I know who put 2 and 2 together rather quickly. His first question was, "the fish is dead? forever?" followed by "I'm going to die, too?" He spent the rest of the week really distraught about the fact that he was eventually going to die. We talked extensively about what people believed would happen after death (and what people didn't believe in) and talked about the cycle of life, how we never really stop being something- atoms, part of another animal, molecules, etc.
He was eventually Ok and moved on, but every now and then the subject creeps up again and he talks about how older people die first, and younger later, etc....and every time, my daughter looks over at him and says, "geez, why do you think these things? Death never really bothered me."
I am guessing my son exhibits more of an N approach to life, whereas my daughter prefers S. I know it's early to type them, soo I'm reaching out as a parent and asking- are there any parents out there that have similar experiences? And, in general, what do you think?
Thanks in advance!

 

[Virtual ghost]

Hi! So, I am curious about whether one can type a child by observing their reaction to the realization that everyone will eventually die.
Let me explain:
My daughter never really thought about her own death as a child. She cried a little when her fish died, and that was that. She moved on quite fast, never truly forgetting her first pet, but also accepting death as a thing that happens.
My son, however, was so distraught by the death of that fish that he began questioning about death since then (he was 3 at the time). He is actually the youngest child I know who put 2 and 2 together rather quickly. His first question was, "the fish is dead? forever?" followed by "I'm going to die, too?" He spent the rest of the week really distraught about the fact that he was eventually going to die. We talked extensively about what people believed would happen after death (and what people didn't believe in) and talked about the cycle of life, how we never really stop being something- atoms, part of another animal, molecules, etc.
He was eventually Ok and moved on, but every now and then the subject creeps up again and he talks about how older people die first, and younger later, etc....and every time, my daughter looks over at him and says, "geez, why do you think these things? Death never really bothered me."
I am guessing my son exhibits more of an N approach to life, whereas my daughter prefers S. I know it's early to type them, soo I'm reaching out as a parent and asking- are there any parents out there that have similar experiences? And, in general, what do you think?
Thanks in advance!

Could be, but I am also sensing quite a bit of T/F here.

 

[The Cat]

I would think more f/t vs S/N

 

[Population: 1]

It could be if you’re thinking a sensor would tend to live more in the moment and would move on quickly being distracted by the here and now. Especially as a child is being introduced to so many new things in rapid succession.

When my dog died when I was 3 I understood the finality of it (not sure how) and was even more devastated because of it. It sounds as if your son is building a detailed study of the subject. Not obsessing over it, but noting and checking off things as they come up. It’s a compelling part of life and it’s fraught with mystery. Adults can fill in so many blanks for kids about a variety of subjects but death is almost as much of an enigma to adults as it is to children. If you spend a lot of time in your head it’s just another part of the mechanism of existence that you’re contemplating.

As others have mentioned it could be a T/F thing.

 

[cacaia]

Thanks, all!

 

[typologyenthusiast]

This is also my question. Death awareness is associated with the feeling function, the Fi especially.

 

[The Cat]

and near death experiences.

 

[???]

I think it's more N related. I don't have a really good explanation, but it sounds like he's philosophizing about it, which implies more of an abstract mental wandering to it - perceptual focused. If it was a T or F thing, I think he'd be focused more on rationalizing it in some way and then moving on, like your daughter.