Having trouble determining if I have an Se/Si preference - want your input.

[louiesgonnadie]

Ever since I started studying the functions, I've always felt I was an Si user, consciously. I've been seriously considering the possibility of having it in my tertiary - I get nostalgic at times, even when recalling events that seemed melancholy. Sometimes I try to envision myself back into that environment internally - when I say environment, my state of mind, or what I was doing, or what was happening around me. It isn't strong enough to pay great attention to information, only when it strongly strikes me am I able to recall. Sometimes, when I look at situations that have happened in the past (usually non-related to me), I might think about what I was thinking about at the time, or even slight things like what kind of music I was into, my interests, etc. For example: when the James Holmes thing broke out everywhere last summer, one of the things that immediately comes to mind was the fact that I started talking to this girl that I liked, during that time period when the media was covering it. Instead of thinking "Heh. James is a douche. What a shame." or "The media talked about this an awful lot...".

But I've been considering Se lately - as my Pe function quite possibly - only based on how sometimes when I look at something, I might start noticing the details of the object itself, and describe them in my head (although this usually happens when I'm bored, and I tend to "force it", although I sometimes force possible Ne out as well), or when I'm eating, I don't usually abstract the taste into past sensations or experiences. Could this be a sign of a poorly developed Si?

Last but not least, here is a photo I am going to evaluate:



Apparently this is a tree surrounded by dense fog. You can't see anything else. The next time I looked at this photo, though, then I looked at it closer, and remembered when I was a kid I would pretend that gardens, small plants, weeds, shrubs, and other related things, were cities and towns. I implement that imaginary context into the current one, or abstract the bumpy-looking grass into a large urban sprawl, or a series of towns. Looking farther ahead, it looks like a tornado is touching down, or a lightning bolt is striking, so I abstract the branches into some dark storm cloud. Then, I realize you can't really see anything other than a tree, and the grass looks so choppy, or bumpy, that it could be mistaken for choppy seas! Then I think about the imaginary tornado, and that suggests the possibility that the tree could actually be a waterspout! Then I think about how fog might never be dense enough to block a view of trees, except one, because if it blocked the view of all trees in a context, there would barely be a tree seen in the photo! This leads me to think of the possibility that this could be a really talented form of art (maybe digital art), since it's so vague-looking.

NOTE: My observations of that photo came through after looking at the photo a couple of times, not just looking at it the first time.

 

[Such Irony]

Sounds like Si paired with Ne to me. Si has more of a subjective flavor to it than Se does. When you mention about looking at the photo and then going back to when you were as a kid and how you pretended that gardens, etc. were cities and towns, that's Si+Ne at work. Also, I see alot of Ne in your description- taking a part of the photo like the tree and imaginging possibilities from it.

I think Se, would appear more objective- the tree is a faint black obscured somewhat by fog, the ground is distinct black. There would be less possibilities thrown out there but the Ni might conclude the underlying significance or symbolism from what Se observes.

I'm not very good at putting this into words and don't claim to be an expert on the functions, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

 

[louiesgonnadie]

Sounds like Si paired with Ne to me. Si has more of a subjective flavor to it than Se does. When you mention about looking at the photo and then going back to when you were as a kid and how you pretended that gardens, etc. were cities and towns, that's Si+Ne at work. Also, I see alot of Ne in your description- taking a part of the photo like the tree and imaginging possibilities from it.

I think Se, would appear more objective- the tree is a faint black obscured somewhat by fog, the ground is distinct black. There would be less possibilities thrown out there but the Ni might conclude the underlying significance or symbolism from what Se observes.

I'm not very good at putting this into words and don't claim to be an expert on the functions, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

Well, if I do have an Ne preference, it's somewhat weak - considering I can only come up with 2-4 possibilities out of most situations. This could be due to my lack of knowledge, or it being underdeveloped - the second one could be the result of the first.

Then again, I don't know much about Ne/Ni so...

 

[PJWakt]

Your sensing sounds internal.

As a strong user of Se I feel very present in my body at all times and very much "on" and alert. I have strong audio and visual recall though.

If I go out for a drive, which I often do for the hell of it, I will want music, I'll also want to have some varied and attractive places to go, I'll want to stop and get out and walk / climb / sunbathe, I'll want to stop for drink / food...and so on. I also derive physical pleasure from driving hard, setting the car up nicely through the corners. Is this referred to as sensory novelty? Certainly it involves lots of sensory input. The senses are kept busy.

 

[louiesgonnadie]

Your sensing sounds internal.

As a strong user of Se I feel very present in my body at all times and very much "on" and alert. I have strong audio and visual recall though.

If I go out for a drive, which I often do for the hell of it, I will want music, I'll also want to have some varied and attractive places to go, I'll want to stop and get out and walk / climb / sunbathe, I'll want to stop for drink / food...and so on. I also derive physical pleasure from driving hard, setting the car up nicely through the corners. Is this referred to as sensory novelty? Certainly it involves lots of sensory input. The senses are kept busy.

I can sometimes relate to what you like to do when you're out....then again, I have ADHD. Hmm.

 

[PJWakt]

I think one example of Si that isn't often discussed is the ability to know pretty accurately what time it is, even hours after you last looked at a clock. it seems to me to be a kind of internal coordination, rather than the kind of external coordination associated with sports.

Are you a good, fast-reacting improviser (either in speech or music or physical movement). This would probably be Se.

 

[louiesgonnadie]

I think one example of Si that isn't often discussed is the ability to know pretty accurately what time it is, even hours after you last looked at a clock. it seems to me to be a kind of internal coordination, rather than the kind of external coordination associated with sports.

Are you a good, fast-reacting improviser (either in speech or music or physical movement). This would probably be Se.

It really depends. It also depends on how skilled I am at something, you mentioned music. I can improvise, but I have to somewhat think it through first.

 

[PJWakt]

Thinking through it first would take away from the extent to which it's improvised in the moment, so I would reduce my estimate of your Se on that basis, but you are right it does depend on skill level. If you are highly skilled and still have to think through it first rather than just getting straight in, that would be a mark deducted from the Se.

I think there are fundamental differences between sensing musicians / sound engineers and intuitive musicians. The former are more immersed into the sound and rhythm sensations (I think drummers are predominantly sensors), while intuitives are more into the shape and message of the music. If there is a difference between Si and Se in musicians it may be that the former has a better memory for music?

Do you find it hard to sit still? Do you move your legs and feet quite a bit? When out and about do you get immersed in observing a lot of detail about your surroundings, and does this guide your conversation if there is someone with you? These things seem to be regarded as Se.

Regarding sports, have you tended to pick things up easily by being able to sense your centre of balance, etc., and inherently know how to move in a fairly optimal way for whatever the activity is? Do you have good hand-eye-foot coordination? Have you ever coached anybody? I think an Se attribute is the ability to see exactly what someone is doing physically and where it's right & wrong, even if the observations / adjustments are based on something that occupies 0.1 second, and be able to put them right.

I find I'm more able to come up with Se examples because I'm more familiar with it in myself. You need someone Si-dominant to give you more on their own strengths.

 

[louiesgonnadie]

Thinking through it first would take away from the extent to which it's improvised in the moment, so I would reduce my estimate of your Se on that basis, but you are right it does depend on skill level. If you are highly skilled and still have to think through it first rather than just getting straight in, that would be a mark deducted from the Se.

I think there are fundamental differences between sensing musicians / sound engineers and intuitive musicians. The former are more immersed into the sound and rhythm sensations (I think drummers are predominantly sensors), while intuitives are more into the shape and message of the music. If there is a difference between Si and Se in musicians it may be that the former has a better memory for music?

Do you find it hard to sit still? Do you move your legs and feet quite a bit? When out and about do you get immersed in observing a lot of detail about your surroundings, and does this guide your conversation if there is someone with you? These things seem to be regarded as Se.

Regarding sports, have you tended to pick things up easily by being able to sense your centre of balance, etc., and inherently know how to move in a fairly optimal way for whatever the activity is? Do you have good hand-eye-foot coordination? Have you ever coached anybody? I think an Se attribute is the ability to see exactly what someone is doing physically and where it's right & wrong, even if the observations / adjustments are based on something that occupies 0.1 second, and be able to put them right.

I find I'm more able to come up with Se examples because I'm more familiar with it in myself. You need someone Si-dominant to give you more on their own strengths.

As far as music goes, I guess you could say in general, I am more interested in how it sounds. Not sure about hand-foot-eye coordination. I am out of shape, though. I don't play sports. If I'm highly skilled in something, I would guess the chances of thinking would diminish slightly.