I've Figured it Out: Distinguishing Someone as S or N

[Xander]

Edit: to Xander - I don't like science-fiction at all except those based in the past.

Thanks Shimpei.

My mother only really had love for period novels like Far from the Madding Crowd etc. The other possible ISFJ I know (it's in heated debate) does read fantasy but nothing new. She's quite stubborn about not liking anything new. Her first love in Vampire stuff was Buffy and so now even Bram Stoker get's labelled as a knock off. She is quite odd in that respect though.

 

[Natrushka]

How neat. I have an ISFJ friend who introduced me to period fantasy (Outlander Series) who's aslo a huge Buffy fan. Small world.

I adore all kinds of scifi / fantasy.

 

[Xander]

Aha!

Sorry just realised the pattern I'd missed.

Fantasy/ Sci Fi in all forms is all about what ifs really. Well what if's are more N than S no? Ergo you should find more N fans of this stuff than S. Of course there will be some S fans still, that really doesn't help does it

Oh well one step closer.

Hmm perhaps S/N is more in the why than the what?

 

[The Ü™]

I would think S types would just as easily enjoy reading fiction as watching TV. I can also see an Si enjoy reading a book as opposed to watching TV, since it's internal in focus.

Likewise, I can see an Ne enjoy watching TV as opposed to reading.

The difference is that the S will probably read for its entertainment value while the N will read to indulge in a fantasy world -- they're more likely on the lookout for inspiration.

And yes, I actually do see Introverted Sensors read fiction quite often, but they'll probably be more light-hearted about the content.

 

[Wolf]

Focus on what is there vs. what could be. As I look at what my mother tends to do over the course of a day, it becomes obvious that she doesn't think in terms of what could be, only what is and does things with little-to-no foresight. It's just tossed together and done and "look what I did!".

Be afraid when she starts trying to create new food, too. If it's not something she has done before, the results can be quite frightening, unpalatable, or worse. I could see this as a lack of N.

 

[Nighthawk]

My ISFJ wife reads only technical books and journals regarding her profession. She does not read fiction of any type ... either concrete or abstract. She prefers non-fiction television shows like Forensic Files, Court TV, and legal shows. My ISTJ mother reads concrete fiction and non-fiction books ... nothing abstract though. She also prefers non-fiction shows on television, with the exception of Westerns. I'm a huge sci-fi fan and love both reading it and watching it on television.

 

[Xander]

Be afraid when she starts trying to create new food, too. If it's not something she has done before, the results can be quite frightening, unpalatable, or worse. I could see this as a lack of N.

Oh god don't remind me. The slightly altered recipes my mother came up with were delicious but the orange rice fiasco... no.

 

[prplchknz]

When my brother and I our together he wants to talk he wants to do stuff, he's always fixing things and taking things apart. defiently an S type. I think though he does have a strong N as well. He's preferences our more towards the physical he wants to become an interior decorator, he already knows how to fix houses. His plan is to fix houses sale them then decorate them for the buyers for more money, while I just want to sit and reflect on things, there's been times where he's asked me what was wrong, and I said I was thinking. He commented on I should be smiling while thinking, or else people would think I was upset. He then went on to say he didn't understand why it was so hard to smile while in deep thought. He's good at decorating btw and fixing things. He bought a 1950's truck and when we were down their for his graduation, he didn't want to go out with anyone. All he wanted to was fix up his truck.

I don't know if he days dreams or not, I know he's really smart and thinks alot. I'm also bad at typing people, and he's lived at least 6 hours aways for the last 4 years, and I see him about twice a year.

 

[The Ü™]

My ISFJ wife reads only technical books and journals regarding her profession. She does not read fiction of any type ... either concrete or abstract. She prefers non-fiction television shows like Forensic Files, Court TV, and legal shows. My ISTJ mother reads concrete fiction and non-fiction books ... nothing abstract though. She also prefers non-fiction shows on television, with the exception of Westerns. I'm a huge sci-fi fan and love both reading it and watching it on television.

How do you tell concrete from abstract fiction? I thought all fiction was abstract since it was imaginary.

 

[Xander]

How do you tell concrete from abstract fiction? I thought all fiction was abstract since it was imaginary.

Depends on how fine grain your definitions are.

Concrete fiction is stuff like most period drama books. It could have happened without our concept of the world changing. Abstract books like Star Trek novels assume thing which radically alter the world.

 

[The Ü™]

So concrete fiction is basically believable fiction, like stuff written by Hemingway? Or what is considered "literature" or "the Human Condition" as opposed to genre fiction?

 

[Lookin4theBestNU]

What about intuitive types that don't read fiction at all? I consider fiction to be boring because it's a waste of time I could be spent learning something. I would say though if I did read fiction it would have to be something relationship-oriented dealing with struggles within the human nature/condition.

 

[Nighthawk]

How do you tell concrete from abstract fiction? I thought all fiction was abstract since it was imaginary.

I'm being a bit loose with the terms here ... sorry. Perhaps sensory fiction would be a better way to describe concrete fiction. Things that could happen in the here and now ... where as abstract fiction is more "what if" and fantasy-like.

 

[proteanmix]

My ISFJ wife reads only technical books and journals regarding her profession. She does not read fiction of any type ... either concrete or abstract. She prefers non-fiction television shows like Forensic Files, Court TV, and legal shows. My ISTJ mother reads concrete fiction and non-fiction books ... nothing abstract though. She also prefers non-fiction shows on television, with the exception of Westerns. I'm a huge sci-fi fan and love both reading it and watching it on television.

When I told my IN friends I don't like fiction they all looked aghast. I simply don't like fiction. My ISFJ friend reads sci-fi/fantasy. I prefer non-fiction sociology, economics, psychology, history, and education. They think these topics are boring

Here's a little experiment I've done on the subway each day. I look at what people read. I live in the DC area which is one of the most educated areas in the country. I notice that if people aren't reading a newspaper (which I don't think has any bearing on S or N) they tend to be reading some really impressive books. Maybe it's just a trend in my area, I don't know. This also may explain why my experiences with Sensors are different from others.

I really think this has to do with how educated the population in question is, although I agree books and be either S or N oriented. One could say the same thing about magazines, which I prefer to books. I notice that while I heartily enjoy celebrity gossip, it's more what kind of analysis the gossip columnist is doing with the gossip. Some columnist just relate, this is what G. Ima Celebrity was wearing, what they were eating, where they were seen, but the better ones do a bit more with their coverage. Kat Giantis, Perez Hilton, and Jossip.com have good commentary on celeb gossip if you ask me.

 

[cafe]

My ISFJ sister-in-law likes to read fiction and read a great deal as a child, she says to the point of losing touch with reality. Now that she has a housefull of kids and a husband, I don't think she reads much at all that isn't strictly relevant to her life.
My ISFJ grandmother began reading fiction again in her later years when she did not have a lot of responsibilities to occupy her.
My ESFP mother and ENFP best friend almost never read fiction. They are much more interested in self-help kinds of books. My mom actually rarely watches TV of any kind.

Could reading fiction be more of an introvert thing than an iNtuitive thing?

 

[The Ü™]

What about intuitive types that don't read fiction at all? I consider fiction to be boring because it's a waste of time I could be spent learning something. I would say though if I did read fiction it would have to be something relationship-oriented dealing with struggles within the human nature/condition.

I'm with you there. I prefer to read things about history and science and then incorporating elements I learned from those concepts into my own story.

I actually find reading fiction to be a bore, because there's little room to think outside of the box. For me, at least, it's even worse than watching TV, because the imagination I get in fiction is rather "forced" and not really possibility-oriented.

I find reading non-fiction and doing research on things helps me think outside of the box more. I also find it easier to think outside of the box by watching movies or playing video games, because as I watch them, I tend to reinvent a scene in my own image -- think about what I would have done and how I would've shot the scene.

 

[Nighthawk]

When I told my IN friends I don't like fiction they all looked aghast. I simply don't like fiction. My ISFJ friend reads sci-fi/fantasy. I prefer non-fiction sociology, economics, psychology, history, and education. They think these topics are boring

I have some NF friends and acquaintances who are not into fiction either. Two of them are into self-help books quite a bit though.

I'm about evenly divided nowadays, between fiction/fantasy and technical non-fiction books ... with a little bit of self-help thrown in. My real time-sink, however, is online games.

 

[The Ü™]

I have some NF friends and acquaintances who are not into fiction either. Two of them are into self-help books quite a bit though.

I'm about evenly divided nowadays, between fiction/fantasy and technical non-fiction books ... with a little bit of self-help thrown in. My real time-sink, however, is online games.

Which online games do you play? I actually don't play online that much -- I'm into single player first-person shooters and shit, usually of the sci-fi variant. I love the game Prey and the Half-Life series.

As for fictional books, I do read the Harry Potter books just because I want to know how it's all going to end, but I also like stuff by Arthur C. Clarke, especially Rendezvous with Rama and Childhood's End. Other than that, I don't really read much.

The only magazines I really read are of the more scholarly types, like PC Gamer (yes, I consider it scholarly since it's of specific interest), Cinefex, and National Geographic. When I read stuff like Entertainment Weekly, it's mostly to bitch about what shit film "critics" are full of. (That movies and other art forms are critiqued is just saddening.) And just who doesn't love to hate those celebrities?!

 

[Nighthawk]

Which online games do you play? I actually don't play online that much -- I'm into single player first-person shooters and shit, usually of the sci-fi variant. I love the game Prey and the Half-Life series.

I'm somewhat heavily into World of Warcraft at the moment. I also have Everquest 2 on the back burner. I guess you could say I'm into the first person role-playing adventure type games. I recently put together a gaming system and loaded Oblivion onto it last night ... so I have a new addiction there again as well. I also like some of the turn-based strategy games like Civilization, Galactic Civilizations, Alpha Centauri, Railroad Tycoon, and Master of Orion. Overall, I spend far to much time gaming for a middle-aged adult.

 

[Randomnity]

So my ISFJ mom and I were talking; she mentioned how someone had commented to her that my little bro (INFP) was sitting alone in the field at his school; should they be worried? She replied, "no"... anyway she was relating the story to me, my response was, "of course not, he's just daydreaming".

She looked at me blankly, and said, "no. i've done stuff like that too. Sometimes I just like to sit and listen to teh birds and look at the beautiful grass and enjoy the nice clouds..."

And I was like, "No. He was daydreaming".

And she responded, "No. You're brother's a deep thinker" We bickered; I knew I was right.
I asked her how often she daydreamed. She replied "never". She asked me, I said "several times a day, often for long periods".
---

When I told my bro about this later, he laughed until he realized I was serious when she thought he never daydreamed. His response? "What does she think deep thinkers do?!"

Anyway.

So we asked my ESFJ sister; she daydreams "maybe once a month". My bro talked to three of his friends; two thought he was crazy for "having conversations in his head" and one could totally relate.


I think we've stumbled on the jackpot, guys. Just ask someone if they daydream, and if so, how often. There yah go. That's the divider!

(Although a very balanced S/N might not give a definitive answer, I suppose.)

Hmm. I feel dumb asking this, but what exactly is daydreaming? Is it imagining that unicorns are prancing across meadows, ie thinking about random hypothetical situations, or just musing over solutions to real-life problems? The latter I do often, you'll often find me oblivious to the world while trying to debate internally what I should do about some situation. The former, almost never, and briefly then.