[Ni] Do You Think Introverted Intuition Is Focused On The Future

[highlander]

As I have been developing a personality test, I've been developing questions to ascertain cognitive preferences. I came up with a few questions that I thought would evaluate a person's preference for introverted intuition, specifically:

• I develop a perception of what will happen in the future
• I envision the future and foresee how things will unfold
• I'm oriented towards the future and have a feeling of certainty as to what it holds

Do you think these are good questions to test for Ni? I'm especially interested in the perspectives of the NFJs. Do you think those things are true of you?

 

[highlander]

I am thinking of maybe reducing the number of "future" oriented questions and including ones like this

• I develop a fundamental change in the approach or underlying assumptions
• I come up with new ideas or perspectives by synthesizing various opposing points of view

 

[Norrsken]

Those questions seem good. I think Ni isn't always super focused in the future as they are to just time itself. This is a bit strange for me to explain for me, but, Ni for me is just me gathering information and seeing how the past can develop from now and into the future. I see it as a function where I look behind me (the past) and how it unravels in front of me (the future), and then I gather intuitive information from a present tense to further cement my conclusions.

 

[Forever]

Ni is less future oriented then Ne. Like its cousin Si, they both rely on past information to deal with the present and future. Since Ni does pattern recognition it appears as it looks into the future but not really.

 

[highlander]

Ni is less future oriented then Ne. Like its cousin Si, they both rely on past information to deal with the present and future. Since Ni does pattern recognition it appears as it looks into the future but not really.

It's interesting because I have always had a very long range view of the future - like 20 or 30 years. I plan that far ahead. I'm always thinking about what is going to happen in the future. I think many INTJs do this. I have always thought Ne is more about picking up on emerging patterns - so it's more accurate at predicting the short range future than Ni is which is more focused on long term.

I wonder if INFJs are different than INTJs on this question.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

As I have been developing a personality test, I've been developing questions to ascertain cognitive preferences. I came up with a few questions that I thought would evaluate a person's preference for introverted intuition, specifically:

• I develop a perception of what will happen in the future
• I envision the future and foresee how things will unfold
• I'm oriented towards the future and have a feeling of certainty as to what it holds

Do you think these are good questions to test for Ni? I'm especially interested in the perspectives of the NFJs. Do you think those things are true of you?

I do not think these are a good indication of Ni because I am not a Ni user and all three apply to me and can be true with other people who may not be strong Ni users.

 

[cascadeco]

I am thinking of maybe reducing the number of "future" oriented questions and including ones like this

• I develop a fundamental change in the approach or underlying assumptions
• I come up with new ideas or perspectives by synthesizing various opposing points of view

I think these types of elements are much closer to the heart of Ni than the future aspect.

This is because pretty much every type may look to the future in some way, it's just a matter of degree, whereas many people aren't going to identify with the bullet points you list here.

-------

I often look forward into the future, in the sense of projecting my current life out into the future, far into the future, and asking myself if I am ok with my current life far into the future. Or, in the past I've gotten very hung up and anxious about not knowing what I want for the future - which is a different type of future focus (it's trying to define the future when the act of defining it doesn't come naturally). But in a broad sense I very much try to look at my life with a longer lens, to help me in the choices I do make.

But life plan? I have never had one. I don't even know what I will be doing next year, though I am working on that.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

It's interesting because I have always had a very long range view of the future - like 20 or 30 years. I plan that far ahead. I'm always thinking about what is going to happen in the future. I think many INTJs do this.

Until they marry SPs, are forced to compromise and look no more than 10 to 15 years ahead.

 

[Fidelia]

I think for me, I use the patterns from past and present to extrapolate what is most likely to occur in the future. In that sense I'm very focussed on the future and am often surprised that people are surprised at certain things occurring that seemed like a logical outcome to me based on previous events. I also find it frustrating when I try to warn people of impending bad stuff that they don't believe it till it actually happens.

As far as planning though, I'm not so good that way. I like knowing where a relationship is going and what potential it has, and I have broad life goals, but am bad at the steps in between to get me there and the timeline part. I'm bad with anything detailed or implementation based.

 

[1487610420]

I can't relate, but these types of questions/tests are akin to leading questioning, and thus seem flawed and inaccurate, only serving as an echo chamber for pre-existing stereotypes, doing little or no useful work at distilling actual innate traits, which is something arguably much harder to embed into a question.

 

[highlander]

I can't relate, but these types of questions/tests are akin to leading questioning, and thus seem flawed and inaccurate, only serving as an echo chamber for pre-existing stereotypes, doing little or no useful work at distilling actual innate traits, which is something arguably much harder to embed into a question.

Do you have any ideas of better questions?

 

[1487610420]

Do you have any ideas of better questions?

That depends on how thorough you want them to be. I do think it's first necessary to establish foundational trait-behavior-preference correlation in order to then embed that knowledge into useful empirical examples that aren't explicitly leading the test taker into.

Otherwise if it's just another me-too quiz that simply tells people what they want to hear, I'm sure there're plentiful examples around.

 

[highlander]

That depends on how thorough you want them to be. I do think it's first necessary to establish foundational trait-behavior-preference correlation in order to then embed that knowledge into useful empirical examples that aren't explicitly leading the test taker into.

Otherwise if it's just another me-too quiz that simply tells people what they want to hear, I'm sure there're plentiful examples around.

It's not necessarily about traits/behaviors in my mind, it's about cognitive thought processes and people's preferences. I think you are probably familiar with the cognitive functions. Can you come up with any example questions to test for Ni? How about just one?

 

[KitchenFly]

I think what all four (ENFP, ENTP, INFJ, INTJ) have in common, is that they like to gage the present in contrast of the past to predict the future and rely on there impression to plan for the future and to manipulate the future. This can lead to a life is a gamble take a chance mentality and chance is rewarding it needs a plan and risk is exciting it can yield understandings.

I like your questions, but I think they are to "N" the kind of "N" that is universal. At a level all types equally inter reflect and that requires all four function to work in tandem to steer the ruder (up down left right) of the Passions. The passions that influence us are constantly in flux to sustain and promote a satisfied self, and a balanced Self. That is the nature of emotion "forward movement" though time.

 

[OrangeAppled]

It's interesting because I have always had a very long range view of the future - like 20 or 30 years. I plan that far ahead. I'm always thinking about what is going to happen in the future. I think many INTJs do this. I have always thought Ne is more about picking up on emerging patterns - so it's more accurate at predicting the short range future than Ni is which is more focused on long term.

I wonder if INFJs are different than INTJs on this question.

I agree that Ne is generally more connected to the present or immediate future context, but I wouldn't call it prediction when it does take a long-range view. There seems more certainty in Ni types, or more determination to enact a long-range vision, which as an NP (or maybe it's just me), I don't have much patience for.

I don't think Ne focuses on predicting so much as exploring possible ways something could develop. IMO, it is less a certainty of what will be as it is a hopeful anticipation for or dire warning of what could be.

I think of authors like Huxley and Orwell who are usually (and correctly) typed as NPs, and they wrote about dystopias that reflect some present realities or future potential.

iNtuition in general is not simply about the future so much as the underlying currents of reality and where they can or will lead, and this can include a fascination with how the past developed into now and especially symbols throughout time and cultures.

SJs seem to plan a lot for the future, in my observation, but it seems more out of a fear, maybe (?). My SP sister considers herself "future-oriented" because (like most people) she daydreams and she also likes to fill up her social calendar months in advance. Having that something fun to look forward to helps soothe her in moments of everyday boredom.

 

[1487610420]

It's not necessarily about traits/behaviors in my mind, it's about cognitive thought processes and people's preferences. I think you are probably familiar with the cognitive functions. Can you come up with any example questions to test for Ni? How about just one?

Like I said, I can't relate.

 

[KitchenFly]

Would you gamble on taking a chance because you adamantly believe you know the future, the out come?

 

[highlander]

I think what all four (ENFP, ENTP, INFJ, INTJ) have in common, is that they like to gage the present in contrast of the past to predict the future and rely on there impression to plan for the future and to manipulate the future. This can lead to a life is a gamble take a chance mentality and chance is rewarding it needs a plan and risk is exciting it can yield understandings.

I like your questions, but I think they are to "N" the kind of "N" that is universal. At a level all types equally inter reflect and that requires all four function to work in tandem to steer the ruder (up down left right) of the Passions. The passions that influence us are constantly in flux to sustain and promote a satisfied self, and a balanced Self. That is the nature of emotion "forward movement" though time.

The thing is, I'm trying to differentiate between Ne and Ni as opposed to a general preference for intuition. My theory is that if cognitive functions provide a richer and more nuanced view of the differences in how people perceive and make decisions, that you should be able to evaluate a person's preferences for those cognitive functions to reliably determine their type. So if the questions don't elicit responses which align with those preferences (extraverted vs. introverted intuition) correctly, the test is ineffective.

I agree that Ne is generally more connected to the present or immediate future context, but I wouldn't call it prediction when it does take a long-range view. There seems more certainty in Ni types, or more determination to enact a long-range vision, which as an NP (or maybe it's just me), I don't have much patience for.

I don't think Ne focuses on predicting so much as exploring possible ways something could develop. IMO, it is less a certainty of what will be as it is a hopeful anticipation for or dire warning of what could be.

That's interesting and helpful. Thank you.

Would you gamble on taking a chance because you adamantly believe you know the future, the out come?

Sure. I did that with several major decisions in my life and they have worked out pretty well for the most part. I'm not always right though. The situations where I've had more success is where I've had more data points and the ones where I've failed, I've not considered major data points that should have been considered.

 

[Norrsken]

It's interesting because I have always had a very long range view of the future - like 20 or 30 years. I plan that far ahead. I'm always thinking about what is going to happen in the future. I think many INTJs do this. I have always thought Ne is more about picking up on emerging patterns - so it's more accurate at predicting the short range future than Ni is which is more focused on long term.

I wonder if INFJs are different than INTJs on this question.

I too, also enjoy long term planning. I told myself as a child that I was going to at least try college by 23, get married at 25, have 1-2 children by 35, and so on. I'm 25 and completed the first half successfully, all correctly guessed and manifested. But I don't believe that's a strict Ni thing or Ne thing. Any type can enjoy long term planning, even fantasizing about what could be. The only thing I notice is that xNxx types in general like to live in the past or in the future, but never really in the present.

INFJs have Fe, so, perhaps there is a certain sentimentality whenever we want something to happen in the future, but we can be immobile and not make certain things happen. (Note to self: thinking about something you want to happen isn't the same as actually going out there and doing it. ;p) Whereas INTJs have Te, and it gives them more of an advantage to go forth and realize their plans into reality. These are just my observations, of course.

 

[ChocolateMoose123]

Ok. I'm not an Ni dom, but I have it. [MENTION=8936]highlander[/MENTION] Are you looking for overall agreement of Ni or just relegating that to Ni doms?

I don't know how you're setting the test up though.

Will the questions be sorted by filtering dominant cog function first? Then working down the line from that point?