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[NF] Defining Moments in the life of an NF

SolitaryWalker

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Have you ever had a defining moment that defined you as an NT?

For example, was there any book or conversation that really sparked your imagination like no other?

Or was there a defining moment that caused you to be interested in science, philosophy, journalism ect...?

If so could you share what the event was and the effect it had on you?

I am interested in defining moments in people's lives and I was curious what that would look like for an NT.


On top of all that, an even more cogent question to ask would be--was there an occurence in your life that suddenly made you aware of your natural talents or opened the door to other experiences that sufficed to have this happen to you.
 

GZA

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Listning to "Voodoo Child" by Jimi Hendrix made me interested in music... before that I actually kind of thought it was annoying. Now its my obsession!

Reading Bob Dylan's Chronicles and than On the Road by Jack Kerouac kind of opened doors for me... they both showed a kind of expression that seemed both simple and complicated, and perfect for the way I saw things in the world. Its inspired me to write more...

I post on the Nintendo forums, and I saw some guy posting a thread talking about the game industry in a style I had never seen before. It was totally random, hilarious, and brilliant... it got it's point accross like nothing I'd ever read before. At the time, I was learning about essay writing in school, and there was just no comparison, I wanted to write like that guy. It is kind of defining for me because it reflects my need to freedom to go my own way.

Something that made me aware of my talents was when I started playing guitar. At first, other kids who started around the same time as me were playing what seemed at the time to be better. I was taking it slowly, learning some chord structure and other simple music theory things, and they were just looking at tabs. After another year or so, I was playing much better and when people heard me they asked me how I learned to play and made jokes that I was the next Hendrix. When that happened, I kind of realized I actually do have skills... it helped my confidence, although I think they were way over exagerating everything.
 

quietmusician

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I guess as far as writing is concerned, it was placed into my hands. I wasn't into writing when I was younger, but I did read a lot. I just liked gathering as much information as I could because those around me weren't really teaching me anything. In school I was constantly put on a pedestal, and sometimes it wasn't so secretive. Eventually teachers would pull me aside and tell me that I was far more aware of myself and my surroundings along with my schoolwork. Even so, 100% of the time my teachers pulled me aside was because of my writing and theories.

Maybe they were impressed, I don't know, but it was a nice a feeling. So by the time I was 11 my writing was already on a high school level. I think that was my main motivation at first, to just do better than what was expected from my peers. And by the time I was 14, I had taken writing seriously. And screenplays have been my outlet since then (I'm a movie buff). Over the past few years I've learned to take what was given to me, be it a gift, talent, or whatever you want to call it. But most of all, I just like telling stories and finding a balance between people and creating bridges.
 

Lozzy

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Dec 22, 2008
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When I was 15 I spent hardly any time in school, I had become totally withdrawn, suffering with psychotic symptoms and mania; shortly after that I hit a massive depressive spell that seemed unending. Fortunately I have understanding parents and I ended up being tutored from home in my core subjects, going in to school when I wasn't too out of it. My tutor was a scientist; I was mainly in to the arts before that and most of my other subjects I could have just turned up for the exam and done great in without studying. I was never much of a 'natural' scientist or mathematician; I always did very well at them, but felt little affinity for the sciences and their apparent coldness.

Anyway, this guy was a real jack of all trades, he was a working musician but had a physics degree, doing part-time work for the local authority as a tutor for kids who couldn't make it in to school for medical reasons. A seriously awesome bloke. Very easy-going, we used to jam a bit after our sessions; he'd back on me on electric whilst I improvised jazz licks on my sax. He taught me a lot about balance in life and was a really crucial mentor for me at the time, but those lessons were more gradual. He also caused me to start on my physics degree.

We'd always go off on tangents when we talked about physics, and I remember him once explaining to me about black holes. The way they work, how they are so massive they bend light back on itself, and how it's explained by relativity. It was kind of poetic, and I suddenly appreciated a surreal beauty in the Universe I just hadn't noticed before. It clicked. It's weird, because I'd probably be studying the polar opposite of physics had I not met him, maybe english or music. After that, I gradually climbed out of my depressive hole, got a bipolar label stuck on me, and started going back to school. Finished my two years and went off to university to study physics. :)

Oh, and reading The Catcher In The Rye and On The Road were both defining and perspective altering. Probably Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami too.

GZA said:
Reading Bob Dylan's Chronicles and than On the Road by Jack Kerouac kind of opened doors for me... they both showed a kind of expression that seemed both simple and complicated, and perfect for the way I saw things in the world. Its inspired me to write more...

I love that Dylan quote relating to On The Road - "It changed my life like it changed everyone else's".
 

quietmusician

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Interesting, Lozzy, I wish I had that kind of connection with someone back in the day. My story is somewhat similar to yours, only I didn't come out if it positive like you did. I barely went to school too. Unfortunately I couldn't be tutored at home and my mom refused to let me be away from people my age. That lead to me being highly depressive and suicidal. I had to go to "alternative" schools instead. I felt slightly better in that setting because of the smaller class (7 to 9 people in one room, including the teachers). But the downside to those schools is that they don't focus on academics, only making the student comfortable and fitting their needs. In other words, instead of learning Chemistry or Biology, I was forced to take part in group activities where we learned to trust the person to our left and share our feelings. Or sometimes I would just bring a book to school and read it until it was time to leave. So we didn't do much there. Now I'm totally behind in my age group, socially and academically. I do believe if I had honestly been home schooled I would have turned out a better person, not to mention a proactive one.

So for me it's hard to say that I've truly had a defining moment in my life, but I've definitely had some awakening moments. I've had things shaped me into being the person I am now.
 

mlittrell

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i was aware of my skills as a diplomat when i quickly cooled the fire of potentially heated confrontation once at work. both sides got what they wanted and actually benefited off of each other eventually becoming great friends instead of enemies.
 

LunaIndigo

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This is going to sound stupid but when I was 9 my mom gave me the first Harry Potter book and it was what made me the book worm I am today. It was the first book I was seriously interested in and I love reading now.
 

Amargith

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Dunno if I'd call them talents but these were some of the small epiphanies and their results I've had:

My first boyfriend taught me a couple of tricks and skills when it comes to female-male connections and opened my eyes on the subject.

My dad insisted that language skills were part of the family heritage, so I tried my hand at that and felt it wasn't that hard, so I now collect languages as a hobby.

I 'feel' my way through playing music and singing, and was told when I was a child that I had some talent in it. I stopped doing these things in high school though, so I never really developed it.

I have always wanted to know what makes people and animals tick. Don't have a defining moment, as I've done the Ne thing for as long as I can remember. The connection which I have as a result of that with several people, has often prompted those people to talk to me when in trouble, sad or whatever, as they feel I'm unlikely to judge them and actually will understand what they're going through.

Also remember petting the cat when I was about 12 and noticing its reaction to my hand depending on the pressure you used..and suddenly realizing that touch, when properly applied, could have an incredible effect on people and animals alike. I've never had classes (planning on it though), but I am regularly requested by friends to massage their backs. Also use it when people are close friends and feel lonely, sad or in pain. I 'sense' the feeling and automatically will provide comforting touch. It is so beautiful to watch the body almost surrendering and opening up to the right amount of touch.
 

Desperado44

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Dunno if I'd call them talents but these were some of the small epiphanies and their results I've had:

My first boyfriend taught me a couple of tricks and skills when it comes to female-male connections and opened my eyes on the subject.

My dad insisted that language skills were part of the family heritage, so I tried my hand at that and felt it wasn't that hard, so I now collect languages as a hobby.

I 'feel' my way through playing music and singing, and was told when I was a child that I had some talent in it. I stopped doing these things in high school though, so I never really developed it.

I have always wanted to know what makes people and animals tick. Don't have a defining moment, as I've done the Ne thing for as long as I can remember. The connection which I have as a result of that with several people, has often prompted those people to talk to me when in trouble, sad or whatever, as they feel I'm unlikely to judge them and actually will understand what they're going through.

Also remember petting the cat when I was about 12 and noticing its reaction to my hand depending on the pressure you used..and suddenly realizing that touch, when properly applied, could have an incredible effect on people and animals alike. I've never had classes (planning on it though), but I am regularly requested by friends to massage their backs. Also use it when people are close friends and feel lonely, sad or in pain. I 'sense' the feeling and automatically will provide comforting touch. It is so beautiful to watch the body almost surrendering and opening up to the right amount of touch.

That .....was a fascinating 'share'.....the part about why people tick and the cat....wow.....likewise.
 

the state i am in

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i listened to the bends every day after school (sometimes twice) my junior year in hs. i quote my iron lung to this day.

kurt vonnegut in ap english. timequake, "still and all, why bother..."

a piece of music called harry hood. tension and release yes, but i know that i will never have a musical peak experience as high as that again. it was my religion. i wrote a 75 page thesis about it.

taking the cab into nyc from the airport the first time, god i need to move back
 

BlackCat

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I stopped one of my best friends from killing herself. That's when I think I realized my natural abilities.
 

anii

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Discovering a piano in a friend's garage while playing hide & seek at age 5. From that moment on, I wanted one. And I played it whenever I could.
 

sculpting

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I picked biochemistry as a field of study in high school biology when I was trying to identify where your soul is amongst the sodium-potassium channels and gradeitns that make up thoughts.

One of the most valuable compliments I ever got was from a felon in a maximum security prison. My sister the deliquet got to go visit the prison in a tough love program, and I went along for the ride. He told me I could be a really strong leader one day.

Another time I was in grad school working on the structure of a protein. I got to the amino acid number 28 and therer were multiple options to choose from, as the protein varied in structure as it was highly mobile. I was 28. I left grad school as I was also highly mobile.
 

Nonsensical

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My mom died of lung cancer in 1996 when I was 3, and then my step mom cheated on my dad.
 

ReadingRainbows

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I had a friend get seriously hurt in a bad situation - thing is I felt and saw part of it before it happened - I was around 15.
 

CrystalViolet

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When I was 11, when I had the my first teacher who realised my aptitude.
Actually earlier than that, when a relieving teacher wrote music for my poetry, and set it to song. I was nine. I liked him...he had a nervous breakdown though.

Back to when I was 11, he was the first teacher to pick up on my learning difficulties, and is probably the main reason I learnt to compensate, and do well at school. He was the first teacher to suggest to my mother, rather than me being stupid, I was actually potentially very academic - he kinda stopped her from beating the shit out of me too, for not being able to write coherent sentences. I think he was the first one to show her my poetry too.
He was a little disappointed, I didn't get into english literature when I was older. He always thought I was destined to be a writer (some what ironically).

Another defining moment, discovering science when I was about six, astronomy to be precise, then biology, I was fasinated by genetics when I was twelve, I wanted to be a genetic engineer!
 

TaylorS

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When I was a little kid I remember being reduced to tears by stuff on the news about the Bosnian War.

When I was 8 or 9 I got for Christmas Carl Sagan's 14-episode documentary Cosmos.

In 7th grade I fell in love with classical music.

When I was 15 I was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome.

When I was 17 I protested against the Iraq War.

Last year I volunteered for Obama's presidential campaign

A month ago a good friend who is physically disabled was raped.
 

Laurie

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I remember bad things. It's sort of depressing.
 

OrangeAppled

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When I was around 5 or so, my sister played The Cure's Disintegration & it fascinated me. I can still remember lying on the floor in her room & my 5 yr old brain was blown away. I knew music would be more to me in life than just something pleasant to enjoy. I don't have musical talent, I just mean its influence on me as a person.

I've always liked to draw & did it well, but I got obsessed with Calvin & Hobbes around age 8, & I made my own comic strip based on it, and from there on out I knew I only wanted an artistic career of some kind (went with commercial arts - it drives me insane now).

Some years ago, I used to post on this one message board in an "emotional problems" section, and I found myself advising people with success, and I was viewed as this caring, insightful person. It was surprising to me to take a personal interest in people & actually be helpful. I still see myself as horribly self-absorbed, but now I know deep down I am capable of being giving.
 

Sentura

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discovering my Ne through the mbti, then understanding the median of thought by reading books of several authors through the ages.
 
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