[MBTI General] NFPs and brainstorming

[Amargith]

One of the talents of NFPs is that they are good at brainstorming and generating ideas, right?

Well...I'm wondering if any of my NFP-colleagues here find it hard to do that when in a group. Especially, one that has like social importance to you. I've noticed that I'll keep quiet and not even bother brainstorming, when we're like planning a surprise party for one of our friends in the group. Or a bachelorette party, or whatever. At work, I'll only join in the brainstorming, if I'm explicitely asked to do so. And then well..I tend to go so overboard they look baffled at me. I currently did that at my new job..the *only* job ever where I've actually felt safe to do this and where it was sorta appreciated, even if they got feedback like tenfold the amount of what they were looking for.

And I wondered why..why is this? Then I realized it's coz most people think I'm so weird and random they just stare at me like I'm bizarre and attention whoring, when I brainstorm. It's not appreciated socially, ime. Also, the process includes tossing out crazy useless and impractical ideas as well as the occasional gem...which makes you look ditzy or unprofessional or plain childish. So I don't bother and suppress it most of the time.

I noticed that I value my personal connections too much, especially in a large group of people which have varying degrees of intense connection with me, to risk exposing the brainstorming crazy me. Also, if I'm forced to do it without feeling comfortable, I feel put on the spot and it makes me suck at it, bigtime. Kinda like stagefright. Not to mention that if you join in the brainstorming, you become part of the conflict that automatically arises as everyone wants their ideas to be realised and approved. I just rather stay out of that hornets nest alltogether.

On the other hand...I think it's sad that the one of the few things I do actually have potential for is something that rarely is appropriate enough for me to stretch my legs and actually do something with it.

Anyone else out there that has this experience?

 

[Arclight]

I wait for the inevedible pause when they have run out of steam, then I tell them what they need to hear

Ok all fun aside. I do it as described above but I am not so cocky about it even if I feel/think I am right.

Of course it's always better if I have some established trust with whoever I am brainstorming with.. it usually goes well with 1 or 2 more people who are as outlandish as myself.. but who are also grounded enough in reality to know what is feasable. Unless the whole idea is to just be outlandish in itself.

 

[gromit]

I think it really depends who the other people are in the group. In high school, one of my best friends was a classic INTJ (according to herself). We would often work together on team projects, and we really had good teamwork chemistry. I would brainstorm, she would screen out which ideas* were more feasible, I would do more of the hands-on implementation/physical practicality stuff, she would help with troubleshooting...

Actually, that is how it worked when we'd do fun things too... she had a very silly side with just enough realism to help the ideas be cool and weird instead of just big messes. Sigh... I wish she weren't married/living on the other side of the country.

Anyway, I've known other people who do this to a lesser extent, and I think it really makes a huge difference whether people can judge the idea itself no matter how crazy it sounds...


*I liked that about her a lot... she judged ideas based on their merits, she would be honest whether she thought an idea was good or bad, no matter who said it.

 

[Lady_X]

i kinda do yeah. i can get carried away at business meetings...like they're all thinking damn girl...we're not going to do all that and i'm like well why not!? it would be so cool! i don't like working FOR people...people just like to keep doing stuff exactly the same.

 

[Rebe]

I brainstorm in my head always, I never toss out half ideas and do the process verbally, unless I am talking out loud to myself.

What always happen in my classes is that I don't raise my hand fast enough so my professor asks the question and a minute later, answer her own question. When I HAD THE ANSWER! If only she'd wait one more minute for me to gather my thoughts together.

I am not afraid to put in my input if I feel that no one else is going in that direction and I see merit in it. But I brainstorm in my head. You don't wanna know what goes on in here half baked. Unless I feel extremely comfortable and I get more enfp, then I'd get all chirpy and bulldoze with my chirp.

When I toss out an idea, I like to feel prepared. I don't just think about the idea, but possible arguments against the idea -- well, sometimes, I am not always organized, but I much prefer being able to protect all sides. I have this intense fear of appearing stupid. But aye, that happens.

 

[Lady_X]

ha...us enfps know about half baked...shit we're usually talking about the idea as we're having it...not even knowing what it is till we've said it...or maybe that's just me.. :/

 

[Rebe]

^ btw, i really like the expression half baked sometimes when i am comfortable and chirpy, i talk like i am high, but i am just freely exploring ne.

 

[Lady_X]

right must be while people sometimes assume we are! haha

 

[musicnerd93]

I definantly brainstorm better on my own. I don't know, if I brainstorm with other people, I feel like it's a competition of who can come up with better ideas. I don't like competition. :/

 

[stalemate]

ha...us enfps know about half baked...shit we're usually talking about the idea as we're having it...not even knowing what it is till we've said it...or maybe that's just me.. :/

Exactly! A problem I have is I throw an idea out there to see what happens and it sticks prematurely. I'll be like "wait, maybe that wasn't a good idea!" but it is too late, someone is already running with it...

 

[Lady_X]

yeah haha and you're like but wait...i have lots more!! because really the fun part is talking about all of them and you don't know which one is best until you start brainstorming them out loud because it's during the process that you discover which one is the best choice.

 

[Snuggletron]

I prefer brainstorming with an ENFP friend of mine. When I'm on my own, the ideas sometimes spawn slowly. But with an ENFP with similar thinking, it's like ultimate idea acceleration technology.

 

[BRMC117]

I never tell people what I am brainstorming about unless they ask. I never think that what I am thinking about would make since to others, so I keep to my self lol.

 

[stringstheory]

I prefer brainstorming with an ENFP friend of mine. When I'm on my own, the ideas sometimes spawn slowly. But with an ENFP with similar thinking, it's like ultimate idea acceleration technology.

Yeah, same. i have a pretty well developed E so i just find i need to brainstorm with other people in general, but its always nice to talk to someone who thinks similarly. Talking (or list-writing when i can't find anyone to talk to) helps me work out all those ideas swimming around in my head so that they actually make any kind of sense out loud, haha.

 

[Amargith]

It's just sad that it's not something you can do in 'public' coz of how weird the process is, considering it's often the first step to organizing something with a group. I say every NFP should have an NTJ assigned to them to translate the crap they spew into something that makes sense for the others in the group

 

[William K]

I love brainstorming, but only if I'm also in charge of taking notes. Or else either something gets lost in translation or the moderator gets a bit wild-eyed when I try to explain in detail what I just threw out