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[NF] How Do You Think iNto the Future, NFs?

G

Ginkgo

Guest
iNtuition is said to be a very future oriented function, introverted intuition possibly more so than extraverted intuition. So I'd like to know how you think about the future:

(Keep in mind that these questions are generalized :) Give examples if possible.)
  • How far ahead do you think? Days, weeks, years?
  • How strong is your foresight? How often is it true or accurate?
  • How does it affect your daily life?
  • What objects are you thinking about? Friends? Work? The world circumspect? Universe?
  • Does this differentiate you from most of the people you know?
  • Does it make you apprehensive, or does it make you confident?
 

Queen Kat

The Duchess of Oddity
Joined
Apr 3, 2009
Messages
3,053
MBTI Type
E.T.
Enneagram
7w8
How far ahead do you think? Days, weeks, years?
Up to 10 years.

How strong is your foresight? How often is it true or accurate?
Depends. I don't have precise details accurate, but I tend to foresee the big lines and certain difficulties.

How does it affect your daily life?
It makes me procastrinate, it makes me think it would be better to do some things later.

What objects are you thinking about? Friends? Work? The world circumspect? Universe?
I always think about different things. Some of them are very concrete, but others are kinda abstract. Like once I made up a theory about time, how it can't be linear and how it would be perfectly logical if time was some sort or wheel, going round and round. I made this up during a philosophy class, when they spoke about all the theories people had about how the world was created and how there had to be a first cause of everything. Then I thought: well, everything is caused by something, so that first cause must have been caused by another cause. And that one by another one. So in the end I thought it would be the most logical if time wasn't a straight line full of causes, like a row of domino stones, but something round, something that happens again and again and again. It cleared up lots of things to me, like where we go when we die: it doesn't matter if we die, because time will repeat itself again and again and you'll get born again, live the exact same life you've lived before and you won't even notice it because you can't remember the last times you lived your life, because those are also the next times you'll live your life and this time you live your life. You have one life and you'll live that life over and over and over and over again, so enjoy it. It makes much more sense to me than the world being created by a God or an explosion; Gods and explosions don't just start existing without anything causing it! I don't think that Gods or the Big Bang are bullshit, I don't know, they could be real and perfectly combinable with my theory, which is totally brilliant.

Does this differentiate you from most of the people you know?
Nope. The way I was raised already did that.

Does it make you apprehensive, or does it make you confident?
No, but sometimes I think of something new and then I wonder why no one else ever thought of it, and then I start thinking everyone else is stupid.
 

Lux

Kraken down on piracy
Joined
Aug 6, 2009
Messages
1,458
  • How far ahead do you think? Days, weeks, years?

All of the above. I find myself thinking in terms of years, the most often though. I actually have to be careful to focus on the present, but I know that of myself, so it is typically not an issue, or so I think. :laugh: Like now, I am at a turning point in life and I am seeing a year or two ahead, which to me seems like a short time considering how I used to basically think a decade or two ahead. But with that, it is kind of pointless, it's great for me to have a goal, but things change...

  • How strong is your foresight? How often is it true or accurate?

I think it is strong, meaning that I am usually thinking about it, and thus far pretty accurate regarding events in my own life. As often happens, and as I said, things change. I like to try and 'go with the flow,' however, I like to feel prepared. So coming up with different versions of my future makes me feel better, it tends to limit the surprises. However, life just happens and I try to acquire as much information as I can, and adapt to it, in all respects.

  • How does it affect your daily life?

Well, it honestly depends on my mood, which can be both circumstantial and biological, so the fact that I am aware of this makes me see things a bit clearer when I am stuck in a negative loop. When the negative loop thing happens... the world ends and everyone dies.. :laugh: Not really, but it can be quite dreary. So I just have to recognize when that is happening, and put it into perspective. I tend to plan and rearrange my plans as new information comes to me. Which can be on a daily basis. Sometimes it is a bad thing, however, mostly it has been very good to me. As I said, if I am not careful, I will 'live in the future' as opposed to 'now' so I make sure I don't miss out on 'today,' as much I can.

  • What objects are you thinking about? Friends? Work? The world circumspect? Universe?

I hate to admit that my future thinking is all about me at this point, however, at this point in my life I think it is just circumstantial, I tend to think about where in my life I will be in the future, frequently. I take all of the people that I may effect, or that may effect me and look at various ways to make everyone (myself included) happy. I spend time thinking of other things, but at this moment (hehe) it involves my loved ones, myself, my school, my work, my life in general.

  • Does this differentiate you from most of the people you know?

:laugh: Yes, it does. Not everyone by any measure, but a lot of the people I know, yes. I got told just yesterday that thinking of the future and focusing on my feelings and emotions will always be my downfall, however, I think it is my strength.
  • Does it make you apprehensive, or does it make you confident?

Both. Seeing the different possible outcomes always makes me feel secure and confident, however, seeing the hurdles I face and feeling the weight of my decisions can at times make me very apprehensive. So, until I 'digest' the bad information and detach from it, it worries me. However, after I look at the negative clearly, which can include just seeing that it is bad and accepting that, I plan for it to fit into my life.
 

Moiety

New member
Joined
Aug 3, 2008
Messages
5,996
MBTI Type
ISFJ
  • How far ahead do you think? Days, weeks, years?


  • Years usually.
  • How strong is your foresight? How often is it true or accurate?

I'm very aware of what bad decisions might do to my life.

  • How does it affect your daily life?

I'm always trying to avoid getting stuck in a hole or in a rut or in a tough position where I'm robbed of my freedom.

  • What objects are you thinking about? Friends? Work? The world circumspect? Universe?

Why I think about the future I usually think about what I'll be doing for work and fun everyday, and what kind of people will I have surrounding me. I always see myself far away form the reality I've known since I was a kid. Old friends are not there in the future, nor is my family.

  • Does this differentiate you from most of the people you know?

I think I'm very controlled when it comes to certain decisions. I'm an idealist, and in order for the big picture to be great, I'm not allowed some mistakes most people wouldn't flinch about. My values won't allow the introduction of certain precedents.

  • Does it make you apprehensive, or does it make you confident?

Confident in my apprehension regarding certain things. I think I know what I SHOULDN'T do, what would screw up my life for me. And that makes me confident in the sense that as long as I avoid the shit, I will at least have average if nothing else.
 

Charmed Justice

Nickle Iron Silicone
Joined
Jul 22, 2009
Messages
2,805
MBTI Type
INFJ
How far ahead do you think? Days, weeks, years?
Usually years out, and I've realized that occasionally that gives me the appearance of being present minded, and perhaps even impulsive at times! In rare instances, my confidence about a future situation, because I think to know the result, can give the appearance of present thinking orientation.

How strong is your foresight?How often is it true or accurate?
I depend on it, so I'd say it's mostly accurate.

How does it affect your daily life?
Usually I just know what to do and I infrequently spend time dwelling on issues or activities that are fruitless, but I can also appear quite stubborn because of it as well.

What objects are you thinking about? Friends? Work? The world circumspect? Universe?
All of those things, but I'm mostly considering my life, that of my friends, family, and social structures and institutions.

Does this differentiate you from most of the people you know?
Most people I know, yes; but, I tend to keep such thinking to myself unless asked, so I can't say I really feel differentiated.

Does it make you apprehensive, or does it make you confident?
It's most typical for me to feel confident in my direction, but apprehension isn't beyond me.
 

Ingrid in grids

Active member
Joined
Sep 1, 2009
Messages
1,748
  • How far ahead do you think? Days, weeks, years?
All - days, months and years. Which one I'm stuck on seems to change depending on my situation. When I'm unhappy or bored with my situation, my head seems to jump ahead and flicker through situations anywhere between 5-50 years from now.
  • How strong is your foresight? How often is it true or accurate?
Well there's nothing too defined about it to begin with. It's just like imagined situations, set-ups. When it concerns me (and pretty much all the time it does), it's usually imagined Maddys that kind of removed from my actual self. It's like, I'll imagine myself doing something, but not quite what it would 'feel' like to do that/the sensation of that action doesn't occur to me. The steps leading up to that situation/event also do not come to me as quickly.
It terms of whether actual events have followed to match the 'foresight', they usually do. I don't really understand it, but I'm trying to. I think that I kind of orient myself in that direction, and my actions just bring me closer to it. I remember some of the stuff I imagined myself doing several years ago, and I'm in that imagined situation now, though I can't say I'm as happy being here as I thought I would be.
It tends to be the years ahead, and also months ahead, stuff that is the most accurate. I'll admit that there have been some weird day-to-day stuff that have freaked me out a bit, though. One time, the day before I went riding, I kept on going in loops in my head, imagining myself falling off a horse while going over a jump. The next day, I did fall off. I still attribute it to fate, but I don't get how I could fall off at the same jump I imagined, and in exactly the same way.
  • How does it affect your daily life?
It can either make me incredibly motivated, or make me annoyingly detached and dreamy (I think more annoying to me than it is to those around me). Unfortunately of late it's been a lot more of the out-of-touch-with-reality state.
When I can make a clear connection between my 'vision' and what I'm capable of doing in the present, it's pretty powerful and I feel like I can do anything. I love this feeling, it's very exciting for me. However I usually get pretty tunnel-visioned and then everyone's on the sidelines telling me to "chill out" or "do it in moderation".:workout:
  • What objects are you thinking about? Friends? Work? The world circumspect? Universe?
Anything and everything really. Mostly, like I said, it's imagined Maddys or imagined Maddys interacting with others. Other times it's more elusive, dreamy stuff, like the universe, time and space.
  • Does this differentiate you from most of the people you know?
Yes. I guess it's a pretty isolated/solitary activity, though it's an incredibly expansive little world to get lost in and I never really feel alone when I'm doing it. It's pretty entertaining. I always wish that I could be more present-minded like many of my friends. Being like that requires mind work for me. I have an ENFJ friend who seems to effortlessly slip into that present-connecting-to-future mindset that I mentioned earlier. She's a lot more in the present than I am, and she finds it easier to stay on task.
  • Does it make you apprehensive, or does it make you confident?
The day-to-day stuff makes me apprehensive, usually because it involves negative possibilities. Much of the years ahead stuff can make me feel confident and carefree, optimistic my future - even if my current situation is far from it.
 

SillySapienne

`~~Philosoflying~~`
Joined
Jan 14, 2008
Messages
9,801
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
4w5
Via visions, strong visions, and feelings, can't explain the ineffable, I get de javu (sp?) a lot.
 

Rebe

New member
Joined
Nov 15, 2009
Messages
1,431
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
4sop
* How far ahead do you think? Days, weeks, years?

All. A palm-reader dude (not that I believe in palm reading) told me that I have the ability (and desire) to scan from past to present to future whereas my brother (istj) is solely on the present. Sort of like he exists only in the present while I time-shuttle myself. I was impressed that he noticed, but there is something about intuitive eyes that I have noticed also.

* How strong is your foresight? How often is it true or accurate?

I have to be careful that my foresight is not too tainted by negativity from the past. If it is something specific about a specific person, I am usually shockingly accurate. I can predict a whole entire conversation and a few days later, the other person will say it to me almost word by word. It is so odd and freaky, but it's from knowing at my core what their mannerisms are like, what kind of words they would use, how they would say those words, how they phrase their emotions, the tone of their voice, even their facial expressions, this internal knowledge. I don't have blind trust in my foresight - it could not be foresight at all but just 'what I dream' 'what I want to believe will happen' instead of actual information from the past that will come together and become a moment or situation in the future. This happened to me three times in the past three years that I can with 100% confidence say I was just rereading/relistening their words.

* How does it affect your daily life?

It uh makes daily life better because I am not 'stuck' in one moment and I can easily imagine a better future and draw positive emotions and inspiration from my vision. It also makes it horrendous if I am trapped in some sort of extravagant questioning or I am waiting for something to happen. I can't ever wait; I despise waiting. It's not that I am impatient or ill-tempered but the suspense kills me, because the waiting time allows my Ne to go crazy running those all the possibilities in my head. Nothing is really 'This is how it is and That's it.' to me, everything is open-ended, everything is possible. I do worry about the future and get caught up planning it instead of enjoying this 'moment'.

* What objects are you thinking about? Friends? Work? The world circumspect? Universe? All, friends being the last part, although the 'Universe' is not interesting to me either. I am not thinking about the other creatures living in the other planets. Just concerned about this planet; although I believe that it is possible for Earth to be over any second now without scientific warning, or one that we receive quick enough.

* Does this differentiate you from most of the people you know?
My ESFJ friend does a different kind of thinking ahead. She thinks about her future health insurance, job, marriage, home, etc. It bores me to tears. While I am much, much less practical. I am thinking about traveling countries and meeting interesting people and seeing different cultures/architecture. I couldn't give less of a thought to health insurance or taxes, wtf, we are in our (early) twenties. My ISTJ friend is sort of the same way. My ISFJ doesn't plan ahead or worry like those two. She is very present and dealing with her present situation and present needs/wants.

* Does it make you apprehensive, or does it make you confident?
Both.
 

Arclight

Permabanned
Joined
Nov 5, 2009
Messages
3,177
MBTI Type
INFJ
Enneagram
6w5
I don't think I can explain it any more than to say,
often, things just happen the way I play them out in my head.
 

Liesl

New member
Joined
Jun 20, 2010
Messages
204
iNtuition is said to be a very future oriented function, introverted intuition possibly more so than extraverted intuition. So I'd like to know how you think about the future:


How far ahead do you think? Days, weeks, years?
When I think of the 'future,' it has a very timeless quality to it. I never ever think to myself, "When I am 30, I will have X, Y, and Z." On the other hand, I get flashes of deep clarity, and I can see my future emerging. Whenever I get these flashes, it always feels profoundly significant, as though life is revealing its secrets to me. I never feel pulled to 'hang on' to the same vision because it gets clearer and clearer and increasingly profound as I get older. It evolves.

Time doesn't matter to me. For me, intuition isn't a plan, it's a function of life revealing itself on its own watch, not on mine.

How strong is your foresight? How often is it true or accurate?
I don't know if what I have described above could really be called 'foresight' but I will answer as though it could. It's always 'true' because it's always illustrative of what I see as significant and worthwhile. It makes me feel enlightened and purposeful, so in that sense, it's true.

I don't want to attribute the word 'accurate' to this function. It seems like you're asking if its successfully predictive of my future. Well, I never use it to 'make a prediction.' It never shows a static image. It keeps evolving and changing, second by second, minute by minute. But it's accurate in the sense that it becomes increasingly clear to me what is profoundly significant, what is universally true.

It's true that my choices are often informed by that feeling this function gives to me, that deep feeling of understanding. But life is guiding me toward that image on its own. It's more of a revelatory function for me than a planning function. It reveals hidden truths and magnificent connections that I would otherwise have missed, thereby subtly changing my direction by clarifying what's important to me without being deterministic about my future. (What I mean by that is that I never get the feeling that I'm going to accomplish or do a certain thing on a certain day or at a certain time.)

How does it affect your daily life?
It gives me a profound sense of inspiration. I feel like I am levitating when I am gaining insight into the world, into the universe, and into life, as a cosmic whole.

What objects are you thinking about? Friends? Work? The world circumspect? Universe?
Life and the universe; I can see myself within the context of everything that has ever been, is, and ever will be and be at peace with it.

Does this differentiate you from most of the people you know?
Yes. It does. That makes it so much more fun, but also isolating at times.

Does it make you apprehensive, or does it make you confident?
Confident to the point of being irritated with the people who just 'don't get it,' people who just don't see the whole picture, the real truth about all of it.
 

nolla

Senor Membrane
Joined
May 22, 2008
Messages
3,166
MBTI Type
INFP
  • How far ahead do you think? Days, weeks, years?

I have trouble with the short term planning. My long term goals are vague but still more defined than what I do daily. My day to week "planning" seems to mean doing what is necessary (due to arrangements I've made with other people). The long time plan is mostly concerned with how I want my life to be like in five to ten years.

  • How strong is your foresight? How often is it true or accurate?

I think about possibilities of different futures a lot. If things turn out right, the future was on the top three of my list of possibilities. I don't count the times I get it right. I have no idea.

  • How does it affect your daily life?

It makes it more laid back. I feel that it is highly unlikely that I will mess it up so bad that any of the good scenarios won't happen.

  • What objects are you thinking about? Friends? Work? The world circumspect? Universe?

I'm mostly concerned with having the right people around me. The second thing is something work related. I do think a lot about the world as well, but I don't really want to dwell on it. It is more speculative than the rest.

  • Does this differentiate you from most of the people you know?

Not that much. Most of the people I know are some kind of artsy folks, so they share the same flexibility towards future.

  • Does it make you apprehensive, or does it make you confident?

Neither or both. On one hand I see the world is going down and my professional future seems less than promising, but I feel that I am okay as long as I have the good people around me. Chances are that it will be fine. And looking back, life has been good for me.
 

Abstract Thinker

New member
Joined
Jun 3, 2010
Messages
323
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
4w5
The future is pretty murky and intangible for me. Not necessarily bad, just blurry.

I'm so stuck in the "everything is flexible and open, and every little choice matters so much" way of thinking that I often feel paralyzed.

Just thought I'd give an example of an unhealthy INFP. :shock:

EDIT: Well, this unhealthy INFP, I should have said. I don't know enough about it all to speak for the type in general.
 

CuriousFeeling

From the Undertow
Joined
Dec 18, 2009
Messages
2,937
MBTI Type
INfJ
Enneagram
4w5
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
* How far ahead do you think? Days, weeks, years?
All of the above. Depends on the situation I'm thinking of, but I'm usually thinking way ahead of the present moment.

* How strong is your foresight? How often is it true or accurate?
Not 100% accurate, but quite close. It's usually true.

* How does it affect your daily life?
It's helpful for setting goals, planning what I'm going to do in the week, understanding the world around me. It can get annoying to people whenever I'm in a relationship, cos I'm thinking of how things will work out between me and a significant other, thinking of how he'd be as a husband and father, growing old together, things of that nature. It's very helpful in science, as well as art.

* What objects are you thinking about? Friends? Work? The world circumspect? Universe?
All of the above. Depends on what mindframe I'm in at a given moment. I focus on the people that are dear to me and career goals, but I also think of the world at large, even the universe (I'm a science nerd). It can be anything.

* Does this differentiate you from most of the people you know?
I suppose. I can see things happening before they even notice.

* Does it make you apprehensive, or does it make you confident?
Depends. Thinking of what will happen when it's the end of the world and the Sun becomes a red giant and swallows the Earth makes me think that it's good that at that point, which will be billions of years from now, I'll be long gone. Not something I'd want to live through. When it comes to interpersonal issues, I feel confident about it, knowing that my insight will guide me in making the right decisions. It's a compass for me.
 

Unkindloving

Lungs & Lips Locked
Joined
Dec 10, 2009
Messages
2,963
MBTI Type
ENFJ
Enneagram
4w5
* How far ahead do you think? Days, weeks, years?
All of the above, but some things i prefer to keep intrapersonal things clouded and i prefer to read into interpersonal as much as possible for as long as possible. Probably not surprising.
* How strong is your foresight? How often is it true or accurate?
Pretty strong and extremely frequently. The only times it fails is if am just fueling my own paranoia, but i tend to be aware of when i'm doing that. Things are rarely surprising. Sometimes the only thing i'm off about is the length of time it takes for something to take place.
* How does it affect your daily life?
It can make me keep a lot more to myself or be a lot more confrontational, again depending. Sometimes i will intuit something and just keep a silent eye on it in disbelief of others not being aware. This was mainly prior to knowledge of intuitive and sensor, which brings an interesting layer to the table.
It's a bit of a blessing and a curse to be aware of things. It's useful for my own interactions and the steps i choose to take, but can be taken badly when shared with others who don't view the same thing.
Reclusive until frustrated, maybe?
* What objects are you thinking about? Friends? Work? The world circumspect? Universe?
I try not to contemplate too much outside of myself and people i associate with. It can be overwhelming and a bit unnecessary to do so. Sometimes it can't be helped, but needs to be focused toward more positivity so it doesn't do a death spiral (or a barrel roll).
Most commonly- relationships, friendships, aspects of my own potential path, and interactions between people i know.
I need to expand my horizons, actually. It's limited.
* Does this differentiate you from most of the people you know?
Yes it does. I tend to be met with a lot of opposition in observations by people who can't acknowledge what i do as quickly as i can. They can gradually come around to the point, especially when faced with it, but it's a tedious and lonely wait.
* Does it make you apprehensive, or does it make you confident?
Both, but i would say the other answers covered this for me. :yes:
 

mmhmm

meinmeinmein!
Joined
Jul 6, 2010
Messages
2,280
* How far ahead do you think? Days, weeks, years?

most things i don't think beyond the month.
except stuff like money, investing -- livelihood stuff. then i think about it in years.

* How strong is your foresight? How often is it true or accurate?


i usually stick with my gut instinct. if it turns out to be unfavorable somehow i always manage to carry on. but there's a reason i like my instincts. it rarely lets me down.

* How does it affect your daily life?

i'm not really afraid of making mistakes. i think i enjoy it at just the right amount.

* What objects are you thinking about? Friends? Work? The world circumspect? Universe?

where my next vacation is going to be...

* Does this differentiate you from most of the people you know?

i'm much more carefree than most people i know. a lot of people don't get the way i live my life. i don't mind, because i don't get most people. and i don't really try to get them either.

* Does it make you apprehensive, or does it make you confident?


i don't know if confident is the right word. it makes me content with my decisions.
 
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