[NT] Do NTs have tend to have abstract or concrete feelings/values?

[Athenian200]

I recently considered a line of thinking about this. That is, that NTs (particularly T-dominant NTs) are likely to process their values and feelings in a concrete manner rather than an abstract one as NFs are wont to do. This would mean that their raw feelings, before they've been consciously set aside and processed through the intellect, are more similar to SF feelings than NF feelings.

Now, the effect may (or may not) be less pronounced in N-dominant NTs (INTJs and ENTPs), because they may have an increased ability to spontaneously shift their normal interpretive paradigm enough to switch into NF processing compared to their T-dominant counterparts (ENTJs and INTPs). Also, an NT that for some reason or other has consciously cultivated an NF perspective may also exhibit this tendency to a lesser degree.

In essence, what I'm implying is that NT feelings and personal values (the ones not derived from the intellect) are naturally tied more to the concrete and tangible than the abstract. NTs are usually focused on the abstract, but they only process it intellectually, they don't tend to orient their feelings to an abstraction rather than concrete reality, in other words. They feel things based on the concretely perceivable (S) world around them.

Not saying that they always value SF in a positive way (though some of them will)... some of them might very well express this side negatively, being uncomfortably aware of the SF world and finding fault with the way they assign value to things to such an extent that they need to protest it, whereas people who don't process emotions concretely might be completely oblivious to most of said perceptions that the NT protests against. In other words, NTs may not realize that it's their own receptiveness to concrete emotional processing that makes them sensitive to these cues to the point of actually being concerned about them.

In other words, the NT focus on abstractions may be purely an intellectual one, and they may not actually feel anything in relation to abstractions or patterns.

What do you think? Do you agree?

 

[Orangey]

What does it mean to experience emotions concretely? Abstractly? How do SFs experience emotions differently than NFs? Can you give some examples?

 

[BlahBlahNounBlah]

I need more metaphors.

 

[Two Point Two]

I also think more information about what you mean would help.

I have fairly immediate emotions that arise as a result of encountered events and stimuli - would you call these unprocessed emotions SF ones? Or is it the feature of the event that causes them that is significant? Because while, say, music can make me experience emotions, it usually does so by invoking ideas, and it's the ideas that I think I actually respond to.

And, of course, I also have emotional responses to things that are certainly abstract. When, as a result of Ni, you know something's the answer you're looking for (or that something is certainly wrong), that's an emotional experience, in part.

In other words, the NT focus on abstractions may be purely an intellectual one, and they may not actually feel anything in relation to abstractions or patterns.

This is very disconcerting. I think I feel some of my strongest emotions in response to ideas and theories. Engaging in N is, for me, an inherently emotional experience - I think I probably have an N preference because of this (or, it is a result of my N preference - not sure).

I've talked about emotions in response to things here - is this what you mean, or are you thinking more along the lines of an abstract or concrete interpretation of or mode of experiencing emotions?

 

[onemoretime]

Yeah, I get no greater joy than that of realizing a theory that fits so damn well.

I ask myself "why am I feeling this way" and go through the chain of events and factors that would lead to that particular response, usually learning something about myself in the process.

 

[Totenkindly]

I need more metaphors.

What's a meta phor anyway?


... As other posts are attesting to, the theory needs more clarification. I'm pretty sure a lot of my emotions and values are actually pretty nuanced nowadays, now that I've gotten some experience in dealing with them.

 

[Athenian200]

Oh, you need EXAMPLES? How tangible and concrete of you to think that way.

Let me see... if you process feelings concretely, you feel impacted by the physical environment. So this means that you would end up feeling moved about things like physical beauty, the experience of dancing, good food, or some kind of major gathering or party, possibly an experience with friends.

If you process them abstractly, you feel impacted by abstractions. This would mean you're emotionally moved by things like abstract beauty (such as an idea, the emotional appropriateness of particular plan or ideal, etc), the possible symbolism of something, or the thought of future achievement and praise.

Does that make sense? I tend to process feelings (especially Fe-based ones) abstractly with fairly acute sensitivity, but tend to be sort of cold/oblivious to concrete feelings.

 

[Siúil a Rúin]

What does it mean to experience emotions concretely? Abstractly? How do SFs experience emotions differently than NFs? Can you give some examples?

Poetry and symbolism in certain kinds of creative expression are abstractions of emotions that attempt to recreate a subjective experience externally so that someone else might connect and relive some manifestation of it. Emotions are also abstracted when expressed in metaphor that attempts to define both the unique personal experience of that emotion and the ways in which the core of that emotion is shared universally. I think abstract emotion is about experiencing the emotion as a means to an end, which is understanding the experience of the emotion. One has to experience it to know it, but one also has to view it from a distance to know another aspect of it. This is how one fully understands the meaning of a particular subjective experience, by viewing it from all possible vantage points available to the person.

 

[BlahBlahNounBlah]

Oh, you need EXAMPLES? How tangible and concrete of you to think that way.

Let me see... if you process feelings concretely, you feel impacted by the physical environment. So this means that you would end up feeling moved about things like physical beauty, the experience of dancing, good food, or some kind of major gathering or party, possibly an experience with friends.

If you process them abstractly, you feel impacted by abstractions. This would mean you're emotionally moved by things like abstract beauty (such as an idea, the emotional appropriateness of particular plan or ideal, etc), the possible symbolism of something, or the thought of future achievement and praise.

Does that make sense? I tend to process feelings abstractly with fairly acute sensitivity, but tend to be sort of cold/oblivious to concrete feelings.

I'm moved by both things though.


However, if someone is telling me about something that moved them, I'm much more able to identify and be moved to emotion if they're describing something abstract. If they're discussing literal things, I get bored ... unless I can find a way to turn them into an abstraction. Then I can be moved by the abstraction I've created.


So I probably do that all the time, including things experienced first-hand.

 

[paintmuffin]

X-dominant NT, and I think of feelings relatively concretely.

 

[Athenian200]

Poetry and symbolism in certain kinds of creative expression are abstractions of emotions that attempt to recreate a subjective experience externally so that someone else might connect and relive some manifestation of it. Emotions are also abstracted when expressed in metaphor that attempts to define both the unique personal experience of that emotion and the ways in which the core of that emotion is shared universally. I think abstract emotion is about experiencing the emotion as a means to an end, which is understanding the experience of the emotion. One has to experience it to know it, but one also has to view it from a distance to know another aspect of it. This is how one fully understands the meaning of a particular subjective experience, by viewing it from all possible vantage points available to the person.

Yes. I think that's it. You probably expressed it better than me, although that may be so specific that it only applies to INFJs.

I'm moved by both things though.


However, if someone is telling me about something that moved them, I'm much more able to identify and be moved to emotion if they're describing something abstract. If they're discussing literal things, I get bored ... unless I can find a way to turn them into an abstraction. Then I can be moved by the abstraction I've created.


So I probably do that all the time, including things experienced first-hand.

Hmm... this might be because your feeling is Tertiary rather than inferior. But yeah, I definitely know what you mean there. The bolded is especially true for me... if I can't turn the feeling into an abstraction, I can't identify with it or feel moved by it. Which means I don't end up valuing shared experiences the same way most other people do.

I seem to end up processing concrete reality in a ridiculously impersonal and cold way that strips it of personal meaning. The physical just seems like a cold, dead data mine, in comparison to my meaningful abstractions. My natural approach to processing physical information is roughly analogous to strip mining. It's a fairly destructive, detached process, and focused only on acquiring what's been deemed valuable as an end goal. Doesn't involve feeling anything about the experience.

 

[BlahBlahNounBlah]

But then again, I don't usually like poetry, so maybe I'm completely off-base with this.

 

[BlahBlahNounBlah]

I think I might be immediately affected by concrete things but then abstract them to make sense of my feelings.

 

[BlahBlahNounBlah]

... if I can't turn the feeling into an abstraction, I can't identify with it or feel moved by it. Which means I don't end up valuing shared experiences the same way most other people do.

I seem to end up processing concrete reality in a ridiculously impersonal and cold way that strips it of personal meaning. The physical just seems like a cold, dead data mine, in comparison to my meaningful abstractions.

Yes. This is what I do.

 

[Two Point Two]

Let me see... if you process feelings concretely, you feel impacted by the physical environment. So this means that you would end up feeling moved about things like physical beauty, the experience of dancing, good food, or some kind of major gathering or party, possibly an experience with friends.

If you process them abstractly, you feel impacted by abstractions. This would mean you're emotionally moved by things like abstract beauty (such as an idea, the emotional appropriateness of particular plan or ideal, etc), the possible symbolism of something, or the thought of future achievement and praise.

Definitely abstract for me. And when I do experience emotions as a result of something concrete, there's usually something abstract - interpretation, theory, an idea - mediating between the stimulus and the emotion.

Yet I hate poetry.

 

[poppy]

if you process feelings concretely, you feel impacted by the physical environment. So this means that you would end up feeling moved about things like physical beauty, the experience of dancing, good food, or some kind of major gathering or party, possibly an experience with friends.

If you process them abstractly, you feel impacted by abstractions. This would mean you're emotionally moved by things like abstract beauty (such as an idea, the emotional appropriateness of particular plan or ideal, etc), the possible symbolism of something, or the thought of future achievement and praise.

Hm, yes, out of these two I am more likely to be effected by the former...but not entirely. I agree with what Two Point Two said about Ni-based conceptual emotion.

Eh, but I don't know. I don't experience strong emotions in direct reference to most of the things in my life. I'm far more likely to be moved by a movie or tv show...but I'm not sure if it is just an instant emotional reaction or because the theme it presents strikes a conceptual emotional cord.

So in other words, I don't even know enough about my emotions to answer the question

EDIT: Is it concrete if I am not moved by "poetry" (the idea of it) but I am moved by, say, a specific poem?

 

[BlahBlahNounBlah]

Actually, the more I think about this, the more it's confusing. I don't really understand my feelings. I know that I have them, but beyond that, I'm not sure.

 

[BlahBlahNounBlah]

So in other words, I don't even know enough about my emotions to answer the question

 

[poppy]

Methinks this thread is destined for spontaneous combustion.

 

[Athenian200]

EDIT: Is it concrete if I am not moved by "poetry" (the idea of it) but I am moved by, say, a specific poem?

Hmm... it could easily be, actually. Especially if there was a concrete element in it that drew you, or something special about the circumstances in which you first heard it.