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[MBTI General] Type & Reading Style

Donna Cecilia

L'anima non dimora
Joined
Mar 19, 2010
Messages
1,219
MBTI Type
INTJ
Enneagram
1w9
I take both approaches, depending on the text.

If it is a fictional text, I usually stop reading at times to understand a particular aspect of the plot better.

If it is a manual, or a study book, I read it quickly, focusing on the main concepts and ideas that are expressed there, not losing time on the descriptions or the details. Once I figure out a concept or idea, I can think of any example of it: like how it works, how does it fit in a certain context, or what implications does it have in a specific area.

I don´t think it´s related to type.
 

Randomnity

insert random title here
Joined
May 8, 2007
Messages
9,485
MBTI Type
ISTP
Enneagram
6w5
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
I take both approaches, depending on the text.

If it is a fictional text, I usually stop reading at times to understand a particular aspect of the plot better.

If it is a manual, or a study book, I read it quickly, focusing on the main concepts and ideas that are expressed there, not losing time on the descriptions or the details. Once I figure out a concept or idea, I can think of any example of it: like how it works, how does it fit in a certain context, or what implications does it have in a specific area.

I don´t think it´s related to type.
That's interesting, I'm the exact opposite!
 

DonkeyMaster

New member
Joined
Aug 17, 2010
Messages
9
MBTI Type
intp
Enneagram
5w4
I generally read fairly quickly, and have no qualms about skipping paragraphs in a book I am reading, (I mean, you can tell which parts are going to be slow, and you can just get the main idea anyway...) but I also tend to put the book down sometimes and just think about what could happen next and how that would correlate to the author's previous understood writing style/ motifs.
 

Sparrow

New member
Joined
May 28, 2010
Messages
2,366
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
When it comes to emails, forum posts, and texting I like it short, sweet, and to the point (for the most part anyway). Same goes for instructions & procedures.

But dont mind more detail when reading a good book or article.
 

OrangeAppled

Sugar Hiccup
Joined
Mar 20, 2009
Messages
7,626
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
4w5
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
When it comes to novels, I definitely analyze, and I fantasize. What I am reading makes me think of something else, maybe I am imagining the situation with myself involved or taking the story in another direction. It will spawn a million thoughts & ideas for me to chew on.

Otherwise, I actually read fast & am not too keen on tons of details (I skim over those...), at least when it comes to scenery & that sort of thing. I'm not into page-turners either, so I'm not usually anxious to "see what happens". I like books that present interesting ideas to ponder, be it through the concept behind the story or the character development or comments by the author.

When it comes to non-fiction, I tend to scan to get the gist. I've read many magazine articles out of order, even backwards. In books, I flip to the sections that interest me. Once I get the general idea, then I may stop & read more carefully for detail. I read these things fast, as I will contemplate it later, and I don't tend to feel a need to "finish" it anyway, as it's not a story with a beginning, middle & end.

On a side note, I hate hearing people read aloud. When I read aloud, I read almost too fast, and anything very slow gets on my nerves.
 

SecondBest

Permabanned
Joined
Aug 12, 2010
Messages
844
MBTI Type
eNxp
Enneagram
5/7
I just scan. Literally, when I read your OP, my eyes darted around 4 different places, and with the title, I got the "gist" of the thread. When I read a book, I'm a little more generous. My eyes kind of rove down the page. I still get the message, it's just too tedious to actually READ everything.

Yeah, my reading style is pretty much like cockburn's. Only in a situation where I feel the details are important to some practical purpose do I read very carefully - like instructions for building a nuclear fallout shelter or building one of these awesome bad boys:

Theo_Jansen-kenetic.jpg

If you're interested, they're kinetic sculptures by Theo Jansen. Makes me giddy just looking at it.

Otherwise, it's the big broad strokes I'm after.
 

BlueGray

New member
Joined
Oct 7, 2009
Messages
474
MBTI Type
INTP
Enneagram
5
I combine them I guess. I read quickly, but I am always thinking about the past parts. I often will go back to reread certain sections when I feel the need to check details. I am also very fond of rereading the entire book 3-5 times. I deal with smaller articles much the same way too. I want to go fast but also want to be able to recall the details. If I were to simply read slowly It feels like I'm not connecting the parts together well enough and have trouble viewing all of the parts as a whole.
 

Betty Blue

Let me count the ways
Joined
Jan 19, 2010
Messages
5,063
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
7W6
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
depends what i am reading. When reading a good fiction book my mind tends to wander off and guess i often add in bits too. I really enjoy twisty plotty books (and films) that are unpredictable and require lots of brain power. If reading factual books with 0 plot i have to read quite slowly, often going over parts or even whole chapters to make sure it has lodged itself, even if i disregard it or place it somewhere in the back of my mind for another time.
 

Patches

Klingon Warrior Princess
Joined
Aug 4, 2010
Messages
5,505
When I was a child I used to get sent to boarding schools in the summers that taught skills like speed reading and test-taking. Thus, I was more or less trained from an early age to skim past a page in a very short time, but absorb a lot of content. When it comes to text books, novels assigned for a class, research papers, etc... People tend to be ALARMED at how quickly I flip through them. Generally they don't believe I have any idea what I've read about.

When it comes to a good fiction novel that I WANT to read, I read verrrrry slowly, almost moving at the pace in which the action in the book is happening. I'll speed up when it's an intense scene in the novel, and slow down when it's calmer. I very much immerse myself in it.
 

freeeekyyy

Cheeseburgers
Joined
Feb 13, 2010
Messages
1,384
MBTI Type
INTJ
Enneagram
5w4
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
I have a feeling that if it can even be related to type, it's more of a J/P difference than S/N. I think J types might be faster due to being left-brain dominant, since the left brain is the part that decodes words.
 
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