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[MBTI General] Sensors, how do you react to stereotypes?

Siúil a Rúin

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There have been countless discussions about Sensors and why iNtuitives don't like certain aspects of their behavior and such. It was suggested that what an N considers to be a negative quality, an S would naturally embrace. This implies that these comments and discussions would not be offensive to a Sensor, at least not in the way they would be offensive to an iNtuitive.

So as a Sensor, what is your reaction to comments about Sensing that iNtuitives consider negative qualities? What stereotypes have you encountered? What is your reaction to these stereotypes?
 

Shimpei

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For example, what's wrong with the fact that we don't like to theoretize everything? What's wrong with preferring doing things than talking about stuff?
Probably Ss are not as profound as Ns, but what's wrong with measuring things with efficiency and making reality checks (making you face facts)?
And what's wrong with taking things at face value? Are you sure your intuition never misleads you?
 

Randomnity

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There have been countless discussions about Sensors and why iNtuitives don't like certain aspects of their behavior and such. It was suggested that what an N considers to be a negative quality, an S would naturally embrace. This implies that these comments and discussions would not be offensive to a Sensor, at least not in the way they would be offensive to an iNtuitive.

So as a Sensor, what is your reaction to comments about Sensing that iNtuitives consider negative qualities? What stereotypes have you encountered? What is your reaction to these stereotypes?
The only thing that bothers me is when people think S is for stupid, both because it's personally offensive and because it's grossly inaccurate. Unfortunately it's probably the most common of any of the stereotypes.
 

Shimpei

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The only thing that bothers me is when people think S is for stupid, both because it's personally offensive and because it's grossly inaccurate. Unfortunately it's probably the most common of any of the stereotypes.

Unfortunately one of the books by the Tiegers enhances this stereotype: they say Sensors are less likely to have graduate degrees.
You can easily deduce from this that Ss are intellectually challenged.
 

sassafrassquatch

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The only thing that bothers me is when people think S is for stupid, both because it's personally offensive and because it's grossly inaccurate. Unfortunately it's probably the most common of any of the stereotypes.


Word.

Your functions do not determine your intelligence. An INTx's preferences are going to lead most of them to more nerdy genius interests that does not mean that an ESFP "party animal" is an incurious moron. The S/N function is just how you take in information.

I understand that Ns take flak from some clueless Ss for being spacey the way Is take shit from Es for being quiet. It would be best if everyone knew their type and that everyone has natural inclinations driven by their functions.

You're not your Sensing, You're not your Intuiting, Ns are not beautiful and unique snowflakes, we are all part of the same decomposing compost heap.
 

Totenkindly

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The only thing that bothers me is when people think S is for stupid, both because it's personally offensive and because it's grossly inaccurate. Unfortunately it's probably the most common of any of the stereotypes.

Some days I think N stands for "nutty."
(but that's being too kind to us, probably...)
 

Athenian200

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I don't know much about sensors, but I've found that the only ones I have really have that much trouble getting along with are ES_P's. The rest of them are actually pretty easy to get along with. They actually seem interested enough in theory, as long as you can give them a practical application for it, and/or explain it succinctly.

Although it's not true that we Intuitive's never make reality checks or think about efficiency. It's just that we let our thoughts wander quite a bit farther into the realm of uncertainty and imagination than we really should. It can make us dangerously ill-equipped to deal with practicalities. We just prefer to blame our weaknesses on the people who we feel cause us to have to deal with reality. Sad but true.
 

heart

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Unfortunately one of the books by the Tiegers enhances this stereotype: they say Sensors are less likely to have graduate degrees.
You can easily deduce from this that Ss are intellectually challenged.

Well, if it were proved to be true that S's are actually less likely to have graduate degrees, the other way of looking at that might be that the higher education system needs to rethink its approach to be a better fit for different learning styles.
 

runvardh

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Well, if it were proved to be true that S's are actually less likely to have graduate degrees, the other way of looking at that might be that the higher education system needs to rethink its approach to be a better fit for different learning styles.

The thing I'd ask about is percentages related to total of that type; last I heard, there are more Ss than Ns to begin with...
 

lbloom

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Unfortunately one of the books by the Tiegers enhances this stereotype: they say Sensors are less likely to have graduate degrees.
You can easily deduce from this that Ss are intellectually challenged.

That's a statistical fact, so there's nothing wrong with the statement itself. It doesn't say that Ss are intellectually challenged - it says that they are less likely to be interested in grad school.
 

heart

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From that same source, I wonder what the percentage of Sensors holding an MBA degrees was listed as or the number of sensors having an Master of Library Sciences?
 

sassafrassquatch

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Unfortunately one of the books by the Tiegers enhances this stereotype: they say Sensors are less likely to have graduate degrees.
You can easily deduce from this that Ss are intellectually challenged.


Using higher education as an intellectual codpiece is irritating. Someone who is highly educated is no smarter than a person of equal intelligence who went to trade school or decided not to pursue further education. Not everyone has the time, money, interest or patience to spend years sitting in classes.
 

Siúil a Rúin

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We probably need a different thread about intelligence, but here's one consideration regarding grad school - It's wildly impractical! BTDT! At least in many cases.

There is natural intelligence of many sorts and then there are choices people make to challenge their minds and skills to continually develop. Higher ed is one way to continually challenge the mind. It is not the only way, but it is structured to place the individual in a setting of constant constructive criticism from those who have proven their skills and knowledge. There are certainly other environments that produce that same result. It's about placing oneself in the constant company of those 'superior' to oneself. Two people of equal intelligence that are not equally challenged will evolve two different skill levels.

I would be surprised if the following disciplines did not have a strong representation of Sensors:
Medicine (ST and SFJ)
Law (STJ)
Arts (SFP)
Business (ST)
Social work (SFJ)

I would not expect to find a large percentage of Sensors in these disciples:
Math
Language
Theoretical sciences
Philosophy

My area is in the arts and I find plenty of Sensors there, although I don't have all their test results. ;) I've been around enough people to notice certain differences amongst even the high level musicians. I connect most easily with my strongly INT mentors, but have valuable interactions with Sensor artists as well. My first voice teacher, ESTJ, did not value my strengths and so he hurt me. I currently do some projects with a couple of Sensor-performers at the top of their field. It is an ideal collaboration as they fill in for my weaknesses. Their clarity of detail and practicality of application is gold to me.

New thread on Sensor Intelligence
 

proteanmix

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We probably need a different thread about intelligence, but here's one consideration regarding grad school - It's wildly impractical! BTDT! At least in many cases.

I think the practicality of graduate school depends on your location. In my area (and other major metropolitan areas), bachelor degrees are like high school diplomas. They want entry-level admin assistants to have degrees plus 5-7 years of experience when all you're doing is putting labels on folders. A decent high school diploma would suffice. You need a graduate or professional degree to advance your career not just because the love of learning.

I did my undergrad in English and I'm hoping to get a graduate degree in Education Policy and Leadership/Administration. I don't know what category that falls into. There are so many options out there for graduate degrees that broadly defining who would do what is difficult. You can get an MBA and concentrate in media studies and law degree and specialize in entertainment law. So many subjects can be customized and personalized to the aspect that appeals to you that anyone can find a niche anywhere.
 

Siúil a Rúin

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...There are so many options out there for graduate degrees that broadly defining who would do what is difficult. You can get an MBA and concentrate in media studies and law degree and specialize in entertainment law. So many subjects can be customized and personalized to the aspect that appeals to you that anyone can find a niche anywhere.
Very true. My little letters i placed by various disciplines are really general examples of types who might be naturally drawn into that profession in notable percentages. Doesn't really mean much.

Intelligence is really complex and not linear by any means. To give a fun example: I knew one girl who was the quintessential ditzy blonde. She would give great attention to her make-up and flooffed up hair, very spacey and gullible, sociable and giggling ALOT. Guess what? She was a math whiz. My brother, a fellow math major, would shake his head and say, "This person is not possible." :smile:
 

substitute

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Well, if it were proved to be true that S's are actually less likely to have graduate degrees, the other way of looking at that might be that the higher education system needs to rethink its approach to be a better fit for different learning styles.

I think it was Voltaire who disdained the "modern" obsession with teaching everything by lectures. He mocked the educational system by saying that he didn't understand why everything had to be taught from books and in organised classes, and called for more acknowledgement of independent study and learning, and practical, hands-on methods of learning.

I think what he might've been getting at, in MBTI terms, is that maybe more S's would have graduate degrees, if they were given a chance to learn and practice their subjects the way they prefer, rather than doing the N thing of abstracting it all most of the time.

My own experience of S's - especially ISTP's - is that they're all too happy to learn and have plenty of curiosity. I've often given out some bit of pointless trivia, expecting it to be met with 'so what?', and in fact it's met with "wow, that's cool, why's that then?' in a room full of Sensors.

I also stand utterly in awe of many Sensing craftsmen and women that I know, who are able to produce a beautifully crafted item from a block of wood within a matter of hours, which is perfectly functional. Whenever I try to do it, I'm so impatient and so willing to cut corners, so oblivious to details, that all the times I say 'ahh, close enough' during the project, take their toll on the final product! That's a kind of intelligence that doesn't get enough recognition, I think.

But I think education is unfair to Sensors in much the same way that socialising is unfair to introverts. In socialising, it's an E's world, so the E's write the rules, often disenfranchising the I's, as it were. Higher education seems to have evolved to become an N's world, with N's writing the rules and deciding the criteria, thereby disenfranchising the S's.
 
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