[MBTI General] are sensors messy? How do I know if I'm "s"?

[LeftKick]

Organized chaos. I like to know where everything is. I have projects spread out all over the place in different stages. My tool box at work is in order,but I have used car parts all over the place. I hate garbage though. No old food stuff or piles of news paper. I do have duffel bags full of wires and boxes of audio stuff. I love my junque.

 

[miss fortune]

I leave things laying around, like shoes, jackets and books, but I need clean surfaces to work on or I start to feel quite nervous and claustrophobic

my car is somewhat messy, but that's because I work out of it, so I keep my spare paperwork, extra shoes and my coat in the back seat at all times

 

[BAJ]

Yeah, I can't have my living space that cluttered. It gives me anxiety (and I'm not typically very anxious.)

I get anxiety like if things are "too neat." It's almost a sort of primal thing like: "No place to hide" or "Too exposed to predators!" I like a sort of "nest feeling" to it.

 

[strychnine]

See... now I'm wondering if it's a J trait. Are messy P's still orderly in the sense that everything has it's place? Or when P's are messy are things just randomly strewn about? Also I have the same questions with J's. Hm....

Stuff is strewn about but it's far from random. There is a system. When something new comes into the apartment it goes into its place according to the system, or I leave it under my desk until I put it away at night. I used to have no method to the madness but that made me lose things constantly so I adapted . Now, it only looks messy to people unaware of the system, ie. other, non-me people. (My roommate is unfortunately one of these other people...)

I like to call it working chaos. At least, it starts there, until I get too involved/ tunnel-visioned into some project(s), then it will disintegrate until I look around and wonder what happened.

I agree with shortnsweet though -- there is seldom a true need to clean.

Short answer to OP: Messiness can't determine S/N (I agree w/ the others here on that)

 

[/DG/]

There is a system.

Okay, so it appears the general consensus is that every messy person has a system (both messy J's and messy P's), though it does not appear that way to anyone else. I can sympathize with this.

 

[Anew Leaf]

Plus I remember learning about how IPs are typically "closet Js" even if they are very "p". For me it's about my own little world of space and how I like having a cushion around me of empty air.

 

[A window to the soul]

You'll find both Sensing and Intuitive folks with spaces that resemble the aftermath of a tornado. However, neither type is stereotypically known for being messy. The J and P functions are more commonly an indicator of tidiness. In my opinion, the sensing types have a slight edge over intuitive types considering their action oriented cognitive preference, but I believe our environment/upbringing also plays a significant role.

 

[skylights]

yeah, messiness is better J-P related.

Plus I remember learning about how IPs are typically "closet Js" even if they are very "p".

besides that. Ti especially. Ti looks like J sometimes, especially in INTPs.

personally, i'm messy by nature (a la, throw the clothes on the floor while searching for what i want to wear) - but i'm also really organized with important things, and i prefer to have an open and "relaxed organized" space - like shirts stacked in a coherent pile, but they don't have to be perfectly aligned. a cardigan draped over the chair. a bin of scarves and gloves. i like to have neat areas but let things be a little messy within those areas. too much perfection stresses me out as much as too much messiness does.

 

[Sunny Ghost]

I'd say it's a Si, Se, Ni, Ne, thing, versus just S/N or just P/J.

I would think Si is almost always clean and non-messy.

I've known Se users that could be quite cluttery people... but never disgusting messy. I can be very messy and cluttery or very anal and clean, depending on how I feel. But I'm never disgusting in my messes.

I've known quite a few super messy Ne users. But I won't say all Ne people are like this.

And Ni seems to be sort of a fifty/fifty thing, too, from what I can tell. One of the absolute messiest people I've ever met was an INFJ. She'd throw a party with her underwear lying on the kitchen floor that the dog tore up. Not to mention several piles of just junk, trash and clutter that's collected all through out the house. One of the cleanest people I know is an INTJ... my current roommate. He despises any and all messes. I feel bad, as he's constantly picking up after me. And I'm not even that messy.... I don't think.

 

[/DG/]

I would think Si is almost always clean and non-messy.

Actually, I would think that Si-doms would be more prone to hoarding if Te and Fe aren't developed or utilized properly to keep Si in check.

 

[knight]

I kinda like things a little messy

 

[Thalassa]

Messy has nothing to do with being a sensor or intuitive. An INTJ might be neater than an ISFP. There may be trends of organization in types with Si and/or Te, but I would not call it a sensor trait, nor even a "J" trait. An ISTJ might be more concerned with "mess" than an INFJ, for example, though they're both "Js" (I don't DO the four dichotomies, anyway, because it leads people to these silly conclusions about lack of messiness being associated directly with Sensors or with J types).

If you were ISTP I doubt you'd not be very interested in the world at all, as Se is *the* function that puts us in the here and now. All SJs might not live in the present moment, but SPs are more likely to because of their Se.

At any rate, I think you're INFP.

 

[IZthe411]

You'll find both Sensing and Intuitive folks with spaces that resemble the aftermath of a tornado. However, neither type is stereotypically known for being messy. The J and P functions are more commonly an indicator of tidiness. In my opinion, the sensing types have a slight edge over intuitive types considering their action oriented cognitive preference, but I believe our environment/upbringing also plays a significant role.

That's more an indication of the direction of your preference- i.e. J's have an extraverted judging function and are more likely to actively execute, especially if it's your #1.

I do have 2 ESFJs next to me- one is very clean and organized, the other is a nasty slob with crumbs and stuff all over the place.

 

[IZthe411]

I'd say it's a Si, Se, Ni, Ne, thing, versus just S/N or just P/J.

I would think Si is almost always clean and non-messy.

I've known Se users that could be quite cluttery people... but never disgusting messy. I can be very messy and cluttery or very anal and clean, depending on how I feel. But I'm never disgusting in my messes.

I've known quite a few super messy Ne users. But I won't say all Ne people are like this.

And Ni seems to be sort of a fifty/fifty thing, too, from what I can tell. One of the absolute messiest people I've ever met was an INFJ. She'd throw a party with her underwear lying on the kitchen floor that the dog tore up. Not to mention several piles of just junk, trash and clutter that's collected all through out the house. One of the cleanest people I know is an INTJ... my current roommate. He despises any and all messes. I feel bad, as he's constantly picking up after me. And I'm not even that messy.... I don't think.

Si is clean- based on what? Stereotypes?

Si cares about order and organization in what's important to it. If Si "sees" it doesn't have to otherwise, it won't.

I look at my co-workers desks, and the male Ps all have levels of messiness. 2 are ISTPs and one is an ENTP. ENTP's desk is the sloppiest. He leaves his checkbook laying there. I wouldn't be surprised if life is forming somewhere underneath the crap.

The female P- ENFP- desk is clean.

TJs are a mix- some are messy/some are clean- no rhyme or reason. My desk is sloppy.

 

[Bamboo]

There may be some mbti correlation, but based on my experience in estate sales (and some junk removal) I'd say that messy people (and hoarders) typically:

- don't initially find the mess to be problematic (as it forms).
- collect items in large amounts without having a system to process those items, such as appropriate waste areas, cabinet space, etc.
- may have trouble assessing how or why they will use an item and how to best store it.
- may have cabinet/storage space but don't regularly clean it out to keep it neat and to make room for new items (which then overflow).
- may feel overwhelmed by the amount of stuff that they have and don't know where to begin to clean it up again.
- may have trouble breaking down large tasks into smaller ones and establishing a maintenence routine.
- may be exceptionally busy, occupied, or exhausted and don't want to clean things up.

I can be messy, but I'm getting better at keeping things clean and organized. I prefer organized spaces/items for functionality and aesthetics.

 

[mrcockburn]

The sensors I know are all neat freaks.

 

[jixmixfix]

If I had the choice of never lifting a finger in terms of organizing and cleaning I would def choose that. Too bad I don't have that choice, so things need to be cleaned up eventually. I def need to marry an ENFJ to do all that fun stuff for me.

 

[mcmartinez84]

I always think of J and P when I think of the messiness spectrum.... (Doing work and things ahead of time or waiting until it needs to be done... And frankly, there is rarely a true need to clean.) I could be wrong, of course.

Oh, you're not wrong about it I completely agree!

Yeah, I can't have my living space that cluttered. It gives me anxiety (and I'm not typically very anxious.)

Same here. A complete disaster are would drive me nuts.

yeah, messiness is better J-P related.

besides that. Ti especially. Ti looks like J sometimes, especially in INTPs.

personally, i'm messy by nature (a la, throw the clothes on the floor while searching for what i want to wear) - but i'm also really organized with important things, and i prefer to have an open and "relaxed organized" space - like shirts stacked in a coherent pile, but they don't have to be perfectly aligned. a cardigan draped over the chair. a bin of scarves and gloves. i like to have neat areas but let things be a little messy within those areas. too much perfection stresses me out as much as too much messiness does.

And too much clean is annoying too. Everything ends up getting messy again. And when things are put away, I definitely forget about them. It's like they're my source of entertainment. I'm bored in a place with NO stuff around.

My ENTJ husband can't stand my messy habits. He does laundry about 3 times a week. I do mine about 3 times a month (sometimes). He wants an impeccable kitchen. I leave dishes around. He wants the bed made. I don't. The list could go on. (To my credit, I've gotten better about doing more chores so he isn't in a constant state of picking on me.)

My ISTJ friend is very tidy. Everything is pretty much put away. The exception in her house is sometimes her bedroom. She can have a lot of laundry lying about. But nothing she couldn't clean up in 5.

I have an incredibly messy ENTP. I'd help him clean up his cubicle sometimes...it was bad. He'd keep random trash around...take-out cups, cans. Random office toys, old papers... just a huge mess.

I also know a much cleaner/neater ENTP.

And I know a clean/neat ESTP. His place wasn't spotless, but he almost always put stuff away. Some paper clutter on the dinner table, maybe a video game left out. He could clean his place in about 10 for company.

And that's what I've got!

 

[mcmartinez84]

If I had the choice of never lifting a finger in terms of organizing and cleaning I would def choose that. Too bad I don't have that choice, so things need to be cleaned up eventually. I def need to marry an ENFJ to do all that fun stuff for me.

I lied. This is the last I've got...

I agree! If I never had to do a chore again in my life...it would be pretty much complete.

 

[miss fortune]

I don't do many chores... my work on cleaning is mostly labled "inadequate" by the man, so I let him wash the dishes and do the laundry