how can you tell quickly a person is N or S?

[phoenity]

It could certainly be a typical response, if all you wanted to do was enjoy your fishing trip and the moment and environment you were in, and not listen to discussions about time travel.

That's not to say I don't find some theories intriguing, which mostly involves overall understanding of the concepts and searching for practicality in those concepts, but there's a time and place for everything, and...dammit you're scaring away the fish with time travel babble!

 

[phoenity]

The other day I went fishing with my Dad (ISTP), my cousin (ENTP) and a family friend (likely a ESTJ). My cousin and I were, for some reason, discussing time travel and predestination paradoxes.

My Dad turns to the family friend and says, "Some people's minds just never stop".

This to me is one of the major differences between Ns and Ss. An N just can't stop mentally pulling things apart and trying to work them out, purely for the sake of understanding it all. An S deal more with what's around them, what is concrete and what necessitates attention.

I like to pull things apart and understand them. But you know, useful things that have to do with right now. With Ns, it almost seems like you guys like to go in circles while ignoring the fact you're not getting anywhere. It's like...going in circles, for the sake of going in circles. You're still in the same place you started.

I would just get dizzy and fall over.


Hopefully no one takes this personal. I know we all have our own mind-candy. Mine are mostly concrete, something I can play with in my hands, others like it abstract, something they can't touch but only throw around from neuron to neuron inside their head.

 

[maliafee]

I don't mean to blast your theory, but I love discussing time travel, paranormal, and other unreal things. Just because it's interesting to me. And I'm an S.

So does my ISFJ boyfriend. But the manner of discussion is different than that of N's when he discusses that stuff...

 

[digesthisickness]

So does my ISFJ boyfriend. But the manner of discussion is different than that of N's when he discusses that stuff...

how?

 

[Southern Kross]

I don't mean to blast your theory, but I love discussing time travel, paranormal, and other unreal things. Just because it's interesting to me. And I'm an S.

Thats not a typical ISTP response, yo may want to try retyping him based in functions themselves. ISTPs are Ti dominant, my mind never stops thinking. A typcial ISTP response to an N conversation is say where theories fall apart. I love philisophy for the fact that it is like a goal, but I can give so many reasons why we will never reach that goal and I can also get into so many reason why we still need to push toward it even though we will never reach it. Basically I make the theory practical, I pull out of a theory the reason why humanity needs to strive towards it and why we need to believe in it even though it may fall apart at so many levels.

I'm pretty sure he's a ISTP but I could be wrong. ISTP is called 'the crafter' or 'the mechanic', and he actually is a mechanic (for earthmoving machinery - more complicated than the usual sort) with a total passion and skill for his craft. Just an example but there are many other indicators.

He has absolutely no use for theories, he's a facts man for sure - there has to be a point to it. He just tunes out or misinterprets me when I have pointless conversations attempting to think through concepts.

Maybe that's more what I'm trying to get at. Ns love pointlessness for the sake of it. If an S is going to have a seemingly pointless conversation there has to have a beneficial end to it - a possible practical application or a punchline or something.

It could certainly be a typical response, if all you wanted to do was enjoy your fishing trip and the moment and environment you were in, and not listen to discussions about time travel.

That's not to say I don't find some theories intriguing, which mostly involves overall understanding of the concepts and searching for practicality in those concepts, but there's a time and place for everything, and...dammit you're scaring away the fish with time travel babble!

Actually, it was a pretty slow fishing day. Why do you think I was talking about time travel?

I like to pull things apart and understand them. But you know, useful things that have to do with right now. With Ns, it almost seems like you guys like to go in circles while ignoring the fact you're not getting anywhere. It's like...going in circles, for the sake of going in circles. You're still in the same place you started.

I would just get dizzy and fall over.


Hopefully no one takes this personal. I know we all have our own mind-candy. Mine are mostly concrete, something I can play with in my hands, others like it abstract, something they can't touch but only throw around from neuron to neuron inside their head.

I like to pull things apart and understand them. But you know, useful things that have to do with right now. With Ns, it almost seems like you guys like to go in circles while ignoring the fact you're not getting anywhere. It's like...going in circles, for the sake of going in circles. You're still in the same place you started.

I would just get dizzy and fall over.


Hopefully no one takes this personal. I know we all have our own mind-candy. Mine are mostly concrete, something I can play with in my hands, others like it abstract, something they can't touch but only throw around from neuron to neuron inside their head.

Oh yeah, there was lots of going in circles - there always is. And no, I'm not offended.

 

[NewEra]

He has absolutely no use for theories, he's a facts man for sure - there has to be a point to it. He just tunes out or misinterprets me when I have pointless conversations attempting to think through concepts.

Maybe that's more what I'm trying to get at. Ns love pointlessness for the sake of it. If an S is going to have a seemingly pointless conversation there has to have a beneficial end to it - a possible practical application or a punchline or something.

See, I love to talk about unreal (but interesting) things like time travel and the paranormal just for the sake of it. Others may not consider it practical, but I feel it definitely exists and for the case of time travel, I think there have been so many innovations that it can potentially exist. Although I have limited use for this kind of stuff, it interests me a great deal and I love talking about it. I'm an S too.

 

[raz]

See, I love to talk about unreal (but interesting) things like time travel and the paranormal just for the sake of it. Others may not consider it practical, but I feel it definitely exists and for the case of time travel, I think there have been so many innovations that it can potentially exist. Although I have limited use for this kind of stuff, it interests me a great deal and I love talking about it. I'm an S too.

I love talking about that stuff but I think it's because of our Te. I love picking it apart. The microscope that Te puts everything under is scrutinizing. It's one of my main problems with other people. They start these casual conversations, and then I start analyzing everything and they're like, "This conversation is over. You're taking it too far."

 

[Halla74]

Exactly. Why not just gather data gradually, and notice patterns in their behavior that seem to fit more with one temperament than the others. And maybe ask them a few questions about their motives?

Nothing wrong with doing that, but there are cases when if you are able to make quick, accurate type IDs it is useful to your purpose. For instance:

(1) Being a software sales rep. years ago (before I knew about MBTI) I would try to find out any little piece of info about the potential client that I could before meeting them. I went to a church that asked for a bid for some computers and basic network services. It was a last minute deal, so I grabbed an old gold cross earring from my teenager days and used it as a tie pin. The reverend was an ex-wrestler when he was in school. He said "Son, I like your tie pin! You sure are a big fella'. Did you ever wrestle in high school?" Yup, I sure did for one year. We had a great chat, he was a really cool dude, and I got the sale. Knowing MBTI can allow you to make similar identifications with people that will allow you to kick off your relationship in the right direction.

(2) I've been a software/business process analyst for over 10 years. I get dropped into meetings of 10 or more people, all confused as to what they need to fix their organization's business problem, all stressed out over the deadline. Relax! First thing I do, find out who's the decision maker, who's the expert, who's shy and who's not. Guide these people into the solution by formulating it on a whiteboard, and getting them to talk about it with each other. Suddenly the idea is theirs, not yours, and they want to move forward with it. BOOM! Type ID to the rescue again. At this point I would want to be able to quickly pick out the Ns, Js, for sure. Es and Ps are easy to pick out, they identify themselves, I's also. My wife is INFJ, I can pick out NFs pretty easily at this point.

 

[maliafee]

how?

Mostly in that when he talks about it, it's based on something factual he's heard that sparks the conversation and somehow relates to something he's currently doing, the here and now. Also, he can't go on about it for longer than a few minutes to an hour (depending on what it is).

 

[NewEra]

I love talking about that stuff but I think it's because of our Te. I love picking it apart. The microscope that Te puts everything under is scrutinizing. It's one of my main problems with other people. They start these casual conversations, and then I start analyzing everything and they're like, "This conversation is over. You're taking it too far."

haha you could be right.

 

[Sachetan]

My S friends complain a lot about their illnesses. It's as if they need more consolation and attention than others when sick. And they seem to take all little ailments very seriously.

Ns I know ignore their physical condition to the point that when they finally get to the doctor's appointment the first thing they hear is: "Why didn't you come sooner?". I don't know why. Maybe an N thinks she can't get ill ie. refuses to believe it. Or is convinced that she'll find a cure herself - without a doctor (an authority).

But of course this is not a quick way to analyze S/N

 

[raz]

My S friends complain a lot about their illnesses. It's as if they need more consolation and attention than others when sick. And they seem to take all little ailments very seriously.

Ns I know ignore their physical condition to the point that when they finally get to the doctor's appointment the first thing they hear is: "Why didn't you come sooner?". I don't know why. Maybe an N thinks she can't get ill ie. refuses to believe it. Or is convinced that she'll find a cure herself - without a doctor (an authority).

But of course this is not a quick way to analyze S/N

Maybe the N doesn't even notice the illness?

This reminds me of a conversation I had with an INFJ at work. She was trying a new hairdo at work. I asked her how she liked it and she said she was just giving it a test run that day to see if it should stay. The way she said it made me think she was waiting to acknowledge the new hairdo's existence. I asked her, "So, you're trying it out today, and if you actually like it, you're going to acknowledge that this new hairdo on your head exists?" She said "Exactly."

I'm not sure how other S's take illnesses. I hate them with a passion, but in an ISTJ way. It drastically disrupts my daily life and that's why I hate them. I don't care about how it makes me feel. I only care about how it's disrupting what I need to be doing. My sister is ENFJ and feels the same way about it. However, my ESFJ mother and sister hate how being sick makes you feel.