But if we take on assumption that intelligent people, (however one might define or quantify it), usually possess an ability to think on multiple levels at once, have a speedier grasp of elements which their particular intelligence is geared towards, I think it is a fair point to make that many intelligent sensors would otherwise type as intelligent intuitives.
This doesn't necessarily bear out. My ex has an IQ in the 130's, yet is very very ISFJ and possessed a long-time fear of iNtuitive style thinking and behavior and definitely has struggled with inferior intuition. Despite the intelligence, the type style channels how the intelligence is applied. Does not come across at all as iNtuitive.
I do think other things are involved (like cultural influence and structure), which can either liberate or restrict thought.
EDIT: And here's a personal example:
Sitting here this morning feeling like quitting my job or asking for a transfer. I'm caught between a female ESFJ and a female ESTJ, on a team of S types, and I'm an NP. Typically I feel like I'm the one who misses details here and there, no matter how hard I work; and I'm constantly having someone correct something or come to me about the "way I should have done something," all of which seems arbitrary to begin with. Anytime I use my normal sensibilities, I feel like it just gets me into trouble.
Yesterday, there was the morning debacle where one of the first things the customer did on the phone was ream us out for not including two people on the meeting invite. Well, when I was asked to set up this meeting by my boss who was away the day before, only two teams were on the list; I flexed to new information and the list expanded to more the "cast of thousands," and suddenly the customer was being invited to this meeting, and a few of the other analysts even reviewed the list and said it was okay. I tried to avoid inviting people who were halfway across the country as well or tying up personnel who had many many things on their plate... but suddenly dropping these two people from a meeting I was originally asked by my boss to only include two small internal teams was a matter bad enough to bring a public reprimand to our team (which my lead took the hit for, and then went a round on the phone with the guy after, ending up in tears about it).
Then I busted my butt to take three sets of notes from the meeting I had to facilitate, to dump items into an emergency release spreadsheet that I had to stay 45 minutes of overtime to do, when I really just wanted to go home after having a crappy day and finding out I had to find a new place to live. (So I was being over-responsible and investing in this job.) I informed the ESTJ about my work face to face after 5pm, and left a note telling my team lead to review the list with me in the morning before sending it (since her target time was 10am, and I knew I'd see her at least two hours before that).
So I get in, the team lead's already added something to the list and sent it out without stepping through it with me, and the ESTJ is now informing me (in what I perceive to be kind tones now, but she still comes off as a heavy because she has little warmth) that we could have sent it out for a review (for an item I finished after hours and that my lead wanted out by 10am? Why would that make sense to me?), and she had looked over it and made some changes, but if I had forwarded her on the copy and other people, they could have been involved possibly, etc.
Again, trying to be efficient, operate according to the goal, not including people unnecessarily, and using my normal instincts failed miserably. I'm sick of doing this job now and want to quit... not just because I don't enjoy getting criticized constantly (I've been feeling this way for a few months), but because my perception is that my instincts and the natural expectations for this team just don't mesh, and I'm always going to make mistakes and not be able to play the game as expected, and I don't want to feel inadequate all the time nor let my team down all the time. They just need some other methodical, detail-oriented, by the book person to do this job.
That's not a matter of intelligence either. Both the ESFJ and ESTJ are very intelligent. It's a type thing. The ESJs control approach and procedure; I can't seem to get it right... and I'm pretty smart too. Maybe it could be a little different if people transcended type... but note you have to "transcend" it... so it's still obviously a factor.