Am I an intuitor or a sensor?

[TimTx1]

I have attached my personality profile here. I find it rather accurate. I have a friend however who speculates that I am a sensor, not an intuitor. I would like input in an attempt to better clarify my type.

My friend sees me as a sensor due to two things that I can tell. First, he equates personal interest with the differences between a sensor and an intuitor. For example, he sees my lack of interest in general philosophy or in politics and world events as a good indicator. And, he feels that intuitors have a different type of intelligence than he has seen in me, although I have to wonder here if this is personal bias due to a possible value he has placed on being an intuitor (as he considers himself to be).

I am willing to accept that I am a sensor, if that is the case. I clearly have a strong "sensing" ability It is my strongest non-dominant trait as you can see from the chart. However, in focusing on the principles of the "intuitor" type, I definitely see my way of thinking as more in line with that of an intuitor. When I perceive things, I generally do so through associations rather than the immediate here-and-now and tactile. For example, I was at a Mexican restaurant yesterday and they brought the chips. The first thing that came to mind is that the chips reminded me of another restaurant I had went to where I think the chips were very similar. I could dive into the details of why I thought they were similar as I thought about it, but my immediate reaction was in the connection to something else. That, in my understanding, is a very "N" thing to do. And, that is not the only example of such an occurrence. It seems to be the predominant way that I view the world.

Furthermore, once I've mastered something, I get bored with it. I worked as a computer operator. The job consisted of several mundane tasks where I was to do one thing over and over again in the same way. I wrote several applications that would not only execute those tasks but would also check the results and call out any issues. I didn't really tell my job at the time how I was doing things, but I worked on my own at night (for very little pay at the time) and enjoyed instead just letting my applications work away while I went into the executive lounge and watched TV

If I had been a sensor, I would think that the repetitive tasks would have been my preferred way of doing things so I should have loved just doing things the same predictable way, over, and over again.

I like figuring things out for the sake of figuring it out but then don't really follow through from there. For example, I was having a problem getting a foreign DVD to work on my DVD player. I had read that one way to circumvent the issue was to replace the DVD mechanism with a similar one, but that was region free. I took apart the DVD player and replaced the drive. Unfortunately, I did not take into account that the top of the DVD player was metal and it came into contact with two ciruit traces and shorted something out in the DVD player. That frustrated me so I spent about two weeks researching how to read circuit board diagrams and how to troubleshoot circuits (I had some similar experience in this as a kid, but not to this level). Within that two week time period I had found the circuit board diagram for my DVD player, determined how to read it, how to debug the board, and had found and fixed the problem. It cost me about $0.10 for a resistor that once soldered in fixed everything. However, after I had done that, I lost interest and moved on to another challenge. If I had been a sensor, I would think that I would have kept going with this.

My thought patterns also have a way of being rather sporadic. I can be thinking about several things at once, and I am generally always thinking. When something gets to some sort of conclusion or point in my head, it rises to the surface and I feel compelled to express it even if it doesn't pertain to what I was talking about at the time. It throws people off when I do that. But, I've always been that way. I can of course follow one single train of thought through in a conversation but I really have to force myself to do it. As I understand it, that too is "N".

I also don't spend all my free time thinking. I like to scuba dive, fish, shoot guns, and do things. But, that's not a day-to-day thing for me. So, my tendency to do these activities would suggest sensing?
One thing that I find very odd, is my friend is an ENFP. If I am an INTP, then we both have Ne. He should recognize his Ne in me, and I in him. If he doesn't or if I don't, then perhaps one of us is off on our type? Does that sound reasonable?

In any case, I'd like to figure this out and see what it might explain about me and about how I could better relate to others (and in how I could find my perfect match which is some of the drive behind this interest). Any insight you could provide would be appreciated.

 

[MissQuote]

Did you ever watch your movie?

 

[A22]

Sensing refers to how people process data. Sensing people focus on the present, they are "here and now" people, who are factual and process information through the five senses. They see things as they are, they are concrete thinkers.

Sensing Characteristics
Concrete
Realistic
Lives in the present
Aware of surroundings
Notices details
Practical
Goes by senses
Factual

.

Intuition refers to how people process data. Intuitive people focus on the future and the possibilities. They process information through patterns and impressions. They read between the lines, they are abstract thinkers.

Intuitive Characteristics
Future-focused
Sees possibilities
Inventive
Imaginative
Deep
Abstract
Idealistic
Complicated
Theoretical

Sometimes I don't know if I'm a J or a P
Your personality may change
I guess I'm 50/50 lol

 

[TimTx1]

Did you ever watch your movie?

My movie? What movie?

 

[ElvenVeil]

first of all , welcome

you have spend a good deal of time on your post and that is a good thing.. that leaves something to work with. It seems you know a good deal about MBTI but remember to keep in mind that the interests of the different types are not ironclad in any way (not that anything about personalities can be set ironclad) but MBTI works with functions not hobbies and work (that might to a larger scale be influenced by the company you keep)

a lot of the points in your post describes what would match the function Ti ; that suggests we are at least on the right track as the question is if you are INTP or ISTP (both have Ti as their dominant function)

' When something gets to some sort of conclusion or point in my head, it rises to the surface and I feel compelled to express it even if it doesn't pertain to what I was talking about at the time. It throws people off when I do that. But, I've always been that way. I can of course follow one single train of thought through in a conversation but I really have to force myself to do it. As I understand it, that too is "N".'

(sorry too lazy to go create quote tags atm)

Now you are right that this sounds like an N function. To put it short I would also label the above as Ne. (that is a point towards INTP)

'If I had been a sensor, I would think that the repetitive tasks would have been my preferred way of doing things so I should have loved just doing things the same predictable way, over, and over again.'

don't mistake 'being comfortable with sticking to conventional ways' with 'prefer mindless tasks'

'When I perceive things, I generally do so through associations rather than the immediate here-and-now and tactile. For example, I was at a Mexican restaurant yesterday and they brought the chips. The first thing that came to mind is that the chips reminded me of another restaurant I had went to where I think the chips were very similar.'

This is actually a part that points toward INTP as well.. You regard this as Sensing and that is true, however it sounds like the use of Si.
All in all I think you are likely to be an INTP. sorry that my posts jumps a bit around the subject, but I am a little tired so I don't think as clearly as a normally do.

Anyway what I am thinking of what you have posted: (the following content is not supported by MBTI theory as far as I know)
you are an INTP. You clearly use introverted thinking, and you also seem to use introverted sensing. My speculations concerning this MBTI system, is that it is possible to be INTP with a stronger 'S' function than other INTPs.. that would in this case mean that you still takes in information with Ne but you may have a tendency towards using your Ti more than 'most' INTPs.
to illustrate, as I think a strong Si is pretty rare among INTPs: An INTP would primarily use his/hers Ti / Ne . If the person is using his Ti function a lot more than the Ne it may very well result in that the INTP may lose a grasp of reality at times (in a way that his/her thoughts does not always match the outer world's reality completly and he/she may come to logical conclusions that only works inside that persons head (and similar minded)). That may lead to an idea that there is a God for instance (yes that was extremely biased and don't regard this as anything more than a joke(unless you agree )) - The point is the person would still be INTP.

Let me know what you think

 

[ElvenVeil]

also: what Jazztulip on the INTP central says is also very true. So his comment should be labeled as important as you try to understand the MBTI type

 

[a detached retina]

yes an ISTP might say "these chips are so salty, and is that a hint of lime?"
INTP might use Si to compare to other chips or Ne to synthesise a general concept. "Mexican restaurant chips are yummy." or Ti so say "These chips must be so yummy because they are fried."

Could be an ESTJ using Si and Te with a tertiary Ne. ESTJs can be creative and N-like. There is just a taboo on being a sensor. However you could decide between ESTJ and INTP by whether you use Te or Ti.
Also you would probably know if you were an IXXP space cadet as opposed to an EXXJ leader type.

 

[MissQuote]

My movie? What movie?

You broke your DVD player trying to make a foiegn DVD work in it, then you spent weeks figuring out how to fix the contraption.

I assumed the DVD was a movie and was wondering if you ever had a chance to watch it/remembered to watch it?

 

[Glordag]

Don't treat MBTI as such a rigid structure. It is certainly possible to make use of Ne and Se to an extensive degree. As to which type you are, that really comes down to which function you find yourself using as sort of your "go to" for interacting with the world around you. Are you more interested in collecting facts and experiencing pleasures that are right in front of you, or are you more the type to draw connections between things and to try and look beyond what is presented to you?

Back when I was going to nightclubs fairly often, I realized that a good majority of the people there must be sensors. Granted, that is based purely off of observation and not knowing a good majority of the people there, but I think it's a good assumption based off of what I was seeing.

On the other hand, a good majority of the people in my physics, math, and computer classes were very likely intuitive types.

I'm not sure if you can get anything from that, but....maybe it helps :P.

 

[sammael]

you are an INTP. You clearly use introverted thinking, and you also seem to use introverted sensing.

Agreed.

You must remember that each component or dimension of Personality Type is a preference. Meaning you are primarily one way or the other, but not exclusively that way. Everybody can and does use both sides of each dimension, our preferred side is simply what we have an inborn natural preference for. When we are required to use the opposite side, it takes a lot of extra work and we're not as good at it; hence, the experience is usually not as satisfying.

It helps to picture each of the four dimensions as a scale - a continuum between two opposite extremes. For some people, their preference is quite strong and apparent, putting them well along the scale. For others it is less strong and may be harder to identify, putting them closer to the centre point. Obviously the closer one is to the extreme, the stronger their preference will be, and the more pronounced that function will be.

We can also to some degree 'learn' to better use our non preferred functions. This is particularly true if our situation in life forces us to do so, or if experiences we have had have been focused on non preferred functions. I know this from personal experience, and I know how it can confuse the whole affair. However no matter how good we become at using the non preferred, that will never surpass the inborn, natural preference.