What is this?

[Mr.Burke]

I don't know of any words that explain the particular type of behaviors that I have in mind.

Earlier, I saw that a bunch of water was spilled on the floor, but to me it's just water on the floor. To someone living with me, they'd ask why there is water on the floor and then work to clean it up immediately.

Someone may mention to "fetch them the paper", but when I look over to where they are referring to, there are many papers so I have no idea which one they want.

So then they say to give them the "classified" or something. Then I have to look at each paper to see if there is any mentioning of that term.

If somebody just took me to some place and told me to apply for a job, I'd probably stare at the entrance for a bit. Then I'd walk inside of the building and walk around looking for anything that tells me how to get a job.

The last thing I would do, right before giving up, would be to ask a random person how to get a job. A customer, the front guy, even a little kid. I'd ask anybody.

I can't really search this kind of thing in Google so I'm forced to ask forums.

I always try to explain it as "lacking the fundamentals".

An analogy for this would be: you tell me to get you a bowl of cereal, and I don't know what to do. I get something which is like a cup, and then I pour cereal into it but miss, and then pour milk on the counter where the cereal is, and then scoop the stuff on the counter into the cup.

To me, this is the natural way in which I would give the person whatever they asked because that's all I know of.

Somebody wanted a picture of me, for example, so I got a recorder and recorded some footage of a picture in a frame. Someone noticed this and laughed at me and told me that I should use the "scanner". I didn't know what the scanner even did and so I did not have the natural process necessary to figure it out.

It never occurred to me to ask, to try something else, etc. To me the way I did it was the only possible way as if it's always been the only way.

In all aspects of life I end up being like this, and I don't necessarily learn from trial and error in the same way that other people claim to.

So what exactly is this?

 

[A22]

Water on the floor evaporates. I think it's not normal that normal people urge to clean it up.

 

[Mr.Burke]

Water on the floor evaporates. I think it's not normal that normal people urge to clean it up.

Well, that's true. I'm not sure what the deal is. I think that people don't want to step in it, but I don't really care if I step in it.

 

[Words]

Single-meaning perception? Introverted Sensing? (and the categorical nature of Ti maybe?)

I do that quite often too. I don't bother with manipulating or "correcting" the context of the situation. At least, I think that's what you're talking about. I'm sure you're very creative, curious and "likes to try new things out", else you wouldn't have observed and wondered about this behavior of yours enough to post it in this forum.

 

[speiss]

THAT IS MY LIFE.

you tell me to get you a bowl of cereal, and I don't know what to do. I get something which is like a cup, and then I pour cereal into it but miss, and then pour milk on the counter where the cereal is, and then scoop the stuff on the counter into the cup.

To me, this is the natural way in which I would give the person whatever they asked because that's all I know of.

For the past year or two I've spent much time with my friend's family, going places with them and so on, and lots of things I didn't know how to do, make a bed (sort of), wash dishes, cook, clean and so on.. I do now. A bit. I liked to blame things on my mother for not teaching me basic things such as these.

But I notice on occasion that the misunderstandings, the odd ways of finding answers and solutions, go farther than chores. Yes, when I spilled something on the floor I poured water over it and then went for the mop (and subsequently got yelled at and scorned from the kitchen), or I licked a burning fork because I wanted to taste the brownie, but I've been through such trials like you have and learned from them.

Things like this still happen to me, where people wonder why I'm doing it this way when it's supposed to be that way, et certera, but I think things like these happen because we treat asking for help as just a fancy or a superfluity rather than actually means to find a solution, as perhaps -- and I kind of detest myself for saying this -- it's because of our personality types and how we solve problems ourselves, and correspond and collaborate inside our own minds, refusing help until the situation seems hopeless.

That's how it works for me, at least. But due to the frustration that occurs, I've started asking for help more often. Gives me practice socializing. And sometimes the employee is cute.

 

[conflict]

I seem to have this problem too, pisses the hell out of my parents.

me thinks it's because the person telling us to do something can see the bigger picture, while we can't. For example, they may ask you to clean up the water on the floor because someone else is coming and they want to room to look presentable. But you may not know someone is visiting, so you don't see the point of cleaning water off the floor. In cases like this, there is some missing information that i need before i will agree to do the stuff. Because maybe, just maybe, the person telling me to do stuff is going about things the wrong way.

Also, sometimes people may not provide enough detail. e.g. someone says "put this thing on the table" and the table's full. Obviously, we need to remove something from the table. But the problem is ... which one to remove (assuming there's more than one objects on table). There are so many possibilities...so usually i just end up standing by the table stupidly.

I find that asking for help, helps. Or ask for clearer instructions. Or ask them why you're supposed to be doing this (just don't let them know you think it's useless).
Tip: don't ask people when they're mad at you, makes them angrier and they won't tell you anything.

 

[Puffy]

Meh, my room is not exactly tidy, but that's because I'm the only one that inhabits it. It doesn't need to be orderly because I spend no time here - it is never seen.

If I was living in someone elses home though, or with other people, I would tidy a mess I made, just because it is courteous to said people. If you make a mess and leave it it could be perceived as you not having respect for the mutual space you share - just rubs off. It depends on who you live with though, I've lived with close friends who couldn't care less, and others who are a bit more organised than myself.

I think what you describe though, Mr. Burke, sounds very much like a Ti dom approach to things. If I heard "fetch the paper" I would assume they meant newspaper, just because I acknowledge that as a frequently used idiom of speech. Or if I walked into an office I would think just to ask the receptionist about jobs. I have Ni-Fe so I'm more content to make assumptions of these things based on past socialising and such.

Ti works very much from all it has available though. A lot of people here seem to be under the impression that INTPs invent ideas, when in my mind Ti refines things, it organises the available information.

Perhaps in your view, fetching a newspaper based on "fetch the paper" is an unneccessary assumption to the basic definition of the words used. However, I would expect, unless it's a new phrase to you, that you would have catalogued its social meaning by now. I think, being honest, your examples are a tad pedantic.

 

[Words]

Ti works very much from all it has available though. A lot of people here seem to be under the impression that INTPs invent ideas, when in my mind Ti refines things, it organises the available information.

Just for your context, I might not be looking at this with the right context. There is a big difference between INTP and just "Ti", INTP has Ne, that is where the invention of ideas come from.

Perhaps in your view, fetching a newspaper based on "fetch the paper" is an unneccessary assumption to the basic definition of the words used. However, I would expect, unless it's a new phrase to you, that you would have catalogued its social meaning by now. I think, being honest, your examples are a tad pedantic.

The problem with any form of social meaning is that it's not objective, It is very subjective and arbitrary. This is a problem because, in my head, it doesn't make sense to associate things so arbitrarily. It is also experience and memory-based.

 

[Dapper Dan]

Honestly? This sounds like the kind of thing I do when I've spent too long cooped up by myself doing nothing. It's like all my extroverted functions have been hibernating and they don't want to wake up. Interacting with people, objects, or my environment is way harder than it should be, and I have to constantly fight to keep myself from zoning out and just laying around.

Maybe we should call it the I-tis.

 

[ohrtonz]

I do this too. I like the example about putting something on the table but having to remove something, and you don't know what to remove.

I also think this behavior can also be in forced by others. You walk into a place a business, and finally get to confidence to ask someone, anyone, for help and then they act like your stupid. To them the answer is obvious, and they don't even point you to who can help. But to you, you've never been there before. So the next time you need to ask someone something you're afraid to because everyone seems to think your stupid.

I went to a club to see a band. The parking lot was in the back. I didn't want to completely walk around the whole building like an idiot trying to find the entrance. So I saw people on the deck, and the deck gate was not locked. So I thought it was a way to enter. I asked someone if this is where I can enter and they look at me all disgusted "uumm i dont know pfff". You know, they could have said "the entrance is over there", instead they chose to act like they thought I was stupid and that they had no clue what I was asking. I mean seriously, how did they even enter the place if they don't know where the entrance is?

ok ranted.

The light in my apartment went out as soon as I turned the light on. But the sound of popping came from the switch. Now, of all the times of turning lights off and on and having bulbs stop working, I never heard this in my 26 years of living. At least enough times to recognize what happened. I assumed something went wrong. I felt belittled by the office, she is nice, but kept calling me hunny and asking if I need help. It never occurred to me that a bulb blew, considering I never heard one before. Yes, I had a step later, I had spare bulbs, I've taking electricity class, I've changed outlets before, I changed all my bulbs to CFL, I've done network cabling, etc etc. I just felt offended. All I needed was someone to tell me to try and replace the bulb first, not act like I was stupid. Funny. to this day the light switch still crackles when I turn it on.

 

[Vrecknidj]

When I test on the MBTI I test about 55% N and 45% S, and I would guess that you test a lot closer to 95% N.

My assumption here is that there is this whole world of jargon and assumptions and terminology and the like, and it's foreign to you and maybe even unsettling that so many other, "normal" people seem to understand each other while you do not.

For myself, I'm pretty sure my N/S balance came about as a result of a super overbearing ISFJ father. But, after I grew up and got out on my own, I was able to evaluate which of his teachings were actually valuable and which were merely annoying. Eventually I found that a lot of S-type perspectives and values are actually tremendously useful and valuable.

So, I began adopting them. I give them my own spin, of course, but, I've learned how to "read" the S-world.

And I can tell you this: my life is easier now that I speak their language.

It's a skill. You can choose to learn it, or you can remain aloof and confused.

Dave

 

[lucky12]

So, I began adopting them. I give them my own spin, of course, but, I've learned how to "read" the S-world.

And I can tell you this: my life is easier now that I speak their language.

It's a skill. You can choose to learn it, or you can remain aloof and confused.

Dave

Agreed. I was always scared of using tape measures when I worked with a bunch of contractors, they made me a lot more S.

I explained my concerns and they thought I was funny, but they knew what I said was true I was just being overly cautious (worried out inconsistency/lack of experience)

 

[Solitaire U.]

Water on the floor evaporates. I think it's not normal that normal people urge to clean it up.

Absurd.

It's hip to be non-conformist and all that, until the day you realize you're in your mother's (or the owner of the floor's) position of having to bear the responsibility for repairing the damage...

"over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind.
Withering my intuition leaving opportunities behind.
Feed my will to feel this moment urging me to cross the line.
Reaching out to embrace the random.
Reaching out to embrace whatever may come."

 

[Cogwulf]

Earlier, I saw that a bunch of water was spilled on the floor, but to me it's just water on the floor. To someone living with me, they'd ask why there is water on the floor and then work to clean it up immediately.

Stepping in a puddle is not fun if you happen to not like wearing shoes indoors, there is also the possibility of slipping on it, and certain types of flooring may be damaged by it. I do not know if any of those circumstances apply to your situation, but water on the floor indoors is generally regarded as a bad thing which should be resolved promptly.

If somebody just took me to some place and told me to apply for a job, I'd probably stare at the entrance for a bit. Then I'd walk inside of the building and walk around looking for anything that tells me how to get a job.

The last thing I would do, right before giving up, would be to ask a random person how to get a job. A customer, the front guy, even a little kid. I'd ask anybody.

Normally the first person you would go to is the receptionist, as it is their job to tell people these things. If there is no receptionist (in a shop for example) I would go to an employee and ask if I could speak to their manager or ask if they knew where to send an application to.



These are the very basic rules of life. I'm not good at them myself, I don't like having to do these things, in fact I loathe doing these things, but I don't complain because I don't have a choice unless I want to live as a hermit.