Information overload

[James Black]

This is one problem that has been bothering me, and I'm curious if any other INTPs have this, or can give insight on it. I'm not sure if its due to the way I take in information (as suggested of your average INTP, I'm more of a "the whole picture" type of person, and I don't notice small details...) or just something that is strictly a problem with me.

In my C++ class, for instance, I can code faster than anyone else in the class. There are maybe two students who have a hope of at some point, with more training, keeping up with me. Now, despite my above-average understanding of the logic and syntax involved, I seem to be much slower than a few others at taking in something thats not mine. What I mean by this is that I can follow along with the professor well, and can help other students with problems they have, but when helping others, it takes me awhile to break into the proper state of mind. If someone has a problem, when I look at their code, no matter how clean, organized, or perfect it is, and no matter if the other student is pointing out the exact problem and telling me all the information I need to know, I'm lost. Just completely and utterly without any understanding... Which seems awkward to me, considering I am usually an extremely fast learner, picking anything up with little effort. In cases like this, I actually have to stop and tell myself to slow down, and take things one at a time to figure out whats going on, otherwise, all the information at once seems to get jumbled up and go nowhere inside my head.

Thoughts?

 

[Felan]

This is one problem that has been bothering me, and I'm curious if any other INTPs have this, or can give insight on it. I'm not sure if its due to the way I take in information (as suggested of your average INTP, I'm more of a "the whole picture" type of person, and I don't notice small details...) or just something that is strictly a problem with me.

In my C++ class, for instance, I can code faster than anyone else in the class. There are maybe two students who have a hope of at some point, with more training, keeping up with me. Now, despite my above-average understanding of the logic and syntax involved, I seem to be much slower than a few others at taking in something thats not mine. What I mean by this is that I can follow along with the professor well, and can help other students with problems they have, but when helping others, it takes me awhile to break into the proper state of mind. If someone has a problem, when I look at their code, no matter how clean, organized, or perfect it is, and no matter if the other student is pointing out the exact problem and telling me all the information I need to know, I'm lost. Just completely and utterly without any understanding... Which seems awkward to me, considering I am usually an extremely fast learner, picking anything up with little effort. In cases like this, I actually have to stop and tell myself to slow down, and take things one at a time to figure out whats going on, otherwise, all the information at once seems to get jumbled up and go nowhere inside my head.

Thoughts?

Having been a professional programmer for close to ten years now, I can say that my experience is that reading code is very much harder for everyone (that I've ever engaged about this) than writing code. Its a very normal sensation. I would add that it is a great skill to cultivate and increasing proficiency with it will tender tremendous benefits.

 

[James Black]

Thanks for the reply. Its an awkward feeling I've never really felt to this extent before. ^.^