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On the Correct Understanding of Dichotomy Intuition-Sensing by Trehov and Tsypin
¶
Written by
A. Trehov
and
P. Tsypin
from School of Structural Socionics.
Original text.
Review of Definitions and Confusions
¶
In this section, we will be discussing several definitions of
intuitive-sensing dichotomy encountered in literature.
“Intuition  an abstract perception of the world in manner of
holistic images and pictures of fantasy” [4, p 186.].
“Sensing  a function of concrete perception of the world through the
senses” [4, p 187.].
According to this definition, it turns out that intuitive types are
either born with “underdeveloped” senses, or don’t know how to use them.
Both interpretations explicitly discriminate against people of intuitive
types, especially considering their purely “abstract perception of the
world” and irresistible tendency to draw “pictures in their fantasy”.
From these definitions it appears that an intuitive type  is a person
who receives weak or distorted signals from their senses (he poorly
sees, hears, smells, touches), and, in addition to that, he further
obscures his perception of the surrounding world by continuous
groundless fantasizing. So here it turns out that an intuitive type  is
a disabled person, from a physical as well as from a mental point of
view.
“Sensing type  perceives the world concretely, living in the “here
and now”, values comfort, knows how to create it, gravitates to
practical activities, prefers getting results from his work in a
material form.
Intuitive type  is characterized by a holistic perception of
reality, a dreamer and a romantic, an experimenter and a generator of
many ideas that are sometimes impracticable. At times he is
scattered, and prefers uncertain opportunities to real benefits.” [5,
p. 57]
With this definition it turns out that about half of humanity “doesn’t
value comfort”. Of course it isn’t like this. Intuitive types are people
same as sensing types, and also love to enjoy comfort  in the
acceptable to each manner. Moreover, frequently enough one encounters
people of sensing types who lead a spartan way of life, who love
difficult treks and hikes, and other “testing” experiences. They tend to
think that the traditional “bourgeois”, “European comfort” is for people
who are too weak and tender.
Further, it is unclear why intuitive types generate unfeasible ideas?
What is the inexhaustible source of their “idiocy”? It would have made
more sense to say that intuitive types, by virtue of their natural
orientation at the control of time parameters, tend to generate ideas
for the future, that are intended for realization after a certain period
of time. However, this is also not the case, as the ideas of intuitive
types are often oriented at the present situation, for example, in many
companies people of intuitive types work successfully in marketing (and
as managers in other specializations). TIMs LIE, IEE, IEI can instantly
provide a number of solutions to a difficult situation. Without their
ideas and methods some modern businesses and companies would struggle to
succeed.
Finally, who is this person who prefers “vague, unpredictable
possibilities” to “real concrete benefits”? Are there people who
voluntarily refuse real rewards and income? Such people are very hard to
find, both among sensing types and among intuitive types. Even the most
“hopeless” intuitive type is not going to give up the real benefit that
(with varying degrees of probability) is coming into his hands. Another
matter that the potential and possibilities of future benefits are
usually of interest to him, and he is always ready to consider or
discuss his financial plans or hopes at least. But this doesn’t prevent
the intuitive type from earning money in the present. It should be
noted, however, that intuitive types, by virtue of their fundamental
orientation at time, are more patient with waiting to receive their
rewards than sensing types. Intuitive types are more strategic in this
sense, ready to wait until they recoup their expenses and until measures
initiated by them become actualized.
“In accordance with the direction of their activities - practical and
theoretical - people can be distinguished by their belonging to one
of the other pole of the scale “sensing - intuition.”
Sensing types - are people of concrete sensations. They have
well-developed spatial orientation, thanks to well-developed senses
(sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch). Sensing types are very
practical. They can’t do without physical activity and movement, and
are able to do many things with their own hands. They are very
attentive to their appearance, health, comfort, and nutrition.
Motivated primarily by material incentives. If you act more than you
think and meditate, you are a sensing type.
” … Intuitive types - are people of imagination and fantasy. They
live not in the present day as by the future prospects. They lack in
practical sense and groundedness, and are more interested in abstract
problems than the actual state of affairs. They are often motivated
by interesting engagements and extraordinary people than material
gains and immediate rewards. Often, they don’t pay enough attention
to their health and appearance. If you think more than you act, you
are an intuitive type “[3, p. 20].
This definition is quite biased in our view. First of all, people of
intuitive types are able to experience “concrete sensations” and process
information that comes from their senses just as well as people of
sensing types. Next, spatial orientation (for example, in a city) is
functionally dependent on an entire set of factors: on sensing of the
surrounding space (“near / far” and so forth) - Se, on ability to orient
by maps and schematic drawings - Ti, on ability to create
representations of an area based on visual impressions and maps - Ne,
and so on. It is also notable that representatives of very different
types complain about their “topographical cretinism”, including TIMs
ESE, SEE, SLI, while people of other types are able to successfully
navigate an area not having any sensing aspects in their ego block.
Further, according to this description, it turns out that intuitive
types “can do without physical activity” and are not very attentive to
their appearance and their health. So, their own health is of no
interest to them? Physical activity and sports attract intuitive types
no less than sensing types: for intuitive types this is an area of
self-development and a great opportunity to keep fit. Among professional
athletes in “non-combat” sports intuitive TIMs EIE, LIE, ILE, IEI, and
LII are often encountered.
Finally, the “dichotomy” “thinking / action” seems inaccurate. A
question arises: is it possible, in principle, to only think or to only
act? Certainly not. From this follows that any individual has a specific
(innate) balance of thought to activity. The period of reflection makes
it possible to act effectively; the period of action necessitates
further reflection. Is it needed to calculate how much time is necessary
for acting and for thinking? Obviously, this would be meaningless. This
definition implies that sensing types tend to act without thinking, and
intuitive types - are simply slackers, spectators, and couch potatoes,
plunged headlong into a barren thought process. Does this peculiar
distinction relate to socionics traits? No, not in the slightest.
Our definition
¶
Intuition  the predominant attitude of mind oriented at perception
and processing of information about objects in time.
Sensing  the predominant attitude of mind oriented at perception
and processing of information about objects in space.
Therefore, this dichotomy defines the orientation of consciousness, its
approach to assessing phenomena. Approach of sensing types: the
phenomenona fundamentally do not change and will remain as they are now,
that is, the time factor is ignored (fully or partially). Approach of
intuitive types is that the phenomena are constantly changing under the
influence of various factors, and mainly under the influence of time
itself; thus, for intuitives the world around them seems unstable,
“unreliable”. Neither of these approaches can be considered to be more
successful than the other  they simply have different spheres of
application: sensing type approach to reality is intended for management
of space and its characteristics, while the intuitive type approach is
intended for management of phenomena in time. There is no competition
here.
This dichotomy is sufficiently accurately described by terms “tactics”
and “strategy”, where “tactics” denotes the priority of dealing with
immediate problems and “strategy” denotes assessment of potential and
possibilities of current situation, and constant correlation of the
current moment with outlook for the future. A more detailed analysis of
the topic “tactics / strategy” is presented in article [7]. Here, we
will provide only one quotation from Ausra Augustinavichiute:
“They (intuitive types) are distinguished by strategic abilities and
much calmness and sobriety in relation to all that is happening, but
at the same by slowness. Sensing types are distinguished by tactical
abilities: quick decision-making, tempo, and rhythm of life, and
busyness” [1, str.236].
If we consider the given dichotomy primitively, then the following
example would be characteristic. A certain “typical” sensor has
quarreled with some “typical” intuitive. It came to use of physical
force, and the sensor won. The sensor is inclined to think in this
situation that his opponent is defeated forever, and that if a similar
situation repeats he will easy win again. The intuitive will make very
different conclusions: he might take up sports or self-defense classes,
and when the conflict happens again his opponent can quite unexpectedly
encounter fierce resistance. Conclusion: If we consider the situation
from the perspective of “here and now”, the winner usually the sensing
type; if we take into account perspectives and opportunities provided by
time, the victory may be on the side of the intuitive type. The sensing
type is not inclined to consider that someone or something that can
seriously change: one who was weak, in his opinion, will remain weak
forever.
A classic example from history that illustrates the dichotomy of
intuition-sensing was the war of 1812. A sensing type Napoleon
Bonaparte, having seized large tracts of territory of opponent state and
occupied its capital, was sure that he has won, but the time factor
worked against him, and the victory eventually went to Mikhail Kutuzov
(Ni,Te), who objectively assessed the dynamics of what is happening and
the possible further developments of the military-strategic situation.
Sensors-Intuitives and Waiting
¶
Sensing types don’t know how to wait. They get virtually nothing from
waiting. When a typical sensing type is made to wait, they become
anxious or even aggressive. Intuitive type worries about waiting
only
if
this waiting will “eat up” certain other possibilities or some of
his concrete abilities. If waiting is harmless in this sense, he will
wait calmly, and even with pleasure: as the passing of time
automatically brings him closer to his goals. Intuitive types often
mentally consider or talk about the topic if “too late - too early”,
implying that an expected event will still happen at some given time, so
no need to worry.
Sensors-Intuitives and Uncertainty
¶
All other things held equal (
ceteris paribus
), a sensing type worries
much more in conditions of informational uncertainty than an intuitive
type. Certainty for a sensing type - is defined as full knowledge
(clarity) of all concrete aspects, factors, and circumstances of a
situation. Certainty for an intuitive type - is researching and
obtaining needed blocks of information, from which intuitive type
further extrapolates and make conjectures, thereby filling in for the
missing pieces of information.
Confusion with other traits
¶
Intuition may be mistaken for irrationality due to its characteristic
“non-rigid” planning**. All people make plans, but plans of sensory
types are quite concrete, containing many specific aspects, and based on
the current actual state of affairs. Plans of intuitive types, in
contrast, are based on their perception of the potential and
possibilities of what could happen and where it could possibly lead, and
don’t always have a direct connection to the concrete state of affairs
of the present moment.
Note
Editor’s note: This point specifically complicates the typing of Pe-Ij types, as due to accentuated irrational creative function, they are far from making an impression of what Rational types are described to be like, and not infrequently try typing themselves into Irrational types, e.g. a LII-Ne may seriously consider ILE, ILI, or IEI as their type, based on the conspicuous irrationality of their accentuated creative Ne function.
Environmental factors
¶
Very often the sensing-intuitive dichotomy is considered to be related
to everyday practicality of people: sensing types are “always practical
and neat”, while intuitive types are “impractical and sloppy”. We hope
that from what was written above the lack of direct correlation between
everyday or domestic practicality and socionics dichotomies is evident.
We note that presence or absence of practical skills and acumen is
related to a person’s living environment. For example, it is obvious
that people who live in the countryside, away from modern urban
civilization, often from young age learn many practical and domestic
upkeep skills, such as farming, chopping wood, milking cows, household
maintenance, etc. regardless of their type. Analogously, many sensing
types who live in modern cities do not have such skills - their sensing
is often directed at aesthetics and self-care. If an intuitive type
finds himself at remote from civilization regions, he will quickly learn
all the necessary know-how and skills. There is no “pathological”
inability to develop “sensory skills” in intuitive types - only
unwillingness or irrelevance of their development. **
Here we quote the position of V. Gulenko:
“The states of function may be deterministic, coming as a consequence
of age. In particular, for children the most filled functions are
sensory ones, for young adults - ethical, for mature people -
logical, and in the elderly - intuitive. However, such developments
may also be arbitrary - resulting from individual’s adaptation to his
environment or conscious learning and practice. If we consider such
dynamic traits of type, then we need to add the following requirement
to sociotype diagnostics: in process of type identification, it is
necessary to figure out the
relative
and not absolute expression of
a person’s functions. From this it follows that there may be ethical
types who are more effective at solving some local logical problems,
than logical types … As well as, sensing types who are more
imaginative and dreamy than intuitive types, and, conversely,
intuitive types displaying practical acumen in various situations
that exceeds the grounding of average sensing types” [2].
Note
Editors’ note: Other factors that may influence how grounded, practical, and pragmatic a person seems are their upbringing, education, socioeconomic level of their parents, and their own earnings. Sensing types are often described as being more wise with use of money, more concerned with material resources and prosperity, while intuitive types are described as spendthrifts who ignore their material levels of life. However, an intuitive type coming from a background of poverty may be more keen with their material resources and thrifty with the use of their money than a sensing type coming from a rich upper class family that always provided for them. Likewise, many practical and personal upkeep skills and know-how are taught to children and young adults by their parents. If a person of sensing type was never taught such skills, they could appear to be poorly adapted in a practical sense. Care should be taken to not mistake sensing-intuition dichotomy for the impact of parenting and socioeconomic factors.
Diagnostic
¶
Here, characteristics of external appearance and person’s physique could
be of help. The relevant information is provided in [6]. We will only
note only that effective control of objects in space necessitates
stronger physical constitution, while control of objects in time could
suffice with weaker physical constitution.
Literature
¶
Augustinavichiute A. “Socionics: Introduction” / Comp. L. Filippov.
M. - SPb., AST, 1998.
Gulenko V. V. “Disappear in Order to Reappear Again” // Socionics,
Mentology and Personality Psychology, 3, 1995.
Meged V. V., Ovcharov A. A. “Learn to manage people effectively.” -
Evenly: PPF “Volinski charms” 2000.
Rumyantsev E. A. “On the Way to Understanding: Socionics for Teachers
and Parents.” - M .: Armada-press, 2002.
Filatova E. S. “Socionics for all. Science of communication,
understanding and consent.” - SPb .: B & K 1999.
Tsypin P. E. “Techniques of Successful Typing.” - M .: Good Keyword:
black squirrels, 2005.
Tsypin P. E. “Jung Foundations and the True Basis of Socionics or
Partial Reprogramming of Socionic Functions” //, Socionics,
Mentology, and Psychology of Personality, 3, 2005.
Additional Links
¶
On the Correct Understanding of Dichotomy Extroversion-Introversion by Trehov and Tsypin
On the Correct Understanding of Dichotomy Logic-Ethics by Trehov and Tsypin
On the Correct Understanding of Dichotomy Intuition-Sensing by Trehov and Tsypin
On the Correct Understanding of Dichotomy Rationality-Irrationality by Trehov and Tsypin