By Donna Dunning
Having worked with personality type for about 25 years, I have come to recognize how difficult it can be to sort out who you really are from all the personal, societal, and situational pressures to act and react in certain ways.
Several of my clients and workshop participants have struggled to separate what is natural for them from what they have learned to do. Here are some points that might make it easier to figure out your natural preference.
We all use Sensing and Intuition
The question, really, is not – Are you a sensor or an intuitive? Although people do talk like this as short hand for describing their preference, the reality is that we all spend some of our time Sensing (focusing on realities and concrete sensory data) and using Intuition (focusing on patterns, making inferences, and imagining possibilities).
Rather, to understand your personality type preferences, the questions you need to ask yourself are:
What do I focus on first, facts or possibilities?
Which do I trust more, what I know to be true from experience or ideas and concepts?
When learning, do I need the “big picture” first or do I prefer to build the big picture from the data?
Sensors can use, build, and enjoy theory
From some type descriptions you may get the impression that only people who prefer Intuition have great ideas and build interesting theories. Although it is true that people who prefer Intuition are naturally drawn to ideas, everyone makes inferences and links facts together.
In fact, most people have a preference for Sensing and many are certainly attracted to abstract theoretical pursuits. They may build their understanding through the facts, but are not limited to this mode of information gathering.
In a similar manner, people who prefer Intuition can focus on facts and details when necessary. Personality type dichotomies are never one or the other; they simply represent a preference for one approach over the other.
Sensors can be creative
Many type descriptions tend to use the word “creative” when describing Intuition.
This can be confusing if you have a preference for Sensing and see yourself as creative. Many artisans, actors, and other creative people prefer Sensing.
Sensors may enjoy using their creativity to solve or troubleshoot immediate problems. They may create products that entice the senses or make a situation more pleasant or practical for someone. However they chose to express themselves, creativity can certainly be associated with a preference for Sensing.
Similarly, people who prefer Intuition can be practical and realistic.
If you get caught up in the words in the type descriptions, it can be easy to mistype yourself.
Only You Know for Sure
When determining your natural preference, be careful not to get caught up in any particular word or nuance in the personality type descriptions.
Think of who you are, what you naturally prefer, and consider which form of information you tend to focus on first.
For more information on why you might complete an inaccurate self-assessment, see my Why Validate Your Type post.
You may find it helpful to read more about Sensing and Intuition in these posts:
What’s Your Preference: Sensing or Intuition
Working with Your S/N Preferences
Connecting Personality Type to Communication: S/N Differences
What’s Your Type?
Learn about your personal approach on our What’s Your Type? page where we’ll introduce you to personality type and the 8 Ways of Working.
This is absolutely true. My primary bent is to intuitiveness, but I’m very good with details. Both are of great assistance in programming.