By Donna Dunning
Communication is complex and it is, of course, impossible to describe all of the dynamics and complexities of relationships or interactions in a short post.
What this post will do is describe some general positive characteristics and potential challenges that may occur when a person with preferences for Sensing interacts with a person who prefers iNtuition.
I hope you can use this information as a starting point for a better understanding of your relationships with others.
Enjoy the conversation
• A consideration of facts and details as well as a focus on potential and possibilities
• Blending of practicalities with possibilities and integrating of dreams into actions
• S’s ground the N’s in reality and N’s can help S’s see what could be
• S’s help the N’s to observe and enjoy the here and now
• N’s help the S’s see the long-term value of change while S’s help N’s attend to the facts and realities of situations
But watch out for
• Miscommunications when a person who prefers S asks for specific information and a person who prefers N responds with an interpretation (e.g. What time is it? Time to go. See S/N Differences blog)
• S’s may find N’s language and ideas too abstract and impractical and may become impatient with the metaphors and figures of speech that Ns enjoy using
• N’s may find S’s don’t appreciate their need to play with ideas and may see S’s as “shooting down ideas” or “resistant to change”.
• The reality (S) and the vision (N) may not be aligned
• Starting points for change and what needs to be communicated during change are not aligned
For more information on what people need during change, check out my Four Temperaments and Change post.
Of course, personality type preferences are only part of how you communicate and a discussion of one personality type preference pair doesn’t adequately describe personality type dynamics.
If you are interested in reading more about whole type interactions, see my Getting Along post and my Introduction to Type and Communication booklet.
If you live in the USA, Introduction to Type and Communication is now available on Kindle.