Humanitarian Socionics

Sensorics and intuitives. The sensory / intuitive dichotomy in socionics

In the objective, physical world, sensory types feel like a "fish in water". They have everyday practicality, can conveniently arrange their living space. In the absence of stress, they relate to routine procedures, the very process of caring for material objects.

Intuitive types are much less practical in the material world. They have a harder life; they have less developed manual skills. They work well with their hands only when they desire to make something unique, which is embodies their imagination.

The materialistic nature of sonsory types is also evident in their interpersonal communication. They communicate on the principle of "here and now", accepting the person as they are in the current situation. The problem of overestimating or underestimating their abilities, coming from the idealization of reality, is not typical for sensory types.

Intuitive types communicate with a person on the principle of "there and then", that is, they turn to the image that they have formed about a person of this type. This image is an idealized construction. For this reason, intuitive types have difficulties with an adequate self-esteem, and they tend to put unrealistic expectations on others. In society, intuitive types show tendencies to innovate, and are the first to pay attention to fundamentally new approaches. At the same time, they are not at all deterred by the lack of testing, the lack of precedent, the non-deductibility of already known facts. These are the authors and distributors of ideas in society. They are responsible for theories, inventions, products, lifestyles, behaviors, fashions, etc. that are initially rejected by the majority.

Sensory types are guided by familiar, justified, and past experiences. If there is a new product, they are not in a hurry to adopt it, waiting for others to do it first. But after accepting something new and ensuring that it works, they will no longer reject it. They are driven primarily by a utilitarian interest, not curiosity.

Sensory types are people with concrete, visual and effective thinking. They have no desire for speculative constructions. Even if the sensory types are engaged in abstract-theoretical activities, they prefer to proceed from existing analogues. Free imagination, separation of thought from known forms, and creative insight are not characteristic of them.

Intuitive types have abstract (non-contextual) thinking. They are happy to think in the most abstract, purely speculative categories. They create inventions "out of their heads", they need empirical material only to confirm or refute their guesses. Intuitive intelligence tends to fantasize, imagine, live in a fictional (improved or worsened) reality.