The Sensor generally believes information he or she receives from the external world. You may rely mostly on Sensing if you solve problems by working through facts and then form the “big picture,” and trust what you experience more than what you sense.

Sensing people generally pay more attention to physical reality. They remember details and see the practical application of what they learn.

The Intuitive more readily believes information received from the internal, intuitive world. You may rely mostly on Intuition if you solve problems by considering possibilities and deducing facts from the “big picture.”

We should mention that the use of the word “intuitive” in this post and MBTI has nothing to do with what we think of as a “psychic intuitive.” Instead, we are referring to the “inner voice” we all have and use to different degrees.

“It is up to each person to recognize his or her true preferences.”

Isabel Briggs Myers

Teachers can apply an understanding of this spectrum by observing how their students learn, and adapting teaching styles accordingly. A Sensor may learn best by movement, by using all their senses to absorb the information. The child using Intuition may be more subtle in their learning, preferring to make their own judgments about what is being taught. And as parents understand these MBTI concepts, they can better understand if a teacher’s point of view reflects her own personality preferences, rather than judgement about a child’s learning capabilities.

In a relationship, an understanding that a spouse will only “believe it when I see it” can indicate a strong preference for Sensing, where the other spouse might see the “big picture” and make inferences from more subtle cues as an Intuitive. Understanding each other’s preferred method of processing information can greatly improve communication.

Next month we will continue this series with the decision-making pairing of Thinking or Feeling.

(Image credit: Ventrilock)