Sense of Direction

[Rubicon]

I'm thinking Se types probably have the best sense of direction in the stereotypical sense of the term - knowing where north, south, etc. are - having a concrete map in their head of where they are at all times.

I think Si types have a good relative sense of direction. I don't think the actual directions of N, S, E and W hold any relevance to them in terms of reaching their destination. 'North' becomes where they are facing; the other directions fall into place relatively. For example, I can't see an aerial-type map of Melbourne city in my head, though I know all the streets like the back of my hand. My nose is my north, and the city just swivels around in my head as I move. I guess the world revolves around me. It's a subjective viewpoint as opposed to the Se's objectivity.

I guess an Si's sense of direction is an inferior one in that it is only effective in action, not in theory. It can't really be communicated, because it's about reacting to landmarks as they appear rather than having an accurate idea of the distances between landmarks and how everything looks on a map.

I guess it has to do with the static-vs-dynamic concept.

Also, I think Se types give directions in a "right, left, right" type of way, whereas Si types are more likely to say "continue towards the giant pineapple" or something. Though maybe that's getting into Te/Ti territory. Idk.

This is mostly conjecture, so feel free to correct or tear this into shreds as it pleases you.

Also, I was wondering whether Intuitve types could use their Intuition to guide them effectively, or whether they have to resort to using their Sensing functions. I've noticed that Ni types seem to have a fairly shocking sense of direction.

[cracka]

Hmm, I'm an Si type and I always know my N,S,E,W pretty easily. So I think you may be off on that a bit. But as far as the way I give directions, you nailed me. I could imagine myself saying "go left after the big pineapple" pretty easily.

[Rubicon]

Hmm, I'm an Si type and I always know my N,S,E,W pretty easily. So I think you may be off on that a bit. But as far as the way I give directions, you nailed me. I could imagine myself saying "go left after the big pineapple" pretty easily.

There's that theory down the tubes then ... Lol

So how would you say you are when it comes to guessing distances between objects? Would you be able to draw an aerial perspective map of an area you know well?

[Creepy-Cyclops]

I don't know my ass from my elbow.

[Rubicon]

Go north towards the big pinneaple, may be an ethical thing.

Why ethical?

Se is concrete and likes to focus on exact details. North is a detail. South is another detail. West is a detail. Each one is defined completely independently of the other. So you can have one or the other, but not both at the same time. You mentally switch between them.

That's a good way of putting it. I find it hard to get my head around Se.

Si is more analog than Se, it doesn't like to define things explicitly or make laboriously detailed statements. I think a good way of visualizing Si is to imagine a thick syrup. Syrup is thick and when it moves, it's whole body moves along. It's hard to seperate it out. Consider that for an Si type, details tend to mesh together like a thick syrup of details (). The way you described the city moving around your nose is perfect example.

Sorry if the analogy sounds a bit over the top... but hey, I'm practicing how to use Si.

Don't diss the syrup analogy - I like it. :-) Finding it hard to separate details is something I definitely relate to.

What do you think about intuitive types' sense of direction?

[Rubicon]

I don't know my ass from my elbow.

I could show you if you like, but it involves pain. :-p

[Elro]

Actually, cracka's way of seeing things could be more related to extroversion/introversion than S. He could be using Fe to define the directions instead of Si. Fe, Just like Se (both are extroverted elements), see the world in terms of concrete details.

Ehhhhh I'm not so sure about this.

But yeah, my dad is probably ESE (if not, then SEI) and he is pretty good with directions. I wonder if it is because of his days in the Boy Scouts or a general knack for it, though.

[cracka]

Ehhhhh I'm not so sure about this.

But yeah, my dad is probably ESE (if not, then SEI) and he is pretty good with directions. I wonder if it is because of his days in the Boy Scouts or a general knack for it, though.

I was a boy scout for more years than I'd care to say...lol, but I think I always had a knack for it if you ask me.

[theMime.]

My sense of direction is complete crap. I am THE MOST direction retarded person I know. Prolly cuz my spatial ability is complete crap.

[xyz]

My sense of direction is complete crap. I am THE MOST direction retarded person I know. Prolly cuz my spatial ability is complete crap.

let's hear it for us direction-tards

[meatburger]

My sense of Erection is great. I know exactly when im getting one

like *ooooh* now

[redbaron]

My ESE husband is (not surprisingly) much like cracka. he definitely uses landmarks to give directions and he expects that other people know exactly what he's talking about (I mean, if you haven't noticed that big pineapple you're like a total dunce).

I'm surprisingly good at finding things, given the fact that I don't notice stuff. I usually just follow my nose. When I find myself somewhere, I can remember if it's left or right from there by the way it feels. And then I can tell when I'm lost because the whole picture just doesn't feel right. If that makes sense. But I can never articulate any of this, I just do it in the moment.

[aka-kitsune]

I apparently inherited my mother's great sense of direction. I can often navigate my return to any place after I've been there once. It does seem to me to be a function of . Not so much planning (as mentioned in the other thread) but more like I see the route mapped out in my head. Based on, say, 3 places I need to go, I can devise a route that is efficient, involves no doubling back or unnecessary travel (unless I actually prefer the scenic route). When I'm in the supermarket, I really can't stand wandering from end to end of the store without some logic. It's really irritating when I forget something in the produce aisle while I'm standing 7 aisles over in frozen foods. >=(

In fact, I tend to notice that the ego-type people I know can tend to be so distracted by all the possibilities in front of them that they often don't know how to organize them into an efficient route. They are most likely to have GPS to save themselves the hassle.

[Blaze]

My ESE husband is (not surprisingly) much like cracka. he definitely uses landmarks to give directions and he expects that other people know exactly what he's talking about (I mean, if you haven't noticed that big pineapple you're like a total dunce).

I'm surprisingly good at finding things, given the fact that I don't notice stuff. I usually just follow my nose. When I find myself somewhere, I can remember if it's left or right from there by the way it feels. And then I can tell when I'm lost because the whole picture just doesn't feel right. If that makes sense. But I can never articulate any of this, I just do it in the moment.

i do this too when i don't know the exact direction. totally. i generally know where i am especially with roads and streets. on the other hand, out in the wilderness, it's really really easy to get turned around.

although i am pretty good at directions. i use a combination approach to describe them to others...like i'll say, "make a left on X street - you'll see a mcdonald's across the street - then make a quick right on Y street...it's the 3rd house on the left, #1155.

[Markuz]

My sense of direction isn't terrible, but it could use a little work. I remember one time on my way to school and a woman asked me where a certain street was and though it was on the corner of the block we were on, I sent her in the wrong direction by accident...

Basically, if one wanted directions from me, i'd hate for them to ask about street signs(I don't follow them). Anyway, if the place is in walking distance i'll usually just say something like "Come, i'll take you."

[Mea]

I'm thinking Se types probably have the best sense of direction in the stereotypical sense of the term - knowing where north, south, etc. are - having a concrete map in their head of where they are at all times.

I think Si types have a good relative sense of direction. I don't think the actual directions of N, S, E and W hold any relevance to them in terms of reaching their destination. 'North' becomes where they are facing; the other directions fall into place relatively. For example, I can't see an aerial-type map of Melbourne city in my head, though I know all the streets like the back of my hand. My nose is my north, and the city just swivels around in my head as I move. I guess the world revolves around me. It's a subjective viewpoint as opposed to the Se's objectivity.

I guess an Si's sense of direction is an inferior one in that it is only effective in action, not in theory. It can't really be communicated, because it's about reacting to landmarks as they appear rather than having an accurate idea of the distances between landmarks and how everything looks on a map.

I guess it has to do with the static-vs-dynamic concept.

Also, I think Se types give directions in a "right, left, right" type of way, whereas Si types are more likely to say "continue towards the giant pineapple" or something. Though maybe that's getting into Te/Ti territory. Idk.

This is mostly conjecture, so feel free to correct or tear this into shreds as it pleases you.

Also, I was wondering whether Intuitve types could use their Intuition to guide them effectively, or whether they have to resort to using their Sensing functions. I've noticed that Ni types seem to have a fairly shocking sense of direction.

dunno how true that is, because my SEE and SLE friends have a pretty poor sense of direction. I have pretty good sense of direction.

[Mea]

don't really know how to explain it. but it's like a big picture in my head, where a certain place is, where to turn no matter where i am. hmm

[Ms. Kensington]

i was just having a conversation with my ESFp sis the other day about this. She said that I didn't have a good sense of direction and i became furious since i consider this to be one of my best abilities (always lauded by my ISFp mother). She meant, however, that I don't remember whether one of the streets was one way, rather than knowing which direction to go. So it was a matter of giving good directions, like her automated GPS.

I had never seen Se as seeing a map, but with being able to react and steal those parking spaces on the side of the street so that we don't have to pay for parking. I think you will have to relate that sort of thing to more than one of the elements.

[aka-kitsune]

I had never seen Se as seeing a map, but with being able to react and steal those parking spaces on the side of the street so that we don't have to pay for parking. I think you will have to relate that sort of thing to more than one of the elements.

Not paying for parking is good, but I definitely don't have the patience to drive around and around the same freaking streets looking for a spot. In those cases, I'm a fan of least effort. It is definitely worth splitting the $15 or $20 dollars to avoid the spike in my BP. Combing the streets for parking during events in the city is nervewracking.

[liveandletlive]

i can see why you'd say that but IME with gamma NTs they seem to be veryyyyyy good with directions and finding their way around places.

[iAnnAu]

Well, just to put another opinion/example out there, I'm great with direction (including NESW), and can give very detailed directions (including elements of distance, direction, landmarks AND streetnames, though usually not all of them for a given location), because I do draw a map in my head. I didn't even realize that I do this (or maybe it was that I didn't realize that not everyone does this) until a friend of mine and I were planning out a trip and totally geeking out over an atlas. We were talking about all the different possibilities about routes and scenery, and eventually she told me about friends she's had who had poor senses of direction, and mentioned that she thinks of places from an aerial view, and that they didn't. That's when I realized I do that too.
I can certainly see how functions could be related to this issue, but I don't think it's a necessary correlation to say Se (or Si) thinks in map-sense or cardinal-sense, or that intuitives give landmarks instead of distances in explanations of how to get to a place ...
I have a good enough sense of direction that I like making myself go down routes I haven't been before, including in strange cities. I've ended up in some seriously gnarly neighborhoods, and yet I've always survived the trip. And I have grown into some measure of pride in trying to find a reasonably efficient way back from a place that does not involve mere backtracking (e.g., I try to return in a way different than I went in). If I've been to a place once, I can usually get back there myself, though if it's really complicated it may take me another visit before I feel comfortable giving another person directions to it.
I am interested in hearing from more intuitives about this, now ...

[cracka]

I've been in arguments before with people because I knew where something was at and how to get there and didn't want to put it into their GPS...lol. I think the addition of GPS to our society is totally fucking up any sense of direction that's left in the world today. I actually like saying, pass x sign and go about a quarter mile, turn left at the car dealership, go about a hundred yards and there's a driveway with an orange mailbox, turn in there and i'll meet you outside. Instead people say, well I put it in the Garmin and it took me down the next road. Bleh.

[ScarlettLux]

All I know is that I am terrible with directions, absolutely terrible. My IEI best friends are all terrible as well. I think it has something to do with repressed ...