creative Ni

[Ms. Kensington]

I heard an ENFj say that he "can only look forward, thinking about something that I am doing. I can't look back. It's just how I'm wired".

Do ENTjs also agree with this? Do INxps?

[FDG]

I can look back no problem, otherwise I could not understand how a situation could develop over time. However, whenever I am doing something I do tend to look towards what I will be doing next - sometimes, when I am more stressed, this results in "not living in the present", which would be what Si PoLR is about (partially).

[Kristiina]

I think I can relate to this quote - When I'm in the middle of a project, I look forward to see what I have to do. And when I look back I feel quilty about what didn't go perfectly. I must not look back too often because it's so demotivating.

[Expat]

I can relate to what Kristiina and FDG said, and also to the quote, although the quote seems too "absolute".

If I'm in the middle of doing something, I look forward. However, otherwise, or when I "pause", I often look back, in order to muse about what I could have done better, if anything.

[Gilly]

I dunno, when I look back it's rarely to, say, five minutes ago, or what I was doing "right before this;" I tend to forget these kinds of things really easily (I was actually talking about this with people at work yesterday). When I think about the past it's usually experiences/places/people I miss, people I wish I had gotten to know better, or other highly reflective content. Rarely will I think about something that has happened recently unless I'm all-out dwelling on it.

[aka-kitsune]

I always look back. It's the IEI way. Ruminating over the past, wishing things would change for the better in the future, but never really being present in the moment.

And Gilly...! Don't tell me some hopelessly misguided soul convinced you that you were actually a 6?? I'm so disappointed. How could you let that happen?? You are SO the epitome of the e7 it's criminal.

[ScarlettLux]

Yep, I have a problem with living in the present moment, for sure. I'm always thinking about the future, what's about to happen, what I should do next, or say next...

This can be really annoying to Si Ego types or Si seeking people. They always want me to enjoy the moment and stop "stressing" (this is how they see me) ... and "relax." This is probably my worst pet peeve, when people think I'm not relaxed enough. Why should I be? There are things to do, people to see, stuff to look forward to! The future for me is always more exciting than what's happening at the moment... Unless it's like an event I've been hyping up, or whatever.

I have this tendency to really build up to "stages" in my life... or um, just certain points where I feel are important. The rest in between just seems really mundane, and I can forget about that stuff, because it is all "preparation" for my big show, my big breakout in life. It's kinda hard to explain. It's like when the boring, little things happen in life that I don't want to deal with, I just forget about it, so it goes by quicker. I fantasize in my mind that this is the lull before the storm ... before the REAL stuff happens in my life, which helps me get through boring times.

I see myself as different from IEIs because I have noticed that they have more of a tendency to dwell on the nostalgia of the past, rather than look ahead as much as I do, with as much of a focus on achievement of goals and such. They are more about truly being "in the flow" with time... while I am constantly trying to "use" time to my advantage.

[Sabo]

Not totally sure whether I'm INFp, but personally I see the present as merely a link between the past and the future, like a sort of bridge. I'm always looking at the implications of the past and the hopes for the future, and I feel sort of stuck between them in the present moment. Not sure if this is type related, or even coherent.