Awareness of one's surroundings

[The Exception]

Throughout my life I have been poor at being aware of objects in my surroundings. For example, in a new work environment, I'll fail to notice where things like the stapler and FAX machine are located. Only when I have a need to use one of these items or a customer asks to use it do I then start to pay attention. Its as if these objects don't exist until there is a need to know. One time a customer asked for a brochure listing the hours when the library was open. I was filling in for someone and working at a different location than normal. The brochures were literally right in front of me but I wasn't aware that they were right in front me at the time.

I am thinking this pertains to weak sensing, particularly weak Do other INTjs have a similar problem? Or is this something that's more common among intuitive types in general?

Other people with stronger sensing will pick up locations of objects in their surroundings by osmosis. They don't need to use them or have an interest in them to know their locations. They can enter a new surrounding and pick on locations of objects without hardly any effort. I have started to become more observant of objects in my immediate surroundings than I used to be but it takes me a good deal of effort.

[redbaron]

I totally have this problem.

[Banana Pancakes]

Yes I know other LIIs with that problem.

I have that problem to an extent myself, although I routinely scan my environment for potential objects I might like, so it's not as bad.

Seems like a general intuitive problem really. Sensors tend to know what's around them, unless they're wayyy out of their element or something.

[electric sheep]

I like to scope out my surroundings, but I only do that if I'm given a chance. I guess if you're a clerk at a library, you might be too busy helping customers, or at least you wont get the chance to space out and start looking around.

That said, I've found that EIIs seem to be the least aware of their surroundings.

[Hot Scalding Gayser]

I have this problem, which is why driving is difficult for me. My new bf though covers up this weakness I have really well, and so I'm really comfortable around him. Both me and my sister have this weakness so with her I'm a bit more edgy. I just think it gets better the more practice you have and stuff.

It may not even be socionics related. Maybe it has a part to play but perhaps it's more to do with having a big head type of thing, it could also be related to introversion.

I wouldn't get too hard on yourself about this though. If you want to get better at it, you can practice it yourself or you can rely on other people's potency in this area.

[Hot Scalding Gayser]

I don't know if I have this problem per se, because when I do go out I scan/notice things pretty well, I take note of physical objects....but I think I'm just extra cautious cause I know I have a tendency to drift, over-analyze and daydream.....so it's like because I'm aware it's a weakness I work more at it so I can be better well-rounded. Though according to the RPG Laws of the universe you are always better amplifying your strengths than working on your weaknesses.

[MasterfulMischief]

I had a discussion with a good ESI friend of mine when we were in high school about how i was always keeping track of the little things going on in the classroom, she seemed to agree with me. Take from this what you will.

aixelsyd: Is your location a reference to a certain abridged series?

[Logos]

I usually do not have that problem. I typically scan my surroundings and take note of what is where unless I am distracted. I think it has more to do with weak Se than anything, but since I do value Se, I try to use it, especially in public places since my concentration on my Ni gets skewed. That is not to say that there aren't times where I am clueless or if someone tries to point out where something is that I understand them right off because sometimes I don't get it. At all.

Similarly my friend who is ILE loses stuff all the time and has a hard time finding anything. Many, many times I was the one who could go by hunch and find it within seconds or a few minutes whether in his own car or in his own house.

I'm the same way. I've had a number of past roommates who thought that my secret superpower was the ability to find their lost keys (as well as other junk). But I always attributed that to my childhood of scanning piles and piles of Legos for that one particular piece.

[Banana Pancakes]

I'm the same way. I've had a number of past roommates who thought that my secret superpower was the ability to find their lost keys (as well as other junk). But I always attributed that to my childhood of scanning piles and piles of Legos for that one particular piece.

yet another problem solved by legos!

[iAnnAu]

yet another problem solved by Logos!

FYP

As to the OP, I'd say I'm fairly aware of my surroundings ... I mean, moreso than many others. I even once had a casual acquaintance ask me if I was an undercover cop because I noticed that the same car had circled the block four times in an hour! But cut yourself a little slack, because our awareness is limited, and our brains choose what we're going to pay attention to. It's not really that important that a pencil lying on someone's desk on the other side of the room is running out of its eraser even though it's still got plenty of lead ... so that is an example of something that I might scan, but not really write into memory.

And I am terrible at remembering people's names and faces, so I have an opposing - tho' not truly opposite - problem. My SO and I went to my uncle's birthday party last night, and I hadn't seen many of the people there in years. First I got my cousins' names mixed up, then later on I got their wives' names reversed, too! But a couple of people called me by my younger sister's name, and I felt a little less bad ...

[Logos]

I think my ability to find stuff is just because I'm messy and I've learned to adapt rather well to it and thus maintain a good eye. And I'm not as scatterbrained as the ILE.

That too.

[Creepy-Cyclops]

The S dichotomy pays attention to details. Therefore it's more aware of the details of it's surroundings than N types. Se types are aware of the physical movement of objects from an external perception, Si type are aware of it internally, how it relates to them, being an introverted function.

I therefore think that Se types are more immediately aware of their environment altering than Si types. With Si types such external awareness has to be re-inforced somewhat before they become experts at it.

So with Se types it's immediate, with Si types it's built upon layers of experience related to the internal.

I think this is explained as Se is more aware of things changing than Si types. I think that Se being static sees it (the details) move from one position to the other, therefore it has more of an impact to them and they notice it. With Si being dynamic, it perceives the whole thing as one continuous motion, so it sees it dynamically, but as it has less of an impact, it's still somewhat stationary to their perception, therefore it actually appears in the general usage of the word as static.

The difference is in internal perception on this one for S types.

N types seem to be somewhere else than what's around them (Si), or where the immediate action is in progress (Se).

[Tom]

Being on the internal half of content analysis (Ne, Ni) seems to be the problem here.

[The Exception]

I'm the same way. I've had a number of past roommates who thought that my secret superpower was the ability to find their lost keys (as well as other junk). But I always attributed that to my childhood of scanning piles and piles of Legos for that one particular piece.

The weird thing is often I'll find stuff that other people have lost, so maybe I don't have as poor of an awareness as I think. I tend to be the one frequently returning things to the lost and found where I work. I'm best at finding things when I'm not searching for anything in particular. I tend to have more trouble when I'm finding something I've lost. LOL.

[Mea]

I don't really have this problem.
There are somethings that I'll naturally notice.
Like I'd observe when this traffic light turns red, and when will the other one turn green so I'll know when will be the safest time to cross w/o waiting for the green man.

And I'll notice certain things about the environment, so I don't get lost if I'm there for the first time. I don't intentionally do this though.

However, similarly to what you've said, I don't really notice where things are if it's a new environment. I can walk past something and not notice it till someone tells me.
Hmm.