EXFP/EXTP: Am I an Ne dom or an Se dom?

ENFP or ESFP? ENTP or ESTP? We all know the extremes. ESXPs, or Se dominants, are the jocks who are solely interested in the tangible realm, while ENXPs, or Ne dominants, are the debaters and theorizers who can’t manage to get anything physically done. However, while these extremes do exist, there are plenty of people who fall within a healthier middle ground. As extraverted perceivers, both Ne and Se doms share similar traits. Sometimes these similarities can make it difficult to tell them apart, but if you examine someone (or yourself) for long enough, Ne doms and Se doms have some pretty significant differences if you know what to look for. Let’s go over the similarities first.

The Similarities

Se doms and Ne doms deeply desire to be free to explore and experience life. Both have a tendency to be easily distracted by something they have deemed more interesting than what they are currently doing. Couple this with the fact that both types tend to get easily bored with the mundane, and you get two similar looking individuals who appear to have short attention spans. This isn’t the entire story though, as both types can get engrossed in something that they find interesting just like any other type. They also tend to be rather spontaneous, willing to immediately jump on whatever idea or plan pops into their head with no prior thought or planning. The excitement of whatever event or idea they have will compel them to jump immediately into action without so much as a second thought. This is the general picture of a dominant extraverted perceiver. Bear in mind, Se doms are fully capable of enjoying abstract thought, while Ne doms are fully capable of making their ideas tangible.

The Differences

Now for the reason you’re reading this article: the differences. Here are where the two start to diverge.

1. Learning Style: Hands On vs. Theoretical

Se doms tend to be hands on or kinesthetic learners. Of course, as a general rule, weigh all of the information in this article for a best fit, since you’re not going to match 100% with either type. But, typically, Se users prefer a more hands-on learning style. They want to see it, touch it, and do it. They want to watch it done. They won’t be big on a lot of explaining prior to dealing with it hands-on. They usually want to experience first, and then get the explanation either during or after.

Ne doms, on the other hands, usually like lectures. They want to learn something conceptually first. They want to discuss, and ask a million questions so they can feel as if they have a complete understanding before they even touch whatever it is. They typically like a loose classroom structure involving a lot of discussion, and oftentimes enjoy debate.

Of course, both types teaching styles will reflect their preferred learning style. IE – Ne doms will lecture, while Se doms will demonstrate or walk the student through a task.

2. Their Ideas

Se doms tend to produce ideas with a specific purpose in mind. They see something that’s broken, and come up with a fix. Or, they see a particular hole somewhere and produce a way to fill it. Or, they find a new way to utilize a skill that they have or would like to learn. The ideas don’t always have to be “practical” in the traditional sense, but they will nearly always be something they’ve deemed achievable. They usually won’t see the point in entertaining ideas that they have deemed impossible.

Ne doms, on the other hand, enjoy pure speculation. Ne doms tend to appreciate/enjoy what-if scenarios and have a strong focus on all the many possibilities. Therefore, they may entertain ideas that have absolutely no basis in reality. However for them, the enjoyment is found in the idea itself so practicality won’t necessarily matter. Ne doms are usually excellent at producing ideas, which makes them good at brainstorming.

3. Task/Project Completion

Se users will have an ingrained desire to put ideas into practice and see those ideas through to some form of completion. When executing a task, they will seem less scattered and random in the way they go about it than a Ne user. They will be more streamlined and focused, in a sense. When Se doms fail to see their ideas through to reality, it is usually due to laziness, frustration, or insufficient resources (time, money, etc.) That being said, they can still get bored of an idea or project and move onto something else. Just remember that they get their sense of accomplishment from making the idea a reality, rather than the idea itself.

Ne users, on the other hand, seem to initially start a project they find interesting only to abandon it before completion for a newer more interesting idea. This isn’t always the case, but it tends to happen often enough to be noticeable. Frequently, you will see a Ne dom cycle between ideas or hobbies as one grows stale to them and they move on to the next, but perhaps they will eventually circle back to one of the old ideas or hobbies when their mind rediscovers something interesting about it. Please note that a mature Ne dom is fully capable of seeing their ideas through to reality if they deem them important, especially if some kind of deadline has been imposed upon them.

4. Conversations

In conversation, the difference between these two types really shines forth. Se dominants tend to draw conversational inspiration from what’s around them. Because of this, they’ll probably find it easier to maintain a conversation while doing something. (Obviously, it’ll be something that doesn’t require a lot of focus.) They will also probably struggle to talk about things that they find useless or pointless. They will want to know the point of what you are saying, in order to understand what you are saying. Se dominants will usually be more straightforward from a conversational standpoint. You won’t frequently wonder where something they said came from. In addition, since they are backed by Ni, Se dominants will focus on the intent behind what was said, rather than the exact words used.

Ne dominants, however, tend to be more off the wall and random. A conversation with a Ne dominant may jump from topic to topic in a seemingly scattered way. They will connect random thoughts together, and produce statements or thoughts that initially seem disjointed. (They can typically explain how they connected everything together though.) Because of this, they are prone to making a lot of references and puns, although you don’t have to be a Ne user to do either of those things. Ne dominants usually like to speculate about things, and find new thoughts or ideas interesting. They won’t necessarily care about the application, but will enjoy exploring the concept. Ne dominants, since they are backed by Si, may at times get caught up on semantics, preferring to reference the exacts word used in order to make an argument go in their favor.

5. Goals

Sensors tend to have more specific goals while intuitive goals will be more broad, vague, and generally open to interpretation. For instance let’s take two goals into consideration: I want to become the **insert title here**. This is a measurable, achievable goal. A sensor’s goal may initially appear intangible, but a sensor will usually have a specific task in mind which will mark the completion of their goal. It will have a defined purpose, and a clear end point where they can say that their goal has been completed. That is how a sensor usually sets goals. They are physically accomplishable and tangible.

Now let’s consider this goal: I want to be the freest person in the world. This goal is more abstract and open to interpretation. What one person might consider being free another may not. In addition, there is no clear or definable way to say one has completed this goal. When is it accomplished? After you’ve lived your whole life and someone reviews it to determine how freely you lived? Is it more personal and once you feel as though you are the most free you have accomplished it? The goal is vague, subject to change, and could mean something completely different depending on who is judging it. As a whole, it is open to interpretation. Obviously we’re not saying that intuitives can’t have tangible goals, but someone with an abstract goal is more likely to be an intuitive than a sensor.

6. Inferior Traits

Both types will have a tendency to leap before they look, which is simply an indication of being extraverted. However, inferior Ni will tend to cause the Se dominant to fail to consider the future at all, meaning no plans whatsoever. They won’t speculate about all of the possibilities or their goals in life, and in fact may fear to do so. An unhealthy Se dominant may not want to even think about their future, and may choose to live entirely in the moment. Essentially, they may sacrifice their future for fleeting pleasures or experiences. This may be the result of fear or laziness. Same result either way.

An inferior Si will do something a bit different. Ne dominants will enjoy imagining all of the possible “what if” scenarios. However, bad Si may result in an inability to choose and strive for one particular scenario. They’ll find themselves drowning in so many thoughts and ideas that they can’t sift through them all. Or, inferior Si may cause them to get overwhelmed in all of the details of the possibilities, and they’ll get stuck on seemingly irrelevant things, find themselves unable to make any significant strides forward. Inferior Si may sometimes latch onto a trivial routine or habit and refuse to deviate from it. It will be something minor, not an intricate routine. For instance, eating lunch at a very specific time, even if breakfast happened later than usual that day.

In conclusion…

We hope you found this helpful. Feel free to share thoughts or ask questions.