Exploring Extraverted Sensing (Se)
Extraverted Sensing, or Se, is one of the eight cognitive functions laid out by Carl Jung. The cognitive functions are the basic building blocks for each of the 16 personality types. Exploring Extraverted Sensing (Se) is the fifth installment of this series. If you want to read the previous ones, check out Exploring Extraverted Intuition (Ne), Exploring Extraverted Feeling (Fe), Exploring Introverted Sensing (Si), and Exploring Extraverted Thinking (Te). We’re hoping to complete this series within the next few months, but we’ll see what happens. We’re also referencing Carl Jung’s Psychological Types as we work through this. The aim is to provide a realistic picture of each cognitive function, that covers both the core underlying rational and possible external manifestations.
Who uses Extraverted Sensing (Se)?
Every personality type has a cognitive function stack made up of only four cognitive functions. In other words, since there are eight functions in total, only half of the 16 personality types have Se, namely the SPs and the NJs. However, with that in mind, the NJs often devalue Se, since it is either in the third or fourth slot of their function stack. (Their Introverted Intuition, or Ni, often overrules their Se.) Therefore, this article primarily applies to the SP types, which are ESTP, ESFP, ISTP, and ISFP.
The SP types will be the ones prioritizing Se, and thus will lean on it heavily in their daily lives. They will have the greatest range of use for the function, in both the positive and negative directions, although they will be the most apt of all the types to use it in a healthy, and positive way.
What is Extraverted Sensing (Se)?
Extraverted Sensing, or Se, is an extraverted perceiving function based on sensing. Extraverted functions in typology are objective, which means externally focused. (Read more here: Objectivity vs. Subjectivity) In other words, SPs prioritize observing and interacting with objective reality.
10 Characteristics of Extraverted Sensing (Se)
Bear in mind, that some of the information below will describe core cognition, while other parts will describe common behavioral trends. You don’t have to relate to everything 100% in order to be an SP.
1. Extraverted Sensing prioritizes objective reality
SPs, due to Extraverted Sensing, see reality, or the objects in reality, for what they are. Before I go any further, bear in mind that other types can be realistic, and it is possible for SPs to see reality through a lens, depending on other factors. We are all capable of things like nostalgia or framing. However, while many personality types attach impressions to objects and see the object for the impression, SPs do not do this to a significant degree. For the most part, they will see the object exactly for what it is, without bias from previous experiences with that same object. This is why SPs are often known for their realism or practicality. They don’t, by default, want to read too far into things; they want to accept and rely on the data that their senses deliver to them. In fact, these types may get irritated with people who do read too far into things.
2. Extraverted Sensing treats experiences as if they are new
Due to the way they interact with reality, SPs approach experiences in an open-minded way. They don’t assume an experience with the same object or person will go the exact same way as it did before. They’re willing to give experiences multiple chances. Sure, it may not have worked out the first time, but this time is different. This is the direct result of not constantly comparing current experiences to past experiences, like the SJs do. While this obviously can have its advantages (like giving situations a second chance or letting go of the past quicker than others might), it can also have its downsides. For instance, SPs are more likely to repeat the same mistakes multiple times, because they aren’t actively valuing past experiences. They may see every little detail in the moment, but they often quickly forget these once the moment passes.
3. Extraverted Sensing desires a wide range of experiences
SPs want to continually experience life and stimulate their senses. As Jung puts it, their “aim is concrete enjoyment.” These types are not specifically looking to recreate experiences, although that’s not to say that they’ll never want to repeat experiences that they found to be exceptionally stimulating. As a general rule, though, they will not fixate on recreating something they’ve experienced before. New experiences are more exciting and enjoyable to the SP. Bear in mind, these new experiences don’t have to be extreme. Unfortunately, Extraverted Sensing has been overly associated with adrenaline junkies and extreme sports. Many SPs are not actually that extreme, for a variety of reasons. For instance, SPs can feel fear like anyone else, and activities like skydiving can cost a lot of money. However, you’ll tend to find that SPs will generally be the ones that need to do something. They’ll want to try out new activities, check out a new restaurant, test out every coffee shop in their area, etc.
4. Extraverted Sensing is present-oriented
The reason for this ultimately ties back to their objective approach to reality. If someone isn’t fixating on a past impression of an object and isn’t reading too far into the object, meaning it’s potential, then naturally they’re only seeing what it is in that very moment. For an SP, that is their default approach to life. They see what is happening right now. Many people frame this as short-sightedness, and it certainly can manifest that way. However, the value of Extraverted Sensing lies in this ability because SPs can prevent themselves from becoming burdened by what has happened or what will happen. They can merge completely with the moment, and concentrate on doing what they need to do to survive today. This outlook can allow them to maintain an optimistic frame of mind, and enjoy life to its fullest.
READ MORE: The Value of Extraverted Sensing (Se)
5. Extraverted Sensing excels at adapting to new situations
Someone who often seeks out new experiences will naturally develop an affinity for adapting to a variety of situations. Think of it like practice makes perfect. Any personality can learn to be adaptable, but many SPs are geared towards becoming that way due to the way their mind works. Although, it’s worth mentioning that dominant Se users will find this easier than auxiliary Se users. The ISPs may drop back into an observer role initially before engaging their Se, whereas the ESPs may jump in faster. Either way, their focus on objective reality will help them take stock of the new situation and figure out how to react quickly, since they don’t feel compelled to read into it too deeply or over-analyze the situation.
6. Extraverted Sensors follow their instincts
Part of what helps SPs to respond in the moment is their reliance on their instincts. SPs have lower Ni, which deals in subconscious pattern recognition. Earlier, I mentioned that SPs often notice the details and then quickly forget them. In reality, these details are not completely lost, but they are condensed into a vague impression via Ni. SPs often don’t use Ni in a very active way, but it helps them get quick glimpses into possible outcomes or futures. In the moment, this can manifest as a sudden hunch or gut instinct concerning how they should respond to a situation. The confident SP will trust these hunches and follow their instincts, allowing them to respond quickly and decisively when necessary.
7. Extraverted Sensors are prone to impulsive behavior
We all know the stereotype of the overly-indulgent and insanely impulsive ESFP or ESTP. They’re known for chasing every reckless, physical urge, with no self-restraint or fear of consequence. For the record, not every SP is this extreme, although some are. However, SPs do tend to leap before they look, without fully considering the consequences. (Bear in mind, self-confidence can be a major factor here. The SP that lacks confidence may overthink things more.) This doesn’t always have to manifest in an extreme way, but it should have a prominent place in their life. For instance, it’s fairly well known that most SPs are physically reactive, albeit to varying degrees. Beyond that, SPs may make sudden decisions, seemingly on a whim. They may get the urge to chase a new experience, or they feel external forces pressuring them to respond to something right now. Some SPs will delay thinking consciously about a future decision, and make it solely when the moment arrives, based on instincts and any subconscious background processing their brain had been doing up until that point.
8. Extraverted Sensors may fear the future or avoid thinking about it all
This will be especially the case for inferior Ni in the ESPs, but generally speaking, ISPs and ESPs tend to avoid overthinking the future, partly because it allows them to maintain an optimistic outlook and enjoy the present. Sometimes dwelling too much on Ni provokes paranoia, possibly due to SPs feeling incapable of using it to predict the future accurately. They may see some looming catastrophe up ahead, or fear they will never get their act together. Of course, a balanced SP can learn to use Ni as a guide to navigate toward a specific, ideal future outcome.
READ MORE: ENFP/ENTP/ESFP/ESTP: Inferior Si vs Inferior Ni
9. Extraverted Sensing, in the SPs, makes them value hands-on experience
Because SPs specifically want to interact with the world through their senses, they often learn best through hands-on means. These personality types like to physically touch everything, play around with stuff, and experiment so that they can learn the cause and effect of different actions. They may struggle to absorb lectures, until they can see the “theory” applied to “reality”. This approach can make them prone to making mistakes or breaking things initially, but overtime, it can make them confident in their ability to learn new skills or respond to new situations. Although, it’s worth mentioning that many SPs are interested in activities that are not solely physical, but the same general idea will apply. For instance, a computer-related task will still be approached in a trial and error manner, as if it were a hands-on task.
10. Extraverted Sensors are action-oriented
SPs get a bad rap for being incapable of theorizing, which absolutely isn’t true. However, they do feel an innate need to apply theory to the real world. Just listening to theory for the sake of it, theory that has no practical application, can quickly bore them. Sure, SPs can get involved in an online fandom, enjoy video games, and etcetera as a form of entertainment. However, generally speaking, these are the types that often get impatient when people are throwing around ideas, because they want to get right into the action. SPs don’t want to sit around and discuss possibilities or strategies for forever, unless the situation really demands it. Let’s do the thing, and not just talk about doing it. For similar reasons, SPs frequently prefer to socialize via activity (which can be as mundane as a board game. As long as it’s something.)
READ MORE: 8 Extraverted Sensing (Se) Stereotypes
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This article is insightful. Yet, I’m still confused between Ne and Se! What is the bottom line difference between those two?
Se focuses on what is (realistic, concrete), while Ne focuses on possibilities abstracted from reality.
Thanks !!
But there are highly imaginative se users too right? How do I know for sure if I am such a type of Se user or simply an Ne user.
Sure, Se users can be imaginative and still not be oriented to noticing a wide range of possibilities. You ultimately just need to figure out which you relate more to: Ne or Se. There are some general, shared characteristics between the two functions, which are talked about in Extraverted Perceiving Functions (Ne/Se), and then you can also read Exploring Extraverted Intuition (Ne).
I liked this article and how you went over how not all Extraverted Sensors are adrenaline junkies. I’ve been reading your articles for awhile and I’ve gotta say they are really helpful in understanding the cognitive functions.
Thanks, Shahow!
This article is super good! I wanna know how SPs gather knowledge and generate ideas.
I love your cognitive function articles I wish for more content like this in the future.
Thanks!
SPs typically prefer to gather knowledge through hands-on experience whenever possible. They generate ideas the same as everyone else, but usually fewer than the NPs, because they’ll subconsciously rule out anything too unrealistic and will usually stop brainstorming when they’ve generated one viable solution. SPs are more singular in that sense.
That’s an interesting and possibly one of the most realistic description of how Se operates and create ideas! Looking forward to staying connected with your content
This is cool! I wonder if you could make an article series about differentiating the tertiary functions since they might appear similiar to one another, it would help alot!
Thanks! We’ve written tertiary function overviews, if you’ve seen those articles: here and here.
Thank you! I mean you did an in-depth series about each cognitive function overview, for example, maybe try something a bit more nuanced like tertiary Ni vs Si?
That’s something I’d probably cover in a type comparison article, like INTP vs ISTP, but I’ll keep it in mind.
My bad! I should’ve been more articulate.. I mean maybe consider writing an article series differentiating each auxiliary and tertiary function? Because it’s a reason why people have frequent mistyoes so I was wondering…
I’m glad this is one of the articles that captures Se in a well-rounded manner! It’s a relief that your site exists otherwise I can’t fathom how to navigate the MBTI theory and it’s nuances without Practical Typing…
Thanks! 🙂
You too! Have a nice day!
This is such a useful article! I’ve had a hard time to tell if someone has Se, so I appreciate your work and what you did there!
Recently come across your site and I’m more than impressed by your good understanding of the cognitive functions and relevant information on personality theory and the MBTI than other people give credit for…
You’re making progress and improving… And hope the comments in this website wether positive or not will give you the energy to keep proving yourself and enhance your typing skills
How do SJs see or view theory? Now that you mentioned SPs would rather see the purpose or use of it, how to SJs deal with theory that has no practical application?
Wanting a practical application for theory is generally a sensor trait. Although, sometimes you’ll see a bit of playful speculation from low Ne users.
How does playful speculation tend to manifest between low Ne depending on development stages?
Hey Mara!
Nice work on this article.
1. Do you know any non-sporty/ non-combative/ analytical ESTP characters? What about non-hedonistic ones, or ESTPs that lean heavily on Ti? (I’m trying to see/ study what pure Se looks like, and what Se-Ti reasoning or logic would look like).
2. Do you know about any xSxP anime/ manga authors?
3. Speaking of anime authors, do you have an idea of what Kaguya-Sama’s author’s type is? I was wondering why there wasn’t a Personality Bleed article about this one. 😛
4. I remember Ryan said dominant Si was something like, “When I’m replaying a scene in my head, the thing I’m concentrating on is clear and focused, with blurred edges around it” a while back on one of Joyce Meng’s videos.
Is Se similar to this in day-to-day life, except in real-time? I’m an Si user, and I don’t feel present/ hyper-aware unless I consciously put myself in that state. But even then, I zone out pretty quick lol. Would an ESTP or SP struggle with this (assuming sleep deprivation, meds, etc. aren’t the issue)?
Do Se doms naturally notice everything/ are they living in a constant hyper-aware state? Or does this vary from person to person?
5. Being an ISTP, how important is it that your clothing is physically comfortable? I often hear that Si is about physical comfort, but I figured this is either a sensor thing, or it can vary with different people.
6. Do SPs have an easier or harder time tuning out distractions in their environment like pens clicking, footsteps, etc.? I’m assuming generally harder, and that high Ni can tune it out more easily, but meh.
Thanks!
Ping 🙂
P.S. This blog has been a lifesaver for studying the functions (especially Se, and kinda Ti, but Ti is still a headache to try and grasp lol), so keep it up!
I’ve been delaying to answer this comment because coming up with examples in media isn’t always the easiest thing to do. Here’s what I got at the moment.
1. I really want to start typing more live action characters. Unfortunately, in recent years, I’ve mostly watched Marvel or action movies, so my on-hand ESTP examples lean into the action tropes. Although, Ryan just remembered Howard Wolowitz from Big Bang Theory. Most people type him an ENTP, mostly because he doesn’t lean into the Se stereotypes. Otherwise, since I’ve watched more anime in recent years, I thought of Maho Hiyajo from Steins Gate, Shigure Sohma from the 2019 version of Fruits Basket, Tsuchimikado Motoharu from A Certain Magical Index.
2 & 3. We only really do the Personality Bleed articles when an obvious bias or skew stands out in the anime/manga. Offhand, I don’t know any SP manga/anime authors. Although, I can point you to a couple of STP themed anime, which may or may not suggest something about the author. The two that come to mind are Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo.
4. Well, the ESXPs do tend to be pretty honed in on the moment, which can make them hyper-aware, but it kinda depends because they might only fixate on one very small “section” of what’s around them. The ESXPs tend to be very reactive, but there is a certain level of skill that goes into noticing “everything”.
5. Si is focused on maintaining a certain image of reality that lives within their mind, which leads them to being very security-driven. That in turn can lead them to value physical comfort, but it depends, because many SJs will sacrifice momentary physical comfort for the long term benefits (for instance, diets). As an ISTP, I prefer clothes that are both practical and comfortable. In my experience, any kind of formal wear or nice clothing tends to sacrifice in one or both of those departments. Clothing generally does vary greatly from person to person, though, depending on what’s practical for them and what sort of lifestyle they’re striving to maintain.
6. ESXPs often describe themselves as being hyper-aware of their environment and easily distracted as a result. For me personally, it really depends on my level of interest in whatever I’m trying to do. If it trumps my interest in whatever is going on around me, a bomb could go off next to my ear and I wouldn’t notice.
Hope that helped. Thanks!
No worries! Thanks for this. I’ll check em out. 🙂
Hmm, interesting article. Can relate to much of this. I wonder about my Se tho. I’m more prone to comfort zones and habits, and not always good at adapting on the fly. But I’m probably just lazy 🤔.
As an ISTP, I’ve often had a lot of trouble connecting myself with certain aspects of Se as it is frequently described (likely for reasons listed in several other articles on this site: descriptions coming from Si/Ne users and weak Se users).
One of the things which has often bothered me, especially in comparison to descriptions of Ne is that I have often seen Ne described as making up many potential ideas off a single Si data point (see the article on Ne, point 2) (sensing is often mentioned as feeding into intuition in general, but you rarely see the reverse – just another example of intuitive bias), so shouldn’t Se be doing something similar with Ni concepts? Shouldn’t the pairs of perceiving functions be mirroring each other? Shouldn’t everything Ne does with ideas have an Se equivalent?
It recently came to me that it does, but is rarely stated as such.
It relates to the adaptability/reactiveness described in points 5 and 7 of this article.
I think it has to work something like this:
1. Se takes in a load of details about the current situation
2. Se throws these details at Ni and asks ‘Have what am I looking at?’
3. Ni presents the most applicable concept from its memory
4. Se takes the concept and MAKES UP sets of specific details on the spot, all of which fit the concept Ni has presented – note that these details are not truly in the real world, but are POTENTIAL actions to take in the real world (the only hint of this idea you might see from a lot of function/type descriptions is of dominant Ni/inferior Se struggling with the details of their plans)
5. Judging function determines which of these sets of actions is better, either after exploring as many sets of actions as possible and seeing the results (ESxP), or as a filter to narrow down one set of actions to take (ISxP) – note that the ISxP ‘start to do something one way then change to do it a different way’ then becomes ‘Se presented a set of actions which was better (by the standard of the judging function in use) than the current set’.
I often think of Ne as a ‘random idea generator’, seeded by Si, so the equivalent for Se would be a ‘random action generator’, seeded by Ni. An INxP throws away the random ideas which are bad (by the standard of their judging function) without voicing them; the ISxP throws away the bad actions without doing them. The ENxP and ESxP feel the need to actually explore their ideas/actions before throwing them away.
‘What if I do X? No, that would be stupid and/or pointless,’ is a train of thought I run into a lot.