Introverted Intuition (Ni) and Extraverted Intuition (Ne) are cognitive functions that help make up the building blocks for the 16 personality types. Introverted intuition and extraverted intuition are, more specifically, perceiving functions, but with opposite orientations (introverted vs. extraverted). Introverted intuition is the dominant (first) function for the INFJ and INTJ, the auxiliary (second) function for the ENFJ and ENTJ, the tertiary (third) function for the ISTP and ISFP, and the inferior (fourth) function for the ESFP and ESTP. On the other hand, extraverted intuition is the dominant (first) function for the ENFP and ENTP, the auxiliary (second) function for the INFP and INTP, the tertiary (third) function for the ESTJ and ESFJ, and the inferior (fourth) function for the ISTJ and ISFJ.
Introverted Intuition (Ni) introverts intuition.
So what does this mean? Ni users interpret what they observe into impressions, meaning, symbolism, patterns, or an overarching conclusion and then store that away. Ni is subjective, focused and precise, being used primarily to find a specific personal solution for the user, using all the data available to it. It is not an ever expanding web like Ne. Instead, Ni will naturally zero in on one singular conclusion. Ni users don’t store away mundane individual details. From a practical standpoint, this means that an Ni user won’t tend to have a very detailed memory. Sure, an Ni user will have a memory and remember some details, but as whole their memory will be more impressionistic or big picture focused. For instance, an Ni user might meet someone and take in sensory data to draw them to the conclusion that the person is bad news. Maybe they’ll take in the data consciously, maybe it’ll be more like a “gut” feeling (aka: subconscious), but chances are the only thing they’ll remember later is that the person was bad news. In general, most of what they observe will be subconscious sensory data translated into their interpretation of its meaning. Later down the road, they’ll recall the patterns and meanings so that when a similar event comes up, they’ll “just know” how it’s going to play out. What they might not realize though, is that they’re subconsciously remembering all of the similar events from their past and those patterns are suggesting a probable outcome. This is why Ni users are stereotyped as psychics and sages. They don’t really know how they know… they just know.
Extraverted Intuition (Ne) extraverts intuition.
Ne users take in information about the external world around them and use it to form many different possibilities. It will rapidly jump from one thought to another in a seemingly random way, but there will always be a connecting string (in the Ne user’s mind) allowing it to jump from one thing to the next, however slight the connection may be. This will make Ne seems like a gigantic, ever expanding web of connections. Ne users will enjoy entertaining many different kinds of ideas or, perhaps, theoretical concepts, but will likely get bored of any one particular thing once it’s been entertained for so long. In contrast with Ni which leads to one singular conclusion, Ne will think about every possible solution that there might be. Ne by itself though will not narrow down those options. That will be up to a separate function in the user’s stack. Bottom line, Ne users will produce many ideas or possibilities that they’ll be forced to narrow down. These possibilities can range anywhere from very likely to happen or not likely at all to happen. In other words, Ne takes everything it’s been given and asks: “how many different ways can I put these things together and how many different outcomes will that provide?” Ne is also a very theoretical trait and has the ability to offer up unique and insightful ideas that others would have never even thought to entertain.
