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Is reading a book (or reading anything in general) an example of Ne or Ni?

5K views 34 replies 31 participants last post by  Allin 
#1 ·
Is reading a book (or reading anything in general) an example of Ne or Ni? Or does it have anything to do with cognitive functions at all?
 
#7 ·
I think it comes down to how you see the book in its entirety, as an abstract concept... (otherwise it would be sensing)

I guess Ni would integrate/assimilate the book (as a whole, in an abstract way) into their worldview and Ne would just see it as an external concept, not minding it afterwards.











But the act of reading on its own doesn't depend on a specific cognitive function
 
#10 ·
It's information processing based on observation. I wouldn't attribute it to perspective and/or imagination alone - maybe a combination of sensation, judging and imagination. Basically, C.J's entire cognitive function arsenal.
 
#31 ·
Two problems with this. First is that everyone has Se in their stack, be it in the top 4 or bottom 4.
Second is that everyone has either Se or Si in their top 4 stack, and both Se and Si are seeing/feeling/hearing/sensing.

I understand that you are trying to mock the OP in order to get your point across, but if your mock is full of inaccuracy then it kinda takes the wind out of your point's sails..


Btw, love your avatar!
 
#15 ·
I love reading history books. But so does my dad snd he's ESTP. Si maybe? However, my sister is also ESTP but she doesn't like history books, more biographies, probably just personal taste though I guess.
However, unless I'm really enthralled by a book I can only read like two pages before getting bored, but when I am enthralled with a book I could read it in one night like I did a few weeks ago.
 
#16 · (Edited)
@MD_analyst I think every function can be used while you read. 'Cause function is cognition and not behaviour.

While you read, for example, fiction:

Se Are trying to know the story's narrative as it is?
Ne Are you comparing that story with other unrelated stories you already read and seeing the common general pattern in the stucture of stories in general?
Ni Are you guetting a sense of where the narrative is going and synthesising the main point the author was trying to make?
Si Are you absorbing all the significant descriptive details of the story and processing their symbolic role in the story?

Fi Are you evaluating how much you like or dislike the story and why?
Fe Are you evaluating how good or bad the story is according to an outside standard for stories?
Ti Are you evaluating the consistency of the story and if all the information makes sense togheter?
Te Are you evaluating, in that story, what is and what is not applicable in the real world?

There are a lot of other examples. You will use a lot of functions while you read a book.
 
#22 · (Edited)
Both, except Ne loves reading in breadth, all at once, then in depth. Ni loves reading in a more focused way, then exploring breadth, but both can be done simultaneously. Just Ni prefers to stay focused.

Se/Si is more present in the moment. Reading a book isn't quite staying present, as one drifts more into thoughts inside the head, even though the expression of connecting and relating to the world is extroverted vs. introverted intuitive gathering of data (in a book).

Se/Si is more concrete, non-theoretical, uncomplicated. Enjoys real life phenomena. A book doesn't quite provide that experience, even though one from sensing preferences may enjoy it on a coffee table left to collect dust it's way too boring (unless ISFPs, whom also love reading, fiction especially I notice).
 
#25 ·
And if it is something you wrote or started to write but didn't finish? And you decide you're going to finish it no matter what, because you realize it is what you should be doing and really enjoy but let it fall by the wayside for too long; so you decided to just grab a random, unfinished work; but you have to read it over to remember who was who and what they were doing and what the ideas were? Decide to start by doing nothing but read it top to bottom, without touching it, and that's going to take a few good hours. But even before getting through the first paragraph you can't help it and start changing/adding words, changing sentences, fleshing out, cutting here and there, maybe make it two paragraphs, looking at everything and playing with everything from punctuation to voice to flow to believability. Then you see the time and you've been on the same paragraph for an hour or more. Then you decide to leave it alone and just read and it goes okay until you realize the reason a section doesn't make much sense is because of a gap. Then you see more gaps and more gaps until realizing it was just throwing down sketchy ideas to be fleshed out later, or what they call a first if not second draft. Unfortunately that Later went and joined all the other forgotten Laters. Past, present, future?
 
#27 ·
I have always loved reading. Nowadays, having to cope with extended mourning, my reading has been intensified and it is one of my few pleasures. In the last two months I have reread four of my favorite contemporary author's novels, Enrique Vila-Matas: "El Viaje Vertical", "Never Any End to Paris", "Doctor Pasavento" and "Dublinesque". Now I am re-reading "The illogica of Kassel".

Also, I have bought my first Yasunari Kawabata book, "Kyoto" (originally published as "The Old Capital".
 
#30 ·
I don't think doing anything in particular is necessarily an example of a cognitive function. Different types can do the same activity using different functions. It's how you do it and how you absorb/ interpret/ prioritize information that can be categorized as an example of function usage.
 
#32 ·
It does have to do with cognitive functions. Reading a book is Se/Si perceiving, And understanding what you are reading is Ne/Ni perceiving. But keep in mind that everyone has and uses Se or Si to read and everyone has and use Ne or Ni to perceive and understand what they are reading.

The difference is in where the functions are in the stack, the higher they are, the stronger they are, the lower the weaker they are.
Someone with Ne/Ni in their 4th slot is going to have a harder time gathering information out of a book than someone with Ne/Ni in their 1st slot, it doesn't mean that they can't do it, it will just be harder. On the flip side, it's the same with Se/Si.
 
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