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Awareness of External Environment

[INTJ] 
3K views 25 replies 22 participants last post by  Agent Blackout 
#1 ·
Awareness of External Environment

Yooo. INTP here...

I will admit that I've had a little difficulty with both awareness of my immediate environment and getting outside my head while growing up. There have been many times where I was just plain oblivious to what's going on around me because I find it so easy to get lost in thought.

Just wondering if any INTJ's share this problem to any extent. Speculations as to why would of course be more than welcome.
 
#2 ·
I get the usual, "Where did the last 8+ hours go?". I also lose things that aren't stapled to me. But I never run into anything, even when I'm not consciously focused on the environment I am passively aware of it, I guess.

I will also eat an entire bag of chips without even realizing it or neglect my dinner because something else was MORE IMPORTANT. At the time.
 
#16 ·
I will also eat an entire bag of chips without even realizing it or neglect my dinner because something else was MORE IMPORTANT. At the time.
Same here and constantly getting in little troubles because of this - forgetting to validate train tickets or pick up parking tickets, forgetting the keys, forgetting cellphone at work. Long long time ago, when I was working at ice cream parlor, I used to forget to charge the customers or made mistakes in accounting because I was thinking of business plan for our ice cream parlor for next 5 years. I try to eliminated these things to minimum, so I don't get in trouble too often (e.g. annual tickets even if it doesn't make sense financially).

Kind of awareness "What a wonderful world", I will probably never experience to the full as even seeing the most beautiful scenery makes me think, how to make a good picture of it, how to conquer it on mountain bike or simply day-dream.

In terms of awareness of physical environment, I think, I can beat many sensors. Had labyrinthitis in the past ("funny" state of feeling like one is constantly drunk, including seeing the objects moving, and, what's worse, not being really able to predict, when it comes). Labyrinthitis was cured, vestibular dysfunction remained, so awareness of external environment, good trained movements, balance and coordination literally mean survival. They require a lot of concentration but it's fun to park better than men or do extreme sports.
 
#4 ·
I'm not overly aware of my environment unless it's an environment I've really wanted to be in. For example, my favourite beaches absolutely fill my senses and I feel rejuvenated being there (if I'm alone). My home is a sanctuary where I make it as me friendly as I can. Most of the time I'm too busy trying to just get where I'm going and thinking a multitude of thoughts of what needs to be done to notice that much.

I thought this was inferior Se. If an INTP is similar then either there is mistyping or preoccupation of thought I would imagine.

Also, I'm enneagram 9 (a withdrawing type). They are known to have home as a quiet sanctuary and not like discord.

There could be other factors too.
 
#5 ·
Bethdeth:
I'm a confirmed INTP.
I've noticed that Ti has a strong internal "direction-vector" so to speak. So much so, that on some rare occasions I briefly find myself completely unaware of what's in front of me even when my eyes may be open. At those times it's like: I know my eyes work, but it feels like my brain isn't processing much sensory information from them at all, nor other senses.
(Yes, feel free to laugh. Even I find this weird and hilarious, lol.)

The only time I can ever feel almost completely outside of my head is when I'm expressing feelings without restraint (b/c I used to feel uncomfortable doing this when younger), and it's almost always when expressing positive emotions that I I feel most out of my head.

Fe function definitely seems to have an extremely strong outward "direction-vector" for me, as I've noticed I almost cannot in any way internalize my feelings. I simply must express them, or I will feel like I'm unresolved in some way and health issues may occur if this adds up.
(Separate thought: This experience matches up with the general observation of Fe-dominant ENFJ's/ESFJ's having a hard time learning to introspect. Makes me think, lol.)

Well, hope the info provides insight... Thanks for reading
 
#7 ·
My awareness is usually terrible, especially if I'm sent to go look for something. Once I get there, I usually forget what it was that I was even looking for, forget why I'm even there, and forget that I was even looking for something.

Only takes a minute to take a journey across the galaxy... and when you come back you have no idea what the fuck is going on.
 
#9 ·
I'm always lost in my thoughts and completely oblivious to my environment. It can be pretty bad sometimes. Like the other day, I was riding my bike to class (as I always do) and noticed that my university had changed its welcome sign. It was a really nice sign, so later when I got to class I decided to mention this to the person who sits next to me, only to discover that the change had been made over a month ago. If it weren't for the fact that I ace every test, the guy would probably think I'm retarded.
Also, whenever I set a cup down in my apartment it is instantly forgotten, so I wind up using about seven or eight a day. Haha. Drives my roommate nuts. And rather than correct the behavior, I just buy an ass ton of party cups.
 
#10 ·
The best way I can describe it that I'm generally unaware, unless I choose to turn on Se, in which case I'm quite observant. It's like I have to flick a switch that suddenly makes me more attentive. For example, when I'm analysing a film for style of editing or camera angles, or when I'm in an unfamiliar place and know that if I don't pay attention I could get lost.

I've only started to realise how out of touch I am with my own body in recent years. I rarely notice when I (or anyone else) puts on or loses weight. I tend not to notice when it gets very cold or hot unless someone else brings it to my attention. If I'm concentrating then I tune out external sounds/voices fairly easily. I used to be strangely in awe of people (who I believe now to be sensors), who could tell the subtle differences between different brands of food or cosmetics. Now I realise this probably makes my life easier though. I don't have the same urge to try new products all the time, since chances are I won't notice the differences anyway. Of course it's quite possible that they don't notice vast changes either, but placebo marketing effects instead. :rolleyes:
 
#12 ·
I usually walk around in a haze of my own thoughts to the point where I see nothing going on around me. I drive for hours and have no awareness of the road and must operate on some sort of autopilot to get where I'm going. I trip and run into things often and notice new stores and other major changes to my town months after they appear. I do take great care with my home environment. It it perfectly ordered, beautifully decorated, and well stocked. It's like a perfectly designed sanctuary.
 
#17 ·
How funny, me and my INxP friend were talking about this a few days ago. She's so clumsy and has, quite literally, walked off the pavement and into the street before incoming traffic. I have no problem staying in touch with my environment most of the time, and I never walk into things and I trip on very rare occasions (I look froward while walking, not down, so that's probably to blame for tripping). I'm good at dividing my attention between things, although I can get very intense hyperfocus. I can focus on something for 13 hours straight and forget to eat, sleep, and the like, getting up only to go to the bathroom.
 
#18 ·
My awareness is generally terrible. I'll ask someone a question and I'll tune out in the middle of their answer. Between that and my odd inability to decipher half of what people are saying (I blame their mumbling!) I can sometimes have to ask for clarification somewhere upwards of 4 or 5 times. If I'm working on something I really won't pay attention to the time, and my naturally occurring circadian rhythm dictates that I start to get sleepy somewhere around 3am, meaning that I rarely even get physiological cues while I'm working. I'll finish an essay and feel really awesome about it until I realize that it's 4am and I'm starving because I missed dinner. And not even because I had to pull an all-nighter to get it done--it's just that if I start something and get into a groove I won't stop until I'm finished or I hit a plateau. Lots of people tease me about being generally unaware--friends will call my name several times before I notice, and my roommate, who likes to study in her lofted bet, has actually thought about getting a NERF gun so she can get my attention at my desk. I also frequently walk places and forget why, but I'm convinced that The Silence are responsible for that.
 
#19 ·
Effing. hilarious.

I can definitely relate to everything you've said here.
I'm generally unaware of time and I've always seen it as a learned concept (as if the only reason I'd perceive it is b/c memory is cumulative... but this is just how it "feels")
 
#20 ·
Sometimes I could be totally oblivious to my surroundings, especially when I think about something. It's like I spas out and I'm in my inner world and I might not even hear someone entering the room. As a kid I got spooked pretty easily like that, because I was apparently in my own world. For example I was often asked about someone's clothes or someone new haircut or furniture and I realized that not only I haven't realized that someone made a change, but I don't even remember what the people that I was talking to were wearing. It's like I don't notice that at all.

I can be observant, but it's more deliberately. When I have to pay attention so that I can find something. But then I can feel overwhelmed. I don't feel very comfortable following all these details and seeing all this information. It's easier to process it, when I don't think about it.

I also could forget things or to be unaware how I got from one point to another, how and when I switch off/on the light or the heater. One time I was doing project for the university and at some point I realized that it was 5 am.

I listen to music while I do a lot of stuff, but if someone asks me I wouldn't know what I've listened. I have to check the playlist, because I don't remember hearing the songs.

At school I tuned out sometimes. Even the teachers noticed this. Lucky for me I was hearing the start and the end and then I was able to conclude something, so that I wouldn't look like I don't listen to them at all.
 
#22 ·
OOOHH yes the mysterious cuts and contusions mentioned by Action Potential-I get those too. I so frequently injure myself walking around in a fog I no longer make note of it when it happens, then notice the bruises and cuts later. Also forgot to mention in my previous post I have a really tough time remembering where I parked. I may have just parked at the grocery store or mall less than an hour previously, but it is as if the mothership dropped me off. Unless I consciously choose the same spot to park in over and over I usually roam the parking lot afterward searching high and low for my car. I think this is why everything is so freakishly tidy and ordered in my home environment. I would never find anything otherwise.
 
#23 ·
When I find myself tuned into my immediate surroundings, it's generally because they aren't conforming to order in certain ways that are bothersome to me. I have a few strange fixations like getting all my hair to lie flat on the back of my head, or wanting to correct notes I hear that are a shade of a pitch off, and so on.

Other than that, I tend to be as oblivious as most people in this thread have reported.
 
#25 ·
Yeah. I can think of one example - I remember riding the bus and then missing my stop because I wasn't paying attention... so I pulled the string to indicate I wanted to get off at the next stop. Once the bus stopped, I just sat there lost in my head. The driver eventually turned and asked "are you getting off?" God, that was embarrassing.
 
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