From Vibes to Vision: Understanding Extraverted Intuition
How Ne is much more in touch with reality than people believe
There's a common misconception that Ne (Extraverted Intuition) is all about being hyperactive or "bouncing off the walls." In reality, Ne functions as a holistic lens, viewing the world in its entirety and perceiving the present big picture. Ne users can oversee the broader context of what's happening around them.
Ne users have a knack for picking up on multiple things simultaneously, allowing them to grasp the overall message or trend. They "vibe" with their environment, staying in tune with current trends and maintaining a pulse on what's happening. This makes many Ne users observant and very much in touch with reality, contrary to the stereotype of them chasing flying unicorns and vomiting rainbows.
Imagine a coach leading a team, a conductor guiding an orchestra, a nurse navigating the healthcare system, or a journalist covering the economy. They all perceive a synergistic image formed by the moving parts around them. Ne operates at this abstract level, blending all these elements into a cohesive whole.
So, where does the "bouncing off the walls" idea come from? To present the big picture, Ne users often showcase examples of how an idea can possibly manifest. To shift the collective perception, they need to create momentum, approaching the task from various angles and making relentless efforts. They can be pulled everywhere from one moment to another, while holding everything together contextually.
You might wonder, "Isn't making an impact moving from one moment to another more about Se (Extraverted Sensing)? Don't we need a lot of Se for this?" That's correct! Ne users tap into their Se to bring their ideas to life in concrete ways. Realizing an idea requires multiple actions and multitasking, paying attention to details that steer toward the Ne vision, and making impactful moves.
In contrast, Se users focus locally, diving deep into one thing fully immersed with its essence. Ne users employ Se differently: they do quick "vibe checks," process the gist of concepts swiftly, and save energy for other data points they need to perceive. All these small Se moments connect to form the broader Ne perspective.
This is brilliant Rob & your comment re the nurse overseeing a health care system was so on point for me! I think I go into my ENTP network a lot when I'm alone reading about the state of our mental health care system in the UK & thinking about the broad holistic overview of where we're at. It's not a pretty picture...stagnation due to lack of economic resources & an endorsement of a biomedical model of mental health that isn't quite reflective of objective reality. If you put a patient on sertraline (ssri) and then send them back out to live in a shit hole with no employment prospects or social support, would you expect their mood to improve? Nope. It always comes back to a fundamental flaw in ideation & not looking at reality from a systemic perspective. ENTPs I find are realists, for the most part, who can see this reality for what it really is. Me, I'm now a pessimist who lacks the Se impetus to do anything about it. I remember being a bright eyed ENFJ student of the default variety some ten years ago when I thought I could really make a difference. Don't get me wrong, I still think I can but the way in which I do that, how I do that & by what avenue have changed. I think we need to cement ourselves into positions in which we have the influence & resources to be listened to...That's a hard pill to swallow with my allegiance to Ti I can be pretty uncompromising & don't like sugar coating the truth for the sake of a promotion. I don't think that most people are impervious to Ti truths however at least for the most part; most people simply leave & venture onto pastures new, circumventing their reality in the process. I'm sure my enneagram - 5w6 plays an integral role here...I now just end up hoarding the product of my insights & keeping myself to myself & try & pass on my wisdom (one can hope) to the people I'm fortunate to care for.
Feel connected here as an enneagram 9 ENFP on the calmer side of NE doms than people stereotype that swore was in touch with reality and has noticed more things than my dad who I'm guessing is a sensor ESTJ