Sensing and Intuiting describe two ways we take in and understand information from our surroundings. Sensing involves using our five senses—sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch—to notice what’s happening around us. Intuiting is the process of interpreting and making sense of that sensory information, helping us decide if it’s important or potentially threatening.
Because our brains can’t process every bit of information at once without becoming overwhelmed, we unconsciously filter what we pay attention to, focusing only on what we’ve learned to consider relevant or meaningful.
Our interpretations are influenced by past experiences, emotions, and current physical well-being. For instance, a request for help might feel energizing and motivating one day, but overwhelming or frightening on another, depending on how prepared or healthy we feel.
Which Type Are You?
No one relies exclusively on either Sensing or Intuiting. These two modes work together as part of an ongoing cycle: we observe something external and then reflect on it to derive meaning. It’s impossible to purely sense or purely intuit in isolation. For example, you might notice a tiger (sensing) and then think about its sharp teeth (intuiting), or you might think about the idea of cat food without directly observing the cat itself.
Sensing
When operating in sensing mode, you focus on absorbing information through your senses without attaching judgments or interpretations. You simply notice what’s present—for example, observing that someone is speaking faster and with a higher pitch—without immediately assuming what that might mean emotionally.
Sensing tends to value practical, realistic, and orderly information. It’s oriented toward concrete facts and tangible details, much like how children think during early developmental stages. People who rely on sensing often prefer to focus on specifics rather than abstract ideas and may view intuitors as unrealistic or “lost in the clouds.” They tend to notice individual trees rather than the entire forest.
Intuiting
In intuiting mode, you interpret sensory information through your inner thoughts and feelings. You conceptualize what you observe by reflecting, researching, or discussing it, often seeking patterns and deeper meanings. For example, you might notice someone’s agitation and wonder what caused it, drawing conclusions beyond what’s immediately visible.
Intuiting involves more subjective evaluation and tends to favor seeing the big picture over small details. This approach can sometimes make you overlook what’s actually happening in the environment, so it’s important to verify your assumptions with reality. Intuitors often see sensors as too focused on mundane details and may prefer to sort information globally—like seeing the entire forest instead of individual trees. Standard IQ tests often favor the strengths of intuitors.
