Slow thinkers

[Vict]

Some things I ponder. Some things I do.

 

[barbad0s]

Some things I ponder. Some things I do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Bc0WjTT0Ps

 

[Rferraris]

I'm slowly trying to process this.

 

[Kgal]

I'm slowly trying to process this.

Too clever....

 

[Soulful]

Yup, I can relate... it's particularly difficult for me to articulate my thoughts when I'm anxious - see intro vid... heh.

I feel "slow" during these moments, it becomes increasingly difficult for me to keep my thoughts "together" - they either go blank or become harder to translate into words.

Yes, this exactly! Anxiety really knocks down my ability to think and to understand, and fashion a response. I'm familiar with the feeling of "slowness" as well, and the feeling of blanking out, where there's nothing at mind, so to speak. It's unfortunate.

+1

Unless I've already extensively thought about them, I need reflection time for novel problems. As a Ni dominant, withdrawal from the immediate context is arguably required for us, INFJs and INTJs, to achieve optimal mental clarity by synthesizing information (See Dr. Nardi's work on personality, referenced above by @Kgal ). In essence, you're probably quite normal and have little to worry about, Soulful (and, really, comparison to others is rarely beneficial). There are different strokes for different folks.

Edit: I can't clearly express myself anywhere outside the Internet and essays; my friends often poke me about having a "quagmire for a mind". It's actually kind of amusing once I stop being frustrated at my horrid verbal articulation. Just thought I'd add that.

Thanks RS. I always appreciate your tidbits of wisdom.

I am a slow thinker. Kind of on the wave length of : if you are good at something you can do it without thinking - it comes automatically. I am good at thinking/deciding/working on/about things by adding time and putting it on the back burner. That is when I make what I think are the best decisions.

That sounds productive.

I perceive things pretty quickly (make sense of things)
I make decisions and explain myself more slowly (compose things)

I need time to break things down, I guess. Taking time to make decisions carefully and explain yourself clearly seems like a wise choice; if only it is one that was more widely practiced.

How much time do you spend online?

I can't remember where I read it, but apparently spending a lot of time on forums such as these actually hurts your ability to think quickly in situations that call for immediate responses-- here you feel the need to have proper grammar and you can always go back and correct everything you say, so there's not always a lot of flow when you're expressing your thoughts. It doesn't really help that there are so many grammar nazis out there waiting to jump on you the second you make a mistake-- it means you end up being doubly self-conscious about what you're going to type, proof-reading, etc.

I guess that if you have anxieties and such then that's an extra hurdle and can definitely slow you down because you're afraid of making a mistake. But anyways, it's probably better to be thoughtful and try to say something that actually has meaning even though in the company of certain people you'll probably end up focusing less on the content of your conversation and more on energy level/volume.

Thanks for mentioning this. I didn't think about it, but it's something to keep in mind. I'm more active offline now and less active online than I previously was, and I can tell this has made an impact, but I've just always been a slow thinker... People seem to move a mile ahead of me, mentally.

I don't think I would be categorized as a "slow thinker", but I definitely think and articulate myself more slowly when I am in certain mental states. Sleepiness, anxiety, frustration, self-doubt.. these things all influence my thinking speed and my ability to articulate myself. I believe they influence my "cognitive functions" too, in terms of mbti ... so I literally perceive, process, and express myself in a different manner in different states.

Regardless of what your normal is, I think that improving your processing speed and articulation skills is something that you can accomplish with time and effort, if that is something you would like to do. I find that regular cardiovascular exercise helps my mental functioning and emotional stability as a whole. Adequate sleep helps too. As does eating regularly....and spending time daily talking (gasp!) to socially acceptable human specimens (double gasp!!) IN PERSON (*faints*). These are just a couple examples taken from personal experience, though of course one will always have to figure out what works for them. Perhaps your growth with this could simply have to do with strategies to work around it as you said, like pre-thinking possible scenarios or things that people may say before the occasions for them arise. Or remain totally silent until you can form a thought in your head. It will give an added bonus of making you seem mysterious, and people will think you are a sage and will cluster around you and get quiet as they anticipate your speech, their eyes shining in wonder and admiration.

Thanks Niff. I'm practicing and getting there, even (gasp!) in person! Crazy stuff, huh.

Yes, I've been thinking this has become more like me of late. Perhaps, we are also more thorough thinkers?

I've wondered about this, yes. I'm not certain about it but I certainly hope so! Slow and steady wins the race? or something?

Since most decisions aren't life or death unless your job places you in those situations, there is no harm in taking a few moments to come to a conclusion.
There are countless occasions were if I had based a decision on my first reaction to something, my decision would have been wrong.

There are occasions though where if I'm not careful I can get into a trap of over thinking and over analyzing something to the point I can't easily make a decision.

It's true. I am fairly certain I could not work in a fast-paced, life or death environment. Mentally I wouldn't be able to keep up (I suspect), and I just don't enjoy that kind of stress. But it would be nice to be able to be more on-par with people, y'know.

This thread is quite funny actually. I read it this morning,and decided to post this evening because I needed some time to mull it over.

On that note...I'm a "slow" thinker. I dont think it has so much to do with being slow as it is to do with being thorough! It used to really upset me when I was a teenager. If it's a topic I've already extensively researched/thought about, I could readily spout a novel on my thoughts and opinions. I was brought up in the church, so a lot of youth group meetings and bible studys. I was always frustrated as I knew I had questions about what was being discussed, I just didnt manage to spout them off like everyone else did! Nothing would come to me, but then I'd go away and think about it for a few days and have so many questions. I'm a deep thinker, I suppose is the way I;d put it!

Yay for deep thinking. I'm glad there are perks to all of this for you guys/gals. I think a major flaw of the established modes of learning that prevail are the time constraints that are placed around learning scenarios. If only time wasn't money...

Some things I ponder. Some things I do.

Some things I agree with. Some things I do.

Thanks for the replies, everyone! I think I am a slow thinker. I am also somewhat limited in verbal communication, as opposed to written expression, and coupled with the slower thinking process its led me to question my ability and approach, but I'm somewhat comforted in knowing I'm not the only one. And I do strive to be certain where I stand with something before opening my mouth, so I suppose that will hopefully come in handy at some point.

 

[Leticia Mejor]

I'm contemplative and become a slow thinker after repeated sleepless nights. My INFJ dad is engrossed in theology/roman catholic politics/philosophy and is extremely and sometimes frustratingly contemplative. I think INFJ's can be slow thinkers but also this may be because many of us are thoughtful people.

[h=2]thought·ful[/h]

   [thawt-fuhl] Show IPA​

adjective1.showing consideration for others; considerate.

2.characterized by or manifesting careful thought: a thoughtful essay.

3.occupied with or given to thought; contemplative;meditative; reflective: in a thoughtful mood.

4.careful, heedful, or mindful: to be thoughtful of one's safety.


​

 

[LucyJr]

Ni is worldview. So every new information is "checked" to see if its fitting with the "worldview". That's why it is so slow. It is more vertical than horyzontal.

 

[Gaze]

I think there's something to be said for worrying or being more cautious about what you say before you say it. This doesn't necessarily mean slow thinking but more thorough in explanation. You can have a million thoughts a minute but take time to explain them or respond. Another aspect is verbalizing your thoughts. Some, thinking through their thoughts through verbal reasoning, meaning they figure out what they want to say as they are saying it, not before. This means, they may prefer to lay out their thinking and reasoning in order to fully understand or examine what they feel as they share it with others. Sometimes, fast talking is associated with quick thinking but this is a misconception. You can be quick in speech but it's all hot air. Of course, there are many who are fast thinkers and quick speakers. Those people I admire and envy. lol Speaking more slowly is also situational. I'm very thoughtful and more careful in my speaking when I don't know someone well or in small groups. I'm a naturally fast speaker and I am more careful and slower when I have to be more considerate of the listener or audience. People who are more confident and certain about their thoughts tend to speak up more quickly. They just speak and then later analyze what is said. I think the concept of slower thinking implies taking time to come to a conclusion, decide, or figure things out. I often find that people who are quick in speaking are impatient with those who take their time and will sometimes jump in to finish a thought because they think they know what the person is saying, but they really don't. Why? Because people who may take more time to explain their thoughts do this because they prefer to start at the beginning by explaining the background or reasoning that lead to feeling or conclusion before stating the conclusion whereas speaking today expects us to state our conclusion, or opinion from the start, and then provide details to back it up. So, what we describe as slow thinking may really be someone who is slower in explaining their thinking, which are two different things. Sometimes, we may struggle to articulate our thoughts, trying to find the perfect word or right way to say something, so we pause more often, and second guess ourselves, concerned about how it will sound, rather than simply getting our ideas out. This can slow speech.