Introverted Intuition Style (Cognitive Function Series)

Introverted Intuition Style, the Series Finale

We made it! This is the final article in the cognitive function series, all about style strategies for people who prefer using Introverted Intuition, aka Ni, or as Personality Hacker calls it Perspectives. I will explain the function, which Myers-Briggs types use it, and what it means for your style. Prefer to watch a video? Introverted Intuition Style on YouTube.

You are a walking work of art. Unfortunately, there is no middle school art class where your style is the medium. I’m Rebecca Mielke, your Visual Identity Guide. I take you on a journey of self-discovery, from personality to aesthetic to artistic composition, so you can show up confidently, looking like yourself.

Introverted Intuition Defined:

The function we use to pattern meanings, implications, and probabilities. Meaning, seeing future implications, meditation. It takes a meta-perspective, and is able to see things from other people’s perspectives. It focuses on narratives. Learning by observing patterns within the mind.

It tends to be slow and needs time to allow insights to bubble up.

How Ni Impacts Your Self-Discovery Journey

This is my second function and this explains why I choose to work MOSTLY asynchronously. When we meet to discover your personality type, that is a Zoom meeting where I ask you some low-key questions and you get to talk about how you think. But for the rest of the stops on your journey, you feed me pictures and information about you and I need to ruminate on it for a few days before I produce a guidebook of artistic information specific to you.

Speaking of slow, I remember when I was little, in early elementary school. If you would like to see a picture of me and my little sister in those days, you can see that on the front page of my website, signaturestylesystems.com. Anyway, I never thought of myself as slow, but apparently others did. I think I was in first grade when the student teacher came over to my house in the evening to show my parents all the papers I had stuffed into my desk! But, here’s the problem: they never told me what to do with the work if I didn’t finish it in the time allotted. And, for sure, it wasn’t because I didn’t know the answers. I think I was just a bit of a daydreamer.

Communicating Introverted Intuition Style

Communicating Ni visually:

  • is aware of future probabilities and so could enjoy being on the cutting edge of trends.
  • is imaginative and so could incorporate fairy-tale or sci-fi elements, etc.
  • will always want to be a little bit different, adding your own flair to more ubiquitous looks. An example would be always wearing Converse Chuck Taylors with your suits. Or having a different pair of glasses for every day of the week.

Do you remember that moment in style history, not one of our finest moments, when The Gap became popular and your mom and all her friends were wearing khakis with a short-sleeved, chambray, button-front shirt? It was almost embarrassing. I remember showing up to a homeschool field trip and every one of the moms was wearing that uniform.

But here was my version:

  • And I wore the above with a vest from Goodwill! It was dark red with a slight greenish color in the paisley print, thus connecting it to the pants and maintaining my arc waist.
  • My khakis were from The Gap, or maybe Eddie Bauer, but they were a light green about the value of khaki, but more interesting.
  • My chambray shirt was from Ross or TJMaxx or somewhere like that, and it was fitted through the waist and had puffy, three-quarter sleeves.
  • And, speaking of prints, Introverted Intuition is associated with psychedelic phenomena and intuition in general is more abstract. The higher intuition is in your cognitive function stack, the more you probably lean toward abstract prints, as opposed to realistic.

When I was in first grade, my lunchbox was a groovy, psychedelic print and I still love that stuff. 

What Types Use Introverted Intuition?

ntroverted Intuition is a preferred function of all NJs and SPs in the Myers-Briggs system

  1. INTJ and INFJ: this is your dominant function! Embrace any of this that feels comfortable to you, keeping in mind that you are an introvert and not likely to want anything too flashy
  2. ENTJ and ENFJ: this is your auxiliary function, the one you may forget to communicate visually. It is a major part of your native genius, so communicating this through your look is important. As an EJ type, it is ok for you to do it in an “in-charge” way.
  3. ISTP and ISFP: this is your tertiary function, a place of play. You may want to go full Ni with your leisure wardrobe segment or just inject some creative fun into your everyday looks. 
  4. ESTP and ESFP: this is just a baby part of you, but you probably still want to show some individuality

Homework: play dress up! If you are one of the types here, try putting together some new and unexpected combinations. See how you feel! The goal is for you to be able to look and feel like yourself!