11 Difficulties Intuitive People Often Face

Difficulties Intuitive People Often Face

We’ve heard the terms many times – intuition or intuitive people.

When we do hear them, we usually think of feelings about things that come from the gut without much rational thought process involved. This is actually a pretty good description.

Myers-Briggs Description

Years ago, Isabel Myers and her daughter took the work of Carl Jung and developed a total of 16 personality types based upon four dominant factors. One of those four factors was sensing vs. intuition.

The distinction between them is described as this:

  • A sensing person pays attention to information that is perceived through the five senses, makes decisions and comes to conclusions based upon that information. This person focuses on what is actually present and real. S/he notices details like facts and data, and focuses on the practical.
  • An intuitive person pays attention to his/her feelings and makes decisions based upon those. S/he works more from overall impressions rather than details trusts impressions more and tries to read between the lines. Sometimes, the intuitive will look for solutions by jumping from one possibility to the next.

When either personality trait is exhibited to an extreme, the person will have difficulty navigating the real world. Sensing people may make great accountants and techies, but if they do not have some intuitive traits, they may have difficulty “reading” people. Intuitives may “read” people and situations and see possibilities, but if they do not have some rational thinking processes too, they have a tough time with practical things.

Difficulties Intuitive People Face

It is important to make a distinction here between intuitives and psychics. Psychics state that they are intuitive to such an extreme that they can read other people’s minds, make predictions, find lost people and objects, etc. Intuitives who are not stated psychics have the personality traits described above. And those personality traits, while they have great value, can also bring difficulty in both personal and professional life.

Here are 11 difficulties that many intuitive people face:

1. They Can Be Dis-Organized

Intuitive people do not pay as much attention to detail as their sensing co-workers. As a result, they may have messy offices and have difficulty finding things when they are needed. Disorganization can impact productivity.

2. They Can Be Forgetful

Intuitives see the big picture. As a result, they may forget meetings, deadlines, and other tasks. It is really important that they keep a calendar and check it every day. It also helps to have a co-worker who understands and who will remind them of what needs to get accomplished.

3. They May Have Problems Making Decisions

Because intuitives tend to see so many possibilities, they may leap from one to the other and not be able to land on a definite path forward. It helps to have sensing people on teams with intuitive people to help “ground” them. On the other hand trusting their guts may sometimes keep them from making mistakes.

4. They May Be Over-Emotional

Intuitives rely on feelings. Because of this, their feelings often show much more than those of other people. They can be seen as over-emotional because of this, and co-workers and supervisors can see this as a negative. Sometimes, it will be important for intuitives to give themselves some alone time, to get emotions back in check. Periods of solitude also help the intuitive listen to their inner voices and unlock the great potential that lies beneath those emotions.

5. They Form First Impressions Quickly

Intuitive people often have a “sixth sense” about other people and will form an impression within a few minutes of meeting them. Sometimes, these impressions can be faulty, though, and they may miss out on relationships that can be very rewarding.

6. They May Have Budgeting Problems

Budgets are real world things that are detailed and require careful thought and organization. Intuitive people hate tasks like setting up budgets and often just don’t do it. This can lead to financial difficulties if they are not careful.

7. They Don’t Have Facts to Backup Opinions

People who rely on factual information for decision-making and problem-solving can become frustrated with an intuitive who simply “knows” this is the right answer. As a result, intuitives may not have receptive “ears.”

8. They May Be Impulsive

Because they tend to want to “go with their gut,” intuitives may make impulsive decisions. When their “gut” is spot on, this is great; sometimes, though, it is not.

9. They May Overreact

Personal relationships are based upon emotions, and intuitives respond deeply to other people. Because of this, they may overreact when they feel slighted or hurt. That emotional reaction may not allow them to get things in perspective the way a more sensing person would.

10. They May Harm Friendships

Because of their intuitive feelings, they can blurt out things that may upset friends and family. For example, an intuitive may say to a friend, “I don’t see your relationship with John lasting. You’ll be breaking up soon.” This is not what that friend wants to hear, of course.

11. They Can Misinterpret Those Gut Feelings

Sometimes gut feelings, such as anxiety about a situation, can be interpreted as that situation being a bad thing. This is not necessarily the case. Sometimes, that anxiety is simply because a situation is new, and the intuitive is struggling for the right response. They can then miss a great opportunity.

Despite all of the difficulties that intuitive people face, they have many strengths and talents to bring to the table both in the workplace and in personal relationships. They are willing to dive in to help; they often are the ones with creative solutions because they have not over-thought the options; and when their energy is positive, it is contagious. As Albert Einstein one said:


Author Bio: Rick Riddle is a successful blogger whose articles aim to help readers with self-development, entrepreneurship, and digital marketing. If you’d like to dig deeper into your personality and answer the big questions about yourself, here is an article that will point you toward some great books to read on the subject. Connect with Rick on Twitter and LinkedIn.

By | 2016-12-30T03:38:46+00:00 May 29th, 2016|Categories: Self-Improvement|Tags: , , , , , , |

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11 Difficulties Intuitive People Often Face

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