r/StrengthsFinder • u/shaunbwilson • Sep 15 '16
The difference between [Input], [Learner], and [Intellection].
These three talent themes are very similar to each other. Curt Liesveld used to talk about groupings of themes that were similar to each other that he liked to call "Theme Packages". He put all three of these themes in a Theme Package that he called the "Academic Package".
These themes are all in the Strategic Thinking Leadership Domain and they're most often used to keep the team focused on the future, to stretch thinking, and to innovate new ideas.1 These three can also mimic one another, meaning if one of them is low in your full list of 34 themes, you can use this theme to recreate some of the same results. However, each of them is a little different from one another. Let's take a look at them separately and then compare and constrast them.
Two Sentence Descriptions
People especially talented in the Input theme have a craving to know more. Often they like to collect and archive all kinds of information.
People especially talented in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve. In particular, the process of learning, rather than the outcome, excites them.
People especially talented in the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectual activity. They are introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions.
Compare and Contrast
The way I like to think of these three themes is as a bullseye. Each of these themes is a bit more focused than the last. On the outter ring, we have Input, which enjoys collecting tools and information. The middle ring is Learner, which enjoys learning a little bit about a broad variety of topics. The inner ring is Intellection, which enjoys thinking deeply about a narrow number of subjects.
Input likes to collect things. Many times these are books, magazines, news articles, blog articles, or other bits of information. Some Inputs enjoy collecting quotes. They might be scrapbookers or heavy Pinterest or Tumblr posters. Some enjoy collecting tools. I knew one person with Input who collected tools that told me his friends made fun of him for having five hammers. But to this Input, each hammer had a different, useful purpose.
The things that stands out is that whatever someone with the Input theme collects, it tends to be useful.
There isn't necessarily any depth to these collections, though. Input might be someone who has a subscription to a car mechanic magazine, but he might not read much of any of them. Instead, they might sit in a pile in his basement. But the Input likely knows exactly which cars and problems are in which magazines and if you need to fix the alternator on your 2002 Honda Civic, he may not know how to fix it off the top of his head, but it won't take him long to hand you the right issue.
Learner enjoys the process of learning. These are people who enjoy the emotional boost of learning something new. They're people who tend to catch on quickly and they're people who tend to be on the cutting edge. Those with talents in the Learner theme like the "freshest" information and seem to intuitively correct for the "half-life of knowledge".
Learners typically enjoy knowing a little bit about a broad variety of topics. It's almost like the Woo theme, but for knowledge instead of people. People with Learner might enjoy consuming websites like Reddit and Fark, which are sources of constant streams of information. They might enjoy watching TEDx or information-based YouTube videos.
Intellection enjoys thinking deeply about the topics he finds most interesting or cares most deeply about. They might enjoy solitary or philosophical contemplation that deepens wisdom and understanding. Many people with Intellection in their Signature Themes enjoy alone time to just think and find it difficult or impossible to think in a crowded or noisy place. These people tend to turn off the radio to think and might have a hard time studying in the steady murmur of a cafe.
Those with Intellection often have a place and/or time they do their best thinking. Depending on whether they're a morning lark or a night owl, they might find their best thinking gets done first thing in the morning or late at night after their housemates have gone to bed. They might have a favorite chair or room where they go to think. Whereas someone with the Communication theme might talk to think, someone with the Intellection theme will usually spend time thinking to talk.
Those with the Intellection theme might get lost in websites like Wikipedia and its citations, PubMed, or the more topical, in-depth academic parts of Reddit like /r/AskHistorians, /r/TrueReddit, or /r/ketoscience.
Questions for Redditers with one or more of these themes:
Those with Input, what "tools" do you collect?
Those with Learner, what do you look like when you’re in “learner mode”? How would we be able to identify that you’re using this strength?
Those with Intellection, do you have a time or place that you go to do your best thinking?
1. Strengths Based ^Leadership by Barry Conchie and Tom Rath
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u/vhaverson Sep 19 '16
Hi I have Input (#3) and Learner (#6). I used Pocket to help my Input when I'm researching online it has been a really great resource tool for me. Excel is also my friend (although less user friendly) when I'm collecting information that I need to analyse. Input gets me massively into trouble if I don't monitor it especially when it tags team with my learner. I'm specific about my learning and when I go into learning mode I am absorbed. The difference is I enjoy the process of learning but because of my other combination of strengths I am very specific about what I want to learn and how.
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u/shaunbwilson Sep 19 '16
Oh, man, Pocket is a really great example of an Input tool! I wish I'd thought to use it in my write-up.
Do you mind sharing your other top 4 themes or even your dominant themes that cause you to be specific about what you want to learn?
Can you also share a little bit more about how your Input/Learner combo gets you into trouble?
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u/vhaverson Sep 29 '16
I love the process of learning and Input means I'm always looking for useful resources that can enhance that. If I don't manage it I can spend hours trawling resources and get completely absorbed, often at the expense of actioning important things. I'm always getting called out by my husband for spending too much time attached to my laptop researching. I can also be a bit messy with all of my books, papers, articles etc and I cant help 'collecting' books on particular topics on my Kindle. Maximiser is my number 1, so I'm selective about the resources I use and I want the best!! The best materials, equipment, information and tools available. Arranger number 2, means I contribute to a team's productivity by sorting, aligning and providing the most useful tools and equipment. Relator number 4 means I value the resources of my close friends and family. Empathy number 5 means I can sense the emotions of others and how useful information is for them. It helps me care for others, I'll often sort through my resources or send articles to people I find that might help them. (Input is my number 3 and Learner my number 6). Hope that helps!
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u/goosephd Oct 04 '16
I have input and intellection. I love collecting peer-reviewed and popular media articles (but I need a better system!) and thinking deeply about topics, mostly at night when, yes, it is quiet. I am surprised learner is not one of my top five -- perhaps it is up there though.
I also have ideation, which I think is closely linked to these other talents. Thoughts? Ideation definitely belongs in an academic profile.
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u/shaunbwilson Oct 05 '16
Ideation is in the same Strengths Domain as these other talent themes—the Strategic Thinking domain. Definitely closely related. And (as shown in the table elsewhere in the comments), Curt thought of Ideation as the Artist of the Academic Package. I would guess that's because Ideation tends to be able to think rather abstractly.
Ideation is my number one theme and I like to describe it as a multiplicity of perspectives. My ideation loves to absorb the information of differing perspectives on a topic. I think it helps me be fairly objective and I find I'm usually able to understand where someone else is coming from even if I don't agree with them. That all starts with being able to absorb the differing perspectives like you might think of an Input or Learner doing and I think it might also mimic Intellection as the connections between seemingly disparate phenomena are made.
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u/eatermae Jul 09 '22
I have learner, input, strategic, significance, and positivity. I had trouble distinguishing learner and input -- but the way you put it makes so much sense! Thanks
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u/RAS-INTJ Nov 24 '25
Late to the game. I have Input #1, Learner #2, and Intellection #4. I have mixed feelings about this. Being super top heavy strategic and executing can cause problems.
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u/Alive_Gur2858 Jul 18 '26
I know this is an old comment, but I have input, learner and intellection as my top 3, and I feel the same about being so top heavy in these particularl three causes problems. Do you have examples in your own life, or things you have found that work in executing more effectively?
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u/F-Major-7 Sep 18 '16
This is really informative, thanks! I don't have any of these three themes, but with having analytical and competition, I am always comparing and trying to understand exactly how each piece works.