Judging (J) or Perceiving (P)?

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How Do You Prefer To Approach Life?
This fourth preference pair describes how you like to live your outer life; what are the behaviors others tend to see? Do you prefer a more structured and decided lifestyle (Judging) or a more flexible and adaptable lifestyle (Perceiving)? This preference may also be thought of as your orientation to the outer world.

Don’t confuse Judging and Perceiving with a person’s level of organization. Either preference can be organized.

The Judging-Perceiving dichotomy of the MBTI addresses the following questions:

• Do you deal with the outer world by gathering information about it or by making decisions about it?
• How much structure do you like or need?
• How do you approach tasks that need to be done?
• How much information do you want?

What Do Judging and Perceiving Look Like?
Take a minute and ask yourself which of the following descriptions seems more natural, effortless, and comfortable for you?

Judging (J)
“Just do something.”

● You rely upon either your T or F preference to manage your outer life. This typically leads to a style oriented towards closure, organization, planning, or in some fashion managing the things and or people found in the external environment. The drive is to order the outside world. While you may have an assertive manner, your “ordering touch”—with respect to other people—may be light.
● You like to push to get things settled and decided.
● You have an appreciation of well-organized efficiency.

Perceiving (P)
“Let’s wait and see.”

● You rely upon either your S or N preference to run your outer life. This typically results in an open, adaptable, flexible style of relating to the things and people found in the outside world; and you quickly respond to the needs of the moment. The drive is to experience the outside world rather than order it. So, in general, you easily tolerate a lack of closure.
● You strive to keep your options open so new information may be gathered.
● You have an appreciation of the need for spontaneity and exploration.

Characteristics of People Who Prefer Judging Vs Perceiving
Let’s take a look at some of the characteristics of people who prefer Judging and Perceiving.

People who prefer Judging (J)
● Want things decided
● Feel anxious until things are settled
● Make most decisions pretty easily, but may decide too quickly
● Control their environment
● Schedule their time, set dates, and make arrangements
● Find comfort in schedules
● Like to make and stick with plans
● Avoid problems by anticipating and planning ahead
● Are serious and conventional
● Prefer to finish projects
● Talk about definite results: focusing on goals, objectives, and outcomes
● Stop taking in information as soon as they have enough to make a decision
● Like to have due dates and to stay well ahead of them
● Prefer to know exactly what they are accountable for
● See the need for most rules

People who prefer Perceiving (P)
● Want to keep their options open
● Feel anxious if there is pressure to settle things too quickly
● May have difficulty making decisions and avoid decisions altogether
● Understand their environment
● Leave scheduling options open as long as possible
● Want the freedom to be spontaneous
● Like to keep plans flexible
● Solve problems if and when they arise
● Are playful and unconventional
● Prefer to start projects
● Talk about a general course of action: emphasizing direction, thrust, and approach
● Keep taking in information because there is always something more to understand
● Like to follow their curiosity and work best under pressure as deadlines approach
● Prefer to have genuine choices and flexibility in assignments
● Question the need for many rules

Judging and Perceiving in a Veterinary Practice

Without an understanding of personality preferences, Isabel’s and Katharine’s contrasting approaches to managing their work day have the potential to negatively affect their work relationship.
 

Isabel prefers Judging
Isabel likes to draw a very clear line around her responsibilities and resists when asked to take on any new or unscheduled tasks or activities. She completes her tasks quickly, competently, and on time, following through on all her commitments.

Isabel is decisive, working best when she can organize and finish tasks. She feels comfortable once a decision is made and she is free to focus on what needs to be completed.

Katharine prefers Perceiving
Katharine is prepared to drop everything to get a critical job done in a hurry; consequently, non-urgent tasks sometimes get neglected and she sometimes gets behind schedule

Katharine prefers to continually explore options; she enjoys starting tasks and leaving them open for last-minute changes, gathering as much information as possible and keeping her options open.

The Result:
Katharine - and other team members - see Isabel as reliable but very rigid. Katharine is seen as flexible, but not always dependable. Tension erupts when discussing how to co-manage their technician duties. Isabel tries to limit options, which stifles Katharine’s open-ended exploratory process. Katharine feels that Isabel decides things too quickly and is resistant to revising decisions, even when compelling new information becomes available.

The MBTI can help everyone concerned appreciate their own strengths and realize that others aren’t purposely trying to drive them crazy, that’s just the way they’re wired.

Do You Prefer Judging or Perceiving?
Based on your understanding of Judging and Perceiving, which preference do you think more accurately describes you?

A Judging style approaches the outside world with a plan and is oriented towards organizing one's surroundings, being prepared, making decisions and reaching closure and completion.

A Perceiving style takes the outside world as it comes and is adopting and adapting, flexible, open-ended and receptive to new opportunities and changing game plans.

Remember, you can and do use both preferences at different times and in different situations, but which one of these is the most natural orientation towards life?

Judging (J)
People who prefer Judging tend to like a planned approach to life and are organized, orderly, structured, and decisive.

Perceiving (P)
People who prefer Perceiving tend to adopt a more spontaneous approach to life and are flexible, adaptable, and like to keep their options open.