MBTI: Know the Difference Between Judging and Perceiving

Whether or not you're new to MBTI personality types, it's worth it to dig a little deeper and understand it more. Awareness does wonders to your life! You can check a simple breakdown of MBTI or the Myers-Briggs Type Instrument previously discussed on the blog. 

Judging vs. Perceiving

A common source of confusion is the difference between the Judging (J) or Perceiving (P) aspect of our personalities. Their names don't really help settle the matter because judging here is not all about forming an opinion or evaluating. Similarly, perceiving in terms of personality typing is not about awareness of something. We know where the confusion comes from! Let's break that cycle, shall we?

Judging and perceiving refer to the way you prefer to deal with your outer world in a sense; your chosen preference is what people often see because it's how you choose to organize what is visible to them. They are preferences in our personalities that are innately opposite to each other. 

Every personality type, introverts and extroverts, can have both depending on circumstances, but one is always strictly more dominant that the other. So, what are they all about? 

What Is Meant by Judging?

Judging is that annoying habit you have of wanting everything to be perfectly organized, no surprises whatsoever! If you like to plan things out and hate it when someone ambushes you with new unexpected changes, then you're a judging personality. This goes for both short-term daily plans and long-term ones as well. 

Judgers like things done in a specific sort of way, and more often than not they do expect those around them to follow suit. While others may find them a bit hard to deal with due to their inflexibility, their judging traits come from a deep need to operate in a very structured manner. It's their way of finding peace so as not to get too anxious about everything. 

What Are the Signs of a Judging Personality?

The following applies to judging personalities:

1. They enjoy documenting through schedules and "to-do" lists
2. They hate change and ambiguity
3. They prefer being in charge of plans
4. They are very decisive and quick to reach decisions in order to avoid any sort of stress
5. They go for getting things done before taking a break
6. They hate any open-ended plans.

Examples of Judging Personalities:

1. Extroverts: ESTJ, ESFJ, ENFJ, ENTJ
2. Introverts: INTJ, INFJ, ISFJ, ISTJ

What Is Meant by Perceiving?

In a complete opposite fashion, perceivers are people who enjoy a little bit of freedom than judgers. They are the ones who feel tied up when everything is planned perfectly to a fault. They want to have a range of options in their life decisions. 

Perceivers are the ones you find always talking about how they hate the daily routine of life. They would rather go off into the unknown one adventure at a time adapting constantly to new challenges. If you're adaptable to changes around you and can simply go with the flow, you are a perceiving personality. 

People around them might find them unreliable because they take forever to make decisions and might jump off to new ideas and projects in an instant without finishing others. This only comes from their need to avoid being controlled by life. 

What Are the Signs of a Perceiving Personality?

Here are a few of the signs of a perceiving personality:

1. They hate deadlines
2. They are not very good decision-makers as they tend to leave them to the very last minute
3. They enjoy a more relaxed lifestyle than judgers and are much more adaptable
4. They focus on enjoying their breaks and postpone work as much as they can
5. They are distracted easily.

Examples of Perceiving Personalities:

1. Extroverts: ESTP, ESFP, ENFP, ENTP 
2. Introverts: INFP, INTP, ISFP, ISTP.

You can find out all about the 8 MBTI Extroverted Personalities and 8 MBTI Introverted Personalities right here on the blog. 

By: Amal Ghali