Do you prefer to live in a structured way, with a preference for making strong decisions, or do you prefer to live in a bit of flux, keeping your options open? If you like the structured life, you’re said to have Judgment or J, in the Myers-Briggs typology. If, on the other hand, you like a more flexible life, open to pleasures as you find them, you’re said to have Perception, or P.
Someone whose preference is Judgment likes to decide things, often ahead of time—what to do, where to go, what to say, and so forth. As a result, they appear organized or, taken to the extreme, even rigid. They like structure, firmness, planning, control. Those with a preference for Perception like to learn or experience new things. They’re more comfortable when they keep their options open and their ear to the ground. As a result, they can appear flexible to their friends and colleagues. Inquisitive, they like to explore and excite; they like spontaneity. Extrovert-Introvert. Sensing-Intuition. Thinking-Feeling. Judgment- Perception. In all there are sixteen combinations…which are you?
ESTJ (Extrovert, Sensing, Thinking, Judgment): The SupervisorThe ESTJ is an extrovert, so he draws his energy from those around him, from the outside world of people and actions. He also prefers to use logic to deal with facts and the present, and keeps his life organized in a logical way. Practical and pragmatic, the ESTJ is likely to try known and trusted solutions for problems, which he’ll attack in a fairly impersonal manner. And he’s a detail man, preferring to hone in on the specifics of a project rather than spend time on strategy.
INFP (Introvert, Intuition, Feeling, Perception): The Healer An introvert, the INFP looks to the future, to possibilities, and decides on personal values. She leads a flexible life, quiet and adaptable, but only up to a point. The INFP can surprise people with a sudden rigidity when her values are violated. With a bent for creativity, she has a hidden warmth for people and a desire to see others grow.
ESFP (Extrovert, Sensing, Feeling, Perception): The Performer The ESFP is an extrovert—he takes his energy from the outside world of people and actions. Given to sensing, not intuition, he prefers to deal with facts. He also deals in the present and likes friendships. (In fact,he tends to make new friends easily.) Flexible, he takes life as it comes, nearly to the point of impulsivity. He also has a taste for the urgent problem and its solution. The ESFP is a known firefighter, and a damn good one at that.
INTJ (Introvert, Intuition, Thinking, Judgment): The Mastermind This introvert tends to decide things on the basis of impersonal analysis. He’s a rather organized strategist who contemplates life’s longterm goals; in fact, his life may be organized to meet them. He’s skeptical and often critical, both of self and others, and has a nose for deficiencies in quality and competence alike. INTJs often have big brains and can apply them to details relevant to larger strategies.
ESFJ (Extrovert, Sensing, Feeling, Judgment): The Provider This extrovert likes facts but makes decisions based on personal values. Warm and outgoing, she’s a people person who looks to maintain harmony with colleagues and friends, and doesn’t always warm to conflict or critique. Her strong sense of duty and loyalty makes her want to be of service, and she has a genuine desire to help others.
INTP (Introvert, Intuition, Thinking, Perception): The Architect An introvert, the Architect decides questions on a logical basis. She likes a flexible life and goes with the flow. She’s quiet, possibly detached, and reasonably adaptable. She’ll often experiment or change things to see if they can be improved, and tends to operate best when her intellect, most often large, is put to the solution of complex problems.
ENFP (Extrovert, Intuition, Feeling, Perception): The ChampionThe Champion, an extrovert by nature, prefers to think about future possibilities over the here and now, especially where people are concerned,and decides things based on personal values. She’s creative, insightful, and may sometimes neglect details and planning. But she enjoys work that involves experimentation and variety, so long as it’s working towards a general goal.
ISTJ (Introvert, Sensing, Thinking, Judgment): The Inspector The Inspector is more than an introvert: He’s a hard-nosed dealer in facts who likes to make decisions after he’s considered all the options. He likes to organize his life on a logical basis. He’s quiet, serious, and tends to be well-prepared. He’s a keen observer, a watcher and listener who won’t always express his thoughts, but has a strong sense of goals and works hard to meet them.
ESTP (Extrovert, Sensing, Thinking, Perception): The PromoterThis extrovert swims in pools of facts and makes decisions on a purely logical basis. He also leads a flexible life that consists of activities that interest him. A problem solver, he’s action-oriented, so much so that he can be impulsive. He likes trouble-shooting but at times can neglect follow-through. That said, he’s a wonderful team member to have in situations that need organizing and solving.
INFJ (Introvert, Intuition, Feeling, Judgment): The Counselor An introvert, the Counselor sees the future and possibilities in people, maintains a private sense of purpose in life, and works to fulfill that goal. Brimming with empathy, he shows a quiet concern for people. This in turn makes him a good manager: He’d like to help his colleagues grow, and his insight—which sometimes remains unexpressed— is often impeccable.
ENFJ (Extrovert, Intuition, Feeling, Judgment): The Teacher The Teacher is an extrovert. He’s intuitive and prefers to think in terms of possibilities in the future. He also looks to develop and maintain stable relationships with people he likes, as well as promote personal growth in others. Highly sociable and expressive of feelings, they can find conflict and critique difficult, but tend to work best with other people, not alone.
ISTP (Introvert, Sensing, Thinking, Perception): The Crafter An introvert, the Crafter deals in facts and logical decisions, the here and now, but keeps her life flexible and takes things as they come. Quiet and detached, she’s adaptable up to a point. She also has a talent for solving organizational problems, and may be very curious about why things work. While she can seem impulsive, she can also produce StoneInformal;”>surprising—and surprisingly good—ideas and unpredictable, often unorthodox solutions.
ENTJ (Extrovert, Intuition, Thinking, Judgment): The Field MarshallThis extrovert likes to look to the future and consider the realm of possibility. (But she won’t leap before she looks; she’ll consider the results of her actions before she takes them.) She tends to be logical and controlling, organizing systems and even people to meet her goals. ENTJs are often executives and directors; their approach, not surprisingly, is often called impersonal. On occasion, they may appear intolerant of people who don’t seem to be good at what they do.
ISFP (Introvert, Sensing, Feeling, Perception): The Composer A known introvert, the Composer likes to deal with facts and people and decides the questions of life and work based on a set of personal values. She’s adaptable, she’s quiet, she’s friendly, and she enjoys the company of others one on one or in small numbers. This person enjoys the present and tends to dislike conflict.
ENTP (Extrovert, Intuition, Thinking, Perception): The Inventor The Inventor is an extrovert who looks to the future and the realm of possibility. He tends to decide issues on a logical basis free of emotions, and likes to increase his own competence and skills. An ingenious problem solver, he enjoys a good argument, likes to promote change, and operates best in situations where creative effort drives new solutions.
ISFJ (Introvert, Sensing, Feeling, Judgment): The Protector An introvert, the Protector likes dealing with facts, but decides on personal values. He leads an organized life, and is quiet, serious, and concerned for the feelings of others, often to the point of solicitude. He tends to be loyal and conscientious, and prefers to be of practical service to the group. Like most, he dislikes confrontation and conflict, but he’s willing to risk it when others’ feelings are at stake.