Myers-Briggs (careerfitter.com) |
Wow! How time flies when you have great
blog posts to read every week! Seems like only yesterday when last we chatted. But
it was eons ago—the beginning of June. We’re already in August!
My previous blog provided an overview of how I’ve come to understand the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI) and its use as a tool for developing characters and conflict in your stories. Feel free to take a couple of minutes to review it by clicking here.
In the meantime, here’s a quick
refresher:
Katherine Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers developed the MBTI. According to Introduction to Type®, published by CPP, Inc., the MBTI springs from the psychological type theory of personality developed by Swiss psychiatrist Carl G. Jung to explain normal personality differences between healthy people.
The four
dichotomies and their single-letter identifiers are:
1. Introversion
(I) vs. Extraversion (E);
2. Sensing (S)
vs. Intuition (N);
3. Thinking (T)
vs. Feeling (F); and
4. Judging (J)
vs. Perceiving (P).
Last time, we drilled down into the first
dichotomy, Introversion (I) versus Extraversion (E). Remember, the I vs. E dichotomy
deals with where you prefer to focus your attention—how you get your energy, “recharge
your batteries.”
Let’s look at the remaining three
dichotomies.
Sensing (S) vs. Intuition (N). The S vs. N
dichotomy involves how you to prefer to take in information.
People who prefer Sensing live in the “concrete”
world. They like to take information that is real and tangible. Think of
Sergeant Joe Friday’s, “Just the facts, ma’am.” People who prefer Sensing are grounded
in practical realities.
People who prefer Intuition like to absorb
information in the context of “the big picture.” They are focused on the world
of ideas and possibilities. They focus on relationships and connections between
facts. They identify patterns.
Imagine the S vs. N pair discussing
Unexplained Aerial Phenomena (a/k/a UFOs). The “N” says, “Gosh, with all those
unexplained lights flying around in ways that can’t be explained by the
physical laws of nature, they must be alien spacecraft. I can’t wait to meet
one of our space visitors.” The “S,” on the other hand says, “You’re a fruit
cake, with extra nuts. I’ll believe in UFOs and aliens when one of them shakes
my hand and says 'Hello.' You’re such an idiot. How can you possibly function
on a day-to-day basis in the real world?”
Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F). The T vs. F
dichotomy focuses on your decision-making preferences.
People who prefer “Thinking,” look at
logical consequences of a choice or action. They remove themselves from the situation
and examine the pros and cons objectively. Their goal is to find a standard or
principle that will apply to all similar situations. If someone, faced with a
situation, says “What’s the applicable rule,” they’re probably a “T.”
People who prefer to use “Feeling" in making
decisions like to consider what is important to them and to others involved.
Their goal is to create harmony and treat each person as a unique individual. “What
is fair?” they ask. “What is equitable?” “Well, rules are meant to be broken,”
an “F” might say.
Think about many of the “debates” about
today’s contentious societal issues. One side accuses the other of being unrealistic
“Liberals” [or other, less kind descriptions]. Their opponents call them cruel
and mean-spirited “Conservatives” [or other, less kind descriptions]. Maybe the
political world would have less rancor and more understanding if each side
would simply accept that their “opposites” simply have a different approach,
i.e., Thinking vs. Feeling.
Judging vs. Perceiving (P). The J vs. P
dichotomy considers how you deal with the outer world. I characterize it as
being how you like to get things done.
People who prefer Judging, like to live
in a planned, orderly way. They seek to make decisions, come to closure, and
move on. Sticking to a plan is important to them. They like to get things done.
Ever travel with someone who has a minute-by-minute itinerary on vacation?
Probably a “J.”
People who prefer Perceiving, like to live
in a flexible, spontaneous way. Detailed plans and final decisions feel confining
to them. They feel energized by last minute pressures. Can you imagine the conflict
between a “J” and a “P” going on vacation together?
Remember the television show “Darma and
Greg”? It was a classic J vs. P conflict situation comedy. Darma was a dog
trainer and yoga instructor. Greg was a straight-laced, by-the-book Assistant
United States Attorney. They loved each other, but the natural conflicts coming
from their respective “J” vs. “P” approaches to life gave rise to some funny
moments.
Another J vs. P conflict, and one found all-too-often
in the workplace is when a “J” and a “P” are assigned a project together. The “J”
wants to plan out the steps, get started immediately, and stick with the plan.
The “P” wants to think about what to do, then get started in sufficient time to
complete the project by the deadline. “What’s the big deal,” the “P” asks, “we
have plenty of time. It’s not due until Thursday. Let’s get together on
Wednesday afternoon.” (Murders have happened with less provocation.)
Some might argue that Plotters are “Js”
and Pantsers are “Ps.” That’s another blog for another day...
Thoughts? Looking forward to a lively
discussion. But remember. I’m an Introvert. Be kind.
Mike
16 comments:
I can attest to the fact that Js and Ps planning methods could be a motive for murder...in the literary sense that is. Another great post.
Thanks! A few years ago, I organized a small conference (about 50 participants). I had worked with most of the presenters and could predict their "J vs. P" preferences. I knew who would have their presentations to me early or right on the deadlines (the J's) and who would send their presentations late or, believe it or not, on the day of their presentation (the Ps). I prepared some extra presentations to have available in the event the Ps didn't come through. That way, I didn't panic and was ready--just in case. (I'm an ISTJ.) As predicted, a few sent their presentations after the deadline and one (a classic P if there ever was one) showed up at the conference and handed me a thumb-drive with the presentation on it. Ah, preparation and organization...
A former student introduced me to MB years ago. I find it helpful in my relationships but never thought about it being useful to character development. Good post.
Thank you!
As a “P” married to a “J”, that vow of “till death do us part” can seem tempting during a heated argument! (Just kidding!) Your post gave me some insight, thanks! Staying anonymous.😆
Very interesting! J and P could be opposites attract characters which could make a great murderous plot!
I love Teresa's idea. I can imagine a J planning out the perfect murder while the P just goes ahead and does it.
Michael, great job! I love, love, LOVE it!
It makes perfect sense and I appreciate the examples you gave. I understood them all! This probably explains the difference in my hubby and me. He is usually an ISTJ and usually I am the exact opposite as a ENFP (not always but majority of the time). It explains why we can get on each others nerves! LOL!
Teresa, you should so write it!
Thanks so much for breaking this down in clear, understandable terms! I so often find myself in the middle between some of these categories (aside from the ever-constant I, I've gotten different results several times over the years with the at-home version). However, this means that having the categories so clearly demarcated is really helpful!
Thanks, Anonymous. A huge part of navigating your way through life, as I'm sure you'll agree, is recognizing and working with different personality types. If you and your J partner can acknowledge the differences, you can leverage your collective strengths. I don't recall any matrimonial homicide of late, so you must be managing well.
Thanks, Teresa. And I wonder what challenges a police partnership of a J and a P would face as they tried to investigate that murder.
Thanks, Kim. Recognizing, and appreciating, the differing preferences is a key to getting along in this world.
Thanks, Adele. Remember, these are only preferences and they can change over time. Also, there's an interesting concept referred to as being "in the grip of your inferior function." In basic terms, it's how a particular four-letter type reacts to stress. That's another discussion for another day! But once you recognize how you react to stress, there are methods to bring you back into balance.
Sorry. I meant to say "Thanks, Maria!"
Thanks, Teresa. It's also a great way to add misunderstanding and miscommunication to your conflict. If a P misinterprets what the J is doing, the P might characterize the J as an [expletive], helping to ensure that they will always be at odds.
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