MBTI: Perceivers

                (This is the eighth post in an eight part series on the eight characteristics of the MBTI. Find an introduction HERE, and use the tags at the end to find other related posts.)

Judging and Perceiving reference how a life is organized, as has already been said. For a Perceiver, there is joy in processing (while for a Judger, it is in closure). A Perceiver loves to have their options open and available.

Perceivers come across as casual and open-ended, flexible and ready for anything. They are not the people who work ahead on assignments or deadlines, but rather, they are prompted by pressure. Goals are guidelines, to be reached eventually. A Perceiver loves to maintain their flexibility so they can take advantage of any unexpected opportunity that may present itself. They maintain curiosity more than decisiveness. This all means that they keep their decisions open as long as possible.

Their very personality is spontaneous and often more bubbly than Judgers. They live by the moment, adjusting easily to the changes in their circumstances. They do well with handling unexpected changes and unplanned events.

A Perceiver likes to test the water and will feel boxed in and confined by conclusions or closure. They like having open options and room for their spontaneity. They are more adaptable than a Judger will generally be. This flexibility and spontaneity means that they love to begin something new – until the newness is gone and they are brought to boredom.

Compared to the Judgers, who often understand and follow the rules of society, Perceivers feel harried by those same rules and often question the need for what they find useless. They do occasionally make lists, but checking off everything on their list is practically unheard of. Structure and systems are almost painful to them, and far more confining than they prefer.

Perceivers can be summed up in three words: flexible; adaptable; tolerant. They are like rubber ducks who go with the flow. This means that occasionally, they act too much based on outside pressure rather than other important things. It is important too for Perceivers to learn when to “stop information-gathering in order to make a decision and act upon it.”[1] Making decisions can be a struggle for them.

All of these qualities combine to make a Perceiver seem much more playful than a Judger. Indeed, their mentality of “play-first, work-later” can occasionally be detrimental to their productivity. Their adaption skills are unparalleled. Expression of an opinion is rare, as they are usually quite tentative.

Physically, Perceivers rarely hurry and their pace is easy-going and slow. This is partly due to the fact that they are less aware of time than Judgers are, and therefore are more likely to run late. They dress to be comfortable, not cute (though if that happens, it is not a bad thing). They tend to be less well-groomed than Judgers are, and sometimes appear unfinished as if they left home before they were entirely ready for the day. Their car interiors are often messy.

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[1] Calise Sellers, “A Little Bit of Personality,” accessed July 9, 2015, www.alittlebitofpersonality.com.