Personality Part III

By Jonathan Hodge

Believe it or not, camp is so awesome that it takes 42 weeks to plan for 10!  And part of that planning deals with selecting the best staff we can find.  When it comes to choosing staff, we actually use a version of a personality assessment during the interview process to help us get a better understanding of each person and to try make our interview process as meaningful for them as possible.  This stuff is always practical, and can make a difference in the way we approach things.  With all that said, here we are six weeks later and just now getting to our next installment about personality. Oops. Well, what can I say…camp is coming, and there’s been a lot going on around here.  So, without further ado, here we go.

We begin by looking at the third category of a personality profile – T or F. This third letter is concerned with our preferences for making choices. Check it out:

T or F

Which way of making choices is most natural?

The thinking side of our brain analyzes information in a DETACHED, objective fashion. It operates based on factual principles and forms conclusions systematically. It’s our logical nature.

The feeling side of our brain forms conclusions in an ATTACHED and global manner, and factors in things like impact on others, likes/dislikes, and human aesthetic values. It’s our subjective nature.

Again, everyone uses both means of forming conclusions, but each person has a natural bias towards one over the other – when these two sides give us conflicting directions, one side ends up being the natural trump card.

Thinking Characteristics

  • Instinctively search for facts and logic in a decision making
  • Naturally notices tasks and work to be accomplished
  • Easily able to provide an objective and critical analysis
  • Accept conflict as a natural, normal part of relationships with people

Feeling Characteristics

  • Instinctively employs personal feelings in decision making
  • Naturally sensitive to others’ needs and reactions
  • Naturally seeks consensus
  • Generally unsettled by conflict

This fourth category is addresses the way that we approach the world; people, jobs, tasks, living spaces, and more. This category is perhaps the one which is easiest for people to self-identify. Which is more true of you?

J or P

What is your “action orientation” towards the outside world?

The judging style approaches the outside world WITH A PLAN – it is oriented towards organizing surroundings, being prepared, and using that organization and preparedness to make decisions and gain closure.

The perceiving style takes the outside world AS IT COMES and is an adopting and adapting style. It features flexibility, open-ended attitudes, and reception to new opportunities and changing game plans.

As you’ve read before, all people use both processes to store information, organize thoughts, make decisions, and take action to manage our lives. However, one of these processes tends to take the lead in our relationship with the outside world.

Judging Characteristics

  • Plan many of the details in advance before moving into action
  • Focus on task-related action; complete meaningful segments before moving on
  • Work best and avoid stress when able to keep ahead of deadlines
  • Naturally use targets, dates and standard routines to manage life

Perceiving Characteristics

  • Often comfortable moving into action without a complete plan
  • Likes to mix work and play
  • Often works best close to the deadline
  • Prefers flexibility and variety

So how can these actually help you?  Read the characteristics of these two categories and see which one you lean towards most.  For example, if you see that you lean more toward thinking than feeling, be sure to take some time when making your decisions to explain your process to the feelers in your life.  Perhaps you more closely identify with perceiving and your spouse more closely identifies with judging, if so, put in a little extra effort to pay attention to the small details and help them not feel overwhelmed by things like approaching deadlines or general household clutter, etc.  Remember, information of this sort is never meant to be prescriptive.  It’s not designed to tell someone how they “should be”, but rather seeks to describe how they are already “doing things.”  It’s not an exact science, but over the years I’ve found it to be extremely helpful to many people.  As always, comment with any questions!