The third most important of the four preference categories is the one that involves receiving and processing information. In order to make decisions, we interact in the world to gather information and then evaluate that information. Once we have cycled through this process of gathering and evaluating information “enough” times, we then come to a judgement (or make a decision). There are those who tend to come to a decision more quickly and who are less likely to seek or consider new information once they have made that decision. Let’s refer to them as Judging types (or “J”). Alternatively, there are those who will wait to make decisions until they are satisfied that all appropriate data has been explored. They are also more likely to consider factoring in new information even after they have made a decision (i.e. they are more open to changing their mind). Let’s refer to this group as Perceiving types (or “P”).
One of the primary motivating forces driving the speed at which we prefer to make decisions (or the time we take to gather and evaluate information) is our relative desire for certainty, or alternatively, our comfort level with being in a state uncertainty. The faster a decision is made or that a problem is “solved”, the sooner uncertainty around that decision or that problem is eliminated. Alternatively, the longer it takes for a decision to be made or for a problem to be solved, the longer things remain in a state that lacks resolution and where the outcome is uncertain.
A preference for a high level of certainty is often associated with seeking more structure, organization, efficiency, control and orderliness (J). Whereas, a high level of comfort with uncertainty is often associated with seeking variety, spontaneity, fluidity, openness and freedom from constraints (P). To take this a step further, consider the following comparison of J and P preference tendencies (while keeping in mind that not all J types do all of the following all of the time and neither do all P types do all of the following all of the time):
1. Planning
J: Methodical – Organizing things in a deliberate systematic way
P: Loose – Find out what to do as you go along and often discover how to complete things by trial-and-error
2. Work style as it relates to time
J: Steady progress, self-discipline, start work way ahead of time leaving time to review it
P: Pressure prompted, often enjoy meeting a tight schedule
3. Routine and consistency
J: Thrive on routine, gain energy from a predictable flow of tasks
P: Find routine monotonous, enjoy finding different ways of doing regular tasks
4. Experience of time
J: Future focused – Planning means doing what you want to do (Every moment of a vacation to a new place is advance planned)
P: Present focused – Place self in a flow of events that match inclinations (Purchasing flights for a vacation to a new place is the extent of the planning)
5. Structuring of time
J: Monochronic – Structure time in orderly ways, doing one thing at a time according to a definite schedule
P: Polychronic – Time is free flowing and unstructured, doing multiple things at the same time with no schedule
When it comes to risk taking, J types tend to avoid risk while P types tend to embrace risk and are excited by it. Sometimes risks that are taken pay off and other times they do not, so the P types in seeking risk are more likely to experience ups and downs depending on their luck, a volatile experience, whereas the J types in avoiding risk are more likely to experience a status quo, a stable experience.
Alternatively, if you were to think of life like a dance, the J types would be dancing ballroom style in accordance with the rules of the dance whereas the P types would be more inclined to make it up as they went along.