Perceiver vs. Judger is one of the most crucial factors in any-one’s cognition, yet it’s also one of the most commonly mis-understood. There are stereotypes and oversimplifications about all the letter pairs, causing people to be mistyped or made to feel that their own type is inferior in some way, and that doesn’t help anyone. But unlike the other three letter pairs, the difference between Perceiver and Judger entirely changes a person’s whole cognition process. The switching of just this one pair of letters produces a completely different order of cognition steps, resulting in nearly opposite strengths and weaknesses. A person who’s mistyped be-tween Perceiver and Judger might end up feeling confused about how their type thinks, what they excel at and what they need to watch out for, because the switching of these two letters changes around the entire cognition process.
As a Perceiver, you are not any less organized, responsible, or decisive, regardless of the plentiful oversimplifications on the matter. Perceivers simply prefer to take in options be-fore committing to a course of action or opinion. Even if it takes longer in the short run to get something done, Perceivers prefer to get it done right. Some Perceivers may be messy or scatterbrained, and some may be incredibly finicky or punctual, yet all Perceivers focus on taking in options first, before deciding on a course to follow. They prefer to move forward cautiously, adapting carefully to any situation, rather than trying to plot a path and make it work.
Perceivers view the world and all experiences as potential tools that they can add to a growing arsenal of abilities. They approach life like an endless series of puzzles, instead of as a roadmap with definite, preplanned destinations. So in their drive to continually solve life’s puzzles, Perceivers are constantly seeking better tools for the job. They’re less focused on “getting things done” and checking them off, than they are on learning how to get things done better in general.
Frequently for a Perceiver, finishing a project or meeting a goal isn’t even their real intent; they simply engage in experiences in order to learn something from them. Others may pressure them to finish what they begin, make a goal and stick to it, and go through life as a series of definite checklists, while in truth the Perceiver’s mind is only seeking to test out new potential methods or tools. The project or goal isn’t the objective; learning and testing new tools is. Once they find out how well their new tool or idea works, their mind is satisfied; they got what they were really after from the experience.
Therefore any attempt to force Perceivers to complete defi-nite tasks will be difficult for them, because the completion of tasks wasn’t really what they were seeking in the first place. They may be led to feel guilty for leaving piles of projects “unfinished,” but in truth their real goal was finished: the learning and testing of new tools. It is inefficient, and in fact irresponsible, to try to force Perceivers to finish projects when that would be a waste of their energy. Perceivers are most productive when they’re allowed to see that productivity is measured not only by goals reached, but also by tools perfected. With a growing arsenal of better, faster tools, Perceivers become more equipped to clear the way for others and show them better methods of completing projects and pursuing goals.
This is not to say that healthy Perceivers don’t like to get things done; it’s simply not their primary focus. And likewise, healthy Judgers learn to enjoy considering new options and tools in their drive to plow forward, yet the perfecting of new tools isn’t their main focus. The more Perceivers let themselves be Perceivers, the more they’ll naturally find themselves getting things accomplished. The more they allow their minds to focus on exploring new methods and approaches, the more they won’t be able to resist using those new and improved methods to knock out their goals in record speed! But if they feel guilted into suppressing their deep and necessary desire to find new tools, if they feel pressured into getting things done first, then their energy will be largely wasted and their minds will try to rebel against being forced to go forward using inferior tools.
At the same time, though, this focus on seeking better tools can sometimes make it hard for Perceivers to settle on a course of action and go forward with it. While Judgers may stride forward without considering sufficient alternatives, Perceivers may spend so much energy considering options that they fail to just take the leap and make a decision. Watch out for this “paralysis by analysis,” focusing so much on potential solutions to a problem that you can’t manage to even begin to choose one!
The ability to say, “You know what? I have several options here that may work, and they’re all too comparable to decide between them, so I’ll just pick one and use it!” is a powerful tool for Perceivers to add to their toolbox. Perceivers excel at adapting to new and changing situations, but there won’t be anything new for them to adapt to unless they take a leap and see what happens! Considering the options, then taking a chance and adjusting after, allows Perceivers to be quick and decisive while still considering options and perfecting new tools. As always, the healthier we grow in any letter, the more we naturally and automatically gain the strengths of that letter and its opposite as well, while gradually losing the weaknesses of both.
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