What’s the Difference Between a Perceiving & Judging Type?

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Decoding the final preference pair in your MBTI results

Co-authored by Aly Rusciano Reviewed by Allison Broennimann, PhD

Last Updated: November 21, 2023 Fact Checked

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Judging Type

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Perceiving Type

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Differences

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Which is better?

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Tips

So, you’ve taken the Myers Briggs Personality Test. Your results are in, but you’re a bit stumped by the final letter. You’ve gotten a P or a J—what does it mean? The last letter of your results describes how others see you. A perceiving or judging preference score can say a lot about your personality, like how you make decisions, face challenges, and organize your life. We happen to have everything you want to know in this article, so keep reading to find out what your P or J result really means.

Things You Should Know

Judgers live an outwardly orderly and scheduled life, whereas perceivers are seen as spontaneous and outgoing.
Perceivers often keep their opinions to themselves, while judgers aren’t afraid of confrontation.
While judgers are task-oriented, perceivers like to do things based on how they feel in the moment.

Section 1 of 5:

What is a judging personality type?

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Judgers approach life in an orderly and structured way. As the title suggests, those with a J preference pair like to “judge” life’s outcomes. They’re careful calibrators and enjoy setting schedules and making plans. They prefer to know what comes next and like to have a sense of control over their surroundings. Overall, they like things the way they are and aren’t always open to change.^{[1]
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- Judgers are often decisive, confident, punctual, and opinionated.^{[2]
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- If you’re a judger, you probably resonate with these statements:
  - I like having a schedule and hate surprises.
  - My friends think I’m task oriented.
  - I like to get work done before having fun.
  - I often make to-do lists to stay on task.
  - I like to work ahead rather than rushing to meet a deadline.

Section 2 of 5:

What is a perceiving personality type?

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Perceivers see life as a spontaneous opportunity. Those with a P on their personality results are most likely seen as creative, curious, and open-minded. They can easily adapt to almost any situation and prefer flexible schedules. All in all, they come across as procrastinators with an outgoing approach on life.^{[3]
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- Perceivers are typically receptive, nonconfrontational, carefree, and distractible.
- If you’re a perceiver, you may relate to these statements:
  - I like to figure things out as I go.
  - My schedule is never too busy for something new.
  - I work in random bursts of energy.
  - I like to work and play at the same time.
  - I work better with a deadline quickly approaching.

Section 3 of 5:

Differences Between Judging and Perceiving

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Judgers seek closure while perceivers don’t. With their structured lifestyle, judgers would rather not leave things out in the open. These personality types prefer to mend relationships rather than burying hatchets. In other words, they like to resolve conflicts right away (even if they don’t end on a positive note).^{[4]
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- On the opposite side, perceivers don’t mind if there are some loose ends in their relationships. They can easily move on from situations without closure.
- For example, when a perceiver gets in an argument, they’ll pretend like nothing’s happened, whereas a judger will immediately try to make amends.
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Perceivers are more easily swayed than judgers. Those with a perceiving personality are easily influenced, which generally makes them more open-minded. Their spontaneous approach to life can make them gullible. By comparison, this trustful behavior sets them apart from judgers, who are rigid in their thinking.
- This isn’t necessarily a bad trait, as it means perceivers are more inclined to take chances and risks—they like to seize every opportunity to its fullest.
- For instance, say a judger and perceiver are heading for the polls. The judger will stick to their candidate no matter what those final campaigns say; meanwhile, a perceiver will switch who they’re voting for until the very last minute.
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Judgers won’t beat around the bush like perceivers. With their decisive and confident outward nature, judgers aren’t afraid to express their opinion. On the other hand, perceivers would rather stay as far away from conflict as possible. They prefer to keep their opinions to themselves to ensure everyone's happiness.
- As an example, let’s pretend a judger and perceiver are asked by a friend, “How do these pants make me look?” A judger won’t hesitate to be honest with their friend about how they look (even if it’s negative), whereas a perceiver will tell their friend exactly what they want to hear.
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Perceivers live for the moment, while judgers don’t. Those with a judging personality preference like to stick to schedules. Structure is their best friend; if something unexpected happens, it can throw them off guard. Perceivers are the opposite and love making decisions based on their current mood and situation. In their minds, schedules get in the way of their creative ambitions.^{[5]
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- For instance, a perceiver would randomly pick a flight and destination if they’re craving a vacation, whereas a judger would carefully plan out their trip with a full itinerary months in advance.

Section 4 of 5:

Lifestyle Hacks for Judgers and Perceivers

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If you’re a judger, work on relaxing a bit. Your decisiveness puts you above the rest but can also leave you a bit high-strung. Focus on taking time to chill every once in a while and do something fun. Make time in your schedule each day to do something you enjoy outside of work (even if you don’t get everything else done) to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
- For example, maybe you reward yourself with a cupcake at a local bakery every Friday or sign up for a regular yoga class to unwind each week.
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If you’re a perceiver, focus on your needs and goals. Follow your spontaneous nature and go outside the norms by looking for jobs outside the typical 9 to 5 that offer a flexible schedule, like a writer, musician, or travel blogger.^{[6]
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Trustworthy Source

PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health

Go to source} Work on expressing your opinion to form lasting friendships and better communicate your needs; just because you’re flexible, doesn’t mean you don’t need to set boundaries.
- For instance, your boundaries could be as simple as asking a friend not to call past 12 AM or only working on 2 work tasks at a time.

Section 5 of 5:

Is being a judger or perceiver better?

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Those with J personalities may be more inclined to make and stick to schedules, while P personalities can quickly adapt to changing environments; however, this doesn’t make one stronger or weaker. Both judging and perceiving personalities are amazing to have, and knowing where you fall can help you understand your personality, behavior, and reactions better.

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Tips

Keep in mind that your J or P preference doesn’t explain how you feel on the inside but what you show on the outside. For instance, you may feel structured even though your life looks spontaneous to others.

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Curious to know what your Myers Briggs personality type is? Determine your personality type by taking the official MBTI test or 16Personalities’ free assessment.

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