INTP

I read Mimi's blog almost daily, and her last post was about her scores on the Meyers Briggs Personality Inventory. The first time I took the Meyers Briggs, I was in college, providing practice for a friend in the counseling program. I was an INTJ then, and continued to test as an INTJ until about five years ago when, inexplicably, I became an INTP (though once I tested as an ENTJ.) Crazy huh?

The differences between a J and a P are subtle but very clear.

Judging (J)
Judging does not mean "judgmental". Judging people like order, organization and think sequentially. They like to have things planned and settled. Judging people seek closure.

Judging Characteristics
Decisive
Controlled
Good at finishing
Organized
Structured
Scheduled
Quick at tasks
Responsible
Likes closure
Makes plans

Perceiving (P)
Perceiving people are flexible, like to keep their options open and think randomly. They like to act spontaneously and are adaptable. Perceivers like to keep things open ended.

Perceiving Characteristics
Adaptable
Relaxed
Disorganized
Care-free
Spontaneous
Changes tracks midway
Keeps options open
Procrastinates
Dislikes routine
Flexible

As I get older, and as life "tenderizes" me, I can see that I most definitely am becoming more flexible, more adaptable, more relaxed. Unfortunately, I am also becoming more disorganized, though I see the beauty in organization and crave it - I'm just not the person to make it happen. I did change tracks midway through my life. I certainly do procrastinate a lot; I have struggled with punctuality all my life, though I am doing better in general nowadays. I certainly get bored with routine in many ways - work especially - which is why I prefer working with people because there are new situations to deal with every day. On the other hand, the sameness of the church year, the changing of the church seasons, the rich liturgical life of the Orthodox Church, the eternal sameness of it, is far removed from routine - it is incredibly beautiful and comforting.

I certainly do not think sequentially. I usually have a dozen different things going on in my head at any time. I find it impossible to attend fully to any one thought, which makes prayer difficult. My daughter says that I'm what happens when an ADD kid grows up. The funny thing is, when I was a kid, I would concentrate so hard on things that I was interested in, that the real world would drop away and my Mom had to physically shake me to come to dinner, for example. But now, I'm always listening to a number of internal conversations with myself. Perhaps that is the key to whether I am a J or a P.

So, I guess that I have, indeed, morphed into a P.