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How is it like to be P ?

Virtual ghost

Complex paradigm
Joined
Jun 6, 2008
Messages
19,769
Ah, okay. I think I see what you mean. Do you feel like you need structure/planning in most situations? Or prefer to have a goal in mind? A lot of Js I know, when they go on vacation, tend to have a list of things they want to see/accomplish, and tend to want to leave the house by a certain time in order to maximize efficiency and make the destination by sundown, etc. Of course, the Js I know might also have a touch of OCD. :smile:

I have to say, though, the NFJs are generally pretty go-with-the-flow, IME. They might think about in advance how it might go, and might make loose plans, but then they're pretty flexible, which makes them fun to travel with.

If I don't plan I am finished. I simply can't do anything right without plan.
I would even dare to say that I don't know how to do anything without some plan.
This is probably because I get 100% J on tests, or the other way around.


On the other hand structure is not too important because there always have to be updates of the plan to gain more efficiency or to avoid some serious problems.
Usually Ps think that all J are totally in love with structure, what is not completly true.


If I have too think something to great detail I will do it just like Ps.
Also I will ensure that I take enough time because screw up is something that I can't allow to happen. This is because that would mean efficiency=0.

Because of this Introversion is actually very usefull tool because it gives you time to think and reduces the number of chaotic variables.(read - not going to vacations)
Since I am geology student the field work we have to do is acually my vacation.

Plus there are N and T to control the process.

This is probably the main reason why all of my letter are above 80% ,interaction is simply too efficient.

In short, goal is actually the only thing that really matters.
But you must be cereful because you need be sure that you have the right goal.
 

Mort Belfry

Rats off to ya!
Joined
Jan 12, 2008
Messages
1,238
MBTI Type
INTP
It's the quick closing of options that annoys me about TJs especially.

At work, whenever I'm trying to load pieces of equipment with software or keys and a lot of equipment is faulty, I'll leave some desk space set up throughout the day for it, just because to get things done correctly means to have the equipment set up delicately.

But there is an XSTJ that always cleans up this mess I leave and so it takes the time to set it all back up again.



I also like a mess just because you don't know what you're going to need later on and if you throw it out earlier just to make a tidier space it seems unbeneficial. My desk at work is an absolute sty, with terminals, power supplies everywhere, but often somebody will be looking for an obscure piece of equipment that can be hard to find otherwise, but I can just pull it out instantaneously from the mass of mess on my desk.
 

Virtual ghost

Complex paradigm
Joined
Jun 6, 2008
Messages
19,769
I am finding this thread quite interesting.
So I am asking Ps(and Js) that they read this big post.(I am author)

The story is that one INFP wanted to become more thick skined in life and it was searching for advices.

I am sure that many people will not agree with many things that are said here. What is actually on trial here is the way of thinking.




This is good since it looked like you are totally lost in your life because you have P at 80% but you are bordering J.
However there is a possibility that this information is not accurate because you want to be more J.
And if person take a look at that well developed F, this scenario is probable.


I think that something must be said before I get to my point.
People with P usually say that they must be flexible and that everything would be lost without that. And they see people with high J as short sided idiots. That can be true in case when you have high S and you are very J. But if you have strong N and strong T strong J can be controlled by those two and become very useful.
In case that this is not true ENTJ and INTJ would never be what they are.


Here is how J is thinking.

Instead to prepare for bad scenarios and living in fear they create plans to get an advantage in their life. After that when they get to place where they want to be they use their good position to get even better position.
While P just waits his big problem and hopes that he/she will be ready.
But he will probably lose because he/she stayed at first level where you are most vulnerable which is because you have small amount of options and there is no place to flee.
Once you get to higher position and have 10 000$ per month many basic problems will not even be coming your way.



What this means in real life?

It means that if you stash too many things which could help you in some situations the only thing that is likely is that you will not be able to find it among all those things, at least not in advised time period and you will lose large amount of time on cleaning and repairing those things.

How to organize?
Put things that you need in places where you can easily grab them.
Things which you need less put somewhere where they will be out of the way for everyday operations.
Things you probably will not need soon can be thrown in garbage because if you are going to need them one day they will be broken or obsolete.
Make sure that all things have their own place and that you put them in that place after use.


On the big picture you must determine what you want from life. After you do that try to find best way to get there. Also having a master plan for your life is really not that bad because if you have it you will have standard by which you can judge things. (science and philosophy are exceptions)
For example you must see what jobs you can do whit your education which leads to question "Is this level of education enough for me".
But I don’t have any data here so I can’t help you much in this part.


I see you are strong in verbal intelligence my advice is to use it whenever you can get something from it.
For example I am so J that I plan my conversations. When I know that I will have to argue I scan my database about any information about my “enemy” and what things he/she will likely to support and what are the flaws of that thing or process.
Also you could create list of 15-20 simple jokes and learn them for cases when you feel stuck in social situation.
I also make list of things/facts I want to say to other person and then try to mention them in conversation (this can help you a lot in life).


Don’t hesitate to write facts and information if they are complex.
Try to be aware of others peoples goals, hopes and fears.
If you work in the place where you can be easily accused for something try to see it coming and prepare your defense. By this I mean write it on the paper and try to learn as much facts from it as you can. But try to be short because your point must be represented in small amount of time. And if you know topic well you can turn accusation against the accuser who could be caught by surprise with your actions.
Don’t be too nice because people will start to use you in many ways. And there is good chance that INFP can be too friendly in working environment.
Don’t be too defensive when you know that you are wrong.
Try to be right hand of your boss. By doing this you will probably be first candidate for the promotion and that is what you want.

Also when you start to think this way any job will be much more interesting. Because tensions will be higher what means more excitement.

I know that this advices from INFP perspective can be summarized as “become an Antichrist” but this is exactly what you want.



Strong intrapersonal intelligence can help you a lot to realize what you can and what you can’t do. This is possibly your greatest strength.



What many people don’t realize is that there is entire spectrum of small things that can make HUGE difference.

Having proper body mass is just one of the factors but it is very important in business environment because it dictates how others see you.
But even more important is that you can’t have a good sleep if you are above 20% of your ideal body mass. When you sleep make sure that bed is not too soft.
If it is too soft your back will hurt and you will not be fresh in the morning what can be fatal in many ways.

Don’t be an addict of any legal things that stimulate your senses.
For example I don’t drink coffee at all and I don’t use any pills unless I am sick.
Human body has chemical composition and every time you add something like this you are destroying the balance in your body.
And that can reduce many things (like mental ability) through the rest of the day/life.
I don’t use any of those things but I have more energy and stronger mental abilities then people around me and I think it is just because I avoid those things.
Plus it will save you much time, much money, time you need to buy them and prepare them and time to wash the dishes after coffee.
All of this can take about 1h per day for an average person.
But if you multiply that by 365 you will get 2 weeks of totally free time!!!!
Congratulations, you have just bought yourself time to rest for real during the day and to make your future plans. Same works for smoking, alcohol, drugs/pills.
Try to use same way of thinking about many small things in your life and suddenly you will have a lot of free time.


It is very important to have 3 major meals and 2 minor meals during the day. This will cover your hunger over the day.
Ideal is about 5% sweets , 25% proteins , 30% fruit and vegetables , 40% bread , pasta …
What people don’t get is that their body is chemical factory which can’t work properly if “raw materials” that come in, suck.
This sounds funny but stuff like this could be just what you need to get advantage over others (read: be more productive).
In case you know that ahead of you is situation that needs quick thinking like
exam or meeting try to eat some small amount of meat or cheese before it because that will wake you up.

And don’t think like this “you can do it, you can do it “.
What you need is “Just do it and continue to next task”.

I would advise you to find someone for playing games like chess, risk and monopoly because that will boost your thinking and ability to make plans. Plus you will get used to offense as a way of thinking.
 

Neo Genesis

New member
Joined
Oct 7, 2008
Messages
322
MBTI Type
InFp
Enneagram
4w5
Yes it is obvious and it is obvious because that is the most basic definition of P.


What I want to know is why.


Plus why Ps tend to like disarray.

There's a certain beauty to it that is difficult to explain. Honestly, for me, there just seems to be something lacking in a structured world. Numbers are boring, predictable, and completely unromantic to me. How far I get in life is not important, but rather the connections I have with other people. I'd much rather communicate with someone from the heart, and the best way for that to happen seems to be if there is no planning involved.

These were just some of the thoughts that went through my head, so they're going to sound rather chopped.
 

Cimarron

IRL is not real
Joined
Aug 21, 2008
Messages
3,417
MBTI Type
ISTJ
Enneagram
5w6
Instinctual Variant
sp/so
Antisocial one said:
One of the things I am trying to prove with this thread is that being J has nothing to do with the ability to be open minded.
Yes, I would agree with that as well. Especially since I have the tendency of wanting to know the boundaries of a situation, which makes me more aware that I may not be setting good boundaries, and that forces me reconsider the situation. Seems similar to what you've said over the course of the last page.
 

yenom

Alexander the Terrible
Joined
Aug 3, 2008
Messages
1,755
Uhh. Well, I've tested as P recently. Nevertheless, I've planned to make 50-60hrs work a week for a month now, to pay my credit bills and to have some extra cash for an emergency. I've experimented with how much work I can do after what amount of sleep, for the purpose of squeezing most out of me in the least time possible. I plan to invest my time carefully, for relaxing things to do, something that will improve my ability to work. In the meantime, I'm organizing my monetary arrangements so I'll have the most money after this project.

Afterwards, I plan to divide my time with work and free time more carefully, with me doing 40-46hrs work per week, using little money for my living and saving the rest. I'll invest the money on a one-year education to become a certified systems administrator. Later on, I'll plan to get a day job in systems administration, and continue my education in computer science, to become a Master of Science in about 5 years.

I calculate the rewards and risks for being punctual or random in each case. For example. I felt like drinking 6 beers the last night; today work didn't go well, so I'll have to restrain myself from doing anything like that again. I invite my girlfriend to come at my place and expect her to come at any time; she's late, no worries - I've spent my happily playing computer games. I collapse early due to heavy work earlier in the day; no worries, I ask her to make food this time.

I regret for my GF being uncompetitive and spending money as it comes. I'm into much more organized spending. I want to earn first, then spend. I've planned my general investment strategy, too, and how much money I need to start it up efficiently.

So, this is what it means to be a P for me.

Oh and free time? I'm playing wow. I've calculated what is the most efficient way to get my characters to my goal level, and where they'll be good at. I've deviated from the plan somewhat, and it bothers me. OTOH, I made great gold (virtual ingame money) with some good sales, so I guess it's OK to have altered my plans somewhat.

When have I done the last really impulsive thing? I had a few friends at my house last saturday, and we watched a movie and had a free-flowing chat.

So, 2 hours of impulsive stuff for me last week, and 100 hours planned, goal-orientated stuff, which went about 90-95% as planned.

So should a good P be doing flip-flops on the street, singing and drinking? Doing improvisational comedy in every street corner? Canceling 90% of their meetings? Gambling their money away?

You watched Jack bauer on 24?
 

Virtual ghost

Complex paradigm
Joined
Jun 6, 2008
Messages
19,769
I know that Js can annoy Ps but to me it looks that sometimes Ps can be intimidated by
Js. For example rhetoric can too direct. (I know, Ps and Js are quite wide categories)

Is there any truth in this observation?
 

entropie

Permabanned
Joined
Apr 24, 2008
Messages
16,767
MBTI Type
entp
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783
I know that Js can annoy Ps but to me it looks that sometimes Ps can be intimidated by
Js. For example rhetoric can too direct. (I know, Ps and Js are quite wide categories)

Is there any truth in this observation?

I think feeling intimidation can be a result of various results as a reaction to one particular thing. Namely the J cutting off the options to a given situation and therefore not taking in all the information, but having a decision that ends the given situation.

Reactions can range from recoil, over intimidation, ignore the dumb J or yes he is right. :D
 

Amargith

Hotel California
Joined
Nov 5, 2008
Messages
14,717
MBTI Type
ENFP
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4dw
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
:yes: I second Entropie's view on this though I would've put it differently ;)
I'd say it sometimes makes you feel like you're a five year old being corrected or pressured by an adult.
 

Lady_X

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 27, 2008
Messages
18,235
MBTI Type
ENFP
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784
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
Yeah. I kinda intuitively read that into it though :laugh:

Just to comment on this, though:



This never tends to be really be a problem for me. 99% of my life I'm "coasting". Everything is just too easy, most of the time. So there's no need to TRY. But should the need to try arise, I've a good track record of being able to just move up a gear and pwn stuff. It's like what happens is, usually I'm just aware that all this "stuff" is around me, going on... I've sorta got one eye on it, I'm aware of it, but it's all cool, I know no intervention is needed. But because I've been watching it all along, when intervention is needed, it's like I'm watching a revolving door. I know exactly when the open part's gonna come back round again, and all I've gotta do is jump when it does. So even when under great pressure, I can still just wait 'til the last minute to make up my mind and jump.

hmmm....

i loved this...and your other one...just perfect. :D
 

The_Liquid_Laser

Glowy Goopy Goodness
Joined
Jul 11, 2007
Messages
3,376
MBTI Type
ENTP
I know that Js can annoy Ps but to me it looks that sometimes Ps can be intimidated by
Js. For example rhetoric can too direct. (I know, Ps and Js are quite wide categories)

Is there any truth in this observation?

I think intimidation has more to do with being NT than anything else. According to my wife people find me intimidating even though they find me likable as well. It seems like a weird combination to me.
 

The Ü™

Permabanned
Joined
May 26, 2007
Messages
11,910
MBTI Type
INTJ
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5w6
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
Hmm, what is it like to be a P?

Well, I would imagine that you would have a head substantially bigger than the rest of your body, and which would possibly cause vertical imbalance.
 

Frank

New member
Joined
Mar 13, 2008
Messages
689
Yeah and also doing things for fear of what might happen if you don't do them, that doesn't make much sense to me either... I'd rather being doing things because I like doing them. Cos pretty much anything you can do, like you say, will have unknowable consequences, leading to unforeseeable opportunities... I could pass the exams and go to college and get an ace job... only to have my wife leave me for the mailman and become a prozac-propped executive with a Ferrari and a big fat midlife crisis

I think the bolded portion is where some of the biggest misunderstandings between J&P types stem from. We all do what we like for the most part. J's like crossing things off the list, taking tangible steps towards their goals, plowing ahead etc... It is not usually done out of fear. It is as enjoyable to a J as drinking beer with the homiez. Which, by the way, I also partake in.
 

FDG

pathwise dependent
Joined
Aug 13, 2007
Messages
5,903
MBTI Type
ENTJ
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7w8
Js like to do what they like to do, they (we) just like to do it in a planned manner.
 
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