How is it like to be P ?

[Virtual ghost]

There were some threads about other letters but I think this was never done for the P.


I am trying to understand why they like spontaneous behaviour and dislike or don't want too much organisation around them.

This should be enough to get us started.

 

[ajblaise]

It is fucking awesome.

 

[The_Liquid_Laser]

For me it means being able to take advantage of a situation as soon as it happens. I don't ever feel like I have to stick to a plan. Now I'm often making plans in my head, and then constantly modifying them and remaking them. At any time I can dump my plan and make a new one. When I have a goal I stay open to the most amount of different avenues to achieve that goal.

 

[Jeffster]

I'll tell you later.

 

[Kora]

I'll tell you later.

/thread

 

[Virtual ghost]

For me it means being able to take advantage of a situation as soon as it happens. I don't ever feel like I have to stick to a plan. Now I'm often making plans in my head, and then constantly modifying them and remaking them. At any time I can dump my plan and make a new one. When I have a goal I stay open to the most amount of different avenues to achieve that goal.

To tell you the truth I think this is mostly because you are NT not P.

I say this because all NTs have some kind of a vision so some kind of a general plan exists. After all it is quite ilogical not to have any kind of a plan.

For example your posts sounds like that you have much common with me and jet I get 100% J in many occasions.

I always have a plan or more of them but my plans are always flexibile and there is always room for improvment.


It would be really good that more non NTPs join the thread.



I am trying to understand the logic of Ps and what do they want to achieve with it. (I know that my aproach is totally J )

 

[Royal Xavier]

For me it means being able to take advantage of a situation as soon as it happens. I don't ever feel like I have to stick to a plan. Now I'm often making plans in my head, and then constantly modifying them and remaking them. At any time I can dump my plan and make a new one. When I have a goal I stay open to the most amount of different avenues to achieve that goal.

I do that a lot too, making plans and then constantly changing them. For some reason I dislike other people trying to change my plans, but I'll change them as much as I like lol.

 

[Jack Flak]

Ps are anti-schedule because schedules interrupt whatever we were doing or thinking about doing. If this is really obvious, I'm sorry.

 

[Virtual ghost]

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.

 

[Jack Flak]

Yes it is obvious and it is obvious because that is the most basic definition of P.

Still, it is the answer. I sat here trying to think of a better one, but that's the answer.

 

[Virtual ghost]

Still, it is the answer. I sat here trying to think of a better one, but that's the answer.

As I have already said this is mostly because you are an NT and a introverted one.

 

[Jack Flak]

For the record, I was trying to take all the Ps I've known into consideration. *does observation*

 

[Virtual ghost]

I can understand this pert about thinking and searching some complex solutions. I do that every day for hours.

I simply don't see logical reason to be so worried about the possibilitys while you have obvious problem somewhere else. Or why postpone some decision, when it is very very likely that this is a best one?

 

[Jack Flak]

Our perspectives are mutually exclusive. I know that Js have a need for scheduling, but I can't "feel" this need, no matter how hard I try.

 

[strawberryfields]

Hmmm I am going to try and answer this. Personally, as a (strong) P, there are a lot of things I hate about being a P, and sometimes I wonder if I had more organisation skills and was more decisive I'd be a lot more J. That said, being a P is a lot more complex than being indecisive and disorganised.

For me I think J's get caught up in a lot of trivial things, and catastrophise stuff when it isn't running exactly to plan. Sometimes I think we can afford to be a little more laid back than J's are, and think of the worse case scenario. In terms of unplannedness, making a plan involves a decision. Personally, I feel sort of confined by decisions. I like to leave my options open, and know that stuff is flexible. I try to be relatively open-minded, and sometimes J's can be pretty certain about things and I'm not sure where their conviction they're right comes from.

 

[Virtual ghost]

Our perspectives are mutually exclusive. I know that Js have a need for scheduling, but I can't "feel" this need, no matter how hard I try.

I don't want to be rude but.... isn't this ilogical or even dangerous?


When I stop planning because of sickness or something everything goes to hell.
I have seen the behaviour you have described in other people and it looks that most of the time they are just ignoring the problem.

 

[INTJMom]

For me it means being able to take advantage of a situation as soon as it happens. I don't ever feel like I have to stick to a plan. Now I'm often making plans in my head, and then constantly modifying them and remaking them. At any time I can dump my plan and make a new one. When I have a goal I stay open to the most amount of different avenues to achieve that goal.

That's an excellent description of the advantage of "Perceiving".

I have been married to an ISTP for 26 years.
I see a lot of advantages to P thinking verses J thinking.
Of course, trying to remember them all right now might be hard.
I see a lot of advantages, so I have tried to be more like my husband... to be more flexible and not plan things so minutely.

Adjusting myself to a "P" way of life has been very hard for me. My husband likes to "cross that bridge when we come to it," and "stay flexible and have fun." when I would feel much more comfortable having things planned out and settled ahead of time. I have had to learn to keep my "plans" open to change because chances are, he will come up with a better idea that will be more practical or useful or efficient. But since I value efficiency and practicality, that's not a problem.

I do find myself getting really irritated and frustrated when my mother and/or sister plan something 3 days or more ahead of time and then tell me what I'm doing, and I plan accordingly, only to find out at the very last second that they changed the plan and now we're doing this other thing instead.

Like for instance... we were in our cars... following my sister (INFP) to a pre-determined restaurant... that I had been looking forward to going to for a week... when suddenly she pulls off the road into the drive way of a different restaurant (one at which patrons have twice reportedly received food poisoning and which I don't go to because of that) and she says, I think our father will like this place better.

So she got to decide at the very last second what we were all doing... but I can't complain because she's only trying to please our father.
And yeah I was upset because I had been dreaming about the food at the other place for a week!

I guess I have been learning not to get myself invested in the plans that involve other people because for some reason people have a problem making a plan and sticking to it.

I admire my husband's abilities but at the same time, I have a hard time trying to be like that.

 

[INTJMom]

I can understand this pert about thinking and searching some complex solutions. I do that every day for hours.

I simply don't see logical reason to be so worried about the possibilitys while you have obvious problem somewhere else. Or why postpone some decision, when it is very very likely that this is a best one?

Ah, see. A "P" would never think that thought! "this is the best one"
They don't know it's the best until they have reached or surpassed the deadline.

And they don't "worry" about possibilities.
Possibilities are more like a field of poppies to run through rather than something to worry about.
The Ps can correct me if I'm wrong, but looking at it from a J perspective, that's what it seems like to me.
Possibilities are something I worry about! Oh yeah.

 

[Ghost of the dead horse]

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?

 

[INTJMom]

I don't want to be rude but.... isn't this ilogical or even dangerous?


When I stop planning because of sickness or something everything goes to hell.
I have seen the behaviour you have described in other people and it looks that most of the time they are just ignoring the problem.

When a "P" is behaving like a "P" they are at their best, and doing what they're good at.
It's not bad to be a "P", it's just different from "J".

When a "J" is behaving like a "P", THEN we have a problem.