How is it like to be P ?

[Grayscale]

Grayscale, that was a masterpiece.
*applause*

(and you too PT.)



Did I ever express my appreciation for ISTP's? oh yes, I did, I remember now. I started the ISTP appreciation thread. Now I remember why

after re-reading it, i think that explanation is much more suited towards xSTPs, but it would be easier to mix and match in some different vocabulary for other types.

for Ns, less concrete observation, more pattern recognition and theoretical understanding, for Fs, less dynamic logic calculation, more evolution of emotional understanding

the downside to this approach is that it can be entirely too reactionary. what this means is that instead of identifying a goal, regardless of whether one can know for certain whether it can be attained, the strong "P" tends to "float along", and in that sense are prone to leaving destiny in the hands of the environment instead of themselves. the more deterministic approach usually lends to, at least, accomplishing some degree of what was determined.

i should also stress this. i think most of the P-types here can agree that the "make up your mind and get it done" approach of J-types is incredibly important. actually, i think J-types are under-appreciated in the social scene because people forget that it is this sort of determination and fortitude that has pushed society to become what it is now.

 

[FDG]

The more J you are, the more Ps there seem to be

For the most part, Ps are best understood by their lack of closure. Js need closure - to ideas, to events, to time, to just about anything... Ps don't and actively resist closing things off.


The need to be ready has a lot more to do with security. A P may appear to obsess if they are insecure, and a J may become a control freak. It just creates more defined behaviour in different types.

Yeah, I agree with this type of definition.

 

[INTJMom]

i usually score above 95%+ "P" on tests, so i think i have a pretty good understanding of it. here's my explanation...


P is about making a masterpiece (or as close to it as possible) of the moment with what you have available. i realize that as time extends into the future, the possible variables and thus possible outcomes expand (like a cone), so in regards to the distant future, thinking ahead has to be on a very wide-scale basis.
...

The entire post was excellent! Beautiful description!

 

[substitute]

Yeah. I kinda intuitively read that into it though

Just to comment on this, though:

the downside to this approach is that it can be entirely too reactionary. what this means is that instead of identifying a goal, regardless of whether one can know for certain whether it can be attained, the strong "P" tends to "float along", and in that sense are prone to leaving destiny in the hands of the environment instead of themselves. the more deterministic approach usually lends to, at least, accomplishing some degree of what was determined.

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....

 

[SaltyWench]

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.

This is me in a nutshell. So... yeah.

 

[INTJMom]

Grayscale, that was a masterpiece.
*applause*
...

I was going to applaud too but I was afraid someone would make fun of me... *joins in*.

 

[Grayscale]

less applause, more applesauce

 

[substitute]

I was going to applaud too but I was afraid someone would make fun of me... *joins in*.

Ha, J's take themselves too seriously

I ASSUME that people will make fun of me before I say anything and defend against this by seeing the potential ridiculum of it myself beforehand and laughing inwardly at it. Then it's just a pleasant surprise when they don't. But not always. Sometimes I was looking forward to poking fun at it myself

Actually that's another P vs J difference I tend to notice... J's seem to take themselves more seriously in general, they tend to be IME less able to take teasing and stuff. Get more easily offended... P's seem more able to just laugh at themselves with others, good naturedly.

 

[Virtual ghost]

Ha, J's take themselves too seriously

I ASSUME that people will make fun of me before I say anything and defend against this by seeing the potential ridiculum of it myself beforehand and laughing inwardly at it. Then it's just a pleasant surprise when they don't. But not always. Sometimes I was looking forward to poking fun at it myself

Actually that's another P vs J difference I tend to notice... J's seem to take themselves more seriously in general, they tend to be IME less able to take teasing and stuff. Get more easily offended... P's seem more able to just laugh at themselves with others, good naturedly.

Please believe me when I say, that from all 8 letters J is probably the letter that has the largest changes in working stile depending on which other 3 letters come with it.

Example ESFJ - INTJ

 

[substitute]

oh I'm not saying no J's can have a good natured giggle at themselves or take a little ribbing. I hate to say it but it does seem the NJ's are better at it... I think perhaps that 'take things at surface value' thing the SJ's have going on perhaps might hinder them from taking the words as anything but what they seem... the undercurrents of humour, perhaps even affection or cameraderie that can accompany someone saying "shut it, butthead!" are often lost on them and all they see is an incredibly rude insult. I dunno...

But what do you think of the answers you've had so far though? Enlightened you any?

 

[Virtual ghost]

oh I'm not saying no J's can have a good natured giggle at themselves or take a little ribbing. I hate to say it but it does seem the NJ's are better at it... I think perhaps that 'take things at surface value' thing the SJ's have going on perhaps might hinder them from taking the words as anything but what they seem... the undercurrents of humour, perhaps even affection or cameraderie that can accompany someone saying "shut it, butthead!" are often lost on them and all they see is an incredibly rude insult. I dunno...

But what do you think of the answers you've had so far though? Enlightened you any?

Replys are very good in amount of insight. What does not mean that I agree with everything what has been said.
But the point of MBTI is that people are different.

I think you are absolutly right about the SJ , NJ thing. We use J on totally different way. But SJ way in much more common in society. So everybody think about J as SJ.What is normal since NJs are actually the rarest types out there.
What is again understandable since those types are "visionary".

On the other hand I see how much smart is the move, that I don't use the full strenght of my J on other people.

 

[Ghost of the dead horse]

I totally gotta be a P type then

(OTOH it could also be that the similarity I notice is due to our shared enneagram type)

Re-tested, got ENTJ.. with moderately strong J. So I guess no P behavior then Why don't I feel surprised ..

I'm getting a bit stressed for having to do this all, tho I decided it's for the best. I've got scores close to J-P previously, and it seems to change whether I'm in some big project or not. So technically, I'm not on the position to share my P experiences

 

[Virtual ghost]

Question for Ps.

Would you ever set you alarm clock to 2:00 AM and then get up at that time and learn for the rest of the night?
Just because that has to be done.

 

[Jack Flak]

Question for Ps.

Would you ever set you alarm clock to 2:00 AM and then get up at that time and learn of the rest of the night just because that has to be done?

LOL.

 

[Virtual ghost]

LOL.

I will take this as NO.

 

[Virtual ghost]

I have reformed my question so now it probably makes more sense.

Also I am interested in how Ps look at this question.

 

[Jack Flak]

I have reformed my question so now it probably makes more sense.

Also I am interested in how Ps look at this question.

The only way that's happening is if there's a deadline in place, a deadline I actually care about, and the reason I have to get up at 2:00 AM is because I've procrastinated.

That has actually happened.

 

[Virtual ghost]

The only way that's happening is if there's a deadline in place, a deadline I actually care about, and the reason I have to get up at 2:00 AM is because I've procrastinated.

That has actually happened.

So there is hope after all.


To me it happens that I get only few days to learn something and I don't have the time to do it. So I do it, this way.

 

[raindancing]

Umm I've set my alarm for 2:00AM for a plane flight

But otherwise, it would have to be a reallyreallyREALLY important deadline, cause I value my sleep.
= good
= bad

 

[substitute]

Question for Ps.

Would you ever set you alarm clock to 2:00 AM and then get up at that time and learn for the rest of the night?
Just because that has to be done.

Why does it have to be done?
Do I have an exam tomorrow for which I've not studied at all the entire year?
In which case I don't set the alarm for 2am. I stay up all night making up acronyms and mnemonics.
Actually I never set the alarm for then because I'm almost always still awake by then anyway. I'd have to set the alarm to be out of the house before 9am though. In fact, even before 10... I set my alarm this morning because I had to take my kids to a piano lesson at 11.

The only thing that could induce me to think that 'has to be done' would be something like an exam the next morning. But even then no, I don't think I would. I'd figure, meh, I'll do what I can and if I fail, retake it. Or consider other options.