In terms of personality, preference is an inborn tendency to be, or to think in a certain way. Even though we change as we grow up and may seem to be different at various times, our basic personality style remains the same.
According to Myers-Briggs Type Indicators (MBTI), there are four basic dimensions of human personality, each dealing with important aspects of life. They are:
The two ENERGIZING preferences: EXTRAVERTING (E) and INTROVERTING (I).
- Those who prefer Extraverting get their energy from the outer world of people, activities, and things.
- Those who prefer Introverting get their energy from their inner world of ideas, impressions, and thoughts.
The two INFORMATION GATHERING preferences: SENSING (S) and INTUITING (N).
- Those who prefer Sensing pay attention to information taken in directly through their five senses and focus on what is or what was.
- Those who prefer Intuiting pay attention to their sixth sense, to hunches and insights, and they focus on what might be.
The two DECIDING preferences: THINKING (T) and FEELING (F).
- Those who prefer Thinking makes decisions in a logical and objective way.
- Those who prefer Feeling make decisions in a personal, values-oriented way.
The two LIFESTYLE ORIENTATION preferences: JUDGING (J) and (P) PERCEIVING.
- Those who prefer Judging tend to live in an organized, planned way.
- Those who prefer Perceiving tend to live in a spontaneous, flexible way.
Each individual has all components of the four basic dimensions of human personality. However, his/her preference for each dimension may be different. For example, people who prefer introverting also have extraverting part in their personality. As they grow up or as life changes, this introverting part may grow weaker or stronger, but this doesn’t mean that the preference changes. People often find that at certain times in their lives, particular preferences will be stronger or weaker. As people mature, for example, they develop more familiarity with their non-preferences. Even so, the non-preference never takes the place of the favored preference.
So how do we know that we prefer introverting or extraverting, for example, if we have both parts in us?
Let’s take it like this.
Stop now, and write your name the way you always do. Now write it the second time using the opposite hand. While you are doing that, pay attention to what the experience is like. Writing with the hand you use every day is effortless, and you don’t even think about it. It is something you can do woth your eyes closed. When you use your other hand, it probably feels awkward, it takes more time, and you have to concentrate more. But still, you can do it. Put simply, you do things more comfortably and efficiently with the hand you prefer, the one you use most naturally and instinctively.
next article: http://windearly.blogspot.com/2007/07/energizing-preferences-extraversion.html
