Judgers and Perceivers – what is the difference?

Judgers

Judgers like order. They like to work to deadlines and will keep to them. They will tend to be punctual and are usually work oriented. They are almost driven to make decisions, just to bring something to a close. These are the people with lists, with packed diaries and organisers. At their best they make things happen. They organise, they prioritise, they produce results. At their worst they can become so determined to get closure that they remain attached to a decided outcome long after it should have changed, they make the decision before they have all the facts, and can be inflexible.

Perceivers

Perceivers dislike closure. They like to keep their options open and will often delay making a decision until the last moment. They seem to value play over work and like to go with the flow. They may have a filofax, but it will have little in it, or they forget to look in it. At their best they can be innovative, able to be fluid and adjust to changes at short notice. At their worst they can take so long to make a decision that they miss the boat, miss deadlines, miss everything.

Misunderstandings between Judgers and Perceivers.

Watch couples shopping any weekend to spot the Judger-Perceiver relationship. The Judger can go into a shop and decide very quickly what they want. The Perceiver will often go through every shop in town ‘just in case there’s something better/cheaper’ – and then end up back in the original shop. So if you hear the familiar refrain “For Christ’s sake do we have to look in every shop in town?” you’ll know the question is rhetorical. Of course they do, they are a Perceiver.

When shopping this filter can have a number of consequences. Buyer’s remorse for example. High Judgers can buy too quickly and repent at leisure, so they always end up returning things. High Perceivers can take an age to make a buying decision and still end up worrying whether it was the best one. They seem to torture themselves still looking in the window weeks later and saying “Oh damn, look, it’s 20p cheaper here -I told you we should wait!”

So if your partner makes you feel under pressure to make a decision – where to go on holiday, or even just what to order for dinner; or drives you mad because they seem so indecisive, it is not so much about indecision, as the desire to maintain options, think of this personality filter and take a deep breath. If, on the other hand, your partner seems obsessive about ‘getting things sorted’, it is not, necessarily, that he/she is anally retentive, just that ‘knowing where they are’ is important. Deep breath for you too. 

There is roughly a 50/50 mix of Judgers and Perceivers throughout the population.