MBTI Judgement Vs. Perception

Hello Philososeekers,

There's a rather common personality test roaming around, which is the Myers Briggs Typology Indicator or MBTI.  It measures your personality in four categories: Extroverted (E) or Introverted (I), Intuitive (N) or Sensing (S), Thinking (T) or Feeling (F), and Judgement (J) or Perception (P).  Then you just mix the words that best corresponds with you together, such as ENTJ or ISFP.

I have been typed as an INFJ, and essentially it fits me.  INFJs are pretty rare, and I suppose that I am a little odd compared to other teenagers my age, and I never quite fit in, and that's fine.  You should never have to change yourself according to what others think of you.  Anyway, I feel that I am barely typed as judgemental since I am pretty open to anything, except something that contradicts what I truly believe in.  If someone differs to me in my strongest beliefs, I will still respect them, but I would defend my values no matter what.  On most arguments, I tend to examine both perspectives, and find justifications for both sides.  I retain my opinion on the argument, and can see why the the other side has some points, also.  A confusing result of this is me not being able to participate in a debate very well.  Therefore, both INFJ and INFP characteristics fit me well, although I'm leaning slightly towards INFJ.  No one is ever entirely judgemental or perceptive, nor entirely one descriptor in the other categories, since we all have features of both words.

Then, couldn't a person's preference for judgment or perception be altered to their situation? Perceptive people, by definition, are more adaptable and open-minded, but when faced with quick decisions, I feel that their response will differ according to the maturity of their judging trait.  Since MBTI measures your preference for one trait, no matter how slight, a highly-grounded person identified as perceptive, simply because they prefer judging a situation later rather than sooner.  Individuals who are perceptive are more likely to be intuitive, due to the open-mindedness of both traits.

Judgemental people are generally more organized and can deal with decisions better than perceptive people.  They can plan and get objectives done.  Individuals who prefer judgement may become stubborn in their knowledge and not very accepting of new information if it contradicts what they know, but are better at realizing if information is false.  Judgemental people are more likely to be sensing, due to the closed-mindedness of both traits.

Another thing is, when taking the test, it's easy to answer according to how you want to be, not who you really are.  It can be difficult to be honest when you know that in the end the test will judge your answers.  The test may reveal a lot about your basic personality, but those four letters will never embody who YOU are as a person.  It won't determine your beliefs, your abilities, your mind, or your future.  Those are aspects of you that you choose, yourself.

                                              Forever,
                                              Optimistic Reflection