Understanding Personality Differences
Understanding the power of personality types is an important step to maintaining successful relationships. In order to cultivate a healthy relationship, we must know ourselves. As you learn more about personality types, you may be surprised at the personality differences between you and your partner. Although you can use the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator Instrument on your own to begin understanding personality differences, only a counselor, coach, or therapist who is certified to administer the instrument can help you verify your type and unlock the true meaning of your preferences.
The Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator Instrument identifies your preferred way of doing things in four key areas of your life. Your personality type impacts your communication, your career, your relationship, and your decisions about your life. Understanding your own and your partners’ personality types can benefit your relationship. This article focuses on the second indicator, which identifies what you pay more attention to: concrete facts and information or abstract impressions and inferences.
Sensing vs Intuition
Everybody uses both sensing and intuition in his or her life, but with different levels of effectiveness and comfort. “Sensing” means we absorb data, using it in a literal or concrete way to make decisions. Intuition is the way in which we generate abstract possibilities from the information we gather. We are sensing when we use our five senses–touch, taste, smell, sound, and sight. We are intuitive when we consider the big picture and come up with new ways of doing things. Some people trust their senses more than their imagination. Others trust their intuitions without needing a solid foundation of facts. Understanding personality differences can help you achieve harmony in your relationship.
Living with a Sensory-Driven Partner
According to Truity.com, the widest gap exists between sensors and intuitives. This can spell trouble for relationships. Because intuitives read between the lines in a situation and make intellectual leaps of faith about the meaning of things, they can often have trouble communicating their ideas to a sensory-driven partner. A sensor living with an intuitive may feel frustrated at the lack of detail and specificity his intuitive partner provides. It is important that an intuitive is prepared to explain her vision step by step for her sensing partner. A sensor may need mechanical details and a logical sequence in order to share his partner’s vision.
Learning to Compromise
While the onus may be on intuitives to learn how to operate in a sensing world, just as left-handed people must adapt to a world designed for right-handed people, compromise is possible. A sensor can learn to appreciate a new idea without having all the details up front. Intuitives can begin by grounding an idea in some detail so that a sensor can understand and support the idea. All relationships require understanding and appreciating the differences between two partners.
If you and your partner are struggling to communicate across your differences, call Lisa Ryan. I can help you learn more about the differences between sensing and intuition. Understanding your personality types can help you and your partner find healthy ways to discuss differences in the way you make decisions. Call me at 203-226-8800 or click here to reach me by email.