Our third, Nature scale reveals the extent to which we value emotions or rationality more when considering options. Does a person tend to use the Thinking (T) personality trait, which relies on the head, or the Feeling (F) trait, which relies on the heart?
But let’s not oversimplify. Think of it instead as you might your hand preference: A left-handed person leans more heavily on their left hand, but they still use their right hand, albeit less. We can apply the same approach to a person with a dominant Thinking trait or a dominant Feeling trait – they aren’t without some qualities of the non-dominant trait.
83% of people with the Thinking trait say it’s best to take a scientific approach to the problems in their own lives, compared to 43% of those with the Feeling trait. “SCIENTIFIC INNOVATION” SURVEY
When presented with a decision, people with the Thinking trait typically lean on objective information. Knowledge is their indispensable tool. Once these personality types gather the facts, they test their alternatives against logic and reason to see which decision, by those standards, proves the most effective or realistic. They generally manage their relationships by employing fairness and effectiveness as their primary method of dealing with others. Their passions are born of respect.
74% of people with the Thinking trait say it’s easy for them to make important decisions without consulting with someone else first, compared to 42% of those with the Feeling trait. “RELYING ON OTHERS” SURVEY
Whatever value people with the Thinking personality trait place on relationships, they can still dismiss emotional responses, either their own or those of others. This is often because of their discomfort with emotions, which don’t always follow the rational path they value. Sometimes, emotions just puzzle them. But that doesn’t mean they have hearts of stone. They often feel in deep, profound ways – they would just rather not decide matters from that place. And, perhaps unfortunately, they may see those who do as weaker decision-makers.
<aside> 🎭 People with the Thinking personality trait can use rational thought to see that humans are inherently emotional – and that this is okay.
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Personality types with the Thinking trait are likely to evaluate things almost relentlessly. This isn’t as bad as it sounds. They aren’t satisfied if they believe something is not well thought out – they revel in the brilliance of an elegant plan. This makes them great to have around when critical thinking and impartiality of any kind is the focus, and this makes them immensely helpful for sorting out ideas and methods. Their primary filter is, “How does this help?”