By Donna Dunning
Personality Type and Interactions
There is work that is work and there is play that is play; there is play that is work and work that is play. And in only one of these lies happiness. – Gelett Burgess
What does this quote mean to you?
As I study and teach personality type concepts I notice the differences in how individuals hear, speak, and interpret information. I think words have different connotations for everyone, and type preferences are only one part of the story. Even so, there are some word interpretations that seem linked to personality type preferences.
P
One pair of words that tends to be interpreted in different ways by people with different personality preferences is work/play. When talking with a person who has Perceiving preferences, I may hear them linking and integrating work and play. They may see their work as play or comment that they often play at work. Play is seen as a productive activity. When communicating at work, they may tend to use the word “play”, such as “Let’s play with this idea,” or “Let’s play with this problem.”
J
People who prefer Judging often tell me they place work and play in separate categories. They clearly define and differentiate work from play. They would rather hear language presented as “Working with an idea,” or “Working on a problem.” The word play just doesn’t seem to resonate with them or accurately describe what they see themselves doing, especially if they are on the job.
Of course, to categorize a word or phrase as more appealing than any other to one person is a simplification. Nevertheless, when communicating I try to be aware of these nuances of language and make my best effort to communicate with people in the way they prefer to hear.
?
How do you interpret the words work and play? Do you see them as distinct categories or activities, and can these categories and activities merge?
If you are looking for ideas on how to communicate more effectively, Introduction to Type and Communication helps you understand communication preferences. If you live in the USA, Introduction to Type and Communication is now available on Kindle.
I think that when perceiving types use “play” in this context, they’re talking about experimentation. It’s productive, but not necessarily with a preconceived outcome, and it makes room serendipity. When judging types use “work” in this context, they’re talking about finding a solution that DOES fit a preconceived outcome, so even if they engage in experimentation to get there, they may be less inclined to follow a path that would take them somewhere different than where they expected to go. So the judging type’s “work” lacks the sense of openness and fun that the perceiving type’s “play” has. It’s more taxing to answer the question, “How do I get there?” than “Where does this go?” So for judging types, it’s often true that work is work. For perceiving types, work is often play *if* they’re not constrained to someone else’s preconceived ideas.
That said, even though I’m an INFJ, I try to find ways to turn my work into play as much as possible — maybe because I’ve got a strong N and a weak J.
Andrea, The experimentation versus outcome focus is a good point when considering differences in how people interpret work/play. Thanks for adding this and for reminding us that whole type (the combination of preferences) also influences how we interpret situations and use language.