Judging Functions: Thinking and Feeling

How do you make decisions? How do you come to conclusions after taking in all the information and all those impressions? How do you structure all of that information that you have collected with your preferred perceiving function?

There are two processes for decision making: Objective thinking ( T ) that employs an impersonal, logical style based on analysis and principles, and subjective value based feeling (F ) that refers to personal values and social mores. Both thinking and feeling are logical approaches- but based on different logics. The thinking process is an objective, linear logic; feeling is a subjective, non-linear logic.

Thinkers prefer objective, impersonal considerations, seek for truth, and are good at analysis. Feelers prefer personal considerations, seek relationship and harmony, and are good at understanding people.

The thinker needs to keep distance to be "Objective". The feeler empathizes to understand the "Subjective". The thinking type ( T- Type) prefers strategies - people should be reasonable and understand it so they can follow. The feeling type (F- type) would like to first include people - and will change strategies if they are not heart-felt.

A case study: Feelings over Thinking

In 1958, Ford motor company introduced the Edsel. The Edsel boasted the most modern technology designed by the best engineers in the world. While being well-engineered and reliable, the Edsel became perhaps the most spectacular failure in car history. Why? Because the Feeling perspective was not strategically applied in the design. Most salespeople have a Feeling preference and they know that more issues play roles in successful selling than just perfect technology. The Edsel, with its trademark "horsecollar" grille, made it distinct from other cars of the period, but also produced a widely circulated wisecrack at that " the Edsel looked like an Oldsmobile sucking on a lemon." In addition, cultural critics have speculated that the car was a flop because the vertical grill looked like a vagina. maybe, America in the 1950s was certainly phobic about the female business.

These are certainly subjective, feeling perspectives that sank the Edsel. The thinking engineering was sound.

We all have the capacity to make decisions based on objective thinking, as well as subjective feeling. But can we do both when necessary? There are many times that decisions impact a wide audience and and it is wise to have both the clear logic of the thinking type as well as the value position of the feeling type.

When making decisions, it is wise to start with your preferred function. Then quickly ask someone with your nonpreferred function to review your decision. Each decision should stand up to the objective analysis of the thinking type as well as be embraced by the values of the feeling type.

Image and content credit: Understanding the Dynamics of Typical People: An Introduction to Jungian Type Theory by Richard Bents and Reiner Blank.