“Malleable” Personality

The word malleable is not often used to describe a type of personality. Flexibility or adaptability is more often used in personality type. The dictionary definition of the word malleable and the one which is closely associated with personality is, “a: capable of being altered or controlled by outside forces or influences b: having a capacity for adaptive change”. Based on the definition of malleable, it can best describe the Judging-Perceiving type of personality of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.

Now, correlating the definition of malleable to personality type, we have seen many theorists subscribe to the word in categorizing the person’s personality and the way his being “malleable” is associated with “reaction” to life which then dictates his failure or success. For instance, in the new theory of Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, she stated that, “People who believe in the power of talent tend not to fulfill their potential because they’re so concerned with looking smart and not making mistakes. But people who believe that talent can be developed are the ones who really push, stretch, confront their own mistakes and learn from them,” (qtd. Dupree). She added that those who believe that their own abilities can expand over time live with a “growth mind-set”. These people are open to change and adapt themselves to external forces. Being “malleable” therefore means being able to be shaped according to the demands of the present situation and external forces. This then narrows the type of personality of the person to the Judging-Perceiving type of personality.

The Judging-Perceiving type of personality of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a methodology or system for assessing the personality as described or developed by Carl Jung (“Isabel Briggs Myers & Katharine Cook Briggs”). According to Jung, there are basically four types of personality: Introvert-Extravert, Thinking-Feeling, Sensation-Intuition. However, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator added the Judging-Perceiving type to accommodate the personality’s approach to “decision-making, and particularly how the personality deals with the outer world (Extraverted) as distinct from the inner world (Introverted)” (Personality Theories). Therefore the Judging type of personality can be defined as the type of person who makes decision sooner; as oppose to the Perceiving type, which is the type of person who perceives or probes instead of making immediate decision.

The Judging-Perceiving is related to Jungian’s Rational-Irrational types however, the Judging-Perceiving is more of the response of the two types given by Jung. Since they are the basic responses of the individual, they can best measure the “malleability” of the personality. To clarify, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator describes the Judging type as “relatively quick to decide in dealing with the world organizes, plans, controls, and decides clear firm actions and responses”; while the Perceiving type as “relatively slow to decide in dealing with the world responds and acts with flexibility, spontaneity, adaptability and understanding” (Personality Theories). Based on these premises, the Judging type is more “malleable” since he can quickly respond to the environment and external forces. On the other hand, the Perceiving type is less “malleable” since he is slow in responding to the environment and external forces.

This then brings us to the conclusion that the “malleability” of the person may categorized according to the Judging-Perceiving type of personality. As a proof, the “malleability” of the persons, as to whether he is the Judging type or the Perceiving type, may define his success in life as theorized by Dweck. The Judging type of personality, since he has the “growth-mind set” is more malleable than the Percieving type who has a “fixed-mind set”. As the person is more malleable, he can be more intuitive and creative in solving problems. According to Dweck, these are exemplified by persons such as John F. Welch Jr. of General Electric, who valued teamwork more than the individual genius in his employees  and has proven that this personal formula is indeed very true and effective (Rae-Dupree).

Works Cited

“Isabel Briggs Myers & Katharine Cook Briggs”. 2008.

My Personality.Info. 10 July 2008

<http://www.mypersonality.info/personality-types/isabel-briggs-myers-katharine-cook-briggs/>

 “malleable.” Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2008.

Merriam-Webster Online. 10 July 2008
<http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/malleable>

“Personality theories, types and tests”. 2008.

            Businessballs.com. 10 July 2008

<http://www.businessballs.com/personalitystylesmodels.htm#myers%20briggs%20types%20indicator%20MBTI>

Rae-Dupree, Janet. “If You’re Open to Growth, You Tend to Grow”. 2008

The New York Times Online. 10 July 2008

<http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/business/06unbox.html?ei=5087&em=&en=de50aceee61bbdd4&ex=1216267200&pagewanted=print>