Well, according to Myers and Briggs, we fall into two broad categories - those of us who
tend to make decisions based on "feelings" and those who
tend to base their decisions on "thinking" - logical empirical data. No one is truly polarised so that all decisions are based on one or other but we run a spectrum from those who show a "slight preference" to those who show a "marked preference". Someone with a slight preference for feeling-based decisions will only make slightly more decisions based on how they feel and someone with a marked preference for thinking-based decisions will make most of their decisions based on empirical data. It's all relative so someone with a marked preference for thinking will view a person with only a slight preference as "overly emotional".
I am, of course, referring to part of the MBTI - Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. I tested out as ENFP - Extrovert, Intuitive, Feeling, Perceiving - which is more common in women than men. Preferences in order: marked, marked, moderate, marked. In my job I can easily switch to thinking-based empirical decisions as feelings are not relevant to my work but in my personal life I tend towards feeling-based decisions more often than not.
The MBTI fits very nicely in a lot of ways but there are other ranges it does not explore, such as style of humour, how sociable you are, sexual matters etc. The Extrovert/Introvert range, for example is the Jungian definition - whether you externalise or internalise your thought processes ("bounce ideas off people" or "mull things over quietly") - not the lay-person's definitions of "party animal" and "wallflower". Introverts and extroverts are just as likely to be "party animals" ( I know some introverts who love noisy parties and I'm an extrovert that prefers a few quiet drinks with only a handful of friends.)
But I digress (just bouncing ideas off y'all
).
My decisions are mostly governed by what I "like", what "feels right" but i know people who will weigh up the pros and cons of everything. As I'm only moderately tending to "feeling" there are some decisions that it "feels right" that I should weigh my options and compare data and come to a decision based on empirical data.
Often, it's a mix like my choice of motor bike: I compared various bikes empirically and chose one that fit a lot of criteria but some of those criteria - like it having to be a Road-Trail bike rather than a sports bike, tourer or cruiser - were based on my feelings... what I "would like" and "enjoy more".
Other people I know would make the entire decision of buying a car based on how much it suits tangible criteria - size (to fit family), price, fuel economy, sufficient power to cope with the uses to which it will be put etc and considerations like make, colour etc are largely irrelevant (unless they want a colour that is more visible and therefore "safer").
Rocket comes across as more a T (thinking) type and possibly an S ("Sensate", perception based on the 4 senses, rather than an "N" type - "Intuitive", "gut-feeling" based perception), going by his posts on this matter - certainly seems closer to the S and T ends of the spectra than my "marked" and ""moderate" preferences for N and F. As I said, it's relative.
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