how you like to make decisions. Do you like to put more weight on objective principles and impersonal facts (Thinking) or do you put more weight on personal concerns and the people involved (Feeling)?
It is not unusual for Thinkers to reason that Feelers are actually irrational in their way of coming to conclusions, but we can say Feeling, like thinking, is a rational function, since values in general are assigned according to the laws of reason.
Thinking
People with the Thinking (T) trait seek logic and rational arguments, relying on their head rather than their heart. They do their best to safeguard their emotions, shielding them from the outside world and making sure that they are not clearly visible.
Feeling
people with the Feeling (F) trait follow their hearts and emotions and care little about hiding them. From their perspective, we should not be afraid to listen to our innermost feelings and share them with the world – these individuals tend to be compassionate, sensitive and highly emotional.
Thinking and Feeling in Decision Making
Everyone uses Thinking for some decisions and Feeling for others. In fact, a person can make a decision using his or her preference, then test the decision by using the other preference to see what might not have been taken into account.
For example:
A person who uses the Feeling function may decide to choose a car based on how it fits with his or her values. For instance, knowing that the car manufacturer shares the same beliefs about a particular topic or that the car is better for the environment might be in the top reasons a feeler would have for purchasing a particular vehicle. If two more vehicles were appealing for the same reasons, then a Feeling person might employ the Thinking function to rank other attributes of each car and pick one by using a more objective choice-making process.
When faced with possible cars from which to choose, the Thinker might create a list of features that are essential to any car he or she would drive. Each car would then be rated on how well it met the non-negotiable criteria. If two or more vehicles met all of the Thinker’s requirements, then the person might use the Feeling function to consider other features of the car that might not have been as important.
