How Perceptual Style Determines Our Natural Skills and Abilities

This is the fifth in a series of articles that explore the 7 principles of Perceptual Style Theory or PST. This behavioral science theory is at the heart of the work Gary and I do. The four previous articles explored the first four principles of PST. Here is a recap: 

1. People perceive the world differently.
2. Differences in perception result in psychological diversity, and psychological diversity is the most profound diversity there is.
3. Perceptual differences can be grouped into 6 unique Perceptual Styles.
4. Everyone believes that their way of experiencing the world is the right way (and until they learn differently – the only way!). 

Principle #5: A Person’s Perceptual Style is Innate

Because Perceptual Style is innate, it determines what natural capacities, skills, and abilities we have.  Just what do we mean by innate?  You are born with it.  It’s part of who you are. Just like any other part of you, it grows as you develop. So at age 3 for example, you definitely weren’t aware of it, but as your life experience grows, so does your use of the natural preferences of your Perceptual Style.  

Your Perceptual Style supports a broad range of skills and abilities for which you have natural inborn potential. Think about the people you know. All of us know someone who has a knack for organization, or someone who revels in chaos. We know people who jump in to lead, and others who enjoy being part of a team. And we’ve all experienced one person’s ability to do something easily and another’s inability to “get it” no matter how hard they try.  

That’s the concept of ‘natural’ capacities.  When something comes naturally to you, it means it is supported by your Perceptual Style and you were born with the potential to excel at it. You just need a circumstance that creates the opportunity for you to use it.  

None of us is limited to only our natural skills and talents.  They’re just the ones that we have the potential to excel at with ease and a lot of enjoyment. We all learn or ‘acquire’ skills that are outside of our natural repertoire. They just take more focus and more effort to develop and sustain. And what’s more, they are natural to a Perceptual Style other than your own, so someone else does those things with natural ease.

When applying natural skills, you perform with an unconscious ease that allows for creativity and inventiveness. On the other hand, facility with an acquired skill takes conscious effort that ultimately drains your creative energy.

What’s something you find yourself doing with significant ease and little conscious effort?  That’s most likely a natural skill for you. PST, like other behavioral science theories, is a tool for creating a better understanding of ourselves and others.