Personal Rudimentary Aspect Development (PRAD)
A Complete Guide by @infpisskinks & @typology.guy
Personal Rudimentary Aspect Development (AKA “PRAD”) is a system that focuses on how an individual grows their everyday habits. It focuses on how much a person desires to grow and how much effort they put into this. This system was created to measure the attitude towards development when it comes to a person. Using 4 letters, this system displays a person’s type by using a notation like this: GCA-E (for example). The system follows a format rule, creating a letter using the effort(e) and desire(d) combination for each category then ordering them in a specific category order, going; “external presentation”, “knowledge accumulation”, then “interpersonal relationships”. The last letter is a simple dichotomy, which indicates an environment (E) or mindset (M) subtype, which we’ll get to later. Effort is mostly behavioral whereas desire is mostly internal. This means that your type isn’t indefinite and therefore it might change over time. This goes mostly for effort but can also be the case for desire. The system is most similar to FIRO and Global 5.
Interpersonal Relationships effort
Interpersonal relationships (e) 1:
Interpersonal relationships (e) 2:
Interpersonal relationships (e) 3:
Interpersonal Relationships desire
Interpersonal relationships (d) 1:
Interpersonal relationships (d) 2:
Interpersonal relationships (d) 3:
External Presentation (first position)
UXX // IXX // JXX // CXX // BXX // TXX // GXX // PXX // AXX
Knowledge Accumulation (second position)
XUX // XIX // XJX // XCX // XBX // XTX // XGX // XPX // XAX
Interpersonal Relationships (third position)
XXU // XXI // XXJ // XXC // XXB // XXT // XXG // XXP // XXA
Environment/Mindset (E/M) Dichotomy
Each combination of Expressed and Desired correlates with a letter, and since there are three categories, that creates a three letter type. This is excluding subtypes. The order of letters is always external presentation > knowledge accumulation > interpersonal relationships. This means that the first letter will always indicate external presentation, the second letter will always indicate knowledge accumulation and the third letter will always indicate interpersonal relationships. The most general division creates three general types in effort and three in desire. Therefore there are nine total combinations. The letters themselves do not have a meaning other than being the simplest and shortest way to express a type. Each letter stands for a word, but this word also has no further meaning or description. It is just a name for a combination which supposedly makes sense for the way the combination presents itself. Some may find it easier to memorize the order of letters and others may prefer learning the words that belong to each combination. If forgotten, it is always possible to go back and see what each letter stands for. The nine letters are:
1e 1d U(nbothered)
1e 2d I(nert)
1e 3d J(aded)
2e 1d C(ompulsory)
2e 2d B(alanced)
2e 3d T(awdry)
3e 1d G(rudging)
3e 2d P(ersistent)
3e 3d A(mbitious)
The letter you see after the types and a dash indicates a subtype. This letter can either be E for environment or M for mindset, as it represents a dichotomy. In this document, capital ‘E’ will always represent the environmental subtype and lower case ‘e’ will always represent effort. You will also see XXI or XGX for example. The X means that any letter could go there and the other letter will indicate a specific placement. For XXI this placement would be Inert (1e + 2d) in interpersonal relationships (third letter). For XGX this would be Grudging (3e + 1d) in knowledge accumulation (second letter). If you are still confused, that is understandable. Once at that point it will make more sense.
Using the example from the introduction (“GCA-E”), we understand that these are the following placements:
External Presentation - G(rudging) = 3e 1d
Knowledge Accumulation - C(ompulsory) = 2e 1d
Interpersonal Relationships - A(mbitious) = 3e 3d
Environment/Mindset Dichotomy - E(nvironment)
It is important to note that you can have the same letter for more than one placement. It’s not uncommon for someone to be for example AAA or UBB.
As mentioned in Type Notation the types consist of 3 letters, each letter tells you on a scale from 1-3 your effort and desire. The first letter indicates external presentation, the second knowledge accumulation and the third interpersonal relationships. Also mentioned there is that you can have repeat letters in your type. It is even possible to have the same letter for each aspect. First the best thing to do is to read what these terms stand for (see external presentation, knowledge accumulation, and interpersonal relationships). Then decide how much effort you put into developing this aspect and how much you desire to have this aspect. There are also descriptions for this underneath the explanations of the aspects as a guide. If you struggle with this or want a more detailed description, we also have descriptions for every possible letter in its position(for example: A(mbitious) knowledge accumulation which would be XAX, as knowledge accumulation is always indicated by the second letter of a type). There are currently no full type descriptions for two main reasons. The primary reason being that because there are 9 letters possible for 3 positions, if my calculations are correct there are 729 total type combinations, excluding subtypes. This would be absurd to write descriptions for. The other reason is that the aspects don’t influence each other much. If you do not relate to any type description, make your judgment based on what your effort and desire placements are for each aspect.
It is recommended to first figure out your core type, but it is possible to type your subtype before as the subtype doesn’t influence the core type. The subtypes are fairly straightforward, so simply reading the descriptions for both aspects of the dichotomy should tell you enough. Then just add that letter to a type with a dash before it. So for example if your type is BII and your subtype is Mindset, your full type would now be BII-M.
External presentation is all about the way one presents themselves to others and the way they want people to perceive them. The image one has or rather desires to have not only to themselves but the way it presents in public settings. This can be through attitude, manners, talents, interests, status, physical appearance, and general presentation. This image doesn’t always have to be a good person, it can also be intimidating or extravagant or anything a person wants to be perceived as. However since the goal of the system is development eventually you want to strive for something positive that doesn’t come from an internal sense of angst.
People with 1 effort in image do not direct physical energy towards how they are viewed. They will usually do what they want and look how they want. Some just may not have the energy to change themselves or others may simply not care, depending on their desire for a good image. You won’t often see these people engaging in fancy cosmetics to make them appear better.
People with 2 effort in image direct a reasonable amount of energy towards being seen better, but they don’t like to go overboard. They will occasionally change themselves up to fit a situation but they don’t direct too much energy into it. You could say that they direct their energy to be seen as please-able people, rather than directing energy into being a person with an amazing image.
People with 3 effort in image direct a lot of energy into their appearance. They will usually use a lot of cosmetics to be seen in a better light. These people may enjoy using make-up, working out, keeping good hygiene and generally be viewed as an amazing person. Or they may show off their talents and work to get better at them as well as having a lot of achievements to show. These people may not realize, but they put in so much effort to be seen in such an extraordinary light that they might create a fake version of themselves to keep up this prestigious appearance.
People with 1 desire in image don’t care much for how they are perceived. They don’t feel the need to appear a certain way. Inherently they do not care to change their image around people, and if they do (high expressed external presentation) it is for their own benefit, not because they care what people think of them. Depending on their effort for image they may put some effort in but it’s more likely because they know it’s socially acceptable or polite to look decent and take care of hygiene, rather than a desire they have to appear a certain way. Or they like to experiment with fashion or make-up for fun by themselves, without caring much how they appear.
People with 2 desire in image are usually aware of social norms and standards and are prone to hope that people might see them as more positive than they are or think they are. They don’t have a fletched out ideal image that they want to uphold, but they definitely hope to appear a certain way whether it be physically or mentally. They desire to externally present themselves to an acceptable standard, not too exaggerated and not too under bearing.
People with 3 desire in external presentation have a very clear idea of how they want to appear to others. They know exactly which traits of themselves hope are more hidden or more noticeable. And they care a lot about how people perceive them. Even if they can’t be bothered or struggle to actually maintain that image (low effort), they still have a deep desire to be viewed a certain way.
Knowledge accumulation is all about the obtaining of information and learning processes. This aspect touches one’s curiosity and ability or desire to assess information and gather knowledge. Both in topics they have interest in and general knowledge.
People with 1 effort in knowledge accumulation may not direct their energy towards collecting information that much. They will rarely be found searching their environment for new knowledge. Because of their lack of effort when it comes to this, they might often seem uninterested in learning, however, some might be interested but simply don’t like directing their energy towards it. This really depends on their desire for accumulating knowledge.
People with 2 effort in knowledge accumulation are mostly neutral when it comes to gathering new information. They might be seen collecting knowledge in topics that peak their interest, but don’t focus too much on experimenting on the environment around them. They put in the effort for accumulating knowledge where they deem it worthy but do not put in this effort in places they don’t deem worthy.
People with 3 effort in knowledge accumulation put in effort to find out almost everything about their surroundings. You will often find them reading books, experimenting with their environment or simply observing how everything around them works. They will direct their energy towards collecting data. Some may do this unconsciously and not particularly be interested or some may be very passionate depending on their desire for accumulating knowledge.
People with 1 desire in knowledge accumulation don’t consider knowledge that important to collect. Their mind is not usually set on gathering information. They may end up doing so anyway without a particularly focused mindset for it, depending on their effort for knowledge accumulation. Either way, their mind will not normally be thinking about how much data they can collect.
People with 2 desire for knowledge have a neutral mindset when it comes to wanting more knowledge. They may desire to be knowledgeable in things that they are interested in, but have no regard for things they are uninterested in. They desire to be somewhat knowledgeable people and only focus on gathering information if they feel it has use.
People with 3 desire for knowledge are really interested in gathering information. They want to know everything about their environment and collect as much data as they can. Their mindset is usually thinking of all the information waiting there to be collected. They might feel that knowledge gives them understanding/leverage so they desire to collect as much as possible!
Interpersonal Relationships is all about communication and mutual understanding of those around you. It is centered around bonding and interacting with people in everyday life. This aspect of development targets how much one would improve their relationships, whether this be through better communication, deeper understanding or simply expressing feelings in a relationship better.
People with 1 effort in interpersonal relationships don’t put a lot of time and energy into forming or keeping connections with others. They don’t put effort into understanding people or communicating with them. They are the type to seemingly never text first or ask to hang out, as well as not going up new potential friends or partners. This can be because they struggle to or because they are simply not interested in doing so. Therefore this can be both a personal choice or something that happens against their will, which might frustrate them.
People with 2 effort in interpersonal relationships don’t go out of their way to make time for people, but they might walk up to someone they are interested in or ask their friends if they would like to hang out. If they are busy with another thing they will continue that before responding to text messages or invites to parties and such. However they will eventually or when they do have time. They have a decent amount of understanding of the way people work and try to understand the people they care about. But it is not one of the things they focus on.
People with 3 effort in interpersonal relationships put a lot of time and effort into their friendships and relationships. They are the people whose friends and/or partners rely to nearly always say yes when asked to spend time. They often respond to texts quickly and text first often. They try very hard to upkeep all their friendships and make sure their relationships are active and okay. They are also most likely to apologize for being busy or not replying, even when they had a valid reason or were assured it’s fine. They do this to have a higher chance for the friendship to be sustained. These people also have a great understanding of social standards and people. Even if they aren’t naturally adept at it, they spend a lot of time trying to understand not only their close ones, but people in general.
People with 1 desire in interpersonal relationships generally have little desire to have or maintain connections with others. They do not prioritize friendships or relationships out of necessity, efficiency or simply a lack of interest. This doesn’t necessarily make them cold or rude, they simply prefer focusing on themselves or hobbies or work rather than spending time with others.
People with 2 desire in interpersonal relationships tend to enjoy spending their time with others and have a desire for connection, but don’t prioritize relationships. It is not something that is constantly on their mind but if they have time and energy they will easily accept and enjoy a social interaction or personal connection that comes their way.
People with 3 desire in interpersonal relationships really yearn for friendships and relationships. They have a big desire to have personal connections, whatever that may mean to them. Be it a large friend group that hangs out twice a week or a best friend for life they can have deep conversation with, they desperately desire interaction with other people. This placement is more common for extraverts but it can also exist in introverts. These introverts usually either romanticize the relationships they don’t have or have a great desire for friends, but not all the time. In the latter case 2d in interpersonal relationships is also an option.
Now that every placement is covered, there might be interest in how a combination of effort and desire might look like. That’s what the next part will cover. To keep it short we will be talking about types using their letters. The first letter of a type will always indicate external presentation, so when we speak of for example BXX it means 2 effort and 2 desire in external presentation. The letters themselves may seem confusing, but they are the shortest way to indicate a type.
Unbothered External Presentation types truly don’t care about the way they are perceived and therefore put no effort into how they appear socially. They barely think about the way they look to other people and are not affected by what people have to say about them. They do their own thing without paying attention to what others may think of it. This can either present in looking very casual and barely cared for or looking unconventional. However this is not exclusive to this type.
Inert External Presentation types desire to appear socially acceptable however do not direct much energy into this. They desire to have an image that reflects an average and standardized presentation however don’t put a lot of effort into this so this goal is often not achieved. This may leave them feeling self conscious at times, but it doesn’t affect them greatly. They also don’t have a very over the top or detailed image they want to uphold.
Jaded External Presentation types heavily desire to be seen in an amazing light and have a clear idea of what image they want. However, with 1 effort, they put little effort into this so they’re idealized image is rarely obtained. They dream about who they want to be and dream of how they can improve their image and reputation, but these dreams are mostly only just dreams as the Jaded External Presentation type rarely directs any energy into achieving this.
Compulsory External Presentation types may often find themselves conforming to a socially acceptable image without really having a clear idea of what this image is. Being 1 desire, they have little to no goals for their external presentation, however they are often influenced to put effort into this development to make themselves seem acceptable to society without really understanding what they truly desire in this development. But overall, they don’t direct all their energy into this.
Balanced External Presentation is the middle ground of the development towards one’s appearance. People with this type will usually direct a reasonable amount of energy into a reasonable idealized presentation. They want to be accepted by society but not to the point where they think about their reputation 24/7. They rather become average and put in an average effort for this, which in their eyes is all that’s needed. They may like to dress up sometimes or try to present themselves nicely, but it’s not a point of focus for them.
Tawdry External Presentation types have clear ideas for what they want their image to represent, however, they usually only end up directing enough energy to have a plausible external presentation. It’s not as if they direct little effort into their presentation, they just lack the effort to keep up with their highly idealized image, but still direct enough energy to be at an acceptable standard while internally longing for more.
Grudging External Presentation types are almost always unconsciously changing themselves with very little understanding of what they truly seek in their presentational growth. They often find themselves frantically directing energy into their own appearance without desiring the development they’re unconsciously working towards. It’s almost as if they’re being internally forced to change themselves without wanting to, as they’ve become so naturally accustomed to directing energy into their image without having a particular goal in mind.
Persistent External Presentation types desire to have a socially acceptable appearance however often find themselves directing more energy than they’d like to into it. They put in an excess amount of energy than what they truly want, which is an average presentation, but end up appearing at a higher standard than what they truly desire. Or they may put in a lot of effort to how they look, but don’t worry too much about whether or not people will perceive them in a certain way.
Ambitious External Presentation types are the best at developing their image to be seen in a better light. They have a clear idea of what their desired external presentation is and how much effort they need to put in to achieve this. They are naturally drawn to tools that will help them obtain this idealized image and they have a great sense of how to use these tools. They have a very specific idea of what energy they want to exude and work hard to achieve this.
Unbothered Knowledge Accumulation types have
no intention and direct no energy into the gathering of data and assessing their environment. They deem it unimportant and show a lack of interest in the logic around them. Development in their knowledge is in no way a top priority for them. They are most commonly anti intellectual.
Inert Knowledge Accumulation types show small interest in a few topics however don’t direct much energy into analyzing them. They desire to know basic information about their environment however do not show effort towards searching for this information. They will pay attention when a topic of interest is brought up, but they don’t go out of their way to actually research about it themselves, leaving them with less knowledge than they would like to have.
Jaded Knowledge Accumulation types desire to know everything about their environment and show great interest in gathering information. However, with 1 effort they don’t direct enough energy to satisfy this interest. They want to broaden their knowledge as much as they can but they just don’t put in the effort for this. For some people of this type, this is very frustrating and this may leave them disappointed with themselves or the world for not being able to achieve the amount of knowledge they’d like to have.
Compulsory Knowledge Accumulation types have little desire to collect new information, however they actively end up putting effort into improving their knowledge to a basic understanding of topics mainly due to practicality. They don’t direct too much energy, just enough for a plausible amount of information on a few topics that pique their interest, without necessarily having the goal or desire to obtain this knowledge. They also may be forced or asked to research a lot, despite not having an interest in the topic or desire to learn.
Balanced Knowledge Accumulation types are in the middle of both effort and desire, so they work well when improving knowledge to a practical standard without collecting an excess amount of information that they feel they have no use for or collecting a lack of information. They feel casual about using data from the environment and like to think of it as a tool that doesn’t need too much attention but shouldn’t be disregarded either.
Tawdry Knowledge Accumulation types have a strong need to gather new information on everything around them, however, find themselves directing only a reasonable amount of effort into this. They want to improve all they can in terms of knowledge, but only end up directing energy that only gathers basic information when researching topics. These people are very curious but usually only know a lot about a select set of topics, oftentimes to their frustration.
Grudging Knowledge Accumulation types have little desire to understand their environment, however, they often find themselves analyzing their surroundings in an almost unconscious way. They usually don’t have a particular end goal for the knowledge they put effort into gathering because they simply have no desire to use it. It’s almost as if all this knowledge they unconsciously collect isn’t developing their knowledge to the full extent because of the lack of interest. It can also be some sort of survival instinct that makes them constantly gather information, without actually having the drive.
Persistent Knowledge Accumulation types usually only have a desire for basic understanding of their surroundings but find themselves putting in an excess amount of effort to go the extra mile and gather new data above this basic understanding. They may not even realize the effort they put into this, as their goal is only to achieve an acceptable amount of data on a few topics, so they might disregard all this extra knowledge they end up gathering and therefore limit further development.
Ambitious Knowledge Accumulation types are open in every way when it comes to collecting new information. They are highly interested in understanding logic and put in a lot of effort to do this. They are always trying to develop their knowledge on any topic they can, as they feel that data can become a useful tool, hence the reason why they show such enthusiasm and direct so much energy into seeking it. These people are often very intelligent, knowledgeable, curious, and well spoken. As learning is one of their top priorities and also just one of their favorite things to do.
Unbothered Interpersonal Relationships types have little interest in connecting with others nor do they put in the effort. They tend to be introverted and may appear cold or aloof. They are often heard saying things like “I don’t see the point of having friendships, I have better things to do”. They prioritize themselves and are often occupied with work, mindfulness, reading, content consuming/creating on social media, or any other hobbies they may have.
Inert Interpersonal Relationships types do have a desire to be around people or connect with others, but often don’t have the time or energy to do so. They have other things to focus on causing them to forget about or lack time for friendships and relationships. Most often this is a responsibility, for example they may be on a trip for work or focus on school this year, or they are simply focused on a hobby. But some people of this type may also struggle with mental health and therefore struggle with maintaining connections. They don’t reach out or can’t keep conversation long because of lack of energy or feeling like it’s only getting worse. And because of this they have stopped trying. This doesn’t bother them too much as their desire isn’t that great.
Jaded Interpersonal Relationships types really want to connect with people but can’t for whatever reason. This often leaves them feeling disappointed or sad. They are similar to Inert types (1e 2d) in the sense that they’re often either busy with responsibilities, focused on hobbies, or struggle with their mental health and therefore don’t have time or energy to put into their interpersonal relationships. The major difference between the two however is that this type is frustrated or disappointed a lot about this fact. They truly desire to talk to people and be involved with others but they can’t because of their circumstances. They also might be seen as people who complain about not having friends and then not do anything about it. Some might find it hard to admit, because they have good reasoning, but this perception is correct.
Compulsory Interpersonal Relationships types put effort into making any interaction they have in day to day life pleasant for both parties, but they don’t have a particular desire for any close friends, friend groups, or romantic relationships. They are aware that communicating and being involved with others is a part of life and they want to make sure that when interaction happens that it all goes smoothly. For this reason they do put some effort into acting socially acceptable and being friendly to others. However their disinterest in actually forming deeper connections does sometimes shine through, or they get straight to the point and tell people they are disinterested.
Balanced Interpersonal Relationships types generally desire to have interaction with others and also put some effort into it. Relationships are not a priority but it is still something they enjoy and that adds to their life. They can either be the type to sometimes initiate events or conversation when they feel like it but not always respond immediately or say yes. Or they don’t initiate much but they put in the effort to maintain the friendships they consider worthy. They more easily let go of dead friendships or people they don’t like than higher effort and desire types. This is because they don’t have a great need for connection and when one fails, they don’t put in any effort to fix it when they don’t care enough about the connection that is lost.
Tawdry Interpersonal Relationships types have a big desire for connection with others but slightly lack in the effort. Like the Jaded interpersonal relationships type (1e 3d) they might be perceived as people who complain about not having a lot of friends but don’t do enough to maintain healthy relationships (this is not true for 3d types who don’t express their 3d). But these people do more to maintain them than Jaded types. But they are more likely than Ambitious types (3e 3d) to give up on a friendship, or more commonly, not work enough on the way they treat, communicate with, and react to others and therefore lose friendships. Even if they really enjoyed and liked that friendship.
Grudging Interpersonal Relationships types either spend a lot of time perfecting how they interact with people in order to become a better person or simply go to every possible event. This is not because they actually have a need for connection, but rather because they either want no unnecessary issues with people because they don’t act socially acceptable. Or because they have reckless tendencies or want to fit in and have fun. Despite having no desire to actually form connections, they often do see benefit in trying to socialize and become a better person when it comes to relationships and communication. They generally find themselves in very outgoing social situations without a clear desire for being there, but still go along with it for the sake of practicality.
Persistent Interpersonal Relationships types generally do enjoy being around people and have a desire for connections, but not intensely. Despite this they try their absolute best to be there for the people they care for and even people they don’t care for much. They put in the work to become better at communication and understanding people and they eventually become quite adept at it. They know how to use the skills they are developing for the connections they do desire, even if they don’t have a big need for personal relationships.
Ambitious Interpersonal Relationships types really prioritize their friendships and relationships. Even if they have little to no real friends or struggle with friendships, they put in a lot of effort to be a pleasant person to be around and have a great desire for connection. They are all about connection and growth in their social relations and it’s clear how much effort they put into this, as they’re always seen trying to develop their relationships with others. They are big on learning how to communicate properly and tactfully and are usually very socially aware. They usually come across as very kind people because they try very hard to be a fun person to be around. They also have a great desire to understand people in general and often specific individuals too and enjoy communicating with them.
This is the last letter of the type, following a dash (-), separating it from the other placements. This dichotomy represents how an individual approaches their development. Here are descriptions of each letter:
Environment: A person with “E” for this dichotomy approaches personal development by altering their environment to suit the appropriate conditions in order for their development to happen. They believe that by shifting their environment they will create a chance to further improve themselves. These people will often discard negative temptations, buy helpful products or simply organize their surroundings to ensure an easy development process.
Mindset: A person with “M” for this dichotomy approaches personal development by shifting their mindset in order to improve. You will often see them trying to assure themselves that they will develop if they look at things from a different perspective. They like to take the initiative mentally and change their view on concepts, to ensure that development will happen. These people often meditate, research other opinions and create a mental drive to create a higher desire to develop.
As of now we are not adding any contradictions to the system, however we are trying to analyze results to spot patterns in types and hopefully have an idea on archetypes and strong correlations soon! We would greatly appreciate it if you commented your type along with the rest of your typology, specifically enneagram subtype, psychosophy type, and big 5, on @prad.system on tiktok, or message either of us privately so we can spot patterns in people’s types!
If you are left with any questions feel free to send a message to either of us on TikTok individually, or go to @prad.system to message or comment and we will try to answer to the best of our ability.