What is the difference between "Priority" and "Important"?
By airasheila
@airasheila (5454)
Philippines
November 8, 2009 12:16pm CST
"What is the difference between Priority and Important"? This lines are the most common question being raised up during interviews.
Sometimes, its hard to differentiate the two. Both of them is correct. But maybe, there is at least a small difference.
As I define it, Not all Important are Priority. But all things tagged as Priority are important. I can say so, because, if you are having a due date in your department in an office, you will take into consideration to do first the work which is to be submitted on or before its due date. However, if you left for a while with regard to the other work, it does not mean that they are less priority. Only you need to attend first to the work which has a due date (that's why its called PRIORITY). And then, the work that you will going to do secondly is the next important things (these are the ones that being classified as IMPORTANT.
Maybe you a have a much wide explanation, as to what is the difference between PRIORITY? and IMPORTANT?
9 responses
@linda1959 (110)
• United States
8 Nov 09
Hello there, airasheila.
the word Priority means people and objects.
the word Important means Acting as if having power, autority,influence,high position.
@airasheila (5454)
• Philippines
9 Nov 09
Hello linda1959,
Thank you for the response. This is a new idea to ponder.
@mrssator2002 (281)
• Philippines
9 Nov 09
For me the differences between "Priority" means the things that urgent to take action. "Important" means the things that are significant in our lives.
@jwfarrimond (4473)
•
9 Nov 09
I'd agree with your definition. Priority means something that needs to be dealt with immediately but that does not apply to all things that are important. Important does not have the sense of time urgency attatched to it that priority does.
@getbrowser (1708)
• China
9 Nov 09
It is obvious that there are many similarties between "Priority" and "Important", that makes it difficult to differentiate the two.
But if you spend some time discriminating them carefully, then you will find there are really some apparent differences between the two. For example, if you have lots of tasks to do, then both "Priority" and "Important" mean that you should try your best to finish something at first. But which one is the key? I think you should pay more attention to "Priority" instead of "Important". One "Important" thing doesn't mean it is a necessity.
Hope that my answer can be helpful to you. Happy myLotting!
@swapnamurthy (135)
• India
9 Nov 09
Priority menas have to finish the given task in time.Depending on whats the priority level.May be low,medium and high.
Impotant is have to complete the job at the specific time.
@raiyandhaka (634)
• India
8 Nov 09
priority and important, both word and meaning almost same value. but "priority" something that is also important and must be dealt with before other things. priority are an assessment of importance, which is not the same urgency, you can combine importance and urgency aspects when assessing priorities.
@wonatesevinn (3)
• United States
9 Nov 09
i think that the difference between important and priority depend on the person. prioritys are gennerally more buisness related and importances are more about pleasure. i agree that all priorities are in some way important. For example, playing a new video game may be very important to a kid but getting their homework done is the priority
