Revenge of the Introvert

[kerravonsen]

This article (Revenge of the Introvert, Psychology Today) isn't anything particularly new to me; I already know that I'm an introvert, that I need down-time, etc etc. But it could be a lightbulb moment for some of you, so, hey, interesting article, read it if you want.

My favourite bit was the description of how an introvert reacts to "Hello, how are you?" - that is so me.

Comments

[kalypso]

I had a boss who always used to complain that I actually told him how I was, and apparently that wasn't what one was supposed to do.

[tptigger]

Wow. That explains a lot, actually. (May have to get my hands on that book...)

[vilakins]

That makes me feel a bit better about leaving my last job because they wanted me to learn to be an extrovert, because that article confirms my suspicion that playing the role might be possible for short periods of time (like in interviews) but long term would have been very draining and stressful.

So now I just get stressed about not having any money. :-(

I was surprised that they're now saying that it's 50-50. I thought we made up about 25% of the population; at least that's what I was told when I first did MBTI.

[kerravonsen]

but long term would have been very draining and stressful

And you were stressed enough!

I was surprised that they're now saying that it's 50-50. I thought we made up about 25% of the population; at least that's what I was told when I first did MBTI.

According to this, the E/I split in MBTI is about 50%, though the S/N split is about 75%/25%. Perhaps it was the latter you were thinking of?

[vilakins]

Ah, maybe it was. I still seem to meet more extroverts though. Maybe the introverts are all at home, or people are better at pretending than I am. Though the people I used to act with were sure I was an extrovert whereas I love acting because I get to be someone who isn't me.

[kerravonsen]

The difficulty with pegging who is introverted and who is extroverted is that it isn't as if introverts aren't capable of behaving in an extroverted manner, it's that they find it takes more energy to do so. If you saw me with a small group of friends, you might consider me to be extroverted, because I enjoy talking to people in small numbers. After all, one doesn't see the introverts when they are having their alone-time, because they're alone!

[vilakins]

I like that sort of socialising too. It still seems that I've worked with more extroverts, people who don't mind meetings, which I find a waste of time.

[izhilzha.livejournal.com]

I love this article like pie. My boyfriend sent it to me a while back, and it's all. So. True. Especially the list of what not to say to an introvert. :)

[imhilien.livejournal.com]

That was a great article to read, thanks. I'm an introvert, and definitely need my downtime. :)

[astrogirl2.livejournal.com]

I've developed a lot of tricks for dealing with extroverts. It helps when you figure out how they think, strange alien creatures that they are. Just internalizing the idea that when people say "How are you?", it's not really a question and they don't actually want an answer was very useful. And if you engage in enough social banter to satisfy them, often they will go away.

My problem with extroverts talking at me isn't, as the article suggests, that there's too much information coming too fast to think about. Or very rarely, anyway. Usually the problem is the exact opposite. They talk and talk and talk without saying much of interest or relevance, but to be polite, or, worse, in order to listen for information you actually do want, you have to waste your precious brain time on paying at least some degree of attention, even if just to nod in the right places. It's maddening.

[vjezkova.livejournal.com]

This is very interesting! I have always thought I was an extrovert and ha! now I can see that it is not exactly true. Is it possible that during the years, I might change the colours? Or, more precisely, I probably do not belong to any of these kinds. That´s probably why I have no problems (mostly) to communicate with everyone ( I repeat mostly.-)).