Are you an introvert or extrovert?

Discussion in 'Human Science' started by wegs, Jun 7, 2019.

  1. wegs Matter and Pixie Dust Valued Senior Member

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    I think it’s possible to be both. There are moments when I’m quiet and hesitant, but other times when I’m super friendly and talkative.

    How do you see yourself?
     
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  3. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    Most people have quiet moments and social moments.

    This is my litmus test for intro/extro:

    Where do you go to recharge?

    When I need to recharge, or gather my thoughts, or get inspired to start/finish a project, I look inward. I need quiet introspective time. Meetings and group gatherings fatigue me.

    Extroverts get their energy in the presence of people. They rally in meetings, and ride the wave of energy produced by lots of ideas, and talking and interactions.
     
    Ethernos D Grace, sculptor and wegs like this.
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  5. wegs Matter and Pixie Dust Valued Senior Member

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    Agree. When it comes to work, or finding inspiration, I prefer alone time to get my thoughts together.

    I work in an environment that’s like this, and some days, I like the vibe and the constant flow of energy and new ideas. But not every day.

    Tomorrow, I’m meeting a few coworkers out for dinner and that is usually when my extroverted side shows, in social settings. But at work, I’m a bit more reserved.

    There are so many words to describe so many feelings and characteristics.
     
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  7. wegs Matter and Pixie Dust Valued Senior Member

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  8. Jeeves Valued Senior Member

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    It's generally a bad idea to characterize an entire personality with one word - especially if your choice of words is limited to two.
    I'd probably be described by most people I meet casually as an extrovert - because they know almost nothing about me - because I'm too inrtoverted to reveal much - even though I'm willing to reveal whatever they want to know - but they don't want to know anything about me: what they want is to discuss their subject of concern or attention or enthusiasm of the moment - as long as I do that, I'm seen as open and friendly, which is true, but what I get from interacting with people is information about them; my energy recharge comes from nature.
    I would describe myself as aloof.
     
  9. Seattle Valued Senior Member

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    As has been pointed out, it's not about how shy or outgoing you are. It's about how you recharge. If you need time alone (me) you are an introvert. When you are younger you may also be shy, when you are more mature you maybe be much more outgoing.

    An extrovert needs a social setting (others) to recharge. They might be outgoing as well or they may not be. Many extroverts aren't that social one on one for example.

    I'm confident and I'm also reasonably outgoing but I'm an introvert. I was confident and shy as a child.
     
  10. sculptor Valued Senior Member

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    <------------------by nature an introspective contemplative introvert

    however, also task oriented
    so, when a task is involved, I can seem quite extroverted(also a bit on the stubborn side)
     
  11. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    Ah but we're not doing that. We're looking at one facet of a person, on a continuum between opposites.

    Compare to looking at a colour photograph and asking is it more red or more cyan? All photos will be on that continuum somewhere, but it doesn't constrain any aspect of the photo.

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  12. gmilam Valued Senior Member

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    Introvert.

    Are you familiar with the MBTI types?

    I test as an INTP. https://www.personalitypage.com/html/INTP.html
     
  13. Gawdzilla Sama Valued Senior Member

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    I'm a don't careavert. I am good at not letting people know I don't care if they're on fire. Makes it easy to seem comfortable in the presence of others.
     
  14. RainbowSingularity Valued Senior Member

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    an "introvert" derives happiness from the inside themselves.
    an "extrovert" relys on other people making them happy.
    being an extrovert makes you emotionally co-dependent on other people giving you self worth.

    you may have you terms mixed up.

    i think you might be looking for
    "socially insecure"
    "socially confident"
    there is then varying levels of aptitude among those.
    there is also a very loosely terms vernacular discriptive of "outgoing" and introvertive"
    not introvertive IS NOT an introvert.
    the terms with mixed up and taken from scientific meaning many years ago and are used consistently wrong.

    just like the term "alpha male"
    alpha males are not natural born leaders.
    they are just group selections to lead a band of idiots.
    usually they have very poor intellectual and problem solving skills and essentially narcissists that the group worship the ego of.
    its very pathetic and depressing to watch such things.

    i have been lucky enough to meet one or two REAL alpha males.
    they are naturally good at almost anything, can put their hand to any task, constantly seek to learn new skills and have no desire to be the leader of a bunch of idiots.
    they prefer to avoid groups of idiots looking for an ego mad borderline narcissist.

    the "alpha male" construct in office politics psychobabble bullshit is an ass kissing suck up to management to make them feel manly.
    The office idiots call managers "alpha males" to kiss their ass & they parade around being sexist borderline misogynistic playing gender stereo types games of normative gender bias as a method to reinforce their own ego to try and fool people to think they can actually be a REAL alpha male.
    in an office environment where you hear people using the term, is a sexist discriminatory work environment.
     
    Last edited: Jun 7, 2019
  15. Jeeves Valued Senior Member

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    Yes, except that personality traits don't come in neatly quantifiable units where there can even be pairs of clear opposites. Extroversion, or sociability is not a single, simple item in a list of single, simple personality traits: it's a complex of personal and social attitudes, aptitudes, proclivities, habits and preferences.
    Even reducing it to "how do you recharge"? is misleading, because we do not actually possess a battery that can empty and fill.
    One may feel 'drained' after an intense social encounter and need a period of solitude to regain psychic equilibrium. That same person may also feel drained after a protracted struggle with a technical problem, and need the distraction of cheerful company to regain equilibrium.
    Also, there are so many kinds of social interaction, from stage performance to formal debate, from a volunteer project to mindless drunken revelry, from random encounters with strangers to lovers' trysts.
     
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  16. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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  17. wegs Matter and Pixie Dust Valued Senior Member

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    No, I'm not mixing the terms up.
     
  18. wegs Matter and Pixie Dust Valued Senior Member

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    Some of that applies to me, except this:

    "the INTP has no understanding or value for decisions made on the basis of personal subjectivity or feelings. They strive constantly to achieve logical conclusions to problems"

    Sometimes, I base my decisions solely on subjective feelings. I don't imagine that anyone could really fit into one ''slot'' perfectly, but that's just my opinion.
     
  19. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    The same is true of red versus cyan in a photo.
    Intro versus extro the traits are ideal - and opposite - properties. That is not the same as saying a person falls into one of those two opposites.

    You can establish a given photograph on its average redness-versus-cyanness.
    It does not mean that all parts of the photo aren't a mix of all the colours.
    Nor does it mean you've reduced the photo to a simple one-dimensional range of values.

    The mistake isn't in the analysis; it's in the conclusion, such as "I am always intro/extro", which would be analogous to concluding "this photo is all red/cyan".
     
    Last edited: Jun 7, 2019
  20. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    Yes. This is why the developers of the test urge you to take it with guidance.
    The types don't pigeon hole you; they merely provide guidance so you better understand yourself.
    Everyone's gonna fall somewhere along the Bell curve of each trait. Anywhere other than 100% or 0%, and you're a mix of both, at different times, under different circumstances.

    I'm definitely an introvert but (being a youngest) I love being the centre of attention.
     
  21. wegs Matter and Pixie Dust Valued Senior Member

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    Yes, this is a great way of explaining it. I feel at different times, in different circumstances, I'm either an introvert or extrovert, or at least those characteristics seem amplified at different times.

    I've always viewed one's answers to questions such as: would you rather be the life of the party, or at home reading a good book, on a Friday night? as the key to unlocking who you ''really'' are, in terms of dominant personality traits. Thing is, I could choose either, depending on my mood and who will be at the party. :-}

    lol

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  22. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    That's kind of not what I was saying.

    I'm saying you are an introvert by nature.
    Being an introvert does not mean you don't like to go to parties or socialize.

    It means - when you need to recharge - it'll more likely be at home than at a night club.
     
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  23. wegs Matter and Pixie Dust Valued Senior Member

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    Ah, gotcha. Okay, I would agree. For example, coworkers will want to go to happy hour to “recharge” and while it’s usually a good time, it’s not how I recharge. Friends of mine invite me to work out or go running with them, and I probably sound like an aloof bitch, but I usually decline because I’d much rather work out alone. I find socializing to be something organically fun without it needing to boost me in any way. It’s interesting that people find social gatherings to be “recharging.”

    In thinking this through, I'm part of a group at work that has to conduct presentations on a weekly basis internally, and for clients. I've had coworkers tell me how calm I seem under pressure, and one guy said ''you are so good at public speaking.'' But, inside? I'm dying. lol Kind of feel like an actress playing a role in a movie.

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    Last edited: Jun 7, 2019

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