Are you an introvert or extrovert?

[Petros]

"Introvert" and "extrovert" seem to be merely more labels. I suspect that we all go from one to the other to some extent, and that there are many who, like I, change "persona" in specific situations. I've heard, for example, that many actors are actually introverts until they get on stage.

Someday I should outline some of my insights into Persona Theory - which for my style is related to Stealth Power [another discourse] but I am not convinced that that is necessarily true for, for example, the ennea3

[Petros]

"One question on the test that particularly caught my attention however was:
True or False: "I have a special mission from God"

This seems closely related to the memorable question from the Freshman Psycho Identifier at UW in 1960: "t/f: I am controlled by a secret radio from God"

That was easier to answer. For the data-Aspie [art-Aspies seem to be a bit different] we have to sort out:
"special" means, unique, peculiar to me - which of course is true
OR
"special" means, extraordinary, spectacular - which might be true but I have not been told
OR
it is a trick question to catch those who are undesirably different

The resulting tension is uncomfortable.

"designed for the "average" personality, and many engineers did not possess "average personalities" "

Tee hee. Witness my brother, Herself's engineer cousin .... Herself's engineer brother I THINK has a near average personality, which may be why he has done more administration than engineering. At least the guy had figured it out - that helps.

"He then queried me about several aspects of my personality, raising among other things the question of my gender orientation. He then explained that the "gender discriminator" score was low, but then he explained that in people of high intelligence that often occurs, but offered no explanation of why it is so. (I suspect that an intelligent enquiring mind has a proclivity of trying to see issues from multiple viewpoints.) "

The last point drives Herself mad. If she presents a viewpoint [which may agree with things I have said] I bring out arguments for the opposite. If someone else the next day argues for the opposite stance, I will point out the problems and defend her original position, Used to it by now, but not reconciled to it. I have never [that I noticed] had my gender orientation queried, but know full well I do not conform to any standard gender profiles.
It is perhaps noticeable that not a few suspect and one confirmed alternate gendered males have found me a pleasant associate, while Herself [also spectral though the female patterns are different and she is art not data] has had similar associations with a few suspect and at least one confirmed alternate females. The assumption on the larger community seems to be, if you are not unambiguously A you MUST be B - which is very poor reasoning.

The MBTI is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. First came out in 1962 , a bit late to catch me, and while it is popular with the College of Education [where I met it through one of Wee Coryl's abortive career initiatives], not specialized enough to be much used in your sphere or mine. It is not too bad at what it does, though the standadized questiopns are NOT well thought out, and Number 1 Son has been getting useful insights lately from its categories, but it really does not tell me enough of what I need.

And yes, clearly the Aspie chipset is involved. MBTI, MMPI and others are calibrated for a particular target population, and others fall through the cracks. Just as polygraph testing and IQ measures are clearly reliable only for a narrow band. I should get my sci-fi writing cousin to work out a world and society that is tuned to an Aspie majority and the neurotypicals are southpaws.

I do not know him personally, by the way, I think I met him in person when we were both too young to take notes. But by his writing and from some ecorrespondence it would not surprise me if he - and his engineer sister - were spectral as well.

[jochanaan]

Bare_Truth, have you ever read a story by Robert Heinlein titled "Blowups Happen"? It was written in the 1940s when atomic power was new, but it described vividly the psychological stresses on those folks responsible for managing an atomic power plant that might, if they somehow failed in their jobs, explode and take half the country down. One of the characters in the story, a psychologist, came to the conclusion that "situational psychosis" was unavoidable in such a job, that no matter how stable a person was, the dangers inherent in such a job--not just personal dangers, but dangers for all humankind--would literally drive the person crazy...

[Petros]

I [I know you didn't ask, but I am compulsively intrusive] have PROBABLY read it, but from the descriptions at hand I cannot be sure. It would have been early, would NOT have been one of the multiply reread stories, did not penetrate enough to ring a bell.

[Jon-Marc]

If I had only those two choices, I would call myself an introvert. However, I think of myself as a realist. I tend to see everything as it is and not how I want it to be or believe it to be. Introverts are not only loners (like me), but they see only the bad in life and not the good. Extroverts see everything as good and only expect good in life. Neither of those (in my opinion) is realistic. Life is both good and bad--usually more one than the other depending on one's life experiences. I don't believe in luck; I believe in Jesus Christ and the fact that I am in His hands.

[nudie66]

Amen, Jon-Marc!

During high school, I was an extreme introvert - couldn't get up the nerve to say much more than "Hi' to other students. I'm still pretty quiet in large crowds (including a social site like CNVillage). I interact better with people if it's one-on-one.

However, I discovered that social nudity has opened up a freedom that I always desired, and it's because of the acceptance factor. I am now 100% completely comfortable being nude around others - art classes, nude beaches, resorts, etc., whether I know the "others" or not. So, I guess that makes me a realist. My surroundings have an effect on whether I'm feeling extroverted or introverted.

[jasenj1]

Introverts are not only loners (like me), but they see only the bad in life and not the good. Extroverts see everything as good and only expect good in life. Neither of those (in my opinion) is realistic.

Semantics. I think you are using a bad definition of the two terms.

http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-pers ... ersion.htm

[Petros]

jasenji - while Number 1 Son disagrees, I am not really happy with the MBTI differentiation - but that is another issue.
On the othe hand:
Jon-Marc, I have to concur that in "Introverts are not only loners (like me), but they see only the bad in life and not the good." you are using very nonstazndard definitions. It is NOT true that introverts are pessimists and extroverts optimists. I have seen many counterexamples in action. I tend toward a mildly pessimistic and didymist stance - Herself, equally [though differently] introverted tends toward an optimistic and enthusiastic position. And even so often I will be arguing for positive views where she has gone negative.

For some some of the time it is true - life is grand, let's party. Things are lousy, I will hide out. But - when I am on a roll and life is sunny and all is grand - I want to get off alone or with a couple familiar fellow introverts. Not about attitude, it is energy balance. You don't assume everybody with a slow metabolism is a Gloomy Gus and everybody bouncing off the wall with energy is cheery. Same for Two is company Three is a crowd versus the Block Party type.

[jochanaan]

I [I know you didn't ask, but I am compulsively intrusive] have PROBABLY read it, but from the descriptions at hand I cannot be sure. It would have been early, would NOT have been one of the multiply reread stories, did not penetrate enough to ring a bell.

It's worth a reread.

[natman]

I would say that I am neither, or perhaps both.

In my (less than) humble opinion, "extraverts" tend to be uncontrollable open about themselves and "introverts" tend to be overly quiet about themselves and more self conscious.

I have no problem talking to just about anyone, anywhere about anything related to the circumstances or conversation. I tend to prefer to focus on the pluses of other rather than on the negatives of myself, preferring to be "humble", realizing that it's not all about me (usually, it's not about me at all).

[Petros]

"overly quiet"?

Where is the line drawn for the value judgement? I am not too tall, Bob is too short.

Anyhow - it is not quite as simple as that. I have observed introverts who were not all that into keeping information to themselves, and I have a friend who is no introvert but you will got get any useful data out of him.

It is far more, at the end of the party do you wish it wasn't over or do you want to sit and read quietly for a couple days?

I am: seriously data seeking, seriously data withholding, moderately drained by socialization.

Herself is: seriously data seeking, moderately data withholding, seriously drained by socialization.

Dick is: seriously data seeking, seriously data withholding, moderately charged by socialization.

Annie is: minimally data seeking, minimally data withholding, seriously charged by socialization.

Matt is: moderately data seeking, minimally data withholding seriously charged by socialization.

Jake is: minimally data seeking, moderately data withholding, moderately drained by socialization.

Wee Coryl is: seriously data seeking, minimally data withholding, moderately charged by socialization.

To list only a few of the patterns I have encountered.

[Bobby]

I agree with Petros. Introversion has nothing to do with divulging personal info because that is based on trust. If you deem someone trustworthy you will give more of yourself introvert or not. Also shyness has nothing to do with introversion or extraversion as there are many introverts (like my cousin) who psych themselves up and become the life of a party. And some extraverts are shy.

Introverts and extraverts process data differently. Introverts take longer to process information, use their long term memory more often and need more alone time to process things. Introverts are also better listeners than extraverts.

Researchers believe that the reason introverts are quiet in a large group of people is because they are over-stimulated. There is just too much going on, just too much information. That's why introverts can be found sitting by themselves alone or in the company of other introverts on the outskirts of the action. Introverts dislike or are uncomfortable with small talk which is why they are great at one on one conversations.

[Petros]

"That's why introverts can be found sitting by themselves alone or in the company of other introverts on the outskirts of the action. "

Which is precisely why I, Number 1 Son, my BIL Fritz and his Number 2 Son were always to be found sitting mostly silent in an otherwise empty corner of the livingroom when big family events were [often, over a stretch of years) held at Fritz' house. But it is not universally true - Herself felt driven and obligated to be in the midst of the gang in the kitchen - then for days after paid the price.

[New_Adventurer]

That's why introverts can be found sitting by themselves alone or in the company of other introverts on the outskirts of the action.

That is just like me. On my wedding day, in the middle of a hundred guests, I was sitting quietly at the picnic table explaining to my new cousin how three-phase power worked. And when I finished after ten minutes he said that after years of frustration he finally understood what it was and how it worked. Then it was grab the new wife and bail out.

[Petros]

Last year? Was it? Two autumns back, I think,

We rode out to visit Number 1 Son, who set up a special Band Buds Meet the Parents practice / performance / hootenanny [jochanaan may have an adequate technical term for this type of informal symposium. During performance, the decibels were serious. Herself braved it with earplugs. After a bit, I and another compatible introvert type - affiliated with the band but not actively involved - wound up in the yard in the dark, hearing everything just fine at a bearable volume and having a really good conversation covering music theory, linguistic concepts, enneagram typing, relationships....