Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jess Schonberg on July 3, 2011 at 6:59pm

I'm an introvert, due to an extreme fear of embarrassment (kudos to the amazing parenting of my biodad for that one: openly mocking a 2 year old in public for lisping = parenting at its best!) but I'm working hard to change that. At the same time, this is only introversion on a personal level. When I am speaking, not as myself, but more as part of a cause, I am extroverted. When I am acting in front of a crowd of strangers, I am extroverted. If my friends or family are in attendance, I'm an introvert. It's a bit awkward.

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Permalink Reply by Dustin on July 3, 2011 at 7:16pm

sorry to hear that , my father embarrassed the hell out of me as well.  Every time I had to play piano for a school concert , my father would throw a hysterical fit in front of EVERYONE .... about how he can't stand crowds , how terrible I sounded on the piano , how he can't stand these sort of concerts ... he cussed out my long time mentor , a choir director at my high school ... cussed me out a few times in front of crowds that knew me.  Oh my god , It was so awful.  He would also tease me and make fun of me and ask me really stupid questions like 'are you gay , it's ok ... just never seen you with a girlfriend before'    

 

(Maybe it's because I am too embarrassed to bring a female friend around you , ever think of that? is what I wanted to tell him)  

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Permalink Reply by Arcus on July 4, 2011 at 6:53am

I'm pretty lucky in that regard, though my mother is clearly histrionic.

My father shipped out for whaling when he was 15 and had been drunk in at least a dozen harbor cities in a dozen different countries by the time he was 20 - he never forgot how it was to be young. His harshest critizism of my frequent mistakes growing up were the stinging truisms "Told you so!", "You can believe in Church, in the real world you have to know", and the worst one was whenever I tried to explain my failures with sentences beginning with "I never thought XYZ could happen..." he would respond "You never thought - exactly. You never think."

Anyway, my parents managed to bring me up quite successfully, and the worst type of upbrining I can give my children is the one I received. 

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Permalink Reply by Mike Glickman on July 3, 2011 at 7:24pm

I registered as ESTJ on MB twice and I took it 10 years apart. I don't think I'm overwhelmingly extroverted though. At times I'm outgoing and at times I'm introverted.

 

I don't think that introversion is the same as being depressed, but I do believe that depression is a real illness that is worth treating. Saying "I'm not going to alter my body chemistry because it doesn't match what is normal" could also be applied to: "My cholesterol levels are dangerously high, but I'm not going to take medication to alter them. After all, I'm not hurting anyone by abstaining from statin therapy."

We get one go around at life, so why not be happy if we can, right?

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Permalink Reply by erik112358 on July 4, 2011 at 6:18am

A valid point.  But then again, there are natural ways to lower cholesterol, right?  Exercise, better diet, etc.

 

I guess I'm just very weary of taking psychotherapeutic (not sure if that's the right word) drugs.

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Permalink Reply by Pope OoO (Out of Order) on December 8, 2012 at 11:39pm

Psychotropics can save lives, damage people, or be effective to degrees in between. Not everyone's the same, and prescriptions often start with low doses, because being wary is a good thing.

It makes sense to start with a counselor, first, then determine if a psych might enhance the therapy. It's always your choice in how to proceed (or not proceed). I used to hate being an introvert, and thought of it as a handicap. Now I'm a hundred times more okay with myself than I was before, and succeeding at more endeavors.

But that's just Me.

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Permalink Reply by David Chandler on July 4, 2011 at 9:20pm

I'm definitely an introvert, have been my whole life. I hate meaningless conversation, I can only "shoot the shit" for about 2minutes before I get either bored and disinterested or down right annoyed. The article the OP listed is pretty much me spot on 1-10.

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Permalink Reply by Patty J on July 6, 2011 at 5:46pm

Interesting question, introverts do spend more time with themselves and their minds so it would make sense for them to look deeper into these types of questions.

 

I am an atheist, a very new one. It took me awhile to be okay with admitting it aloud. And yes I am an introvert. I like to watch documentaries and listen to podcasts in my free time which is one of the reasons why it led to to this new state of mind.

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Permalink Reply by Becca on September 21, 2011 at 9:27pm

I'm certainly an introvert. I need a lot of alone time and prefer small social gathering in places comfortable to me as opposed to large events full of people and I certainly spend a good deal of time inside my own head analyzing everything. I can on occasion be extroverted when I am in a comfortable situation and I certainly enjoy being around friends and socializing. 

 

As for the MBTI no matter which version of the test I take I always score INTJ. I don't however put much stock into the MBTI since it's scientific backing is scant to none... I treat it similar to a horoscope it's fun and interesting but not worth putting a lot of stock in.

 

 

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Permalink Reply by James on September 21, 2011 at 9:53pm

When I was younger, I was definitely an introvert. Very shy, and talked to pretty much no one. But I've certainly gotten better through the years and am much less shy now. I wouldn't go so far as to call me extroverted or a social butterfly, but I no longer have issues talking with new people or holding conversations. Truth be told, I do find large boisterous groups annoying more often than not, and would rather go online or read a good book. Keeping to myself used to be how I spent 100% of my time, but now I can do that or go out and comfortably have a good time amongst the public. But if I had to say I was one or the other, I'd say that I'm still more introverted than extroverted.

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Permalink Reply by Darrell Johnson on September 22, 2011 at 9:38am

@Kasu: No, no, no! Introversion is neither good nor bad, but it is an innate and enduring personality trait: NOT the same thing as shyness or timidity, although there is some overlap. The simplest definition of an introvert is someone who is energized from *inside*, and therefore has less need for external stimulation. I strongly recommend that you look up the book _The Introvert Advantage_.

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Permalink Reply by dataguy on September 22, 2011 at 9:47am

So would a shy or timid person necessarily be an introvert?  That seems like more than overlap.

 

I'm not disagreeing with you, I'm just trying to clarify in my own mind the differences.

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