Introvert/Extrovert

[Ryan Scott]

TIME magazine has a cover story on the value of introverts (and the societal bias against them) in the most recent issue.

They also include a brief quiz - http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/01...son-alive.html - to see where you fall on the scale.

Out of 20 questions I had, predictably, about 17 yeses.

I'm curious to see how others feel about the article and quiz.

[G R 'Scott' Cundiff]

It's here: http://healthland.time.com/2012/01/2...ticle-mostpop1

I am about 50%. I think the reason is that I'm a natural introvert but I've learned to operate as an extrovert by necessity.

[John Kennedy]

Read the article - never did see the quiz.

[John Kennedy]

Scott directed me to it. They said I'm an introvert - I was more than mildly ambivalent about most of the questions.

[Susan Unger]

Introvert!

[Marg Shurtliff]

Introvert without a doubt ( 19/20)

[Steven Burton]

You know this change over your life time.

[David Lyons]

It's here: http://healthland.time.com/2012/01/2...ticle-mostpop1

I am about 50%. I think the reason is that I'm a natural introvert but I've learned to operate as an extrovert by necessity.

Scott, I used to think that for me as well. But, in reality, I love being around other people and being a part of something that involves a team effort. They said that based on my answers, I am most likely an extrovert. Well, based on their questions, I don't think this quiz would really determine that.

[David Lyons]

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/01...son-alive.html

Ryan, from this link, there was the amazing story about President Tyler still having two grandsons alive today! It is quite remarkable. Thanks for the link.

[Todd Erickson]

19 or so.

[Shea Zellweger]

19. Not particularly surprising

[Tami Martin]

17/20 here.

One of my co-workers described the introvert/extrovert continuium as describing where you get your energy and how that energy is spent. An extrovert is energized in groups, engaging with others. An introvert, as you might imagine, is going to spend energy in group while engaged with other and replenish that energy alone. So there are a lot of folks who engage with others and work in groups or find themselves out in front of the group. You won't necessarily know they're an introvert or an extrovert unless you know what they do in their downtime.

It would be really nice to take back the day that someone first suggested a nice clinical-sounding word for "shy" was "introverted."

[Katelynn Scott]

I'm not surprised that so far, many on this thread have identified themselves as closer to the introvert end of the scale. I know that part of the reason my husband likes NazNet so much is that, as an introvert, it's a much less overwhelming way to engage in conversation with a broad selection of people without the "crowded room-party" feeling. As an extrovert, I find myself popping on here only once in a while. I'm more likely to call and talk with someone in person or go out with friends. Ryan prefers to stay with smaller groups or one-on-one. I enjoyed the article though because it got me thinking about our future child and how she may respond to and react with the world. She'll have parents on both ends, and I hope we both have the wisdom to see who SHE is as a person and make room for that in our lives. ;o )

[Ryan Scott]

Introverts are people who would rather post on message boards than talk face to face. They say only about 30% of the population is introvert, but I bet the percentage here is higher.

[Mike Schutz]

I enjoyed the article though because it got me thinking about our future child and how she may respond to and react with the world. She'll have parents on both ends, and I hope we both have the wisdom to see who SHE is as a person and make room for that in our lives. ;o )

Katelynn, as you well know, my kids have an introvert father and an extrovert mother. They are both introverts.

Their response, from childhood on, is to roll their eyes at their mother's extroverted ways.

Be prepared.

[Betty Bolerjack]

You all kept track of your responses?

There are no fixed scores, since both introversion and extroversion fall along a continuum, with many people—known as ambiverts—falling somewhere in between. According to your answers, you are likely to be an extrovert

I think I'm sort of in the middle and it really depends on the situation and the mood I'm in. Sometimes, I like being around people and sometimes, I like my solitude.

[Gina Stevenson]

Introverts are people who would rather post on message boards than talk face to face. They say only about 30% of the population is introvert, but I bet the percentage here is higher.

Tell you what ... it's not only personality that keeps people on here ... often it is the weather ... or $$$. When out west, borrowing just to live, b/c no one had even intimated I could have lived w/o being so strapped, therefore isolated (more than half $$ going for a roof is supposed to get one to the top of a list, but did I know that--info they/HUD keep(s) well-hidden, apparently). Sooo, finding NN was a nice thing, rarely using gas to go out, tho' that is my preference. Now, winter/ice-caked vehicle keeps me in ... driving me nutso!

BTW, could only get to some article(s) from those links, never seeing any quiz. ... ??? ...

[Shea Zellweger]

For those who scored high on the introvert side, I have a question. Did it strike anyone else as odd that one of the questions was about multi-tasking? I never really saw that as a hallmark of extroversion...

[Marsha Lynn]

I am about 50%. I think the reason is that I'm a natural introvert but I've learned to operate as an extrovert by necessity.

Yeah. Tests I have taken lately have mistaken me for an extravert because I generally operate like one while I'm out (and then retreat to my solitude), but this one asked the right questions to get it right. Like Shea, however, I'm not sure what multitasking has to do with anything. I consider that a matter of efficiency rather than relating to whether I prefer my own company or that of others.

The main ones I didn't mark "yes" were those about what others tell me about myself.

Marsha

[David Graham]

I did the quiz, but wasn't given a score..... I fit (according to the test) in the ambivert category...... which is probably right according to the questions asked.

A Psychological assessement I had before entering the ministry marked me as a "natural extrovert".......

Who knows..... personally I suspect I'm probably in the ambivert range.

[Pete Vecchi]

I didn't know I was supposed to keep track of the number of "yes" answers, but the test indicated that I am an introvert. I already knew that.

[Billy Cox]

17/20 here.

One of my co-workers described the introvert/extrovert continuium as describing where you get your energy and how that energy is spent. An extrovert is energized in groups, engaging with others. An introvert, as you might imagine, is going to spend energy in group while engaged with other and replenish that energy alone. So there are a lot of folks who engage with others and work in groups or find themselves out in front of the group. You won't necessarily know they're an introvert or an extrovert unless you know what they do in their downtime.

It would be really nice to take back the day that someone first suggested a nice clinical-sounding word for "shy" was "introverted."

The functional definition for many people, often reinforced by the church:

Introvert = withdrawn, lacking people skills, a personality disorder

Extrovert = outgoing, great with people, normal

[Billy Cox]

Katelynn, as you well know, my kids have an introvert father and an extrovert mother. They are both introverts.

Their response, from childhood on, is to roll their eyes at their mother's extroverted ways.

Be prepared.

You have trained them well.

I married an introvert. While it means that we don't entertain much, it also means that we are never in danger of suffocating each other.

[Gina Stevenson]

This is all that is visible at the link that is supposed to be a quiz:
=========================================

Quiz: Are You an Introvert or an Extrovert?
January 27, 2012 | By Susan Cain | 9

Getty Images (picture of a little boy)

[polldaddy_quiz name="introvert-extrovert-test" height="300"]
See our cover story, “The Upside of Being an Introvert.”
=========================================
we clicked on this "Upside ..." link when seeing no quiz to see if it was there.
a link there mentioning a quiz just bro't us back to here where we see no quiz. Probably some format error since we should not be seeing "height," etc such as is seen here.

How did u folks take a quiz ... do things look all that different to different browsers that most can see it/the quiz but this tablet is seeing the behind-the-scenes formatting instead??? hmmmm .......
=================================

See our gallery of the great introverts and extroverts in history.

[Ryan Scott]

The functional definition for many people, often reinforced by the church:

Introvert = withdrawn, lacking people skills, a personality disorder

Extrovert = outgoing, great with people, normal

That was basically the general tone of the article - that society has missed out on a great asset by marginalizing introverts and their various positive traits.

[Marsha Lynn]

The functional definition for many people, often reinforced by the church:

Introvert = withdrawn, lacking people skills, a personality disorder

Extrovert = outgoing, great with people, normal

Might depend on predominant personality of the congregation. An alternative perception is:

Introvert = sensible, quiet, trustworthy, normal

Extravert = flighty, unpredictable, showy, shallow

[Katelynn Scott]

For those who scored high on the introvert side, I have a question. Did it strike anyone else as odd that one of the questions was about multi-tasking? I never really saw that as a hallmark of extroversion...

From what I understood, I think it was saying that introverted people tend to have an easier time focusing on a single task and really thinking it through to completion, while extroverts tend to get distracted by people/activities and not always finish a project all the way before trying to move on to something else. Without looking at the actual wording of the question, I couldn't say. I have to say that I think some of my introverted students are much better at finishing a single task at a time and my extroverted students only THINK they are multi-tasking when in reality, they're trying to do three things at a time poorly.

[Mike Schutz]

This seems to be a good place for blatant self-advertisement.

Here is a blog I wrote about this subject, back in September.

http://mikeschutz.blogspot.com/2011/...t-week-of.html

[Steven Burton]

Introverts are people who would rather post on message boards than talk face to face. They say only about 30% of the population is introvert, but I bet the percentage here is higher.

Actually introverts enjoy the company of a few close friends more than behind the computer.

[Susan Unger]

Actually introverts enjoy the company of a few close friends more than behind the computer.

Especially depending on how introverted the person is and if the person is task oriented or people oriented or not. I am people oriented so need a few close friends locally to be with. One that is task oriented wouldn't as much.

[Todd Erickson]

Actually introverts enjoy the company of a few close friends more than behind the computer.

Unfortunately, they may have difficulty finding close friends who they can associate with outside of a computer.

[Susan Unger]

Unfortunately, they may have difficulty finding close friends who they can associate with outside of a computer.

That's the boat I'm in now but I think that's finally starting to change for me. Finally...

[Shea Zellweger]

Actually introverts enjoy the company of a few close friends more than behind the computer.

Guess that depends on the introvert. I would rather not have "a few close friends" more often than not. One close friend is nice, but even then there are times when I much prefer the safety of the interwebz.

[David Lyons]

The functional definition for many people, often reinforced by the church:

Introvert = withdrawn, lacking people skills, a personality disorder

Extrovert = outgoing, great with people, normal

Sorry to disagree, but I hope that is not the way people really apply these terms. As I see it, a complete introvert is on one extreme and a complete extrovert is on the other extreme. The vast majority will find themselves somewhere towards the middle of that line. The vast majority would then be considered 'normal'. The closer one gets to either extreme, that becomes a disorder. I really do not know of very many who lean way too far to either extreme, though I would guess that there would be more extreme introverts than extreme extroverts.

[Susan Unger]

Sorry to disagree, but I hope that is not the way people really apply these terms. As I see it, a complete introvert is on one extreme and a complete extrovert is on the other extreme. The vast majority will find themselves somewhere towards the middle of that line. The vast majority would then be considered 'normal'. The closer one gets to either extreme, that becomes a disorder. I really do not know of very many who lean way too far to either extreme, though I would guess that there would be more extreme introverts than extreme extroverts.

I know of one person, who on a scale of 0 - 30 rated a 1. She considered me a good friend yet by the time she was done with work, she had no words left for me. So I never viewed it as a close friendship until I announced that I was moving out of the area. That was when she told me that she was 'devastated' over losing a 'close' friend.

[Billy Cox]

Sorry to disagree, but I hope that is not the way people really apply these terms. As I see it, a complete introvert is on one extreme and a complete extrovert is on the other extreme. The vast majority will find themselves somewhere towards the middle of that line. The vast majority would then be considered 'normal'. The closer one gets to either extreme, that becomes a disorder. I really do not know of very many who lean way too far to either extreme, though I would guess that there would be more extreme introverts than extreme extroverts.

While many issues can be understood as points on a spectrum with extremes at each end, I don't think this one fits that model. I think that extroversion/introversion is more comparable to gender. You are one or the other, with no in-between.

BUT...and this is a big BUT... A well-adapted introvert will be able to function outside of their innate social orientation - to do things that come easily for an extrovert when the situation demands it. Vice versa for a well-adapted extrovert. For the not-so-well-adapted introvert or extrovert, their social orientation can become like a phobia, a prison from which they are afraid to venture outside.

[Steven Burton]

They don't even have disorders associated with this. There would not really be any way of truly doing that even on a spectrum. Since it seems that more or less it is more about where your energy comes from than whether or not you are seclusive or out going.

[Steven Burton]

Guess that depends on the introvert. I would rather not have "a few close friends" more often than not. One close friend is nice, but even then there are times when I much prefer the safety of the interwebz.

See I hate the interwebz for any kind of human inter action. I find that having one or a couple of friends around nice at times. I read more body language than anything else. And I can not for the life me get that from the internet unless they have a web cam.

[Gary Condon]

Working with performers all of my life, I have discovered that performers who are introverts are much easier to work with. Early in my career, I was extravertish. Gradually, through the years, I have become more withdrawn and enjoy the solitude. That may be a natural progression.

[Todd Erickson]

This is neat:

http://blog.ted.com/2012/02/28/an-in...in-at-ted2012/