>On Fri, Feb 04, 2005 at 06:13:43PM -0500, Casey Rousseau wrote: >> >> Whoa. A) Not all introverts are created alike. B) There is no reason that >> any two people, whatever their personality makeup, have to enjoy the same >> social situation. These are things where personal experience matters. > >I know both these things. It's getting my husband to recognize A) (I think >he's mostly got a grasp on B) ) that's the problem. But it is still good to >hear you say that.. I caught a lot of flak recently from some now-ex-friends >because they thought I was being rabidly antisocial. > > >> > So, a few questions for ya'll and everyone else on the list: >> >> There are some good personality 'tests' out there. Most of them don't call >> themselves tests because they want to make sure that the subject doesn't >> feel obligated to give the 'right' answers. There aren't universal right or >> wrong answers to these questions. Rather, there are answers that are more >> right for you. > >> > but there seems to be a lack of pertinent information online. >> >> Try looking for Myers-Briggs. > > >I've done Meyers-Briggs and/or Keirsey (it was several years ago and the >results seem to be in the same format); they are the only personality tests >I've ever found of any worth - because they told me something about myself >and human nature that I didn't already know. The J/P distinction - I am >very heavily Perception, which means I don't schedule stuff or operate on a >schedule unless absolutely necessary, and when I read I was at the far end >of the spectrum, it was an epiphany. > >However, in the realm of introversion, M-B / K doesn't tell me anything I >don't already know, and doesn't help convince my husband that all introverts >are not alike in scope and intensity. All the discussions regarding E/I I >can find just use black-and-white phrasing.. they don't discuss the >differing degrees of each. An actual article by some sort of scientific >entity on the latter is what I seek. > delurking a moment (i believe that's the correct term) to add my two cents. i spent a significant amount of time studying general, developmental and abnormal psych in my undergrad years. the way most people use the terms introvert and extrovert isn't really accurate. it doesn't have anything to do with the way you interact with people, it has to do with how you recharge. at the end of a long day an introvert needs to get away from people to recharge, to de-stress, etc. for them being alone is not only NOT a problem, but is rather relaxing. they need quiet time away from most people to center themselves and calm down and get ready to face the world again. an extrovert is the exact opposite - being with people is how they recharge, de-stress, whatever. there is definitely a spectrum when dealing with introversion. at one end are the extreme introverts - most commonly referred to as hermits. =) at the other end there are introverts who love people and even spend time working with the public. i'm an introvert and i used to spend my summers at camp teaching little kids and teenagers how to ride horses. i dealt with staff, kids and parents all the time and i loved it. i just needed time to myself at some point during the day to relax my brain, spirit, emotions, how ever you want to say it, to keep myself from going crazy. i do this to this day - i always leave a day during the weekend to myself. if i don't get it i am much less likely to be able to handle stress during the following week (read: i become a raving lunatic at the drop of a hat). this often irritates my friends (and to be honest me too) but i know what i need in order to keep it together and that's a big part of it. example of an extrovert - my sister. she doesn't know what to do with herself without other people around - it stresses her out to spend too much time alone. she hits wit's end after a couple of hours.