A very good presention. The "hamster ball" is actually quite brilliant description of the whole "issue" (have you hugged your introvert today?), though of course, it's still pretty simplified. Even Myers-Briggs test, with its 16 separate categories doesn't really cover everything. In my own case, I can't really decide where I fit on the fourth question, which should show that divide can - and does - go further than just this. It does seem fairly accurate with the option it gives me with other three questions, but still not entirely correct.
As for the other question - there are certainly more extroverts around me, rather than introverts. It seems quite natural, seeing how the latter aren't that active in seeking out new friends, letting the former take the initiative.
When speaking about the topic itself, there is a different issue here - does being an introvert excuse some of our behaviour? Hiding in our little "hamster ball" and excusing it as "that's what I am and it's all good", with evil extroverts out to get us? At what point does it stop being just a personal trait and becomes a sign of being anti-social and plainly unpleasant to be around? There's a thin line here and both personality types can cross it without realizing. Introverts can consider themselves to be victims, while at the same time being hostile and off-putting.
It's difficult to think about it. As an introvert myself, I do sometimes wonder how does it look on the outside. It's easy to excuse it all as "you are smarter than them, don't let it bother you, they just don't understand". The question is - do you? Or is it just a convenient answer to give, because the truth would be far harsher.
However, including the internet in the topic - I'm not so sure about it. The medium itself offers "perfect" anonymity - at least as far as average user is concerned. Thus it's hard to say if the person on the other side is really party crazy extrovert or brooding introvert who dislikes human contact. GIFT theory can be a rather nasty fact that makes it an entirely different topic.
When I was searching in the Internet for information about MBTI test I found that it is a test based on Carl Jung's one which described 8 types personalities. Maybe the next version will differentiate 32 personalities and will be better suit to you :-).
But seriously. During last summer classes with Dr Woloszyn I had similar problem with determining whether J or P better describes me. After additional description given by the teacher I haven't had any doubts that I'm J.
I think that we always may have a similar problem for 0-1 classification because half of factors may indicates for 0 and half for 1.
“It's easy to excuse it all as "you are smarter than them, don't let it bother you, they just don't understand". The question is - do you? Or is it just a convenient answer to give, because the truth would be far harsher.” I fully agree. There is no point in assuming that because one might perceive itself as an introvert would allow one to think of being smarter. I think that the whole issue with intro/extra vs smarter/less smart comes not to the quantity of outside world communication but to the quality. It’s that extraverts spreading their shallow judgements everywhere possible are so easier to find. But that NEVER should allow you to assume that they lack of profound knowledge or reflections. They current behaviour can be driven by something unknown to you that could be absolutely surprising.
I think that all attempts which try to classified people in the way 0-1 are ridicule because we are to complicated for that classification.For example I have features that should classified me to introverts I like read books I have few close friend I have days when I don't like to talk with anyone but also sometimes I behave like extroverts I go with my friends on wild parties I meet new people :) So that classification isn't so easy.
I'm an ISTJ. Similarly to other bloggers I think that the hamster ball is a good comparison, but more impressive for me is the forth picture "What I think, what I say". So I would like to apologise you for not writing too much :-). But I will try to answer all detailed question directed to me. Another fact from my worklife: Some time ago I replaced a crowdy room on a room with one person (who often leaves it and visits some clients). So I probably made my hamster ball as big as it was then possible.
I feel that most people around me are extroverts nut bot in my workplace. I see plenty colleagues sitting in front of computer display with headphones and not talking too much. I also agree with a presented by Susan Cain thesis that some modern challenges require working together in teams so they better suit to extroverts. Some time ago I've started talking more - I'm hope that I'm on a good way for developing my career.
I think that (nowadays) peoples' behavior depends on the situation in which they find themselves. For example, I consider myself an introvert - I don't have many friends (relatively) but we are very close to each other, I like to spend time alone reading books, I'm not fond of parties or meeting new people and I'm literally allergic to Facebook and other social sites... But at the same time if I were to state the same in my workplace, my colleagues would laugh. So I believe that we cannot downright classify a person in a personality type drawer without looking at the wider context.
I do agree with the statement from the video that introversion became extremely popular, and that it usually relates directly to one being a nerd (probably this results from a few successful TV series that reinforce this image, including my favorite "The Big Bang Theory"). I also find doing such tests very useful if a person wants to gain some insight on the natural predispositions that he probably has. My only comment on this is that we should not take the results of such test as an axiom and believe that they are 100% accurate on describing us.
"... I'm literally allergic to Facebook and other social sites ..."
Please do not break down. THEY are surly working hard searching for some genuine cure/therapy/drug for your allergic disease ... You'll join us sooner or later ...
We had a whole workshop devoted to this topic. The takeaway message, which was emphasized by the lecturer, was to try to understand the other point of view and to learn from it. It's important not to dig yourself deeper into any of the extremes for each of the character types.
I like the content of the second video (the one about introvert craze). I guess it's true that it has become kind of trendy to be an introvert on the internet. The connection with technology and being independent mined puts introverts in the spotlight. The modes of communication and anonymity on the internet definitely suit introverts quite well.
The TED video was also interesting, but maybe a little US-centric and less relevant for us? The school system and workplace environment is different in our country and it doesn't favor extroverts that much.
"The TED video was also interesting, but maybe a little US-centric and less relevant for us? The school system and workplace environment is different in our country and it doesn't favor extroverts that much."
Agree, it was US-specific but what I am afraid of is that those patterns are sometimes blindly applied elsewhere (eg: in our country) just because they originated from the western world.
Personally I think that extraversion–introversion are not permanent (assigned to genes) so i don't want discuss about this, I'll leave it to psychologists. We can read that "Extraversion tends to be manifested in outgoing, talkative, energetic behavior, whereas introversion is manifested in more reserved and solitary behavior" but I saw from my own observation that behavior depends from our environment and depends from our mood (have you ever seen a drunk introvert?). I visited almost all continents (without Antarctica) and i lived long time in Africa, Asia where i noticed how people change. I lived almost 5 years in Thailand, Phillipines and Malesia where people live from day to day, they enjoy from their life. I saw there how many introversion become extraversion. Personally i think that everyone has both an extroverted side and an introverted side. Ok, sometimes one being more dominant than the other but this change with environment. Maybe It can also affected from civilization? Like i said, I'll leave this;)
That's interesting I always suspected introverted people would have a hard time living in a developing country and that it's the main reason why 75% of the population world-wide can be classified as extroverts (according to researchers).
I usually get a little bit angry when someone tries to divide people into separated groups of intro/extra-verts. The problem is that those voices usually bring very shallow issues. I agree that trying to gain the knowledge of us being different is the first obvious step but this is also something that the majority seems to be finishing at. Afterwards the same people get back to their usual social communication patterns as if they forgot what they just discovered or have been communicated with. People need to spend some time thinking alone. Regarding the TED presentation, one of the three final points are truly valuable: “Let’s stop the madness of constant group work”. It’s deadly true in our working environments where open spaces are reigning. That is sad, tiring and counter-productive.
Like I wrote before I think that all attempts which try to classified people or close them in box are ridiculous because our behavior are to complicated. And in many cases our behavior will be suitable for many types for example someone will have features which will be match for introvert but at the same time he/she will also has features which will be match for extroverts. I think nowadays it is very fashion to classified people thats why every one try to do that and they show all the time new method for that classification.
Very interesting post, it contains a lot of information. Word of introvert and extrovert are not new to me. I already know the importance of a long time. Very good explanations are given in figure number 1. I think it all depends on the situation. It sometimes is an introvert and in some cases extrovert. Man is an individual can not be classified in this way. We can not unequivocally classifying determine whether it is an introvert or an extrovert. Maybe it depends on the day. One day introvert do not hear the and the next will be talking normally. I think that the classification is needed. It is known that there is a lot of types of people but how to divide them? I can not include in any groups all depends on the day.
I try not to classify people and put them to one box or to another. I think human behaviors and feelings are really complicated issues and similarly to the posts above I believe that it depends on many factors and it's not permanent.
(I just got info that we acctually should do week three now - and I have few minutes to write it. So please be forgiving.)
My result showed me that I'm on introvertic side, but I'm assuming it changing now so I believe I'm going to extravertic side. What is quite supprising is that since I was a small child I would talk all the time but I was a strong introvert. It sounds like a contradiction, but somehow it worked with me. I was afraid of new people, but after I got to know them I would be very social.
I don't have any data to have the knowledge if more of my friends are introverts or extraverts, but I get along ok with all of them. Other people are good company on different times and its good to change envrioment from time to time.
I would definitely call myself an extrovert. I gain energy from my surrounding and charge my batteries when I am amongst people. I love crowded, noisy places and big, flashy cities. But still form time to time I like to spent some time just with myself reading a book or going for a walk to the forest. As such there is of course more extroverts than introverts around me because it makes me feel better to be surrounded by many friendly people. It is hard for me to communicate with introverts because I’m not really able to put myself in their skin so I usually don’t know how to get to them.
A very good presention. The "hamster ball" is actually quite brilliant description of the whole "issue" (have you hugged your introvert today?), though of course, it's still pretty simplified. Even Myers-Briggs test, with its 16 separate categories doesn't really cover everything. In my own case, I can't really decide where I fit on the fourth question, which should show that divide can - and does - go further than just this. It does seem fairly accurate with the option it gives me with other three questions, but still not entirely correct.
ReplyDeleteAs for the other question - there are certainly more extroverts around me, rather than introverts. It seems quite natural, seeing how the latter aren't that active in seeking out new friends, letting the former take the initiative.
When speaking about the topic itself, there is a different issue here - does being an introvert excuse some of our behaviour? Hiding in our little "hamster ball" and excusing it as "that's what I am and it's all good", with evil extroverts out to get us? At what point does it stop being just a personal trait and becomes a sign of being anti-social and plainly unpleasant to be around? There's a thin line here and both personality types can cross it without realizing. Introverts can consider themselves to be victims, while at the same time being hostile and off-putting.
It's difficult to think about it. As an introvert myself, I do sometimes wonder how does it look on the outside. It's easy to excuse it all as "you are smarter than them, don't let it bother you, they just don't understand". The question is - do you? Or is it just a convenient answer to give, because the truth would be far harsher.
However, including the internet in the topic - I'm not so sure about it. The medium itself offers "perfect" anonymity - at least as far as average user is concerned. Thus it's hard to say if the person on the other side is really party crazy extrovert or brooding introvert who dislikes human contact. GIFT theory can be a rather nasty fact that makes it an entirely different topic.
When I was searching in the Internet for information about MBTI test I found that it is a test based on Carl Jung's one which described 8 types personalities. Maybe the next version will differentiate 32 personalities and will be better suit to you :-).
DeleteBut seriously. During last summer classes with Dr Woloszyn I had similar problem with determining whether J or P better describes me. After additional description given by the teacher I haven't had any doubts that I'm J.
I think that we always may have a similar problem for 0-1 classification because half of factors may indicates for 0 and half for 1.
“It's easy to excuse it all as "you are smarter than them, don't let it bother you, they just don't understand". The question is - do you? Or is it just a convenient answer to give, because the truth would be far harsher.”
DeleteI fully agree. There is no point in assuming that because one might perceive itself as an introvert would allow one to think of being smarter.
I think that the whole issue with intro/extra vs smarter/less smart comes not to the quantity of outside world communication but to the quality.
It’s that extraverts spreading their shallow judgements everywhere possible are so easier to find.
But that NEVER should allow you to assume that they lack of profound knowledge or reflections. They current behaviour can be driven by something unknown to you that could be absolutely surprising.
I think that all attempts which try to classified people in the way 0-1 are ridicule because we are to complicated for that classification.For example I have features that should classified me to introverts I like read books I have few close friend I have days when I don't like to talk with anyone but also sometimes I behave like extroverts I go with my friends on wild parties I meet new people :) So that classification isn't so easy.
DeleteI'm an ISTJ.
ReplyDeleteSimilarly to other bloggers I think that the hamster ball is a good comparison, but more impressive for me is the forth picture "What I think, what I say". So I would like to apologise you for not writing too much :-). But I will try to answer all detailed question directed to me.
Another fact from my worklife: Some time ago I replaced a crowdy room on a room with one person (who often leaves it and visits some clients). So I probably made my hamster ball as big as it was then possible.
I feel that most people around me are extroverts nut bot in my workplace. I see plenty colleagues sitting in front of computer display with headphones and not talking too much. I also agree with a presented by Susan Cain thesis that some modern challenges require working together in teams so they better suit to extroverts.
Some time ago I've started talking more - I'm hope that I'm on a good way for developing my career.
"I'm an ISTJ."
DeleteAnd I've decided not to do any of that tests to myself :)
I think that (nowadays) peoples' behavior depends on the situation in which they find themselves. For example, I consider myself an introvert - I don't have many friends (relatively) but we are very close to each other, I like to spend time alone reading books, I'm not fond of parties or meeting new people and I'm literally allergic to Facebook and other social sites... But at the same time if I were to state the same in my workplace, my colleagues would laugh. So I believe that we cannot downright classify a person in a personality type drawer without looking at the wider context.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with the statement from the video that introversion became extremely popular, and that it usually relates directly to one being a nerd (probably this results from a few successful TV series that reinforce this image, including my favorite "The Big Bang Theory"). I also find doing such tests very useful if a person wants to gain some insight on the natural predispositions that he probably has. My only comment on this is that we should not take the results of such test as an axiom and believe that they are 100% accurate on describing us.
"... I'm literally allergic to Facebook and other social sites ..."
DeletePlease do not break down. THEY are surly working hard searching for some genuine cure/therapy/drug for your allergic disease ...
You'll join us sooner or later ...
... :) just kidding.
I do not have FB either.
Waldek,Grzesiek don't cross to the dark side :)
DeleteWe had a whole workshop devoted to this topic. The takeaway message, which was emphasized by the lecturer, was to try to understand the other point of view and to learn from it. It's important not to dig yourself deeper into any of the extremes for each of the character types.
ReplyDeleteI like the content of the second video (the one about introvert craze). I guess it's true that it has become kind of trendy to be an introvert on the internet. The connection with technology and being independent mined puts introverts in the spotlight. The modes of communication and anonymity on the internet definitely suit introverts quite well.
The TED video was also interesting, but maybe a little US-centric and less relevant for us? The school system and workplace environment is different in our country and it doesn't favor extroverts that much.
"The TED video was also interesting, but maybe a little US-centric and less relevant for us? The school system and workplace environment is different in our country and it doesn't favor extroverts that much."
DeleteAgree, it was US-specific but what I am afraid of is that those patterns are sometimes blindly applied elsewhere (eg: in our country) just because they originated from the western world.
Personally I think that extraversion–introversion are not permanent (assigned to genes) so i don't want discuss about this, I'll leave it to psychologists. We can read that "Extraversion tends to be manifested in outgoing, talkative, energetic behavior, whereas introversion is manifested in more reserved and solitary behavior" but I saw from my own observation that behavior depends from our environment and depends from our mood (have you ever seen a drunk introvert?). I visited almost all continents (without Antarctica) and i lived long time in Africa, Asia where i noticed how people change. I lived almost 5 years in Thailand, Phillipines and Malesia where people live from day to day, they enjoy from their life. I saw there how many introversion become extraversion. Personally i think that everyone has both an extroverted side and an introverted side. Ok, sometimes one being more dominant than the other but this change with environment. Maybe It can also affected from civilization? Like i said, I'll leave this;)
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting I always suspected introverted people would have a hard time living in a developing country and that it's the main reason why 75% of the population world-wide can be classified as extroverts (according to researchers).
DeleteI usually get a little bit angry when someone tries to divide people into separated groups of intro/extra-verts. The problem is that those voices usually bring very shallow issues.
ReplyDeleteI agree that trying to gain the knowledge of us being different is the first obvious step but this is also something that the majority seems to be finishing at. Afterwards the same people get back to their usual social communication patterns as if they forgot what they just discovered or have been communicated with.
People need to spend some time thinking alone.
Regarding the TED presentation, one of the three final points are truly valuable: “Let’s stop the madness of constant group work”.
It’s deadly true in our working environments where open spaces are reigning. That is sad, tiring and counter-productive.
Like I wrote before I think that all attempts which try to classified people or close them in box are ridiculous because our behavior are to complicated. And in many cases our behavior will be suitable for many types for example someone will have features which will be match for introvert but at the same time he/she will also has features which will be match for extroverts. I think nowadays it is very fashion to classified people thats why every one try to do that and they show all the time new method for that classification.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting post, it contains a lot of information. Word of introvert and extrovert are not new to me. I already know the importance of a long time. Very good explanations are given in figure number 1. I think it all depends on the situation. It sometimes is an introvert and in some cases extrovert. Man is an individual can not be classified in this way. We can not unequivocally classifying determine whether it is an introvert or an extrovert. Maybe it depends on the day. One day introvert do not hear the and the next will be talking normally. I think that the classification is needed.
ReplyDeleteIt is known that there is a lot of types of people but how to divide them? I can not include in any groups all depends on the day.
I try not to classify people and put them to one box or to another. I think human behaviors and feelings are really complicated issues and similarly to the posts above I believe that it depends on many factors and it's not permanent.
ReplyDelete(I just got info that we acctually should do week three now - and I have few minutes to write it. So please be forgiving.)
ReplyDeleteMy result showed me that I'm on introvertic side, but I'm assuming it changing now so I believe I'm going to extravertic side. What is quite supprising is that since I was a small child I would talk all the time but I was a strong introvert. It sounds like a contradiction, but somehow it worked with me. I was afraid of new people, but after I got to know them I would be very social.
I don't have any data to have the knowledge if more of my friends are introverts or extraverts, but I get along ok with all of them. Other people are good company on different times and its good to change envrioment from time to time.
I would definitely call myself an extrovert. I gain energy from my surrounding and charge my batteries when I am amongst people. I love crowded, noisy places and big, flashy cities. But still form time to time I like to spent some time just with myself reading a book or going for a walk to the forest.
ReplyDeleteAs such there is of course more extroverts than introverts around me because it makes me feel better to be surrounded by many friendly people. It is hard for me to communicate with introverts because I’m not really able to put myself in their skin so I usually don’t know how to get to them.