Info Thursdays
Introverted, Extroverted, Inverted?!

Today I read an article in the current issue of Psychology Today magazine about introversion and extroversion. I was frustrated to find that I could not wholly identify with either group from the definitions given by the article. For instance, introverts feel drained after working with a lot of people but sitting on desk at the library and answering reference questions was always one of my favorite activities. From the article's definition, that indicates extroversion. On the other hand, I hate large parties where I don't know anyone. I can socialize in those situations but it's something that I have to force. No distinction was drawn between informal and professional interactions being different in the article. Introverts were described as disliking both equally--although, they were happy to spend roughly the same amount of time with family and close friends as extroverts. But how can I happily deal with 100 strangers on desk in a work environment but feel overwhelmed by the same number of strangers in an unstructured environment?

The best I could understand from the article is I'm a shy extrovert. It seems like a contradiction of terms. Their definition of shy was also not particularly flattering, amounting to social awkwardness. I certainly hope that is not the case. It is simply that I feel uncomfortable in certain social situations, and therefore, don't enjoy in engaging in them. Still, I've often been told after such events that no one realized just how uncomfortable I was, so I have to guess, at least on those occasions, that I don't give the outward appearance of awkwardness.

In any event, I tried to get to the bottom of things by taking a an online Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test. But I was warned by the site that the results are unscientific without professional evaluation. So perhaps I simply took it wrong because my supposed type of ENFJ didn't end up sounding much like me. But, if you're curious, feel free to click the link and try it yourself: http://www.personalitypathways.com/type_inventory.html