How do you define introvert
NatureloverChris
very close to telling her about myself and autism but didn't (chicken!). Still
we talked about a lot of the issues. She says she is mildly OCD (I had already
noticed this) so we had some common ground. Anyway, she called me introverted.
I disagreed. Basically it comes down to how we defined it. To her, being an
introvert only relates to how social you are, therefor I am an introvert
because I don't like crowds/parties/groups. I don't think so. To me introvert
implies not just social function but being withdrawn (not sure that is the best
word).
Today we had an all day section meeting at work. It was nice because we were
out in the field, but it was all day with 5 other people. Today, I probably was
a bit introverted. Just wasn't feeling talkative. When we were about to load up
to go back to the office, we took a potty/organization break. I went off away
from the group and sat on a rock. She once again said I was an introvert.
Today, I was fairly quiet, but typically I am one of the loudest of the group,
which is why I don't think I'm an introvert.
So, how do you define introvert?
Chris
Terry Jones
>I disagreed. Basically it comes down to how we defined it. To her, being an
>introvert only relates to how social you are, therefor I am an introvert
>because I don't like crowds/parties/groups. I don't think so. To me introvert
>implies not just social function but being withdrawn (not sure that is the best
>word).
And you *are* interacting with your animals and the *real* world a lot
- just not so much with the *social* world.
Trouble is, "introvert" has come to be the more pejorative of the two
terms - perhaps we need to re-describe "extroverts": brash, loud,
intrusive, aggressive, "in your face", "pushy", lacking in real
empathy - Often expecting everybody else to go along with their way of
doing things / to do what they want to do, because they are too
insensitive to understand how anyone else could *possibly* wan't /
value anything different.
Not sure how you explain this to your coworker without offending her
though. - Show her this post then you can blame me?
:) Terry
Kalen
>
> Today, I was fairly quiet, but typically I am one of the loudest of the group,
> which is why I don't think I'm an introvert.
I don't think loudness is what defines it. Many aspies are loud just
because they can't modulate their voice volume and don't know when
others should be given a chance to speak.
> So, how do you define introvert?
For me it comes down to whether you gain energy more from being with
other people or from being alone. I think on NT-based scales, autism
pushes us towards the introvert end because socialising can be difficult
and draining regardless of desire. Pretty much everyone has traits of
both but will tend towards one preference or the other. I am extremely
introverted, myself, but I still like to have interaction with other
people sometimes. And when I am with others I'm sometimes too loud and
often talk too much.
I don't understand why someone would insist that you are one way or the
other.
--
Kalen
Personal Website (updated Aug. 17):
http://www.worldapart.org/
James Medhurst
> So, how do you define introvert?
I know plenty of autistic people who are quite extroverted. Their
autism is sometimes less obvious because they do not avoid social
situations so much but it is clearly noticeable to someone who is in
the know. The main difference is that an introvert prefers to be alone
but is not actually uncomfortable in the presence of other people and
does not have any difficulties interacting with them. Also, autistic
people often do not fit onto the normal introvert/extrovert spectrum.
For instance, I lack confidence in smalltalk and gossipy interactions
but I am very confident and outspoken in academic contexts, such as at
college. I think that many people who are described as "highly
introverted" may in fact be autistic but it does not follow that all
autistic people are introverted.
Sue Sorensen
> For me it comes down to whether you gain energy more from being with
> other people or from being alone.
This is the way it was explained to me, too, by a psychiatrist. I am a very
sociable person when I am with other people--I crack jokes, tell stories,
and I've even done a little stand-up comedy. But it exhausts me to spend a
lot of time with other people, and I need to spend significant amounts of
time alone, recuperating and re-energizing. Typically I feel much more
rejuvenated from doing artwork or writing alone than anything else.
Sue
Dolphinius
It may not be the correct (dictionary) definition, but I think of
'introverted' as "inward looking" (someone who thinks about themselves
a lot), and 'extroverted' as someone who enjoys interacting with other
people. This is probably not a good definition because they are not
opposites and someone could be both introverted and extroverted by
these rules :-)
I think you can be extroverted and want to take a quiet break and sit
on a rock. In fact, I am very introverted and would usually not walk
away from a group to sit on a rock because I would desperately not
want attention drawn to myself. (It would depend a bit on how well I
knew the people in the group and things like how interesting the rock
looked.)
Dolphinius
(Male, early thirties, UK, self-diagnosed AS)
Sojourner
"NatureloverChris" <naturelo...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20030829015903...@mb-m01.aol.com...
> So, how do you define introvert?
One who thinks inwardly and focuses more on the mental plane with events,
possibilities, concepts, reflections and ideas, and not outwardly expressive
of this in the "present" and also not being interested in soaking up the
atmosphere of a given social event with total focus, but reverting back to
the mental plane and its world.
Sojo the Complicator
NatureloverChris
>
>For me it comes down to whether you gain energy more from being with
>other people or from being alone. I think on NT-based scales, autism
>pushes us towards the introvert end because socialising can be difficult
>and draining regardless of desire. Pretty much everyone has traits of
>both but will tend towards one preference or the other. I am extremely
>introverted, myself, but I still like to have interaction with other
>people sometimes. And when I am with others I'm sometimes too loud and
>often talk too much.
Hmm.. I am more confused, not less
>I don't understand why someone would insist that you are one way or the other.
Me either
Chris
NatureloverChris
> Also, autistic
>people often do not fit onto the normal introvert/extrovert spectrum.
>For instance, I lack confidence in smalltalk and gossipy interactions
>but I am very confident and outspoken in academic contexts, such as at
>college. I think that many people who are described as "highly
>introverted" may in fact be autistic but it does not follow that all
>autistic people are introverted.
>
From what people are saying here, perhaps I am one who does not fit the normal
introvert/extrovert spectrum
Chris
NatureloverChris
>
>It may not be the correct (dictionary) definition, but I think of
>'introverted' as "inward looking" (someone who thinks about themselves
>a lot), and 'extroverted' as someone who enjoys interacting with other
>people. This is probably not a good definition because they are not
>opposites and someone could be both introverted and extroverted by
>these rules :-)
I think this is why I am so confused
Chris
Bubbleghost
<dolph...@fsmail.net> writes
>
>I think you can be extroverted and want to take a quiet break and sit
>on a rock. In fact, I am very introverted and would usually not walk
>away from a group to sit on a rock because I would desperately not
>want attention drawn to myself. (It would depend a bit on how well I
>knew the people in the group and things like how interesting the rock
>looked.)
>
>Dolphinius
>(Male, early thirties, UK, self-diagnosed AS)
Agreed - I don't think the word introverted thinking about yourself I
think it's thinking *by* yourself. Being introverted is wanting to take
a break from other people, but not necessarily physically. I can sit in
a room full of others and yet be on my own.
--
Bubbleghost
SCR
(based on the Meyers-Briggs Personality Sorter), a psychological testing
tool, they define an Extrovert as one who derives their energy from outside
sources. That is, they need to be with people in order to function.
However, even though they need to be around people, they could still be very
shy and quiet (perhaps another reason why they crave people). Think of
comedians, stage actors, teachers--they function in their work by getting
direct feedback from others.
An introvert is "focused inwardly" because they are self-motivating and find
their energy from internal sources rather than from external. So, you could
be an introvert by these terms and still be outgoing. Engineers, computer
programmers, lab technicians, people who do very focused work tend to be
introverts. It is the connotation of introvert and extrovert that we have
become accustomed to. I = shy, E = outgoing.
To see more about this,
http://www.advisorteam.com/temperament_sorter/register.asp?partid=1
SCR
"NatureloverChris" <naturelo...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20030831220025...@mb-m14.aol.com...