![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
the extrovert is not an introvert
because what better way to kick off this new journal with one of my secret biggest pet peeves of mbti?
i think a significant misconception of mbti is the E/I lettering. i have spoken to a number of people i would pin as extroverts who have told me that they think they are an introvert. and not to invalidate their perceptions of themselves, but i think that their understanding of introversion and extroversion (especially when it comes to mbti) are incorrect.
the thing about introverts - which i can say, i think, because i am an introvert - is that we are fascinated with the world around us. many of us do love going out and spending time with strangers or friends, depending on who we are. we can love partying or taking risks or doing things with people or with our bodies or taking command or discovering something new. my mother, an istj, loves walking around and hiking and getting out of the house. i love socializing and going to parties, if i have a few friends with me. my old infj roommate was always itching to spend time with more people and inviting people to our apartment (and yes, i know infjs are rare but they are very infj.)
see, this is the thing: Introverts love the world, or new experiences, or being with people, or doing things, just as much as Extroverts do. the thing is, it's not our natural state, so a lot of the times it just ends up pushing at us like a desire, and surprisingly frequently we act on it. well, i suppose it's not so surprising as we do have an Extroverted function working auxiliary already. we're constantly living in our internal comfort zone, so we do actually enjoy getting energy from other places, and doing things that we can have no control over. it's new and curious and fun for us.
Introversion is not about needing energy from the inside. listen, okay: everyone needs internal and external energy. just because one likes to withdraw frequently or needs alone time or, hell, spends a lot of time on the internet, doesn't make them an Introvert. Introverts constantly and naturally work inside themselves first - so most of the time, they're actually itching to interact with the world.
on the other hand, Extroverts already do this subconsciously. this is where the discrepancy lies: Extroverts are always working with the world first, so they know that the need time alone, and that is what, i think, makes many Extroverts think that they're Introverts. but it's really the complete opposite: that's their auxiliary Introverted Function at work (or sometimes their Inferior, if they're under critical stress.) where Introverts are much like resting energy ready to move around at any time, Extroverts are more like a constant ball of kinetic energy that they need time to stop and be alone and work internally - if, you know, physics worked that way.
i feel like many people who are pinned to be Extroverts by others actually tend to be. and, anyway, when it comes to determining your mbti type, it's really not reliable at all to determine your I/E at the very least with the definition of the letters themselves. as we've established: Functions! and especially Tertiary/Inferior functions, and which ones suit you best in the certain positions. in the end, I/E may be the thing that you figure out last, once you've figured out everything else that comes with mbti.
(and there's nothing wrong with being an Extrovert. i love Extroverts!)
i think a significant misconception of mbti is the E/I lettering. i have spoken to a number of people i would pin as extroverts who have told me that they think they are an introvert. and not to invalidate their perceptions of themselves, but i think that their understanding of introversion and extroversion (especially when it comes to mbti) are incorrect.
the thing about introverts - which i can say, i think, because i am an introvert - is that we are fascinated with the world around us. many of us do love going out and spending time with strangers or friends, depending on who we are. we can love partying or taking risks or doing things with people or with our bodies or taking command or discovering something new. my mother, an istj, loves walking around and hiking and getting out of the house. i love socializing and going to parties, if i have a few friends with me. my old infj roommate was always itching to spend time with more people and inviting people to our apartment (and yes, i know infjs are rare but they are very infj.)
see, this is the thing: Introverts love the world, or new experiences, or being with people, or doing things, just as much as Extroverts do. the thing is, it's not our natural state, so a lot of the times it just ends up pushing at us like a desire, and surprisingly frequently we act on it. well, i suppose it's not so surprising as we do have an Extroverted function working auxiliary already. we're constantly living in our internal comfort zone, so we do actually enjoy getting energy from other places, and doing things that we can have no control over. it's new and curious and fun for us.
Introversion is not about needing energy from the inside. listen, okay: everyone needs internal and external energy. just because one likes to withdraw frequently or needs alone time or, hell, spends a lot of time on the internet, doesn't make them an Introvert. Introverts constantly and naturally work inside themselves first - so most of the time, they're actually itching to interact with the world.
on the other hand, Extroverts already do this subconsciously. this is where the discrepancy lies: Extroverts are always working with the world first, so they know that the need time alone, and that is what, i think, makes many Extroverts think that they're Introverts. but it's really the complete opposite: that's their auxiliary Introverted Function at work (or sometimes their Inferior, if they're under critical stress.) where Introverts are much like resting energy ready to move around at any time, Extroverts are more like a constant ball of kinetic energy that they need time to stop and be alone and work internally - if, you know, physics worked that way.
i feel like many people who are pinned to be Extroverts by others actually tend to be. and, anyway, when it comes to determining your mbti type, it's really not reliable at all to determine your I/E at the very least with the definition of the letters themselves. as we've established: Functions! and especially Tertiary/Inferior functions, and which ones suit you best in the certain positions. in the end, I/E may be the thing that you figure out last, once you've figured out everything else that comes with mbti.
(and there's nothing wrong with being an Extrovert. i love Extroverts!)