How many introverts here?

[The Thin White Duke]

Hi all

I've been reading a book called 'The Introvert Advantage'. I was amused to see a perfect description of myself under the introvert heading:

'don't enjoy idle chitchat'
'get agitated without enough time alone'
'reflect and act in a careful way'
'require time to articulate opinions'
'enjoy social situations - as long as we know we can leave soon'
etc etc

Obviously some of these things are not conducive to being a 'natural' at pickup.

Introversion is different from shyness - the shy extrovert wants more social contact but is nervous to seek it out. The introvert does not generally want more social contact. Shyness is therefore more upsetting for an extrovert than an introvert.

So I want to know: how many of you consider yourselves natural introverts? Has it been difficult to force yourself to behave in the extroverted manner which pickup requires? And do we introverts have any advantages in the game?
(I think that we do but I will share that later)

Duke

[Big_L]

Its not that black and white in the real world though. Everybody will have introvert behaviours and extrovert behaviours.

For me personally it depends on whos company I'm in. If I'm with my good friends I could be happy around them forever - so I'm extrovert. However some of my old flat mates used to really piss me off after a while - so I was introvert.

One thing I don't like though is idle chit chat. Its like watching day time TV.

Why do you think introverts have an advantage in 'game' then?

[The Thin White Duke]

@BigL

Agreed that it's not clearcut. But I find it an interesting way to look at people. I'm quite heavily introverted in most situations so I probably am quite an extreme example.

Gross Generalisation and possible BS Warning:
As to introvert advantage, I think that introverts tend to have more persistence at learning and practising. Because we are rarely novelty-seekers, we don't tend to get distracted onto a new project, tending instead to be diligent and committed at whatever our current project is. Such as game.

However even I don't claim that that outweighs the advantages that extroverts have. I'm just saying that it provides some compensation.

Duke

[The Thin White Duke]

Originally Posted by kowalski

Everyone has all sorts of feelings all the time. It only depends how much import you put on each and how much you identify with each. Realise this and whether you are intro. or extro. can be something temporally and contextually chosen as a response rather than something you are.

Interesting and probably right.

I identify strongly as an introvert, and always have since before I was a teenager (I don't remember if I knew the word then but I was very aware that I sought out time alone much more than other people seemed to, sometimes to the disappointment of friends and family).

I obviously need to think long and hard about whether this view of myself is helpful or unhelpful.

[maestro]

Originally Posted by kowalski

Everyone has all sorts of feelings all the time. It only depends how much import you put on each and how much you identify with each. Realise this and whether you are intro. or extro. can be something temporally and contextually chosen as a response rather than something you are.

I like this. But I think it can often be very difficult to control how much importance you place on a certain perspective/emotion, and what emotions circumstances naturally encourage you to feel. All this varies from person to person.

[legend]

This thread makes me wonder:

We always talk about getting into a state before opening sets - is this really to help us overcome our own introversion and become an extrovert? Can we really flip it like flicking a switch e.g. the more we drink, the more extrovert we become?

[Summer Junky]

Originally Posted by The Thin White Duke

I obviously need to think long and hard about whether this view of myself is helpful or unhelpful.

It is unhelpful, because you are making an identity for yourself set in stone, when you should be looking for constant growth which requires your views (of yourself and evrything else) and beliefs to be flexible, so you can adjust yourself in order to do so.

[Phil]

That is the total opposite of me

[maestro]

It sounds great in theory........ but yes, I suppose I agree with you. If people could fully realise it and practice the attitude, then they would have little worries and their lives would be great.......in theory.

I wonder how many people out there are interested in this concept? Not many I don't think - too busy talking about the Big Brother champions league or whatever it is.

(sorry, bit off topic all this).

[maestro]

.....we have more power than what we think.