Introverts/Extroverts - wrong way round?

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DeepBlueLake
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05 Apr 2009, 9:58 am

Just a thought that occurred to me today. We normally think of extroverts as people-persons, and by definition, "outgoing".

Introverts, meanwhile, are considered "withdrawn" and inward-looking.

That's SUCH an extrovert thing to say!

Extroverts are actually inward-looking! They look only at each other, at the human face. They look inward, at the tribe.

Introverts look outwards into the far vaster non-human world. The world of matter and energy, physics, chemistry and nature. They turn their back on the tribe and face the stars, zillions of them, across zillions of lightyears of space.



Last edited by DeepBlueLake on 05 Apr 2009, 12:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.

LostAlien
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05 Apr 2009, 12:52 pm

Interesting, though I would consider myself extroverted because I'm not scared to speak up in classes or other groups. I don't think of the group, I used to be called introverted when I was afraid of people though. I know that I may not be typical though. Though I'm not NT at all so not typical I think?



DeepBlueLake
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05 Apr 2009, 12:56 pm

Yup - both terms can be rather misleading.

If you're an extrovert, it means your mind instinctively focuses on people.

If you're an introvert, it means your mind instinctively focuses on the world that surrounds people.

Neither has to do with how social you're prepared to be.

You can be a very outgoing introvert. I know a guy who just loves to hold court and talk the hind leg off a donkey, as long as he gets plenty of time alone - which he prefers - to think and meditate. Likewise, there are plenty of shy extroverts, who hold their tongues thinking, "Oh God, what's everybody going to think of me?"



mirna
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05 Apr 2009, 1:26 pm

Well, aspergers can be extroverted, they just won't want to be your friend. Does it make sense? Can someone be talkative and introverted at the same time? According to autism, yes.

I just did not understand your full phillosophy. I think it was too abstract for me. :roll: :roll:



Sora
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05 Apr 2009, 2:45 pm

I stick to the other meaning of both words. That extroverts are energised by being with people, whereas introverts are energised by spending time by themselves.


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millie
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05 Apr 2009, 3:01 pm

[quote="DeepBlueLake"]Yup - both terms can be rather misleading.

If you're an extrovert, it means your mind instinctively focuses on people.
quote]

Hi. I am formally dx'ed and i am also present as an extrovert. I do not insitincitively focus on people.
I see what youare trying to say, but maybe it needs a bit of tweaking here and there. :wink: