What makes on a Socionics Introvert?

[Rocky]

OK, so what makes an introvert, and why do they act the way that they do? How is an introvert diffrent from and extravert?

...some thoughts...

Some introverts are stereotyped to be shy or even unsociable... even when they are around people and enjoy it. This seems to be because a lot of the time when an introvert is around people they are not the ones talking. If they are not shy, and do enjoy it, why are they not always the talkative ones in the group?

One thing about being an introvert is that before they can understand something they actually have to personalize it and see how it relates to them first. And, of course, they can only turn something outwards after they have an understanding of it. So, if you are talking to an introvert, and notice that they may have a slight delay before they respond back, it's because they are actually formulating their opinion about what you said, trying to get some sort of personal meaning out of it. Sometimes, an introvert may decide to just not say anything at all after they have thought about it, seeing no real reason to.

An example might be when you are talking to an introvert. Maybe that introvert came back from a new class, or was with some sort of group of people. You as him, "So, did you see any of your friends while you were there?" It may not seem like a complicated question, but it is. The introvert will start to ask him self, "Did I see any of my friends there? What exactly do you mean by a friend? I saw this guy XXX I know, but would he really be considred a 'friend' like I'm being asked? I guess I'll just say his name, anyways...".

And what happens when introverts ARE talkative? Sometimes introverts don't hessitate when they are about to say something. What happened? It's because, on whatever subject has come up, they have already formulated a deep opinion of it and don't need to take the time to do it again. This is why sometimes you will have an introvert who may be quiet around you most of the time, but if you bring up a certain topic of discussion they can talk your ear off about it.


Anything else that is a good seperation of introverts from extraverts?

[Artemis]

Wow, Rocky! Loved it! So true. I have asked myself that very same quesiton only recently.

[Elizabeth]

Oh yeah, I can totally relate here, Rocky. This particular part is something I've thought about quite a bit lately:

And what happens when introverts ARE talkative? Sometimes introverts don't hessitate when they are about to say something. What happened? It's because, on whatever subject has come up, they have already formulated a deep opinion of it and don't need to take the time to do it again. This is why sometimes you will have an introvert who may be quiet around you most of the time, but if you bring up a certain topic of discussion they can talk your ear off about it.

This is exactly what I'll do when I'm familiar with a topic. But as soon as someone asks me something I don't have a formed opinion about I have to sit and think about it a while until I come up with what I really think. Sometimes I'll just give a vague answer, or say that I really haven't thought it and don't know, to satisfy the person for the moment. Then perhaps bring the topic up again a few days later after I've had time to formulate what I really think. After that I can have a much better conversation.

I was never good at coming up with answers when being called on in class. Being put on the spot destroys all concentration for me and I'm useless. I also rarely ever volunteered to answer questions because I was always taking things in and processing and didn't consider trying to add my own thoughts or questions. Then you add the shyness factor and I probably wouldn't volunteer even if I knew something. I wouldn't have wanted the attention drawn to me.

Good thoughts, Rocky.

[Slacker]

Yup, my husband does that - pauses before he answers and sometimes doesn't answer right away but brings it up later.

If someone asks me a question and I don't know how I feel about it, I go over it out loud at the moment. "Well, on one hand, I like the idea, but on the other hand . . ."

[Darklord]

In writing, I get to take my time formulating and I get to edit it to near-perfection in spelling and grammar. And, if I reread a post by myself and see a typo, I just have to fix it.

Ask me "so, did you talk to any friends today?", and I think "Who did I meet? Could they be considered friends? Was it long enough to qualify for the term conversation? Does it count if it was formalized?" I can't give you an answer right away, because that answer would be "That depends".

[Artemis]

In writing, I get to take my time formulating and I get to edit it to near-perfection in spelling and grammar. And, if I reread a post by myself and see a typo, I just have to fix it.

I edit a post numerous times after I post. I check very carefully when I use 'preview' before a post but sometimes one slips by me. I will edit a post if there is too much space somewhere or it just doesn't look right on the page . . . say if one word gets carried over to the next line or if an emoticon doesn't express exactly what I want it to. I see people who write randomly . . . spelling errors and no capitalization or punctuation. I actually check the spelling of some words in another document with a spell checker before I submit my post . . . drives me batty!

*edited to add*

I love to write though. Better by far than talking anyday.

*edited for spelling error*

There's something to be said for being neurotic!

[Creepy-]

they often seem confused and say something that was unrelated to what was said showing they haven't actually thought about what was said.

well, they think about what was said. it just takes longer to process it in the way that they need.

[Ms. Kensington]

they often seem confused and say something that was unrelated to what was said showing they haven't actually thought about what was said.

well, they think about what was said. it just takes longer to process it in the way that they need.

this was me

[Angel von Himmel]

I agree with alot of this, but you should not forget that ENTps and ESTp use and may sometimes act in the way you describe when they must think or talk about something, but those are the only extroverts who use ... everything else is applicable to introverts in the way you described. The only introverts who use are INTps and ISTps, so they should be excluded from some aspects of this explanation.

[Angel von Himmel]

Anything else that is a good seperation of introverts from extraverts?

Yes, I made this chart as a way to help seperate out the introverted and extroverted functions that may be exhibited by introverted and extroverted types. The functions are listed for a type by matter of preference; for example, an ENTp will before using , so the ENTp's primary mode function for feeling is and the secondary mode function is

[Creepy-an ixtp@cafe]

A schoolbook Jungian introvertedness description.

But then, to me, why doesn't Rocky look like introvert at all? Not kidding or trolling, serious question.

[Rocky]

Not all introverts are socially pathetic creatures, Nessy.

[Creepy-an ixtp@cafe]

Not all introverts are socially pathetic creatures, Nessy.

Yeah, and extroverts can feel swallowed by the society and like being alone.

The most likely reason is...Jung's idea is too conseptual to bring onto science. But it closes all discussion. So, I'll take the idea extroverts are all social creature is the misunderstanding.

[Olga]

It is true that introverts need time to think to clear their head while extraverts find it easier to do it while they talking and somebody is listening. I don't know if you noticed that extraverts are the masters of palying with words, while introverts find it difficult to express themselves in right words when they need to and clever thoughts come usually later.

I am sorry I could not make sense of what exactly rmcnew wished to say. I am slow headed and introvert too. I would be thankful for clues.

Does anybody believe in the idea that what socionics suggest about ideal types is true? Two of my partners were extraverts and we did not make it. My partner now is introvert too and ...it could not be better!
Not only the type but their should be many reasons why people are compatible. And I see one of the keys in similarity of temperaments.

I have got 'loud' friends but I couldn't stand it for long. We both are flegmatic. My husband can shout under stress but do it very rarely with me. On the other hand if you are cheerful and bubly you better get on with similar soul. You get tired/bored from too serious or depressive people.

[schrödinger's cat]

I'll recycle something I wrote about introversion on another thread.

I recalled an interesting theory that might perhaps be helpful here. It's on http://www.benziger.org/content/view/8/27/ . Other thoughts on extraversion/introversion can be found on http://greenlightwiki.com/lenore-exegesis/Extraverted . What the Benziger article says is mainly that introverts' brains are wired in a way that makes them really sensitive to stimulation of all kinds. If an introvert's brain gets too much stimulation, he needs to minimize the amount of stimulation he gets. That's why he searches out "filtered environments" (that is Lenore Thompson's term). Those can be a small group of close friends; solitude; a particular area of interest; even a stage. Familiar situations are less stimulating than new ones, because experiences just repeat themselves and fall into familiar patterns.

It's a bit more objective than saying that introverts "live inside their heads", or rather, it helps to explain what is meant by that.

[Olga]

Quote:

"Familiar situations are less stimulating than new ones, because experiences just repeat themselves and fall into familiar patterns."

I am an introvert who would prefer new places, foods to the good old one.
As you can see there is no knowledge/thories without flaws. In the book" The psychologist's book of self-tests. 25 Love, Sex, Intellegence, CAreer and Personality Tests" there is a sensation seeking test. American Psychologist Marvin Zuckerman researched this trait for 20 years and found that people differ on this trait. He proved that this characteristic has got strong genetic component like intellegence. That is sensation seeking parents are likely to have sensation seeking children. AS you know in socionics senses are presented with In russian we say parents be tolerant to children as the aples do not fall far from the appletree. Our children inherit the type of one of the parent. The parent you are similar in face must be the one of your type. Not to forget to take account sex male /female do influence the type to a certain degree.

According to Zuckerman there are four subscales (look in the book above) and I fit into the one called experience seeking. People who "seek out novel experinces even if they do not involve excitement or danger" p.99 I l like trying something just because I did not experienced it before.
(No dirty thoughts, please!) Astrology said the same things about me but in a slightly differnt langauge.
Socionics did not explained it much but it is obivious that one of my strongest functions is extraverted senses - air in four chinese elements - gets into every whole possible (...!). And that why they say I am good at analising things. Astrology langauge was a bit harder on me but did reflect well on my bad habits which my little one successfully carries on.

[Zeia]

Another big thing on what Introverts are isnt based on how outgoing they are. It has a little (but not all) to do with how much they talk or how comforatable they are in situations. Basically its how they recharge, where they relax at. For me I'm generally decently outgoing in a tight group of people I know, But still, for me to be that way I have to have spent some time alone (Before or after).

[Rocky]

That has more to do with the introverts nature of having a slowly awakening curiosity because they have to take in things slower to process them. It's not that they don't like people or are shy, but they do this with all outter subjects/objects.

[Zeia]

Yes, thats exactly right. I find myself pausing a lot during speeches and such. I recently presented alone in front of about 25 teenagers at my youth group, I'm not sure if this is good or bad but its my way of thinking faster than I bring other people about. In this way, I end up pausing going through God only knows how many different scenarios of words and connotations (Maybe a 3 second pause in a sentence). Its just that I know what word I'd use, but its my nature not to have the word ready to say. It gets back to the common phrase, "I know what I want to say I just don't know how to say it." I really like your description of Introverts, I'm tired of stereotypes.

[schrödinger's cat]

Quote:

"Familiar situations are less stimulating than new ones, because experiences just repeat themselves and fall into familiar patterns."

I am an introvert who would prefer new places, foods to the good old one.

I meant to illustrate why familiar situations can be examples of "filtered" environments. Different types seek out different environments, that's true. The theories I mentioned do not correlate extraversion with a love of novelty, nor do they say introverts don't seek out new things. They merely claim that different brains need different levels of - well, let's call it stimulation. Types who are sensitive to stimulation tend to seek out "filtered" environments. Examples of "filtered" environments are familiar people and/or situations and/or surroundings. Each person will have his/her own way of limiting stimulation to an acceptable level.

[discourse]

That has more to do with the introverts nature of having a slowly awakening curiosity because they have to take in things slower to process them. It's not that they don't like people or are shy, but they do this with all outter subjects/objects.

I don't think that they are slow at learning new things. It's rather related to whom they are learning and by that I mean witch type of the relationship the introvert and the teacher are in. It's best to learn in the quadrable. In it you always understand more than you recieved, it's like a telepathy. People in interacting with a member from their quadra are getting deeper understandings than they heard by the words and they communicate so well that they end each others thoughts. The Activity Relationship, as I understand it, is the both sided Relation of Benfit. The secondary function stimulating your Suggestive function makes changeing information very quick. And in the Activity Relationship, this is both sided, that is why they both need to relax from each other.

[schrödinger's cat]

I hate the perception that introverts are unsociable or that they aren't "open".
In my case at least, I guess this would be less energetic or too sensitive to environment stimuli like schrodinger's cat said, but not necessarilly that I wouldn't like to make friends with certain people or that I am anti, me against the society, because usually these coined terms "unsociable" and "not open" have a negative connotation.

I agree, being introvert doesn't mean that you're unsociable. I know three ISFPs very well, and they're all of them very sociable, open, and easy to talk to. If I remember this right, then Introversion/Extraversion simply says where you focus and get your energy from, it doesn't necessarily say that focussing "outward" means automatically focussing on people and social interactions.

By the way, where I'm from, it's the introvert side that's seen as positive (thoughtful, intelligent, self-controlled etc).

[schrödinger's cat]

By the way, where I'm from, it's the introvert side that's seen as positive (thoughtful, intelligent, self-controlled etc)

You are lucky then. Where I live it's the opposite. People here are mostly extroverts, and maybe from here the kind of judgement
That's why I didn't use to feel good, because I feel this pressure from the people around, especially my own family. I just feel like they don't understand me and try to change me, but they would do it in a reproachful way that would make me feel even more uncomfortable and miserable actually. And, of course, this way I would only withdraw more

I'm actually an extrovert... perhaps we should s*** countries? The pressure from my family runs in the opposite direction from yours - it's more like that guy said, "society's ills stem from the fact that people are unable to quietly sit in a room by themselves". (I forgot who said that, but my family agrees.) Where my family is from, people are stoics and introverts, and where I grew up, people are sociable and outgoing, so there's almost a clash of cultures... but those two areas are only half an hour's drive away! That's the good thing about Europe. If you want to experience a different culture, all you have to do is cross the road. :wink:

[mike_INTJ]

the major difference is:

introverts are drained of all energy at a party when there are many things moving, lights and sounds.

extraverts get energy from all of this.

[Creepy-an ixtp@cafe]

That has more to do with the introverts nature of having a slowly awakening curiosity because they have to take in things slower to process them.

And you were thought of having aptitude for a lawyer. It's a job requires lots of quick awareness for the surrounding people, organization, human relation, society, etc...
Your friend regarded you as much extroverted depending it.