#introvert ask

I think they’re complex and varied individuals just like everyone else, Anon!

Personally speaking, that’s the direct opposite of my type (with the possible exception of the P, not sure if I’m a P or a J). I’m a T who holds the concept of reason in very high regard and this can make me abrasive/stubborn/unrelenting to Fs sometimes… once in high school I implied a girl’s religious beliefs were stupid and she hasn’t really spoken to me since… just goes to show every type has its advantages and disadvantages.

Telling them it’s because you’re introverted isn’t a bad thing! You can also say it’s just how you are, or maybe you’re shy or have social anxiety or don’t like talking or you always get talked over… you know, whatever’s true for you. You don’t even have to be super nice about answering the question— it’s a little bit annoying/rude to ask someone that, though it all depends on how it was phrased. If they sounded genuinely curious, or like they were concerned about you, you may want to open up! If it sounded more like they were asking you, “Hey, why are you such a freak?” then don’t pay them much mind. A simple “It’s just how I am” will work fine. If they don’t leave you alone after that, just shrug or say “I dunno,” or turn it around on them and ask them why they asked.

Hope that helps!

If it helps, I'm an introvert too! It's all about whether you're obnoxious or not. :P

That said, there are a number of reasons this blog isn't active anymore but one of them is I got a little tired of feeling bad for being mean to people. Even if it was only a little mean... I'd just imagine them saying ignorant things not really thinking about it and then getting slammed by me on this blog-- of course they'd feel upset and defensive even if they were in the wrong.

Same ENFP anon: My husband is an INTJ (complete coincidence, I swear - we’d been together three years when he took the test) and he absolutely hates the “sociopath/manipulative bastard” stereotype associated with his type. He’s a very loving and caring individual; he just isn’t driven by his feelings for the most part. Doesn’t mean he doesn’t have them. And he also doesn’t act all superior about the introversion thing, so there’s that. :)

Glad you like what we’re doing! I’m an INTJ (test as an INTP but I feel the INTJ profile fits me better). Though I find Jungian typology to be fascinating, I wonder about its actual usefulness in generalizing about personality. It’s obviously much harder to truly describe someone’s character than it is to identify which four letters describe them.

It’s ridiculous and harmful to judge someone definitively on criteria which are probably not even all that valid, and the fact that people on Tumblr seem to carry the judgment to a much harsher level adds insult to injury.

The Thinking vs. Feeling dichotomy interests me a lot, because I believe myself to be pretty far on the thinking side. However, again, I’m hesitant to make judgments about the types or to use my type to explain my behavior (it’s very difficult to make me cry, for instance). What I can say is that I in no way see anyone’s place within this dichotomy as lowering their moral caliber. Both you and your husband seem like lovely people!

And in a stunning turn of events, it seems as though social inclinations have absolutely no correlation to level of intelligence! How ever can this be?

(But no really, thanks for looking it up Anon!)

I wish you the best of luck with your social anxiety! Fear of approaching others can really be an awful obstacle in the way of personal happiness. That’s the thing - I (and probably you as well) see a lot of Tumblr introverts talking as though interacting with others is a nuisance that’s best avoided; as if their being social is solely a gift they give to the people in their lives. But for those of us with social anxiety, that often couldn’t be further from the truth.

Also, I appreciate that you made the distinction between anxiety and introversion!

Glad you like our blog!

I like your thinking; it seems ridiculously presumptuous and arrogant to paint introverts as more intelligent and/or better read than extraverts. It seems as if some #introvert taggers feel the need to use personality traits as a kind of zodiac, using one linear personality spectrum to discover all sorts of new “facts” about themselves and others.

Give me a few good studies that show introverts are smarter than extraverts and I’ll believe that… maybe introverts really are smarter, or maybe intelligence testing still has a long way to go in measuring all facets of human ability.