I think in most social situations I qualify as an introvert. I don't really go out of my way to talk to people at parties (or even to go to parties), and often when I'm in a social situation I find it difficult to keep up a conversation; I just can't get into the groove of it.
In my chosen communities, though, I have a reputation as someone who's easy to talk to, opinionated but open-minded, a resource for several different subjects, and generally a good communicator. That description doesn't sound particularly introverted at all.
I still think of myself as an introvert, though, because my ability to engage with other people depends mainly on whether the state of my internal dialogue is compatible with the expected norms for external dialogue in the situation I'm in. At first blush, this sounds like I'm saying "I only talk about what I happen to be thinking about at the time," which is probably a valid accusation. :P But it also has to do with what I can get myself to think about. If I encounter a conversation on a subject I find interesting, I can shift the direction of my internal dialogue and join a discussion without hogging the floor or turning it to a different topic (I used to be much worse at this in the past) -- if the subject is something I just can't summon up any passion for (sports, SF-writing-101 stuff, office politics, pretty much any form of social maneuvering), I get bored and move on.
I think extroverts tend to be better at operating in any social situation because they're more adept at connecting passionately to what other people are doing -- they find it inspiring and energising. It's good for their mental health, and that's great for them. When most of the introverts I know get bored in a social situation, they find themselves thinking about how much happier they would be at home doing something they found more internally fulfilling. Often this includes communicating with other people -- just in a more low-impact environment, such as quiet gatherings with one or two friends, or over IM/email/LiveJournal/IRC/whatever.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2008-02-01 06:47 am (UTC)In my chosen communities, though, I have a reputation as someone who's easy to talk to, opinionated but open-minded, a resource for several different subjects, and generally a good communicator. That description doesn't sound particularly introverted at all.
I still think of myself as an introvert, though, because my ability to engage with other people depends mainly on whether the state of my internal dialogue is compatible with the expected norms for external dialogue in the situation I'm in. At first blush, this sounds like I'm saying "I only talk about what I happen to be thinking about at the time," which is probably a valid accusation. :P But it also has to do with what I can get myself to think about. If I encounter a conversation on a subject I find interesting, I can shift the direction of my internal dialogue and join a discussion without hogging the floor or turning it to a different topic (I used to be much worse at this in the past) -- if the subject is something I just can't summon up any passion for (sports, SF-writing-101 stuff, office politics, pretty much any form of social maneuvering), I get bored and move on.
I think extroverts tend to be better at operating in any social situation because they're more adept at connecting passionately to what other people are doing -- they find it inspiring and energising. It's good for their mental health, and that's great for them. When most of the introverts I know get bored in a social situation, they find themselves thinking about how much happier they would be at home doing something they found more internally fulfilling. Often this includes communicating with other people -- just in a more low-impact environment, such as quiet gatherings with one or two friends, or over IM/email/LiveJournal/IRC/whatever.