Huh. You're a bit hard on yourself, aren't you? And everybody else. I noticed that about some of your posts before. Always with a weird twinge of recognition, because I grew up in a "buck up and get over yourself" kind of family. It has its advantages up to a point - good for survival and generally making one's way in the world, for one thing. But also I find it encourages emotional detachment as a coping mechanism(I'm talking about myself here, I have no idea what your coping mechanisms are) and tends to make one judgmental of those who can't just "buck up". I totally agree that introversion and extraversion are socially created definitions as much as actual inclinations, and also I find that they fluctuate over time and circumstance. Having said that, I really don't see why they would need to have a negative or positive moral valance attached to them - I mean, so what if someone doesn't like parties? And why should they make themselves have fun at social gatherings? I don't think I ever saw one category as better than the other, nor do I think everybody ought to be social - at most, I might suggest to a close friend that they try to be a bit more social as it might make them happier. And even then I'd be careful with assumptions like that. Anyway, maybe I'm just reading the terms differently from you - if we understand "introversion" as "extreme avoidance of any social interaction even when one's responsibilities dictate it", then I can sort of see your point.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2008-02-01 09:40 am (UTC)I totally agree that introversion and extraversion are socially created definitions as much as actual inclinations, and also I find that they fluctuate over time and circumstance. Having said that, I really don't see why they would need to have a negative or positive moral valance attached to them - I mean, so what if someone doesn't like parties? And why should they make themselves have fun at social gatherings? I don't think I ever saw one category as better than the other, nor do I think everybody ought to be social - at most, I might suggest to a close friend that they try to be a bit more social as it might make them happier. And even then I'd be careful with assumptions like that. Anyway, maybe I'm just reading the terms differently from you - if we understand "introversion" as "extreme avoidance of any social interaction even when one's responsibilities dictate it", then I can sort of see your point.