Avoiding The Limelight (Defense of Introversion)

Wall Street Journal ^ | February 8, 2012 | Philip Delves Broughton

[C19fan]

There is a scene in the film "Bad Teacher" in which Cameron Diaz, an irresponsible lush of a seventh-grade instructor, pulls aside a boy who has just publicly declared his love for a girl in his class. The boy, Garrett, is shy and writes poetry but is convinced that some show of bravery will win the girl's heart. Forget it, Ms. Diaz tells him. This girl is only interested in hot, popular boys. Garrett is sensitive, she points out, and "that's not a compliment." Maybe eighth grade will be better, the boy says hopefully. "I'm thinking college," Ms. Diaz tells him. "That's your window."

Garrett would have done better to consult Susan Cain's "Quiet," an earnest and enlightening 300-page inquiry into introversion and its uses. Ms. Cain makes clear that she has felt the introvert's pain. As a girl at summer camp, she was embarrassed when a boy ridiculed her grandfather, a bookish rabbi. As a corporate lawyer, she was "shy and daydreamy . . . dreaded the spotlight and disliked aggression."

[C19fan]

The end result of the "Tony Robbins" culture is the all flash no substance imposter in the White House.

[wbill]

Be nice to Geeks. You’ll likely wind up working for one.

[KarlInOhio]

How can you recognize an extroverted software engineer? He's staring at your shoes rather than his own.

(now back to staring at my own shoes)

[marsh2]

Introverts are not “shy.” I can address 300 people with a lecture - no problemo. I can testify before a legislative sub-committee, and advocate assertively but I rank very high as an introvert on Myers Briggs. I just renew myself by solitude in the woods. After dealing with others’ problems all day, I want no humans around me in the evening and weekends and am quite fine with my own company.

To introverts, people suck the energy out of you - natural settings and solitary reflection rebuild that energy.

[JustCallMeFrank]

To introverts, people suck the energy out of you - natural settings and solitary reflection rebuild that energy.

This introvert gets charged from artificial settings and technology. Natural settings would still be preferable to people, though.

[dmz]

I’m off the scale extrovert in MBTI.

But MBTI’s definition of introvert/extrovert is not the only one. Some introverts are, in fact, shy. The MBTI, as you correctly state, is about preferences and how you recharge, but it is not the final word on what it is to be introverted.

[mjp]

As she is struggling to understand the influence of nature and nurture in creating introverts

The genetic epidemiology of personality disorders.

Division of Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health Institute of Psychiatry, University of Oslo, Norway.

Genetic epidemiologic studies indicate that all ten personality disorders (PDs) classified on the DSM-IV axis II are modestly to moderately heritable. Shared environmental and nonadditive genetic factors are of minor or no importance. No sex differences have been identified, Multivariate studies suggest that the extensive comorbidity between the PDs can be explained by three common genetic and environmental risk factors. The genetic factors do not reflect the DSM-IV cluster structure, but rather: i) broad vulnerability to PD pathology or negative emotionality; ii) high impulsivity/low agreeableness; and iii) INTROVERSION. Common genetic and environmental liability factors contribute to comorbidity between pairs or clusters of axis I and axis II disorders. Molecular genetic studies of PDs, mostly candidate gene association studies, indicate that genes linked to neurotransmitter pathways, especially in the serotonergic and dopaminergic systems, are involved.

[Gandalf_The_Gray]

Genetic epidemiologic studies indicate that all ten personality disorders (PDs) classified on the DSM-IV axis II are modestly to moderately heritable. Shared environmental and nonadditive genetic factors are of minor or no importance. No sex differences have been identified, Multivariate studies suggest that the extensive comorbidity between the PDs can be explained by three common genetic and environmental risk factors. The genetic factors do not reflect the DSM-IV cluster structure, but rather: i) broad vulnerability to PD pathology or negative emotionality; ii) high impulsivity/low agreeableness; and iii) INTROVERSION. Common genetic and environmental liability factors contribute to comorbidity between pairs or clusters of axis I and axis II disorders. Molecular genetic studies of PDs, mostly candidate gene association studies, indicate that genes linked to neurotransmitter pathways, especially in the serotonergic and dopaminergic systems, are involved.

Well, I guess that about says it all...

Have I got a website for you:
http://www.andrewdavidson.com/gibberish/

Regards,
GtG

[tomkat]

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