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I used to strongly define myself an extrovert because I can be loud, gregarious and I'm passionate about great conversations- but I also hate large crowds and l

I used to strongly define myself an extrovert because I can be loud, gregarious and I'm passionate about great conversations- but I also hate large crowds and large parties. I'm okay with meeting new people if it's a relatively small setting of 4-5 people. Otherwise it's usually a waste of time. Now I don't know how to define myself. I get energized by doing energizing activities and being around energizing people, and I get drained in the opposite. I used to play in a rock band and I enjoyed entertaining crowds- and that was simultaneously energizing and draining, in separate spheres. I suppose it can be useful initially to identify as one or the other, but as you really begin to feast on your life you start to realize that life is far too complex to be binary.

sillysaurus 14y ago
Now I don't know how to define myself. Perhaps you're a person, rather than a label.
- droopyEyelids 14y ago
  I've read a lot of blog posts on introverts and a few on extroverts, but I've yet to hear of this 'person' thing. Seems kind of odd, you sure it's real?
- aaron695 14y ago
  >Perhaps you're a person, rather than a label. Or maybe labels are ok until some singularity style computer can know exactly what each individual is and how to exactly optimise their happiness maybe the approximations labels give us make us better off. When used correctly they can allow us to better know ourselves and also be more understanding of those around us.
- nollidge 14y ago
  I like to think of them as tags rather than labels: you can have more than one.
vacri 14y ago
You don't know how to define yourself because human psychology is more complex than a simple A/B choice like introvert/extrovert. Even something like gender, which you think would be cut-and-dried due to clear physiological differences, has complexities. Something as vague as 'how do I generally behave in the presence of others' doesn't stand a chance. Introvert and extrovert are fine as loose labels, but they're really not suitable to be used as actionable terms.
jarofgreen 14y ago
> Now I don't know how to define myself. From Susan Cain talk linked: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extraversion_and_introversion#Ambiversion http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extraversion_and_introversion#A... But while labels are handy as a shortcut to talk about or research something easily, at the end of the day everyone is different.
INTPenis 14y ago
Introvert and Extrovert are just two ends of a spectrum, most people are balanced in between these two ends.

sillysaurus 14y ago

Now I don't know how to define myself. Perhaps you're a person, rather than a label.

droopyEyelids 14y ago
I've read a lot of blog posts on introverts and a few on extroverts, but I've yet to hear of this 'person' thing. Seems kind of odd, you sure it's real?
aaron695 14y ago
>Perhaps you're a person, rather than a label. Or maybe labels are ok until some singularity style computer can know exactly what each individual is and how to exactly optimise their happiness maybe the approximations labels give us make us better off. When used correctly they can allow us to better know ourselves and also be more understanding of those around us.
nollidge 14y ago
I like to think of them as tags rather than labels: you can have more than one.

vacri 14y ago

You don't know how to define yourself because human psychology is more complex than a simple A/B choice like introvert/extrovert. Even something like gender, which you think would be cut-and-dried due to clear physiological differences, has complexities. Something as vague as 'how do I generally behave in the presence of others' doesn't stand a chance. Introvert and extrovert are fine as loose labels, but they're really not suitable to be used as actionable terms.

jarofgreen 14y ago

> Now I don't know how to define myself. From Susan Cain talk linked: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extraversion_and_introversion#Ambiversion http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extraversion_and_introversion#A... But while labels are handy as a shortcut to talk about or research something easily, at the end of the day everyone is different.

INTPenis 14y ago

Introvert and Extrovert are just two ends of a spectrum, most people are balanced in between these two ends.