A Meandering Reply
This morning I read Mash's post about social dynamics (f-locked). I was going to reply there, but I felt like the subject deserved a fuller treatment, or at least one I was capable of editing!
I can't remember how old I was when I first did the Myers-Briggs test, about 14 maybe? I was certainly old enough to realise the validity problems of self-reporting, although I wouldn't have called it that. I certainly thought of myself as a introvert at the time, so I wasn't surprised to find that the test pegged me as an INTJ. It seemed to fit, but millions of people find personal relevance in astrology, so it's hard to say.
At any rate, I think of myself as an introvert, but I think I'd score pretty marginally on that scale now. If the basic distinction between introverts and extroverts is whether one gains or expends energy in social situations, then I'd have to say I'm an extrovert. At least, once I get comfortable in a situation. That can take me a while, but once I get there, I'm pretty much a natural networker. Then again, maybe that's what an introvert would think.
There was some discussion on Mash's post about feeling that one is imposing in social situations. I'm confident in my reading of social cues, so I don't feel this way very often, and I suspect that On thing that has certainly changed between past and present me is that I am much more confident now. You might think that writing style demonstrated in the previous two paragraphs indicates a lack of confidence in my self-analysis, but it's the T in the INTJ coming out: there are no objective standards against which to measure my own internal experience, so it would seem disingenuous not to qualify it.
That line of reasoning got me thinking about my style of blog writing generally. There are several bloggers whose writing I admire a great deal (some of whom will read this), and while I don't model my writing on them, I do try to consider what they do, how they do it, and why I don't. One thing that always strikes me is the relative paucity of memory and personal experience beyond the immediate concern of whatever topic I'm discussing. I think it's fair to say that this is a characteristic that extends beyond my writing. Writing this post and re-reading about the INTJ personality type has prompted me to consider this an offshoot of the same concern for objectivity that leads to my frequent qualificatory statements.
The thing that prompted me to expand what could have been a characteristically ephemeral comment reply into a longer and more considered post was a specific reference to my social connections as "numerous and strong". Actually, this statement was a comparative, but I don't think that matters a great deal in this case. I do think that my social connections are numerous; I make new friends wherever I go, and quite easily once I get into that comfort zone that I alluded to above. That said, I don't think most of the bonds I make are that strong. Although, this would depend on the meaning one assigns to "strong" in this case. Perhaps I'm being greedy, but I wish I had more that were stronger. There are some complex dynamics at work here, often including distance and cultural upbringing. Something I've been working on overcoming over the last few years is to remove a kind of glass ceiling that I artificially impose on the strength of my relationships. I've been pretty successful at this on some fronts, less on others.
I'm leaving this unlocked for John. I don't think I'll get to those 25 questions, perhaps this will suffice as a substitute.
I can't remember how old I was when I first did the Myers-Briggs test, about 14 maybe? I was certainly old enough to realise the validity problems of self-reporting, although I wouldn't have called it that. I certainly thought of myself as a introvert at the time, so I wasn't surprised to find that the test pegged me as an INTJ. It seemed to fit, but millions of people find personal relevance in astrology, so it's hard to say.
At any rate, I think of myself as an introvert, but I think I'd score pretty marginally on that scale now. If the basic distinction between introverts and extroverts is whether one gains or expends energy in social situations, then I'd have to say I'm an extrovert. At least, once I get comfortable in a situation. That can take me a while, but once I get there, I'm pretty much a natural networker. Then again, maybe that's what an introvert would think.
There was some discussion on Mash's post about feeling that one is imposing in social situations. I'm confident in my reading of social cues, so I don't feel this way very often, and I suspect that On thing that has certainly changed between past and present me is that I am much more confident now. You might think that writing style demonstrated in the previous two paragraphs indicates a lack of confidence in my self-analysis, but it's the T in the INTJ coming out: there are no objective standards against which to measure my own internal experience, so it would seem disingenuous not to qualify it.
That line of reasoning got me thinking about my style of blog writing generally. There are several bloggers whose writing I admire a great deal (some of whom will read this), and while I don't model my writing on them, I do try to consider what they do, how they do it, and why I don't. One thing that always strikes me is the relative paucity of memory and personal experience beyond the immediate concern of whatever topic I'm discussing. I think it's fair to say that this is a characteristic that extends beyond my writing. Writing this post and re-reading about the INTJ personality type has prompted me to consider this an offshoot of the same concern for objectivity that leads to my frequent qualificatory statements.
The thing that prompted me to expand what could have been a characteristically ephemeral comment reply into a longer and more considered post was a specific reference to my social connections as "numerous and strong". Actually, this statement was a comparative, but I don't think that matters a great deal in this case. I do think that my social connections are numerous; I make new friends wherever I go, and quite easily once I get into that comfort zone that I alluded to above. That said, I don't think most of the bonds I make are that strong. Although, this would depend on the meaning one assigns to "strong" in this case. Perhaps I'm being greedy, but I wish I had more that were stronger. There are some complex dynamics at work here, often including distance and cultural upbringing. Something I've been working on overcoming over the last few years is to remove a kind of glass ceiling that I artificially impose on the strength of my relationships. I've been pretty successful at this on some fronts, less on others.
I'm leaving this unlocked for John. I don't think I'll get to those 25 questions, perhaps this will suffice as a substitute.