are extraverts better drivers than introverts generally, or is it just me?
i have long hated driving. i got my license and a car as soon as it was feasible because it meant independence i would otherwise be without. but driving and i never quite clicked.
the theory has been put forth that i daydream too much for driving. it certainly seems plausible. being an introvert, a lot of times i'm focused too much on some thought or daydream inside and i lose track of what's going on outside.
for example, i was once walking down a street in chicago thinking or daydreaming when someone knocked on a window from the inside of a building i was passing by and waved. i looked at him distractedly and kept walking only to realize a good ten minutes and several blocks later that i recognized the person and should have waved back and perhaps stopped to chat.
translated to driving that means i must constantly force myself to pay attention to the road rather than getting too lost in my head or disastrous things can happen. and have happened. i've been in 4 accidents, and all would have been easily avoidable if i'd been paying attention.
all this makes driving a very stressful experience for me. and i've gone to great lengths over the years to avoid it. i'm sure my friends all thought i was the biggest jerk for never offering to drive. and the few times i did end up having to drive them around, i was waaayyy sensitive about any comments about my drivin' skills.
a few years ago, i made it a point to never let my not wanting to drive be an issue for me not attending a social event or visiting an attraction. i felt so dumb missing out on all this cool stuff for such a stupid excuse. so i made myself drive into the city a few times and drive in areas i wasn't familiar with just to prove to myself that i could. it was really, really good for me.
but now, i hardly ever have to drive because chad drives everywhere, which i love. but i really need to keep up the little skills i have. because the times i do have to drive, i'm extra nervous and stressed about it because i feel out of practice.
all this has culminated this past week or so when my car has made me especially nervous and stressed by its being about to break. and then it broke. i am so sick of driving.