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Why are introverts...

Mycroft

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...so underrepresented in popular media? I have my own (half-baked) ideas, but I'm curious to see what others think.
 

Ferrus

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Because the popular media appeals to popular tastes and extroverts are popular.

Also - extroverts simply present themselves better.
 

Athenian200

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How do you know that they are? Some Introverts can behave in a more Extraverted manner.

Also, popular media may be more commonly used by them, because Introverts usually seek stimulation elsewhere.
 

Alesia

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I'm not sure that they are underrepresented. If you take into consideration that introverts are a vast minority. (only 20 to 25% of the US population).

If so, I'd agree with Ferrus.

But also, what are you including in "popular media"?

Because there are a whole lot of novelists that are introverts.

And I would add, that in movies, I have seen the introverted character take on a much more positive and valued role. In movies past, the introvert was rather put down and looked down upon. Not so, anymore. That tells me that introverts have gotten some kind of influence in the movie industry. It's beginning to be seen and shown as a positive thing in movies.
 

Ferrus

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Because there are a whole lot of novelists that are introverts.
Because novels are a media which require far less extroverted attitude, indeed reading is a rather introverted activity in itself. There are a fair few extroverted print journalists too.
Not so, anymore.
There are a wide enough selection of films now to cater for many tastes, but in an average SJ/SP imbecile flick the introvert will always be the weird or evil one.
 

The Ü™

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I always thought the media portrayed the Intuitive as the evil megalomaniac or eccentric crackpot while the hero was an SP or SJ upholding the law. This is especially true of movies in the '70s and '80s. In many of the '80s cop movies, it was often an SJ playing the hero and an SP or NT playing the bad guy. The NF was probably the hero woman.

In a traditional action movie, it's usually an SP trying to foil the NT's evil plans -- a la James Bond -- although the SP hero character is portrayed as the more one-dimensional of the two. In recent times, though, there's a trend of an NF hero pitted against an NT villain, like Spider-Man. And in Tim Burton's and Christopher Nolan's Batman movies, it's an NT against an NT (although Batman is somewhat of a psychopath himself).

But I think the Intuitive will be portrayed as the loony, misunderstood, or stupid character, where the Sensor will be portrayed as the one everybody likes. Extraversion and Introversion do not necessarily have different ways of thinking, and it's often hard to tell who's Extraverted or Introverted. But Sensors and Intuitives do have different ways of thinking -- and since society has a natural bias toward Sensors,

Introverts may not necessarily think of themselves as outsiders and may not even have trouble fitting in with other people, especially when a Sensing preference reinforces it. Intuitives, on the other hand, are lost at sea, since their interests and ways of thinking tend to be more esoteric or less common than the norms. Intuitives, being in worlds of their own most of the time, are less aware of what's appropriate in the here-and-now. And so they're looked down upon much of the time.
 

runvardh

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I thought the E/I divide was 50/50...
 

Llenyd

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Pop media often shows the ideal: young, healthy, good-looking, financially secure. They probably see the outgoing extrovert as part of that ideal. I've heard and read many introverts saying they would like to be more extraverted. I can't say I've ever seen the reverse.

I thought the E/I divide was 50/50...

IIRC, Keirsey estimated the splits at around 50/50 for N/F and J/P and 75/25 for E/I and S/N.
 

563 740

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Sitcom scenario: the three extroverts are chatting away in the living room about their day. The camera cuts briefly to the introverted friend reading quietly in his room but quickly returns to the extroverts' bantering before the audience gets bored.

Most popular media is driven by character interactions - kinda tough for introverts to drive the plot in that case. Example two - the group of friends has just received some bad news. The extroverts display their shock & dismay while the introvert stands there stonefaced, waiting until later to process his take on the situation. Just doesn't make for good entertainment!
 

The Ü™

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Popular media driven by character interactions? I don't really care about character interactions, I like the explosions, the battles, the gunfights, the sadistic torture sequences, and the grace and wonder of CGI that goes so beyond the mundaneness of people! :D

Why would anyone be interested in character interactions? People are bland and simple. And nothing is more interesting than watching people get blown up, gunned down, or torn apart!
 

563 740

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Popular media driven by character interactions? I don't really care about character interactions, I like the explosions, the battles, the gunfights, the sadistic torture sequences, and the grace and wonder of CGI that goes so beyond the mundaneness of people! :D

Why would anyone be interested in character interactions? People are bland and simple. And nothing is more interesting than watching people get blown up, gunned down, or torn apart!

True, true. I was thinking along the lines of prime-time TV.
 

The_Liquid_Laser

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If introverts are underrepresented in the media it's not slanted by much. I can think of tons of introvert celebrities. Some of the more talented celebrities are actually introverts. Outside of the stage/screen context though an extravert is more likely to be an attention whore like Paris Hilton and the like.
 

runvardh

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actually the divisions I remember are on average:
E/I 50/50
S/N 70/30
T/F (male 60/40, female 40/60)
J/P 50/50

I could be wrong though
 

The Ü™

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Another thing is that Intuitives can seem more like Introverts -- the Intuitive's way of looking at the world often requires some alone time or at least zoning out.
 

Mycroft

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In line with what Athenian and guy-with-numbers-for-a-handle were saying, I think the main thing is that most television and film depicts people interacting with other people. Even when interacting, many introverts are quite capable of coming across as extraverts. Hence, while character X may, in fact, be an introvert, all we see is him interacting, so that his introversion would not be evident.

I do have to say, though, I've always found the notion that introversion versus extraversion is a 50-50 split to be, well, suspect. I know it's not exactly scientific to use your personal experience as an indicator, but, er, given my personal experience, introverts are definitely the minority. Otherwise there must be a whole lot of self-deniers out there.

Also, re: those statistics: only around 10 to 14% of people are EXTPs? I find that extremely difficult to believe.
 
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Llenyd

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I found the breakdown of type according to Keirsey in Please Understand Me.

I/E - 28/72
N/S - 24/76
T/F - 50/50
P/J - 50/50

Idealists - 12%
ENFJ 5%
ENFP 5%
INFJ 1%
INFP 1%

Rationals - 12%
ENTJ 5%
ENTP 5%
INTJ 1%
INTP 1%

Guardians - 38%
ESTJ 13%
ESFJ 13%
ISTJ 6%
ISFJ 6%

Artisans - 38%
ESTP 13%
ESFP 13%
ISTP 6%
ISFP 6%
 

Usehername

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If introverts are underrepresented in the media it's not slanted by much. I can think of tons of introvert celebrities. Some of the more talented celebrities are actually introverts. Outside of the stage/screen context though an extravert is more likely to be an attention whore like Paris Hilton and the like.

yeah, isn't there a disproportion of introverted actors? and they extravert by acting? i heard that somewhere.
 

proteanmix

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I found the breakdown of type according to Keirsey in Please Understand Me.

Perfect 100. No margin of error or anything? I trust the numbers from CAPT, at least they pretended to do research about it.

Here's something else I found.

EDIT: This document said that the number of introverts and intuitives are probably overrepresented. I think there are many introverts out there that do a good extrovert impression. I thought one of my IN coworkers was an EN until I asked her if she had ever heard of MBTI and told me her type.

Many actors and performers may seem like extroverts because it's the nature of their job. I read lots of celebrity gossip which I shows what people do on their down time, which I think is more indicative of I/E.

The way I figure out who's an extrovert/introvert is by watching who routinely manages to shake loose the shackle that is a keyboard and starts socializing with people. Introverts rarely make the rounds around the office from what I can tell. Extroverts get up to say silly things like my butt hurts or I just got a paper cut from a post-it note.
 
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ptgatsby

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I do have to say, though, I've always found the notion that introversion versus extraversion is a 50-50 split to be, well, suspect. I know it's not exactly scientific to use your personal experience as an indicator, but, er, given my personal experience, introverts are definitely the minority. Otherwise there must be a whole lot of self-deniers out there.

Also, re: those statistics: only around 10 to 14% of people are EXTPs? I find that extremely difficult to believe.

I'm just curious. Do you have a problem with the MBTI I/E divide (questions asked)? A particular test form? Do you have a problem with the sampling or methodolody?

Why not believe the CAPT numbers over your own hunches, in other words?
 
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