Extraversion as a choice?

[King sns]

Everybody needs to watch that movie "What the bleep do we know"

I think that the same concept of changing our attitudes and behaviors. I believe that any outlook or behavior can be changed over time with some work. I don't think that its a good idea for an introvert to suddenly try to go out and try to get out and talk to people and socialize and believe that they are suddenly going to get energy from it if they try hard enough. But if you slowly work on things and change your way of looking at things then your brain will slowly adapt, (just like any other part of the body) and can reconnect itself to react in a different way. I don't think that it would be easy to change from E to I or I to E this way, and most people would not put forward the time and effort to change their perceptions or personality, or whatever. But it is possible. Anything is possible.

I also think that E/I would be easier to change than the other three preferences because there are more accessible ways of doing so.

I'm a very balanced personality so can see different viewpoints of many different people, so that may also be why I think people can just change who they are. Someone of a stronger nature may say "hey, easier said than done, girl!"

Who knows?

 

[King sns]

I disagree with this, yes I believe that E/I is subject to baseline biological starting point, however you can change how your body gains and regains energy over time. Any behaviour whether it be skiing, talking, memorisation, or self-concept can be developed through educative experiences. If for instance I practice memorising objects for long and hard enough, I will eventually develop a skill for doing this by the construction of new neural pathways in the brain. Extraversion/Introversion I believe is developed similarly. I may be born an introvert, but if however I choose to think in an extroverted manner for a great period of time I will eventually develop the capacity, and even inclination to consider it as part of who I am.



There is a great book out about this phenomena titled "The brain that changes itself", that discusses neuroplasticity with regards to how we think. It suggests that the brain itself is malleable, and as such the choices we make determine what we are. Perhaps I'm naively optimistic about the application of the notion of "free-will" ultimately determining our personality traits, however I do believe that this must be instrumental in some facet of who we are.

Yea, this is what I'm getting at.

I don't know how much literature is out there on this, but it is certainly a valid theory. We know virtually nothing about how the brain works, but this is kind of up-and-coming research material.

 

[ygolo]

Anything is possible.

I believe this too (not taken too literally). The question is, at what cost?

 

[King sns]

What the bleep clip
(For anyone who has not seen this.)

You say at what cost?

Well, just a lot of work and heartache, I guess.

And that's why no one changes.

 

[King sns]

Saying that S/N, T/F, J/P are more ingrained than E/I is an infantile notion. The former can fluctuate much more depending on our situation. E/I will always stay the same because it has biological foundations. Read some introvert books or look at some studies.

Correct away, sir.

Correct me if I'm wrong, Raz. (Perhaps I'm being infantile)

 

[A Schnitzel]

What the bleep clip
(For anyone who has not seen this.)

You say at what cost?

Well, just a lot of work and heartache, I guess.

And that's why no one changes.

Citing What the Bleep doesn't help the discussion
What the Bleep Do We Know!? - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Brain science currently isn't developed enough to answer whether MBTI is right or wrong. The only thing we have to go by is experience.

In my experience introverts can be social and extroverts can keep to themselves. Some introverts I know are more social than other extroverts I know. There always seems to be a fundamental persuasion one way or the other. Being more social may balance an introvert out but I've never seen someone change their fundamental preference because of it.

For example just because you've become more balanced doesn't mean you're no longer an ESFP.

 

[King sns]

Citing What the Bleep doesn't help the discussion
What the Bleep Do We Know!? - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Brain science currently isn't developed enough to answer whether MBTI is right or wrong. The only thing we have to go by is experience.

In my experience introverts can be social and extroverts can keep to themselves. Some introverts I know are more social than other extroverts I know. There always seems to be a fundamental persuasion one way or the other. Being more social may balance an introvert out but I've never seen someone change their fundamental preference because of it.

For example just because you've become more balanced doesn't mean you're no longer an ESFP.

No, mbti is not confirmed by brain science-.

(That's why in my original post I wrote "I believe that-") and it certainly hasn't been confirmed by that movie. This was an opinion statement.

I think that what the bleep can possibly be applied here, though. Its not a fact that introversion can be changed to extraversion or visa versa just by thinking differently. But I think that if we can change our moods, we might be able to change who we are as well. (Would be a slow and painful process.) And of course if someone is a very strongly ingrained extrovert, they probably will not be an introvert in their lifetime, but I do think that its possible that they can make steps towards that if they really wanted to.

I guess what i'm trying to get at, is that we know very little about how the brain works- as of now, and, anything is possible.

(and actually, regarding the last comment, I've always been balanced! It hasn't changed.) So like I said, perhaps this has to do with why I've had this opinion.

Watching What the Bleep for the first time a while ago supported this opinion for me, and I wanted to share.

 

[LucrativeSid]

As it's been said already, it wouldn't make sense to put in massive amounts of effort to change from one thing to another. Because no matter what you are, you'll still have to cater to your new needs. If you suddenly needed more stimulation and people to stay happy, it would seem like nothing but a burden.

A goal that could be worthwhile would be to eradicate the needs all together, maybe. Get to a point in your brain's development where you can have your energy no matter what. Being alone never bores you or depresses you, and being active with other people never drains you. Or at least get to a point where it alternates.

I'm pretty balanced, myself. I just have however much energy I need in order to do what I'm doing. If I'm with a bunch of people I can get excited and be high energy. But if I'm reading a book by myself for 3 hours, I don't really feel energetic, but I'm certainly enjoying myself and don't have any negative feelings or side-effects at all. I think anything could energize me and anything could drain me - it would all depend upon the attitude I took towards that thing. (And the attitude is always my choice.) I would consider it such a huge burden if I was too introverted or too extroverted. Desperately needing anything seems like a weakness that should be corrected to me.

Preferences are great. It's the way of the world. But needs, yikes, that means you're missing something.

 

[Quinlan]

I
On the other hand an aspect of our personality such as Perceiving/Judging is deeply imbedded into who we are. We don't choose to perceive, and we don't (most of the time!) choose to judge but ultimately we unconsciously do so regardless. I could labour over work assignments for days on end, but it wouldn't be something that I would be consciously wanting to do. Thinking/feeling, and intuition/sensing seem to have similar characteristics.

Well if my feeling preference is deeply ingrained, it makes sense that whether that process is introverted or extroverted is also ingrained.

I can conciously choose to use and develop either Fi or Fe but I can't choose which one I naturally prefer, and which one was the bedrock of my personality from childhood.

I think of it like sexuality, a homosexual can conciously choose to have straight sex but that doesn't change the fact that their natural preference is for something else, if they think otherwise they are lying to themselves.

 

[Lauren Ashley]

Can it be that E/I does not make much sense to you because you are E ?

Just a thought.

+1.

I don't know. This isn't the first time I've heard an extravert claim that E/I may be a choice. Methinks there are not many introverts who would claim the same.

You can act any way that you want, but you can't change who you really are.

That pretty much sums up my thoughts on this.

 

[Udog]

Extrovert: Hey introverted guy, you should go out and meet more people. You know you can be more outgoing, right?

Introvert: Sure, and you can stop going to parties, pick 5 or so core friends you spend the majority of your time with, and otherwise spend most of the time wrapped up in your own thoughts.

Extrovert: Why would I want to do that? Wanna go out drinking tonight?

/end conversation.

I do think some confusion comes from many extroverts who were SHY, overcame that shyness, and now project introverts as doing the same thing.

 

[LucrativeSid]

You cannot change who you really are? Who are you, really? You can let biology give you the answer, or you can be the biology and give your own answer. I am who I choose to be. Whether you're an introvert or extrovert is irrelevant when it comes to the big picture. It's what you do with it that matters.

How many of us are petrified of change? How many of us are petrified of growth because we think it is change? And how many of the greatest things that we've ever done were easy to do? How often does genuine growth and advancement come from staying inside our comfort zones? And more importantly, how often do we use other people's shortcomings as excuses to accept our own shortcomings, instead of actually working on them?

 

[MrME]

Could we please stop using wording that's directly coming out from mumbo jumbo astrology when it comes to I\E for once?

Jus' 'cuz you don't understand what the terminology represents, doesn't mean it's mumbo-jumbo. Internal energy is a real thing that's replenished by eating, sleeping, and participating activities related to your I/E preference.

That said, I challenge any of you extraverts to spend three months living like an introvert. Live my lifestyle and tell me if it doesn't drive you batty and then tell me if you think you could change your preferences.

I will break you.

 

[Laurie]

Why would I want to do that? I like the introvert species. And I'm how I am. I guess you mean the people who think introverts should be fixed?

Fix yourself! Cause I said so!

 

[MrME]

Why would I want to do that? I like the introvert species. And I'm how I am. I guess you mean the people who think introverts should be fixed?

Yes, that's what I'm getting at. Only the ones who believe they can change I/E preferences.

 

[King sns]

I don't remember reading anywhere in this thread that introverts should be fixed and should start changing their preferences. I thought this was about changing preferences in either direction, and whether it was possible.

Its difficult to change either way and there is not often immediate need to do so. Whether it can happen or not is a different story.

 

[Wyst]

Hmmmmmm.

Well I can choose to be more outgoing.
But if I choose to be an extrovert, that means I choose not to recharge by spending time alone, and that equates to self-destructing for us (intro-awesome) people.

 

[LucrativeSid]

for us (intro-awesome) people.

LOL. Elitist! And you must be talking about if you chose to act like an extrovert, not be one, because if you were actually being one, you wouldn't self-destruct.

 

[MrME]

I don't remember reading anywhere in this thread that introverts should be fixed and should start changing their preferences. I thought this was about changing preferences in either direction, and whether it was possible.

Its difficult to change either way and there is not often immediate need to do so. Whether it can happen or not is a different story.

Okay, I read more into the OP than, perhaps, was written. And, I certainly wasn't taking anything in the thread personally. But, I challenge the sentiment that I/E preferences are a choice and they can be changed. It's frequently extraverts that hold this sentiment, too, it seems.

So, I thought I would challenge the extraverts who believe it's a choice into changing over to introversion for a significant period of time and see how that works for them. I'm sure it'll drive them crazy, just like forcing an introvert to be an extravert will drive the introvert crazy.

 

[LucrativeSid]

Okay, I read more into the OP than, perhaps, was written. And, I certainly wasn't taking anything in the thread personally. But, I challenge the sentiment that I/E preferences are a choice and they can be changed. It's frequently extraverts that hold this sentiment, too, it seems.

So, I thought I would challenge the extraverts who believe it's a choice into changing over to introversion for a significant period of time and see how that works for them. I'm sure it'll drive them crazy, just like forcing an introvert to be an extravert will drive the introvert crazy.

But, is being driven crazy a bad thing? That's the question! My girlfriend drives me crazy sometimes, but I love her!