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Extroversion = Shallowness?

Kiddo

Furry Critter with Claws
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Sep 25, 2007
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OMNi
Kiddo: Is that more related to extroversion or just pure Fe?

I have a lot of Fe and I don't do that. But perhaps extroverted feeling is the main culprit.

Re: Kiddo

I cheer up around people if I'm in a bad mood because I kind of feed off of thier energy (like a human leech or something! :holy:) and social interactions always perk me up! :)

My sis, also an extrovert, wears her heart on her sleeve- you can always tell if she's sad or cheerful- if she's unhappy EVERYONE must be unhappy (then she becomes more cheerful :dry:)

Ah, that is probably it. Because extroverts feed off the energy of other people, they try to keep the atmosphere light. That is probably the trait that gets misconstrued as shallowness.
 

ThatsWhatHeSaid

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INTP
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5w4
If they cared deeply about it then they wouldn't be empty inside.

If they didn't really care about it, but they acted like they cared about it on the outside, then that would be shallow.

That's kinda what I was trying to get at; that you have to define what you mean by being empty. Is it not caring about certain things, or is it not withholding some feelings/beliefs from the public? I think "depth" implies both to most people, but is that true, and why? When I think about the stereotypical "deep" person, I think about someone who is quiet/reserved and thoughtful/contemplative. I would guess that my stereotype is pretty common. Gurus are often pictured as being rather taciturn as well as wise.

I suspect that depth is often associated with calmness. You need calmness and an ability to suspend mental chatter in order to sort through your perception to find meaning. Also, you derive calmness from contemplation (usually). I wouldn't go so far as to say that extroversion negates this calmness; it's too broad a term, for one. However, there may be some qualities that make it hard to be contemplative ("deep") that may overlap with (but is not essential to) the conventional understanding of extroversion. I notice it with some of my friends who use social interaction as a way to distract themselves from feelings of boredom, loneliness and depression, whereas "deeper" individuals are more willing to confront and investigate those feelings alone.
 

zarc

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I actually don't think most extroverts are even concious of the fact that they do it.

Take for example my ESFJ grandmother. She could be in a terrible mood, but the moment she is around other people she is friendly, happy, and all smiles. I don't see introverts doing that kind thing as often.

Generally I think extroverts may believe if they change how they appear on the surface, people won't pick up on how they are really feeling.

I don't think it'd be most Extroverts though or Extroverts being unconscious about it. I think it can go both ways. For instance, ISTPs or unevolved ones. My best friend used to be a horrible self-monitor...she's a bit better now.. She doesn't care, for the most part. Even when she realises it or I tell her (mostly so), of her behaviour towards others. She's blamed me repeteadly for giving her a conscience. Heh. Fi being Demonic for ISTPs (and INTPs), may be one reason, especially when they refuse to evolve it or acknowledge it.

Edit: Also, I've seen Extorverts (esp. at work--) spread their anger to rally up troops to gossip or attack much more quickly than the Introverts I've seen. Though, the Introverts I've known have done it. They're just a bit slow to do it unless they're highly stressed and reacting in the moment due to someone or a situation. So no quick change of smiles or happiness...at least, not always.

The problem is that for introverts, it is often even more clear and pronounced that somebody is in a bad mood when they are putting on "airs".

You'll know when she's upset, she doesn't put on "airs" at all. Feelings come and go, she'll Fe out badly and then move on... and forget so quickly it might seem heinous :doh: but it's a beautiful thing to just move on too :D.. She won't keep grudges either, unless the same illogical people are continously in her prescence and even then, she'll just toy with them playfully (well, in her POV, it's playful..)
 

nightning

ish red no longer *sad*
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Ah, that is probably it. Because extroverts feed off the energy of other people, they try to keep the atmosphere light. That is probably the trait that gets misconstrued as shallowness.

Perhaps that's true...

Night: Thank you for the story. I wonder how often introverts think we know who extroverts are when we have but scratched the surface... :mellow:
 

Kiddo

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You'll know when she's upset, she doesn't put on "airs" at all. Feelings come and go, she'll Fe out badly and then move on... and forget so quickly it might seem heinous :doh: but it's a beautiful thing to just move on too :D.. She won't keep grudges either, unless the same illogical people are continously in her prescence and even then, she'll just toy with them playfully (well, in her POV, it's playful..)

What I was trying to say there was that introverts can usually read an extrovert's real mood better when an extrovert is putting on "airs".

Of course, Night's story casts a bit of a shadow on that assumption.
 

zarc

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What I was trying to say there was that introverts can usually read an extrovert's real mood better when an extrovert is putting on "airs".

Of course, Night's story casts a bit of a shadow on that assumption.

Ohh, I thought you meant Introverts. Your writing confused me! Or my comprehension of it confused me! :D No, your writing-- :ninja:

Yes, I enjoyed his story too.

@ Edahn *pets*
 

The Ü™

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Well, let's see.

S is shallow because it doesn't consider alternatives and takes things at face value.

N is shallow because it's full of impractical ideas. It also makes generalizations.

T is shallow because it is not sympathetic.

F is shallow because it is not systematic.

It all depends on a definition of shallow. In particular, S thinks N is shallow, N thinks S is shallow, because they both cognitively operate on different planes and see different things.
 

miss fortune

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:rofl1: only one other extrovert has responded?!? :huh:

Could an Fi/Fe difference play into that in any way?
 

Splittet

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Well, I don't think that equation describes anything real (generally speaking simple equations rarely makes sense dealing with people, people are too complex). What I think is that it is easier to see the personality of an extrovert compared to an introvert. If you deal with a shallow extrovert you are going to spot him much faster than if you deal with a shallow introvert. An extrovert full of crap is generally much worse than an introvert full of crap, while a wonderful extrovert is more wonderful than a wonderful introvert. The extroversion just boosts the tendency perceived in a person compared to introversion, because extroverts are more visible. Just a theory...
 

Night

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Actually, the diversity in response is a clever opportunity for my ultimate point to flower beyond what I'd initially aimed for.


;)
 

nemo

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When I'm not judging people by what brand of clothes they wear my favorite thing to do is gossip about Britney Spears and burn books.
 

Athenian200

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Is relating to the world outside of oneself as opposed to inside a form of shallowness? :huh:

I've been wondering lately if I'm a horribly superficial person because I view myself from the outside- from others reactions and such- as opposed to knowing who I am and all that. :(

Do introverts have a better sense of self than extroverts do?

Is extroversion shallow?

Extroversion doesn't make you shallow. It just means your depth is oriented outward rather than inward. You are probably more sensitive to what's going on around you and what it might mean than most Introverts are. Awareness of what's going on around you is often (if not always) more useful in a practical sense than knowledge of yourself and your motivations. That's why E's essentially have all the power and motivation to get things done.

Also, we all have Introverted and Extroverted functions. For instance, my Ni and Ti are Introverted, but my Fe is Extroverted. I do have deep awarenesses of my ideas and carefully consider the nature of my thoughts. But emotionally, I rely on comparing myself to other people to figure out how I feel about something. I just see where my feelings are relative to theirs. That's why I can't really work through emotions without discussing them. And to some extent, what I consider acceptable emotionally is governed by what effect I think it will have on how people perceive me emotionally. Of course, I can still refuse to respond to this by criticizing their belief internally, but that's Ni/Ti and has nothing to do with my feelings.
 

Seanan

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I've been wondering lately if I'm a horribly superficial person because I view myself from the outside- from others reactions and such- as opposed to knowing who I am and all that.

Do introverts have a better sense of self than extroverts do?


I addressed this before in a more personal way but will approach it differently now.

Just as I don't think the MB terms "Feeling" and "Thinking" apply to emotion/intelligence respectively but only the preferred or dominant subjective/objective approach to decision making, I don't think "Extrovert" and "Introvert" apply to shallowness/depth similarly. Nor can any of the four be logically induced into meaning anything other the definitions set forth in MB althought I've seen many do that repeatedly.

But, given that, I will use the terms more loosely in an attempt to get my point across. Extrovert, as commonly used, does not mean shallow nor does introvert mean deep. Either one is comfortable with self-examination or they are not. Either one chooses to observe their behavior in various situations and learn who they are based on that or they don't. Both extroverts and introverts can live their entire lives "hiding" from themselves and never discerning areas that could stand to "grow."

Either one can watch a movie or read a book, relate to the character, and learn about themselves from it and either one can just be entertained. "Seeing" one's self often takes backbone and some are either too afraid or lazy to engage in it. Intestinal fortitude, of that kind, is not unique to either. Perhaps the only difference between the extrovert and introvert, in this way, is that while the first may learn about themselves by observing/interacting with another person socially and running it through the "am I like that, do I approve of that" process to learn about themselves, the later will more likely do the same viewing a movie or literary character or close family member. The opportunities to learn about themselves are available to both equally if they choose to use them. Life is about choices and we learn who we are in making them. Extroverts and introverts make an equal number of choices throughout their lives.... some will reflect on the "why" of them and some won't... its not type-dependent.

*climbs down from soapbox*
 
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