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Introverts, were you more outgoing as a child?

sofmarhof

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Apr 30, 2009
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327
MBTI Type
INTP
I was shy around adult strangers, but less shy around my peers than I am now.

I was definitely an introvert already, but I was much more talkative.
 

ayoitsStepho

Twerking & Lurking
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Sep 20, 2009
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4,838
MBTI Type
ISFP
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4w3
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
I was a lot more outgoing as a child. I've always been more outgoing around adults than my peers though. As I went through middle school, thats when I clammed up.
 

BlueGray

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Oct 7, 2009
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INTP
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5
I've been an obvious introvert my whole life. My outgoingness changes though. I'd say It went up till about age 8 to 9 then fell till age 13-14 and has been going up since. Middle school clamming up matches with ayo.
 

entropie

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Intresting thread idea.

Back a very long time ago there was a clear distinction between social introversion and introversion in mbti terms on typelogycentral that was debated and often referred to in posts. The main idea was: is a person, who was born at the north pole and lived alone there for 30 years ever able to be an assertive E type in mbti terms ?

I liked that question and it did add some new dimensions to the perception of the term introversion.
 

Quinlan

Intriguing....
Joined
Apr 6, 2008
Messages
3,004
MBTI Type
ISFP
Enneagram
9w1
Primary school: Ingoing
Intermediate School: Outgoing
Early High School:Outgoing
Late High School: Ingoing
University: Ingoing
Now: Ingoing
 

reality.ensues

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Nov 13, 2009
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36
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INfp
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4w5
I've always been very talkative when prodded, and I was, and still am, pretty outgoing. I thought I was an extrovert when I first found MBTI, but now that I know what extroversion/introversion is, I realize that I'm highly introverted.
 

Walking Tourist

it's tea time!
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Nov 11, 2008
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MBTI Type
esfp
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7
No. I was a very shy child. I became more outgoing as I grew older.
 

Kingfisher

full of love
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May 24, 2009
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MBTI Type
ESFP
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9w8
yeah, i was very outgoing and outspoken as a kid. kind of a smart-ass.
then in my late teens and 20s i became really introverted.
recently i am becoming more extroverted.
 

Ism

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When I was younger I actually was more outgoing, but I was quiet until I got a bit more comfortable with the person. I preferred hanging out with adults more and still do, but I didn't talk much to them then or now.

I suppose it can be said that it was because I was more comfortable, so I acted more extroverted around my elementary companions.
 

Tallulah

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Feb 19, 2008
Messages
6,009
MBTI Type
INTP
Always shy and introverted, but more outgoing and louder around people I knew well. I felt pretty comfortable speaking out in class, and sometimes got in trouble for talking. I can be outgoing for short periods of time, especially when I have something to contribute.
 

wolfy

awsm
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Jun 30, 2008
Messages
12,251
I was more or less the same. I'm a bit more outgoing now probably most definitely.
 

MagnifaSnail

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Jan 2, 2010
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MBTI Type
INxP
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5w4
I was much more talkative and silly when I was younger. I also had a penchant for being "sweet" kind and sensitive. I also had some real anxiety issues through a lot of elementary school that lessened when I became a little older. From then on I became more and more withdrawn and began to change my personality greatly pretty much dropping the anxiety and sensitivity all together. It's still there, but now (at 17 years of age, so still young) it is much less prevalent and I live almost exclusively in my head.
 

letsplaytwister

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Nov 21, 2009
Messages
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I was a shy child, but in high school I could have been pinned as an extrovert, ESPECIALLY when I was with my ENFP best friend, and we were inseparable. After high school, I became gradually more introverted.
 

Spamtar

Ghost Monkey Soul
Joined
Sep 1, 2009
Messages
4,468
MBTI Type
INTP
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5w4
In grade school I was the class clown. More so in the 5th grade. It was private Catholic school and the class elected me president because they knew it would piss off the teacher (teacher subsequently called off the election and put the runner up teacher pet as president). Dad pulled me out after that which made me happy and loved the remainder of 5th and 6th in grade school.

Pretty girls for the most part always made me shy (although for some reason when I was 5 and 6 I kissed a lot of them) but I was otherwise outgoing prior to puberty.

Puberty times changed me more introverted in general and even shy of girls to the point of not being able to talk when seeing small lumps on their chest or a bit of camel toe. Hated Jr. High there was a popular girl who bullied me and I kept on getting into fights with guys..even started a food fight during one that got me suspended. Also got the all time record for most consecutive detentions (45 days) one of them for making a voodoo doll of my home economics teacher. Jr. high found a lot of the "minorities" were just as bad as the whites when it came to joining cliques. Always hated cliques and still kinda do.

I felt like a loner although I was also a social butterfly to the degree I wasn't too prejudiced about the different groups/races/ethnicities/socio economic levels (more standoffish to the jocks and the preppies though). High school liked to cut classes. Went to first period and ditched most of the other classes both by myself and whoever else I could partner up with for a ditching. Some people thought I was cooler towards the end because I had a fair amount of bad boy friends, but basically I was the same spacy antiauthoritarian (except respected my folks although didn't like my Dad much when I was in HS but was friends with him again in college) kinda socially awkward kid. Threw a huge New Years eve party the last year of high school with mass flyers, a band, a couple of kegs (and even stickers) cops broke it up said 500 guests (although that sounds like a large overestimate).

College was still pretty much a loner but new some popular friends and they invited me to parties and clubbing.
Felt socially obliged to go out and party in high school and college (mostly drank and goofed off) later in college dancing and picking up girls as a PUA and the club scene.
I don't know if people are full of shit but a fair amount of those who I remember me from high school and college seemed to recall liking me than my recollection. Now am comfortable with my introversion. People seem to like me and I like to keep them at arms length. If I want to I can morph into ESTP mode and make instant friends with everyone in the room or can play the wallflower. After basic manners and a few key loyalties and rules my philosophy is basically to do whatever makes you happy and fuck society and those who wish to control you.
 

white_phones

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Jan 13, 2010
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7
MBTI Type
INTJ
If only ..... :(

i was the weird kid that very one stayed away from

lol but its all good! In fact as i got older and was more used to

being me i became more out going. Like the me now is very outgoing in a way

and very daring maybe to much sometimes.
 

tibby

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Nov 22, 2008
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682
MBTI Type
fool
I've always been out-going and even assertive in small groups or environments where we have this good tight group atmosphere going, but the moment the size of the group gets bigger I've never felt comfortable being in any kind of spotlight, I rather fade away in the background.

In school I've always considered to be the quiet one, never felt comfortable raising my thoughts in class unless it was a small one and more like an open discussion where I may have well talked my head off. I was always afraid of making a fool out of my self somehow and jesus, when I had a lot of thoughts I somehow wished to discuss about, we're already in some other topic while I'm still trying to put the words in my head in the most coherent clear and understood form. God that was frustrating.

So pretty much been introvert all me life?
 
P

Phantonym

Guest
As a child, I was still very much introverted, not extremely shy but not outgoing either. I think I just didn't care about it, I minded my own business and it was fine, I enjoyed it because I didn't know that being outgoing matters.

During my teenage years I started to care, a lot. It caused me social anxiety up until I was 17 and it was quite bad. After that, I still cared about not being more outgoing but it didn't make me that anxious anymore.
 

Southern Kross

Away with the fairies
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Dec 22, 2008
Messages
2,910
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INFP
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4w5
Instinctual Variant
so/sp
I was actually MORE shy and withdrawn as a child. I really struggled when around strangers, felt shear terror when in many social situations and I didn't verbalise what went on in my head half as much as I do now. Sure, I was more talkative and friendly when at home and around friends but even then I could be completely disengaged from what went on around me. I could be in a room full of my friends and family, then I might find a toy or something that interested me and would just socially shut down without even knowing it. Now I'm better at pretending to be outgoing and controlling my impulses.

I wonder now how I changed. I think it was a combination of my circumstances forcing me to adapt and my own attempts to change. I really forced myself into becoming more open and was rather brutal about it. I threw myself in the deep end over and over again with this drill sergeant-like part of me screaming at me to swim. Desensitizing myself helped I suppose. I think I just got sick of the anxiety, the restrictions it created on my life and my social outcast status (not that these have changed dramatically). Besides, everything and everyone basically was telling me direct or indirectly that what I was is wrong and unacceptable.
 

Chloe

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May 1, 2009
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It would be so awesome if you can add a poll to this topic:wubbie:
 
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