[ENTP] Somewhat of a struggle to understand this...

[esidebill]

My questions here are twofold.

My personality type seems to be flawed in one way. I would like to think that I am perhaps a more extroverted person, but upon looking at my lifestyle, sometimes I think I confuse the ability to socialize with the necessity to socialize. I thought the idea about "expending" and "gaining" energy through these social interactions and trying to fit the idea into my lifestyle, I have found I don't mind doing a speech in front of a class, or going to a party, but I don't mind going home and relaxing. Overall, I guess its more a matter of which fits me more. I want to say the I rather than the E due to the fact that my life has mostly been an introverted one, but sometimes I have been awed by my ability to debate/argue topics.

Secondly, how can some people so easily justify labeling people as a personality type from these forum posts?

 

[INTPness]

If you work all day and deal with people all day, do you then want to go out at night and be around people more? Or do you get off work and think, "Wow, I need some alone time."??? Or, when you go to an all-night party with a bunch of people, do you wake up the next morning and think, "I want to be around people again today! That was fun!" Or do you think, "I spent all day yesterday around people and today I just want to be alone with my thoughts."

For me, it's that kind of thing. Also, it's possible to be xNTP. In the middle. It's a continuum. I <-------------------> E. We are all at different points on the continuum. I have an ENTP aunt who claims to be introverted, but relative to me, she's very much an extrovert. Her = likes to stay home by herself 3 days per week. Other 4 days, she's networking, talking to everyone, etc. Me = My need for this type of interaction is much less. I do it, but in shorter doses and less frequently. She gets energized by it. I feel tired and drained from it.

As for your 2nd question, people are usually "labeling" themselves as a certain type based on a test, or multiple tests, that they have taken and/or by reading the descriptions of various types and finding the one that they relate to very much.

 

[esidebill]

I guess thinking about it, it's more based on impulse. When I look at my life, I'd say most of it is introversion. Mostly by choice. I've had the opportunities to go to a comedy show or a party, but prefer to stay home. I suppose you just move day to day depending how how you need to fill your E or I needs.

 

[INTPness]

Yeah, it can vary from day to day. Sometimes (twice a month?) I will really have a desire to be around people. It happens. And yeah, we all *could* go to parties or comedy shows - we all have opportunities to do those things. Some of us just aren't as interested in it because we don't get much from it, other than feeling drained. It's Friday night, I could go out and attend various get-togethers and parties if I wanted. But, I've interacted with people all week and I have more interacting all day tomorrow. Therefore, tonight is introvert time. And Sunday probably will be too. Gotta find that balance, which is different for each person.

 

[esidebill]

I find the only things I'm readily able to go out and interact all day are things that I have passions for. Perhaps basketball for example.

 

[Fluffywolf]

My questions here are twofold.

My personality type seems to be flawed in one way. I would like to think that I am perhaps a more extroverted person, but upon looking at my lifestyle, sometimes I think I confuse the ability to socialize with the necessity to socialize. I thought the idea about "expending" and "gaining" energy through these social interactions and trying to fit the idea into my lifestyle, I have found I don't mind doing a speech in front of a class, or going to a party, but I don't mind going home and relaxing. Overall, I guess its more a matter of which fits me more. I want to say the I rather than the E due to the fact that my life has mostly been an introverted one, but sometimes I have been awed by my ability to debate/argue topics.

Secondly, how can some people so easily justify labeling people as a personality type from these forum posts?

Firstly, I am myself a deeply introverted person, but I can function fine in a group. The difference is that if I had a choice, I would choose to be alone over being with others, but being with others doesn't depress me either. Being introverted, doesn't mean you are not capable of being outgoing. But ofcourse, the preference for introverts is to have time for yourself first and foremost. An introvert would die of exhaustion, figuratively, if spending day in day out amongst other people, forced to interact with them. An Extravert would die of exhaustion in solitary, away from other people.

Secondly, intuition! And guessing is like half the fun. But MBTI is nothing more than a categorial system. It's no different from argueing to which genre a certain song belongs to.

 

[ceecee]

My questions here are twofold.

My personality type seems to be flawed in one way. I would like to think that I am perhaps a more extroverted person, but upon looking at my lifestyle, sometimes I think I confuse the ability to socialize with the necessity to socialize. I thought the idea about "expending" and "gaining" energy through these social interactions and trying to fit the idea into my lifestyle, I have found I don't mind doing a speech in front of a class, or going to a party, but I don't mind going home and relaxing. Overall, I guess its more a matter of which fits me more. I want to say the I rather than the E due to the fact that my life has mostly been an introverted one, but sometimes I have been awed by my ability to debate/argue topics.

Secondly, how can some people so easily justify labeling people as a personality type from these forum posts?

I think you've learned to "fake it" just like I have and many introverts have. I realize the preferred personality is extroverted and to make life easier for myself, I figured it out early on.
We can socialize when necessary, sometimes we even come to enjoy it. The big difference for me is that I know I don't feed off others, interactions with others or socialization in general. I have to recharge by myself at some point in the day. That's when I really feel introverted. As far as labeling people by their forum posts...it's speculation. We can only go by what we read but I type people I meet constantly in my head. That's a byproduct of coming here.

 

[esidebill]

I think you've learned to "fake it" just like I have and many introverts have. I realize the preferred personality is extroverted and to make life easier for myself, I figured it out early on.
We can socialize when necessary, sometimes we even come to enjoy it. The big difference for me is that I know I don't feed off others, interactions with others or socialization in general. I have to recharge by myself at some point in the day. That's when I really feel introverted. As far as labeling people by their forum posts...it's speculation. We can only go by what we read but I type people I meet constantly in my head. That's a byproduct of coming here.

You know this is pretty correct thinking about it. As a kid I never had great social skills but learned it over time through necessity. That makes a lot of sense