[NT] Shy ENTPs out there?

[Malcontent]

Can ENTPs mistype themselves as INTP because of shyness/withdrawn with strangers or not-well-known people, but really talkative with close people?
And can ENTPs stay alone a lot of time enjoing their many interests in solitude?

 

[funkadelik]

I can be shy sometimes, sure, but I think it goes hand-in-hand with some kind of problem with my mental/emotional state. Like last year, I battled pretty extensively with depression and I'd say I was quite reserved during that time.

Normally, though, I'm pretty outgoing with anyone and everyone. Doesn't mean I prefer any social interaction over solitude, though. I highly value my one-and-one time with my intellectual pursuits and will happily put that on hold for a good verbal sparring, a good joke, or quality time with people I get along with.

Anything else...I could take it or leave it and be unaffected.

 

[Spurgeon]

Quiet and introspective, but not shy. Not really.

 

[Anew Leaf]

Can ENTPs mistype themselves as INTP because of shyness/withdrawn with strangers or not-well-known people, but really talkative with close people?
And can ENTPs stay alone a lot of time enjoing their many interests in solitude?

I think ENTPs can be. My most recent ex had kind of the shy ENTP thing going at first because relationships are out of his realm of knowledge really. But then the more I got to know him the louder it got.

He also wasn't much of a people person, and he tended to view extraversion/introversion in regards to that. Whereas I think in the context of MBTI it's more of an energy question.

I have another ENTP friend who thinks he is an introvert and he is about as extraverted as you can get. It's really quite funny to see him attempt to argue his way out of that one.

It's possible that you could be more on the cusp of the I or the E and therefore are having some issues pinpointing your type down. Have you looked much into the cognitive functions? Just to see if you feel you are more Ne first and then Ti as a backup or Ti first with Ne as a backup.

 

[A window to the soul]

Can ENTPs mistype themselves as INTP because of shyness/withdrawn with strangers or not-well-known people, but really talkative with close people?

I mistyped myself as an INTP. For a long time, I thought I was introverted. I finally compared myself to the real introverts and studied the functions.

Yes, I am really talkative with close people.

As far as strangers go, it depends on the stranger and the setting. I'm not afraid to talk to strangers when I've got a reason. I don't know what it is about some public settings, but I feel vulnerable standing around talking to strangers sometimes; like when I'm pumping gas and a stranger walks up making conversation.

And can ENTPs stay alone a lot of time enjoying their many interests in solitude?

Sometimes I like solitude, but I also like company in the background. When I'm working on a project, I like the sights and sounds of life around me. In case I blow something up or I need help, someone has my back!

 

[MoneyTick]

Can ENTPs mistype themselves as INTP because of shyness/withdrawn with strangers or not-well-known people, but really talkative with close people?
And can ENTPs stay alone a lot of time enjoing their many interests in solitude?

Key words:

shyness/withdrawn with strangers

talkative with close people

Extroverts are stimulated by the outside world, and new interactions with people are invigorating. Yes, you can be a shy extrovert. But this would mean that you would have an unquenchable "itch" to go out and interact with people, and yet that "itch" would be a source of anxiety/fear since satisfying your urge to communicate would entail problems causing your shyness (whether it may be social anxiety, stuttering, feeling like an outcast in a conversation, etc...).

Being a shy extrovert is like a caged eagle. You were meant to fly, but there is steel trapwork around the perimeter preventing you from doing so. This can lead to major disorders such as depression, more anxiety, and fatigue.

Your mention of being comfortable with communication in a familiar "close friend" type of setting leads me to believe you are on the introverted scale. Less is more for an introvert. More people is never enough for an extrovert.

ENTPs are probably one of the most extroverted types. If a magic genie purges away all of the specific issues causing your shyness, could you picture yourself being out there and genuinely enjoying yourself with a crowd? Or vice versa?

There is always some sort of "noise" in one's persona that could distort an accurate typological assessment, whether it may be logistical (you were born and reside in some weird farmtown in Oklahoma with no people around to meet), medical (head trauma causing mental disorders), or psychological (social phobia). Removing the noise reveals the true you.

Do you enjoy your interests in solitude because its the next best thing after going out? Or do you just enjoy the serenity of solitude because it feels natural?

I guess the real question is: Why are you shy? ... Lack of confidence? Lack of people skills? Fear of the unknown? Fear of rejection? Lack of a sense of humor (too dry, stern, and generic sounding)?

Again, think of the eagle scenario. Do you have a natural urge to interact with the outer world, yet refrain due to the foregoing traits (or lack thereof)? Or do you feel 100% at peace with your activities in solitude, yet feel as if there is some kind of "void" in a facet of your life (sociability)?

 

[Riva]

Quiet and introspective, but not shy. Not really.

Amen to this. Quiet and introspective at times it is .

 

[Kasper]

Quiet and introspective, but not shy. Not really.

Ya.

Shyness is not restricted to introverts though, and many ENTPs mistype as INTPs because of their ability to be withdrawn or introspective etc.

 

[thisGuy]

E doesn't mean centre of attention or being actively socializing or networking. It implies a preference to be around people for the sake of it - feeling good when there are people around.

I doesn't mean being shy or hesitant or bad with people. It means wanting to be by yourself - it means that you have to take a nap after hanging out with people all day.

 

[Malcontent]

Being a shy extrovert is like a caged eagle. You were meant to fly, but there is steel trapwork around the perimeter preventing you from doing so. This can lead to major disorders such as depression, more anxiety, and fatigue.

It's the way I feel sometimes and I experience mild depression, anxiety and fatigue.

If a magic genie purges away all of the specific issues causing your shyness, could you picture yourself being out there and genuinely enjoying yourself with a crowd?

I'd not be a party animal, but my social life could be very better.

Do you enjoy your interests in solitude because its the next best thing after going out? Or do you just enjoy the serenity of solitude because it feels natural?

There are a lot of things I like doing alone, such as reading, watching movies, surfing the web, listening music, alone at home. But if one of my friends suggest me a dinner with friends I am happy to go.

I guess the real question is: Why are you shy? ... Lack of confidence? Lack of people skills? Fear of the unknown? Fear of rejection? Lack of a sense of humor (too dry, stern, and generic sounding)?

Mainly fear of rejection and fear of being embarrassed appearing not intelligent, not brilliant etc...

Again, think of the eagle scenario. Do you have a natural urge to interact with the outer world, yet refrain due to the foregoing traits (or lack thereof)? Or do you feel 100% at peace with your activities in solitude, yet feel as if there is some kind of "void" in a facet of your life (sociability)?

If I stay alone for an entire day, then I need people, maybe not a strong interaction, but at least to observe, to be with, or I become anxious.
Otherwise, If I interact with prople too much I become tired.

Thanks to all.

 

[celesul]

Extroverts are stimulated by the outside world, and new interactions with people are invigorating. Yes, you can be a shy extrovert. But this would mean that you would have an unquenchable "itch" to go out and interact with people, and yet that "itch" would be a source of anxiety/fear since satisfying your urge to communicate would entail problems causing your shyness (whether it may be social anxiety, stuttering, feeling like an outcast in a conversation, etc...).

Being a shy extrovert is like a caged eagle. You were meant to fly, but there is steel trapwork around the perimeter preventing you from doing so. This can lead to major disorders such as depression, more anxiety, and fatigue.

This! I was pretty much exactly like this when I was younger. I'm known for being very extroverted and social now, and I'm much happier socially. I still sometimes get kind of sad and lonely though... But yeah... a shy ENTP is a very, very sad ENTP.

 

[Such Irony]

Can ENTPs mistype themselves as INTP because of shyness/withdrawn with strangers or not-well-known people, but really talkative with close people?
And can ENTPs stay alone a lot of time enjoing their many interests in solitude?

Yes to both questions.

 

[A window to the soul]

Someone sent me a rep asking me what finally convinced me I was 'E'. On a normal day, my desire to do the following over-powers my desire for self-preservation:

• interact
• bounce ideas off of people
• state the facts, correct an error
• ask a question, collect the facts, problem solve
• argue, sometimes for the sake of argument
• team work!

I like people.

 

[thisGuy]

E, dear person, at the very fundamental level is you gaining energy from the casual interaction of people around you. Then as you proceed to get familiar with social norms, you tend to become a master at these. This doesn't imply you always were a master at it. Since social interaction a learned skill, the shyness you talk about is also a learned skill and thus has little to do with E/I. In fact, the world's reward system requires that I-people be good at social interactions and the uber Es tone it down to give their tertiary function a chance to develop (a phenomenon seen as 'maturity' in the everyday world).

 

[mikamickmac]

I think I've been mistyped INTP.

I was typed INTP about 10 yrs ago and again only a few months ago. But following my marriage breakdown about 2 yrs ago, I saw a psychologist to prepare myself for the road ahead and, after a few chats, he thought I might have Social Anxiety Disorder.

Symptoms I exhibited included:

• a constant fear of being scrutinised
• ruminating
• sweating
• Being conscious of the way I walk

At that time, I had NEVER, gone up to a girl in a bar and said "Hi"!!!! And I hated using the phone.

Having read the profile of ENTP, I suspect that I DO have Social Anxiety Disorder and that it has caused me to be mistyped as INTP.

Why do I think that?

I enjoy going to parties, even though I fear them. More often that not, I'm in the final group to leave.
I have never had a problem talking one-on-one with a total stranger for hours at a time - as long as they are the one who says "hi" first.
I like to brainstorm with others
I'm a bit of an exhibitionist when in the company of people I know
I love playing devil's advocate
I enjoy presenting...as long as I know my subject matter well.

And since I've been out on my own, I've become very comfortable with the phone thanks to internet dating - my first phone calls with girls I'd never met went for 45 mins. My most recent one went for 2 hrs!

 

[mikamickmac]

There are degrees of shyness - some people feel threatened by more situations than others. Shyness can exist in extroverts but it is in conflict with their preferred way of being. The need to gain energy from other people leads to repeated exposure to threatening situations and, in many situations (particularly where shyness is mild) the shyness will be dissipated, perhaps even eradicated. If the shyness is approaching strong Social Anxiety Disorder, I believe even the extrovert may not be willing to try the exposure path and may, therefore, type as an I.

Shyness sits harmoniously with the Introvert's preferred way of being because he/she gets his/her energy from within and, therefore, the Introvert may have no significant need or desire to overcome the shyness.

Statistically, there are significantly more shy introverts than there are shy extroverts leading to the misinformed believing that shyness = introversion. However, even if we assume that a introverted child is no more likely to be shy than an extroverted child, this statistical imbalance is likely to be due to the extroverts greater determination to overcome his/her shyness as he/she passes into and through adulthood.

All in my ignorant opinion

Hmmm... this has me wondering - is the "problem child" the shy extrovert battling with the conflict?

 

[So It Goes]

I sometimes wonder whether I am more extroverted or introverted. After a few hours of socializing, I want to leave, and I don't enjoy much small talk, but I do talk around people for a while and feel naturally charged by good conversations. In later years, I've spent more time in solitude. But after a few days alone, I'm brimming with energy and want to interact with others again.

Maybe I am an INTP with higher intuition or an ENTP who needs to escape after a while in social situations. I feel like I use my extroverted intuition much more than my introverted thinking, by absorbing information from the environment and finding possibilities. However, there's always that need to analyze everything, to dissect arguments, to clarify myself and find the underlying meaning to experiences.