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*