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People typing themselves as I when they are raving E's!

PeaceBaby

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I recently found out that two people I know closely type themselves as introverts when to me they are raving extroverts!

My aunt: she could talk at you for an hour solid, do counselling with her patients, then go to a family get-together, and end the day at another social gathering or with another hour long phone chat.

A friend: who used to party non-stop, has a wide circle of friends who get together in big groups to socialize, was an usherette for years at sporting events after work and who now works in sales, traveling and meeting people all the time!

I agree with all the other aspects of their chosen type: one an SFP, the other an SFJ.

Is there something inherently biased in the testing to lead folks towards believing they are introverts? Even extroverts need quiet time - do you think the interpretation of the questions leads to this kind of incorrect conclusion?

Or are our lives so bombarded now that even extroverts need a need to get away from it and thus believe they must be introverted?

Can you turn from an E into an I? Or vice-versa???
 

BlackCat

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Nope.

Lol @ people who think that they're an introvert because they enjoy time alone.
 

Ivy

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I agree with you about the "time alone" thing. It doesn't mean you're an introvert. However, neither does being around people a lot mean you're an extrovert. E vs I isn't all about sociability. There are shy Es and Es who hate people. There are outgoing Is who have lots of friends. I don't think there is enough info in the OP to type either of those people as E or I. We would have to know more about their energy flow--do they mostly process inner information or outer information? Are they consumers of the world or observers of themselves?
 

Jaguar

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Can you turn from an E into an I? Or vice-versa???

Actually it's pretty well-known that as you age, the E and I can start to invert.
But that doesn't change your proclivity.
I score ENTJ and INTJ all the time.
I was a big E when I was younger.
Now I spend most of my time alone.
I think I got burned out on being so E for all those years.
But does that really mean I am an I?
Nope.

I was organizing large groups of people starting as early as high school.
That's true ENTJ behavior, not INTJ.
I'm an E who just happens to have gone inward as I aged.
It's normal.

There are natural I's who will get more E as they age.
That is also normal.
 

NewEra

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I vs. E is the most mistyped category in all of MBTI, I think. And it's not surprising why.
 

Udog

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I agree with you about the "time alone" thing. It doesn't mean you're an introvert. However, neither does being around people a lot mean you're an extrovert. E vs I isn't all about sociability. There are shy Es and Es who hate people. There are outgoing Is who have lots of friends. I don't think there is enough info in the OP to type either of those people as E or I. We would have to know more about their energy flow--do they mostly process inner information or outer information? Are they consumers of the world or observers of themselves?

Agreed. Some ISFPs and ISFJs can be very sociable.
 

simulatedworld

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I vs. E is the most mistyped category in all of MBTI, I think. And it's not surprising why.

It's because introversion/extroversion isn't actually a personality function itself; it's only an attitudinal direction of S/N/T/F...

What people don't realize is that Ixxx and Exxx are just two sides of the same person. Truly balanced people appear neither E nor I in the long run because they've learned to balance the dominant and auxiliary functions and apply each approach in just the right situations.

I see a lot of INTPs, for instance, who think they can use Ti for virtually every situation, including interaction with the outer world, and it never really works out for them until they learn to balance it with secondary Ne.

INTPs and ENTPs should study each other for guidance in their secondary functions...same for each other I/E dichotomy.
 

PeaceBaby

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Thanks all for your responses. :)

I don't think there is enough info in the OP to type either of those people as E or I.

Agreed; I didn't want to expand the post, and only gave a short summary. Both of the people in question seem to draw energy from people and being around them in the world. Which is what surprised me about their self-typing.

Agreed. Some ISFPs and ISFJs can be very sociable.

For these two it's not just about sociability. It's just that my vision of introversion must be something entirely different if they are introverts! Loud talkers, big laughers, everything to be experienced and enjoyed in the world kind of people. Perhaps I can come across that way myself, I don't know ...

Truly balanced people appear neither E nor I in the long run because they've learned to balance the dominant and auxiliary functions and apply each approach in just the right situations.

This is how I feel about myself IRL.
 

Udog

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For these two it's not just about sociability. It's just that my vision of introversion must be something entirely different if they are introverts! Loud talkers, big laughers, everything to be experienced and enjoyed in the world kind of people. Perhaps I can come across that way myself, I don't know ...

I find ISFPs and ISFJs are often times some of the most social of introverts. I mean, plenty of them can be shy and awkward, but they can also be wild party animals that get stir crazy if left without some form of social contact after awhile. S and F often amount to doing concrete stuff with people, it seems.

I know an ISFP that will appear like an E to any outside person. People jazz her up and excite her. She used to be a huge partier. The only difference is that she mixes that up with healthy doses of alone time. A fair amount of it, and her mental health revolves around the ability to get it. She goes through times where she is unreachable by the world.

Not every one is going to notice that, though. The introverted side is 'private', and not for the world to see. It's hers.
 

The_Liquid_Laser

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The typical ISFP will look like an extravert when compared to the typical INFP.
 

OrangeAppled

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I find ISFPs and ISFJs are often times some of the most social of introverts. I mean, plenty of them can be shy and awkward, but they can also be wild party animals that get stir crazy if left without some form of social contact after awhile. S and F often amount to doing concrete stuff with people, it seems.

I know an ISFP that will appear like an E to any outside person. People jazz her up and excite her. She used to be a huge partier. The only difference is that she mixes that up with healthy doses of alone time. A fair amount of it, and her mental health revolves around the ability to get it. She goes through times where she is unreachable by the world.

Not every one is going to notice that, though. The introverted side is 'private', and not for the world to see. It's hers.

My ISFJ mom is like, minus the wild part. She used to be extremely shy, but then grew out of it, and is very friendly and outgoing. However, anyone who really knows my mom knows that she is an introvert. Her focus in life is not on interacting with people. If you really examine her behavior, she is not constantly socializing.

I still agree with the OP. I think far too many people identify themselves as introverts who are not. Their primary focus is on the external, regardless of how much downtime they need.
 

Udog

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I still agree with the OP. I think far too many people identify themselves as introverts who are not. Their primary focus is on the external, regardless of how much downtime they need.

Sure. It seems pretty common that Es wonder if they are Is when they get reallly stressed and need to get away from it all. Their sharp need for solidarity compared to their usual method of behaving makes them start wondering if they are really introverts.

(Of course, that's just one explanation out of several potential ones.)
 

psyche

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Actually it's pretty well-known that as you age, the E and I can start to invert.
But that doesn't change your proclivity.
I score ENTJ and INTJ all the time.
I was a big E when I was younger.
Now I spend most of my time alone.
I think I got burned out on being so E for all those years.
But does that really mean I am an I?
Nope.

I was organizing large groups of people starting as early as high school.
That's true ENTJ behavior, not INTJ.
I'm an E who just happens to have gone inward as I aged.
It's normal.

There are natural I's who will get more E as they age.
That is also normal.


I wonder whether one's proclivity becomes more clear with age, rather than changes. For instance, I used to be extremely extraverted in many ways. As I got older and developed more self-esteem, I no longer needed the ego boost I used to get from being in the limelight. Accordingly, I no longer have the tolerance for being around people and center stage that I used to, so much so that I feel like I'm no longer a "true" extravert. Having said that, I have a question about this that I'm going to start a new thread for.
 
G

Glycerine

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I wonder whether one's proclivity becomes more clear with age, rather than changes. For instance, I used to be extremely extraverted in many ways. As I got older and developed more self-esteem, I no longer needed the ego boost I used to get from being in the limelight. Accordingly, I no longer have the tolerance for being around people and center stage that I used to, so much so that I feel like I'm no longer a "true" extravert. Having said that, I have a question about this that I'm going to start a new thread for.

I have a strong feeling you probably are still an E. My ex ENFP teacher (60) said he thought he became a lot more introverted as he got older so that maybe he became INFP. All I could see for the whole semester was his Ne on hyper overdrive.
 

Thalassa

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I have a really hard time deciding between ENFP and INFP, and it's because my preference is relatively mild for both introversion and extroversion.

Someone told me that S is more extroverted than N, that F is more extroverted than T, and P is more extroverted than J.
 
G

Glycerine

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I have a really hard time deciding between ENFP and INFP, and it's because my preference is relatively mild for both introversion and extroversion.

Someone told me that S is more extroverted than N, that F is more extroverted than T, and P is more extroverted than J.

Not necessary, ENTP is supposed to be one of the least extroverted extroverts.
I have also heard that about ENFPs but I find that really hard to believe. Most of the ENFPs are very extroverted. I think it it depends on the person. However, you give me more of an INFP vibe.
 

Thalassa

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Not necessary, ENTP is supposed to be one of the least extroverted extroverts.
I have also heard that about ENFPs but I find that really hard to believe. Most of the ENFPs are very extroverted. I think it it depends on the person. However, you give me more of an INFP vibe.

I test ENFp in Socionics, and I do lean toward ENFP for the very reason of of them being "introverted extroverts."

I could have gotten the J and P mixed up. Maybe J is the more extroverted.
 
G

Glycerine

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Sure. It seems pretty common that Es wonder if they are Is when they get reallly stressed and need to get away from it all. Their sharp need for solidarity compared to their usual method of behaving makes them start wondering if they are really introverts.

(Of course, that's just one explanation out of several potential ones.)

hahahaha, I am probably guilty of this. My brothers used to tell me to shut up because I talked so dang much. However, some people would say I am introverted if they caught me in an uncomfortable social situation or there is ABSOLUTELY nothing to say.
 
G

Glycerine

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I test ENFp in Socionics, and I do lean toward ENFP for the very reason of of them being "introverted extroverts."

I could have gotten the J and P mixed up. Maybe J is the more extroverted.
Well, some are very introverted and others are very extroverted. :) Only you know if you are ENFP or not so go for it if you think you are. :) Although, one thing to note is that socionics does NOT always line up with MBTI.
 
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PeaceBaby

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I wonder whether one's proclivity becomes more clear with age, rather than changes.

I too have thought similarly. We develop a clarity that enables us to shed the behaviors used to prop our egos (or hide our deficits) and act more to our true nature.

It means I am not always "nice" and am occasionally slightly obnoxious ... shocking, I know.
 
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