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Has any "I" type been important to history?

W

WALMART

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I understand I could answer this question with a quick google search, but I would rather hear y'all's interpretation on the matter.


I, personally, don't feel an introverted type has cared about the external world enough to see lasting change among a population. If they have, they sure must have transcended into the extroverted realm of thinking.



I'm fairly new to this deep psychology stuff, so if I am incorrect, please provide factual information as to why I may be talking out of my ass.
 

BlackCat

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George Washington immediately comes to mind, ISTJ. Mother Theresa was an ISFJ as well.
 

SD45T-2

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Albert Einstein was an INTP.
 
W

WALMART

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I'll have to research both mother theresa and george washington's motives, although I can most definitely understand how someone like albert einstein could reach a place of infamy while maintaining his introversion.
 

skylights

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The only thing "introvert" means in terms of cognitive processing is that you derive more thoughts from inside your mind than from the external realm... so while this may have a moderate correlation with how much you interact with the external world, it probably has a fairly weak correlation with how much you care to make change in the external world.

Personally I suspect that IxxJs are more likely to have lasting impact than ExxPs - they possess more of a drive to manipulate the external world.

What about Jung himself? He's variously typed as INTP or INFJ, but has had quite an impact on the psychological community, including every single person who posts here.
 

Red Herring

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"Introversion" does not mean locking yourself into a cell in a monastery or being a hermit (and even there you could write an influencial book, do research, etc). It just means you have an either small or pronounced preference for inward directed cognitive processes. Plenty of introverts are out and about in the world, making a difference. They just might come home a bit more tired than others if their work requires them to interact with others and constantly focus on external aspects (which doesn't have to be the case).
 

herbpixie

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While I am not historically relevant (yet!), I'm going to pipe up as an introvert who very much cares about the outside world. Many scientists and writers are introverted. I'm fairly certain that J.D. Salinger was an historically relevant introvert. :)
 

Aquarelle

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I, personally, don't feel an introverted type has cared about the external world enough to see lasting change among a population. If they have, they sure must have transcended into the extroverted realm of thinking.

Of course Introverts care about the external world. This would be like me saying no Thinker has ever cared about people enough to make an effort to make people's lives better, because obviously, only Feelers care about people.

EDIT for examples:
Lincoln
Darwin
Da Vinci
Martin Luther
Marx
Lennon
Warhol
JK Rowling
Steve Jobs
Jackie Kennedy
Kurt Cobain
 

Fluffywolf

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I's and E's can both be important to the world, and they can both suck too.
 

Lady_X

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George Washington immediately comes to mind, ISTJ. Mother Theresa was an ISFJ as well.

What?? Mothers Theresa is infp I thought

Anyway op!? Come on!
 

Within

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I, personally, don't feel an introverted type has cared about the external world enough to see lasting change among a population. If they have, they sure must have transcended into the extroverted realm of thinking.

Your understanding of introversion/extroversion is laughable.
 

UniqueMixture

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Many great poets, inventors, theologians, mathematcians, military leaders, and even politicians.

Plato comes to mind, alan turing, ghandi, Wittgenstein, Thoreau, newton, proust, kirkegaard, kant, Rousseau, Descartes, neitzsche, voltaire, buddha, confucius, jesus, lincoln, jfk, pretty sure ceasar as well. I'm sure with a bit of research I could go on and on.

Edit:

Forbes.com has an article on it. They list: einstein, warren buffet, chopin, darwin, ghandi, al gore, newton, Larry page (cofounder of google), rosa parks, eleanor Roosevelt, j.k. rowling, and more
 

Stanton Moore

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Most (great) writers.
Most anyone who engages in a largely solitary pursuit is probably introverted.
 

Fluffywolf

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Come to think of it, I can think of much more important introverted people than extraverted people. So nyer! :p
 

Totenkindly

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I'm fairly new to this deep psychology stuff, so if I am incorrect, please provide factual information as to why I may be talking out of my ass.

Just read some history books. I can't begin to describe the number of introverts who have made a difference in major ways to external reality, as they had hoped.

If it's too broad a topic, why not just look at US presidents? There's quite a number of introverts in the 40+ leaders we've had since our country began.

The answer just seems so clear that I'm thinking your definition of introvert is far more restrictive than the theory would suppose.
 
W

WALMART

Guest
I was trying mostly to get a rise out of people to learn a little about the subject, but it didnt work very well.


actually, i lied, it worked fairly well.


Also, i wouldnt consider a lot of the people mentioned here important to history. Things would be the same without jung, but not without say che guevara.

Maybe, as one poster stated, i have no grasp on what introversion/extroversion is. I really cant bring myself to read :/




also i was really really drunk when i wrote this. that's my excuse for most things, i've noticed.....
 

Fluffywolf

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I was trying mostly to get a rise out of people to learn a little about the subject, but it didnt work very well.

Also, i wouldnt consider a lot of the people important to history. Things would be the same without freund, but not without say che guevara.

Maybe, as one poster stated, i have no grasp on what introversion/extroversion is. I really cant bring myself to read :/

That in itself raises an interesting thought though...

...If the introverts are the ones that write history...

:D
 

Totenkindly

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I was trying mostly to get a rise out of people to learn a little about the subject, but it didnt work very well. actually, i lied, it worked fairly well.

Yeah, but now you're liable to be the first one thrown off the boat when supplies run low. Gratz! :smile:

Also, i wouldnt consider a lot of the people mentioned here important to history. Things would be the same without jung, but not without say che guevara.

You really believe Freud had no influence on the development of Western thought, which in turn impacted social policies and the direction of scientific study, etc?

I guess some guy shoots someone else with a gun, that makes a fast and direct impact on the outer world. But it's not the only way to impact reality.

also i was really really drunk when i wrote this. that's my excuse for most things, i've noticed.....

LOL! Okay, I'll buy that one, it's pretty honest.

That in itself raises an interesting thought though...
...If the introverts are the ones that write history...
:D

New t-shirt:

"Introverts: We don't need to create history. We just revise it."
 
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