What is known about 50/50 Extroversion / Introversion?

[Pushbeat]

It isn't hard to understand that some people are extremely extroverted. Or extremely introverted. I know a few.

But how about people, like me, that have more or less 50 percent extroversion and introversion? I like to be alone and charge myself in silence, but I also like to be among other people and I really enjoy them. I have done a lot of MBTI-tests over a period of 5 years, and on average my score is 50/50. I even have typed myself terrible wrong in the beginning, but E and I were always equally.
So in addition to this, in terms of MBTI it is hard to tell if my primary cognitive process is E or I.

What is known about 50/50 Extroversion / Introversion?

 

[jryn1993]

E/I in relation to cognitive function and E/I as traits aren't quite the same thing. In the big 5 test for example that wouldn't really be considered exotic, just well balanced. I think the vast majority of mbti style tests you find online drop the ball by asking questions that have more to do with how much extraversion you possess as a trait then if your main function is E/I.
For example, I can think of at least 2 people I know quite well that are clearly E's in the mbti sense (ESFP and ESTJ), who are a lot more uncomfortable around strangers than I am.
Also from the functions point of view you might just use your secondary function a hell of a lot. Which is generally a good thing.

 

[RaptorWizard]

I think most people who can't tell if they are extraverts or introverts are generally introverts with a social fix first (or at least second).

 

[Honor]

I feel like I'm one of these people too...like, you can't tell whether I'm an introvert or an extrovert. Between the people who know me well, half would insist that I'm an extrovert and half that I'm an introvert.

 

[Glycerine]

The extroverts say I am introverted while the introverts say I am extroverted, typically.

 

[RaptorWizard]

The extroverts say I am introverted while the introverts say I am extroverted, typically.

Outcast, you don't belong with anybody!

I would have to see a video of you to know though. Do you have one?

 

[Glycerine]

I did if you are willing to look through the recesses of the video challenge thread. It is really crappy because the video is really dark (has little to no lighting).

 

[Honor]

The extroverts say I am introverted while the introverts say I am extroverted, typically.

ME TOO! lol, maybe I'm ENFJ.

 

[Glycerine]

ME TOO! lol, maybe I'm ENFJ.

haha maybe. who knows?

 

[skylights]

Even my introverted friends say I'm introverted. But I'm more N than F, so ENFP it is.

 

[Lark]

It isn't hard to understand that some people are extremely extroverted. Or extremely introverted. I know a few.

But how about people, like me, that have more or less 50 percent extroversion and introversion? I like to be alone and charge myself in silence, but I also like to be among other people and I really enjoy them. I have done a lot of MBTI-tests over a period of 5 years, and on average my score is 50/50. I even have typed myself terrible wrong in the beginning, but E and I were always equally.
So in addition to this, in terms of MBTI it is hard to tell if my primary cognitive process is E or I.

What is known about 50/50 Extroversion / Introversion?

I'm like this most of the time and I'm awesome.

 

[Pushbeat]

Thanks for your responses. I'm not alone ;-)

E/I in relation to cognitive function and E/I as traits aren't quite the same thing.

I know, the J/P axis tells an extravert's dominant function, and an introvert's auxiliary function. So an INTP has introverted Thinking as primairy process, an ENTP prefers extraverted Intuition.

There's my next challenge: my J and P are also tested 50/50

I think most people who can't tell if they are extraverts or introverts are generally introverts with a social fix first (or at least second).

Probably so. For me, for sure as in big maintenance charging batteries.

 

[Phil P]

It isn't hard to understand that some people are extremely extroverted. Or extremely introverted. I know a few.

But how about people, like me, that have more or less 50 percent extroversion and introversion? I like to be alone and charge myself in silence, but I also like to be among other people and I really enjoy them. I have done a lot of MBTI-tests over a period of 5 years, and on average my score is 50/50. I even have typed myself terrible wrong in the beginning, but E and I were always equally.
So in addition to this, in terms of MBTI it is hard to tell if my primary cognitive process is E or I.

What is known about 50/50 Extroversion / Introversion?

Me too. My conclusion is that people have more than one personality type - or a dominant and auxiliary type. Mine are INTP and ENFJ. I display qualities of both, but don't really display qualities of the types in between them; I am not an ENTP or an INFP or an INTJ, the ones that would be closer to INTP. My percentages from tests were mosty 50/50 E:I, 90/10 N:S, 60/40 T:F, and 60/40 P:J.

 

[Society]

But how about people, like me, that have more or less 50 percent extroversion and introversion? I like to be alone and charge myself in silence, but I also like to be among other people and I really enjoy them.

it might be worth noting that it's being commonly observed that a lot of ENTPs will initially mistype as INTPs because they notice some introverted behaviors about themselves, while INTPs will almost never mistype themselves as ENTPs, because they are often among the most introverted.

in light of that, you might want to focus on whether you are Ne dom or Ti dom.

 

[Pushbeat]

it might be worth noting that it's being commonly observed that a lot of ENTPs will initially mistype as INTPs because they notice some introverted behaviors about themselves, while INTPs will almost never mistype themselves as ENTPs, because they are often among the most introverted.

Interesting, sounds logically. But the mistyping suggests also that there are pure ENTP's and ENTP's light. So there is a scale somewhere?

 

[Society]

But the mistyping suggests also that there are pure ENTP's and ENTP's light.

not necessarily, while there are certainly gray areas in function development, the repression mechanism between the functions will go only one way. as a result, you can only be one function-dom. there is no "a bit Ti dom and a bit Ne dom", one of them is your dominant function - who you are - and one of them is your supporting function.

do you have a Ti constantly breaking down and filtering every possibility you (Mr. Ne) think of?
or do you have a Ne constantly throwing ideas at you (Mr. Ti) to mule over?

one of them is closer to your sense of self then the other.

So there is a scale somewhere?

there are various tests that attach a numerical value to how much of each letter are you. various people here have such test results in their signatures often with links to where where they took the test, or at least a name you can Google.

unfortunately those tests aren't very good ones:
they test for how J you are by looking for SJ traits.
they test for how P you are by looking for SP traits.
they test for how T you are by looking for NT traits.
they test for how F you are by looking for NF traits.
etc'..

it's also more a terribly misinforming way to go about it IMO:
for example, let's say you are an NTP, but score high on F. now, since you have Fe, the "F traits" you probably picked along the test are actually FJ traits which are also Fe oriented, as apposed to FP traits which are Fi oriented. however, the test isn't going to rank you high on other FJ traits unless you also happen to have a lot of SJ traits.
as a result, the test would describe you as "NTP with a bit of NFP on the side", when what it actually found was that you are an "NTP with a bit of SFJ" on the side.

 

[lunalum]

Theory goes that most people are actually near the middle of the I/E spectrum, and that few are extreme introverts and extraverts. So maybe there will be plenty that look like they are right down the middle. However, even these people will have a dominant function that is fully differentiated (whether it is N, T, F, or S and whether it is I or E can be determined) and this will determine which way you lean.

 

[Pushbeat]

do you have a Ti constantly breaking down and filtering every possibility you (Mr. Ne) think of? or do you have a Ne constantly throwing ideas at you (Mr. Ti) to mule over?

Ti is the boss, Ne is the assistant, I guess.

for example, let's say you are an NTP, but score high on F. now, since you have Fe, the "F traits" you probably picked along the test are actually FJ traits which are also Fe oriented, as apposed to FP traits which are Fi oriented. however, the test isn't going to rank you high on other FJ traits unless you also happen to have a lot of SJ traits.
as a result, the test would describe you as "NTP with a bit of NFP on the side", when what it actually found was that you are an "NTP with a bit of SFJ" on the side.

Eye-opener, thanks. So, testing the eight cognitive functions is a better way?

 

[Society]

Eye-opener, thanks. So, testing the eight cognitive functions is a better way?

i believe so - it's not perfect, particularly because it tests for "how much like a stereotypical X function dom are you", without really sorting out the various affects functions have at different positions and without accounting for various counter affects that can happen (I.E. looking for "Ni dom tendency towards mysticism" can be counter productive if there's a strong thinking function after). despite those flaws, it is a lot less misinforming.

 

[BlackCat]

You have to get down to what I/E means exactly. Introversion is a preference for saving energy, and spending it when they're "full" or when necessary. And gaining more by recharging by being with themselves or doing something that they really enjoy. Extroversion is more of an outward focus, they get that "whole" feeling from gathering information from the environment; the same feeling introverts get from being by themselves. I guess they are always trying to fill themselves up. There are ups and downs to both.

So you could have introverts that are sociable like an E would be, but then in secret they could recharge in silence. They of course wouldn't socialize as much as an E would. Or you could have an E who likes to do a lot of things alone, they are still fulfilling what their E wants, but they aren't being sociable.

Point being, I think that there is what E/I actually means, and then there is what society expects introverts and extroverts to do, to fulfill their identity in being such.