<p>My 89-year-old mother, who’s an all-out E, has been trying to convert me since I was very young. I think it would never occur to her that I like being an introvert. </p>
<p>I visit my parents every week, and when it’s time for me to leave, it’s become this almost comical ritual of Mom trying to hang on to me. I say, “Well, Mom, gotta go. See you next week.” She says, “Oh! Did I tell you your brother got a new car?” I say Yes, you did. “Oh… Oh! Did I tell you Marty has a new great-grandchild?” Yep … as I drift toward the door. “Oh… Oh! Did I tell you your nephew got an award?” Yep… opening the door and edging out. “Ohhh… Oh! Did I show you what I made in Crafts?” Yep, you did… Bye!! See you next week!! and quickly out the door. Because if I don’t, she will keep me there all day long with “Did I tell you?” Seriously. I have never known her to end a conversation; the other person always has to do it. </p>
<p>N.B. – I love my mother dearly. And I know she loves me. But this interaction isn’t love so much as it’s extraversion on steroids. Here’s how I see it: We had a good time together, got reconnected, talked about the car and the grandchild and the award and a dozen other things, and now we’ve said all we have to say and I’m ready to go. She sees it as direct contact with another human being, which, if it were up to her, she would have 24/7. She hates to be alone. Or I guess I should say, being alone drains her and being with people energizes her.</p>
<p>She doesn’t just do this with loved ones. She does it with EVERYONE. The woman who cleans her toilets is subjected to the very same “I’m going to delay your departure as long as I possibly can” treatment.</p>
<p>My father also loves me, and he simply says “Goodbye.” He’s an introvert.</p>
<p>Regarding changes with age.
I would only hope that people do change with age!
I am still the same type as I was as a young person but I did shift on the scales a lot. Life makes you. I used to be a 100% super strong S. In the saying of do you see the trees or the forest I used to see the leaves. At times I was not even aware there is a forest. I did great detail work and I had success with it, but now with age I learned to step back and look at the forest once a while. The big picture, the connections etc.
Same for the other types. Especially if you have a family you get to so many complex situations that with age you get a more “global” personality. At least I hope I do…</p>
<p>After we get a few more additions to our sample, we should compare our group statistics to the overall population. I found a table on the MB website we can use:</p>
<p>Thanks for finding that table, intparent. I am really surprised that E and I are so nearly balanced. It seems that practically everyone I meet is an E. (Ohhh . . . I have to go outside to meet them–maybe that explains it. )</p>
<p>Regarding changing certain aspects with time, that’s possible. I was much more extroverted as a child to the point of annoying older relatives and cousins. Think non-stop chatterbox territory. </p>
<p>Since most of them tend to be extreme introverts with a few extreme extroverts like my kid self and a couple of cousins, we Es were regarded as “wild and unable to control ourselves”. </p>
<p>As I said before, my extended family tends to be so reserved even stereotypical WASP families would look like party animals in comparison. This was apparent considering a few WASPs married into our family. </p>
<p>Due to strong family influence and fear of discouraging others from talking about themselves/their lives, I now am on the border between the I and the E…but after two full MBTI exams given by college and a former employer, I am a definite E. </p>
<p>Moreover, friends and family who never had me as a colleague/supervisor would never believe I am an ENTJ because I don’t like to impose my ideas and thus, suppress their sometimes fun unpredictably creative spirits and ideas I could potentially learn something from. Thus, I do put on somewhat of an act of being laid back in social situations. </p>
<p>However, the few who had have or heard about how I am in work/weekend projects have noticed I tend to be a taskmaster when colleagues/reports are acting/arguing foolishly, wasting time, procrastinating, or screwing up. Another instance was how I’d feel compelled to raise my hand to respond to classmates’/HS teachers/Profs’ arguments I felt were half-baked or based on erroneous/incomplete information and debate them as long as they had the energy. Oddest part was…HS teachers hated this while my Profs loved and rewarded me for this in the form of good grades and strong recs. </p>
<p>Extended family also call on me and other similar relatives to discreetly handle/escort out difficult relatives/guests such as ones with one too many drinks at family events like weddings. </p>
<p>As for chatting socially, I dislike small talk by inclination but can practice it as a way to keep the conversation going amiably and to smooth the way to more interesting comments/topics. It also helps I have a wide variety of interests and can almost always relate them to areas of my interest ranging from computers to world geopolitics. :)</p>
<p>So this is where you guys have been hiding out, I was busy being the life of the party (apparently :D). Big E small S big F small P. If this project gets big enough I would like to perform a sub-study that determines if extroverts on CC tend to use the smiley features more often, because I totally think they do! :rolleyes: </p>
<p>Isn’t a message board like this one pretty much a continuous conservation party where individuals can retreat temporarily when it mood suits them?</p>
<p>If the given party has great food…focus on the food, drinks, and possibly sneaking them all off without the hosts or the rest of the party noticing. :D</p>
<p>I suppose I do, yalemom, but it’s mainly because I have a rather impish sense of humor and that can easily be misunderstood on a message board where it’s not possible to also provide visual clues.</p>
<p>Is it time to start a new thread entitled, “Looking for ESTP and ISFP to fill out our group”?</p>
<p>I don’t see much about whether that classification includes rebellious gadflies who argue/rebel against perceived authority figures just by virtue of their position and the way they use it as a cudgel against others. </p>
<p>Interesting…</p>
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</p>
<p>If there’s a group of us working together, we’ll assign you to do that because it was your idea. :D</p>
<p>Hmmm. I think if the smiley project is run, there will be a need to distinguished between the “exculpatory, I am kidding smiley” as exemplified by LoremIpsum’s post #198, and the “Great to talk with you again, happy, golden-retrievery type smiley” as (probably) used by E’s.</p>
)</p>
:rolleyes: </p>
However, I am not above contemplating it.</p>