Oh, for sure an extrovert. Why, you ask? Because:
1. You said you wanted to be one.
2. Just kidding. Obviously, by all the facts, you are loud, gabby and obnoxious. Okay, just kidding about that one too.
3. It seems that you are interested in talking to, learning about, and teaching people, but are not so focused on being the center of attention that you cannot get a little deep. (Does that sound a little like a fortune cookie?) That is the best kind of extrovert to be!!

All I know for sure is that you are WAY more extroverted than I am. I think you are the life of the party. (Especially the ACFW party!)

My hubby is always telling me I'm an extrovert, but in crowds I feel quite shy. He, on the other hand, works the crowd (in a good way) without a hint of self-consciousness. But he's SO quiet and mellow, it's hard for even me to believe how effortlessly he puts himself out there.

Mary The Extrovert! I vote yes!!

Katy www.fallible.com

I read once that it's about how you get your "energy". Do you feel more energized after being alone, or after being with people?

My energy comes from being alone. I can be the social person at church, but by Sunday afternoon I'm just worn out. Being with people drains me. For a long time I thought I was an extrovert because I don't mind being on stage, teaching, or meeting strangers in a group setting, etc. But when it comes to recharging my batteries, I need to be alone. I'm like your husband...I revel in introversion. :)

I think one of the biggest ways to determine extroversion or introversion is: where/how are you energized?
Do you regularly need lots of time away from people to "restart"? Or do you go stir-crazy if you don't have people around, and are more excited and energized after being with people?
Another way to determine "E" or "I" is by how you process information.
I think it's true that people have some of both "E" and "I." And according to the Meyers Briggs inventory, you can actually be an "X" -- functioning equally in both intro- and extroversion.

I vote for Mary the extrovert (usually). :)

hi mary! wow - this is such a small world. i found your site several weeks ago from justin & jen powell's b/c i was interested in your book about family (which i just bought off of amazon - thanks!). anyway, i realized i think i remember you from a christian associates conference in holland several years ago! my hubby clint & i worked for ca 4 years ago in paris with the wilders, katherine ussery, & christian osburn. i think you guys were in france @ the same time. i don't know that we ever talked, but when i saw you & your husband's pic, i remembered your faces. THEN i just saw that my friend courtney just left you a comment! so i know you in 3 ways! weird!!! anyway, just wanted to say hi & that i'm excited to read your book. i'm sure it will mean a lot to us. we'll then need to move on the the pomo parenting as we have an 11 month old! i'm so glad you've written stuff like this - i've found it difficult to find good, honest, real christian literature on tough topics.
okay, that's enough talking your ear off, huh??!

blessings to you today,

kelly harp

ps - i think you're an extrovert who has only child tendencies.

Amy and Monika are asking the right question in determining E versus I. Introversion versus Extroversion refers to where you find energy not whether you're outgoing or not. Certainly people learn to behave in certain ways or even process in certain ways, but at the end of the day, does being around people give you energy or take your energy?

Regarding your question about degrees? Yes, absolutely. The top level score (E versus I) is on a sliding scale. Additionally there are four sub-sections for both E and I that provide greater detail and insight into that particular preference.

I just came over from TheSuburbanChristian where Al Hsu is talking about "the line of good and evil that runs down every Christian."

Maybe there's a line of introvert/extrovert too? I'd say you're an extrovert, but to be a writer you need a solid dose of introversion as well.

"Introversion"?

I don't know the answer, but I can totally relate. I love to be with people, love to have them over, love to have things on the calendar...I even get energy from being with others.

yet, I love to have a quiet house so that I can have a complete thought. And being able to think alone recharges me. I sometimes wonder if this is something that came after having children. Maybe it doesn't have anything to do with intro/extro, and maybe has more to do with feeling the need/desire to fully engage with others when they're around. When they're not, then you get to think things all the way through. I don't know enough about the personality assessments, maybe that is how they define introverted or extroverted. It sure feels like there's a little bit of both....

How's that for a non-answer?

I'm going to agree with Tina, Amy and Monika. (This definition of E v. I is found in "Raising Your Spirited Child" by Mary Sheedy-Kurcinka. Great book!) But I'm also going to say -- Does it matter? I know we categorize people in order make life easier for ourselves, but personally I hate labels. Every single person is different. Every characteristic, every attribute had a sliding scale. If you find what works for you, the rest doesn't really matter.

I'm an introvert, but I can be extroverted, if need be. I don't mind the microphone or chatting with strangers.

But extroverting wears me out. I need to be quiet and alone to recharged.

I think you sound like a very friendly, well-adjusted (don't slap me) introvert who is deeply emotionally connected to those she loves. (Thus, you want to talk to your husband when he's home.)

Great post! Funny and interesting! I agree with those who said it's based off how you re-energize. But I like to think of it as being two seperate things.

Example, I'm definitely an introvert when it comes to energy. I am replenished with space, time, and God.

When I go long periods without these things I get very irritable and tired.

I've known others who are the opposite. They get irritable when they spend long periods of time without people or crowds/parties.

My husband and I can both be mistaken for extroverts in public, depending on the situation. He's VERY loud, energetic, and very much the center of attention. But it's an act. His nervous energy (because he is shy) results in outbursts of energy.

When people get to know him they realize he is more introverted.

I swing both ways. Sometimes I'm quiet and shy, other times I'm crazy.

I'm not a huge fan of labels... they just can't box us in. We're too complex.

I think you are both! And I love that you wave to strangers. I do that stuff too and it embarasses whoever I'm with every time.

Good stuff!

Have fun in the apple.

Hello, I'm new here but you sound like a little bit of both. You have a great writing voice, that's for sure!

I agree with several of the others, whether or not you are an introvert or an extravert is based on where you get energized. People exhaust me, but I get recharged by spending time alone, so I'm an introvert. That said, I don't really think that we all fit into neat categories like that.

I took a personality test that said that I'm about 95% introverted. I agree, I'd be a hermit if the Lord would permit it. He dragged me out of my house 6 years ago and made me work with other people because I really needed to come out of hiding. (I plan to spill my guts about that experience in a blog. Coming soon!)

I, like many who've commented, get recharged by having quiet time alone to think and read and do creative things. I really get worn out with too much socializing. My hubby is just the opposite and really believes that we should all be extroverts and there's something wrong with being introverted. We both have a lot to learn...

I don't mind singing in front of people, but that's after 36 years of doing it! I used to almost throw up when I had to be in front of people. So even an extreme introvert can learn new skills and become more comfortable.

Of course, environment may play a role. If we all came from "perfect" families, who knows what personality types we would be! =0)

I think you're a very well balanced person and whoever labeled you as an introvert to begin with was probably just passing along some midundertanding of human nature that they had been taught.


Glad I found your blog!