I’ve always been a fan of those personality assessments – you know, the ones that claim to unravel the mysteries of our inner selves. Myers-Briggs, DISC, Clifton Strengths – I’ve taken them all. Call me a self-discovery junkie, but I find them to be like little treasure maps, guiding me through the labyrinth of my own mind. They’ve been my compass, helping me articulate those aspects of my personality that have been doing the cha-cha in the shadows.
Now, I get it; some folks dismiss these assessments as pseudoscience. They argue that predicting human behavior is like trying to catch fog with a butterfly net – sounds good in theory, but good luck making it happen. It’s true; psychology and sociology often get labeled as “soft sciences” for precisely this reason. But here’s the thing – I don’t use these quizzes to predict my future actions. That would be like expecting a GPS to tell me exactly where that pothole will be on my next road trip. No, I use them for what I believe they’re intended for – introspection.
Introverted or Extroverted, that is the question!
So, armed with my trusty personality assessments, I’ve tackled many facets of myself. Yet, there’s one riddle that continues to perplex me: am I an extrovert or an introvert?
Let me paint you a picture of the contradictions:
1. Confrontation Quandary (Introvert): I’m not a fan. Confrontation sends me running for the hills. Introvert vibes activated.
2. Silent in the Supermarket (Introvert): Striking up a conversation with a stranger at the supermarket? Not my jam. Introvert mode, engaged.
3. Cold Call Catastrophe (Introverted): Cold-call sales? Oh no, thank you. That’s like introversion on steroids.
Yet, there are moments when my inner extrovert does a little victory dance:
4. Fearless Speaker (Extrovert): Teaching a class or addressing a crowd? No sweat. Extrovert mode, unlocked.
5. Elephant-in-the-Room Crusader (Extrovert): If there’s an unspoken truth lurking in the room, count me in to address it. Extrovert superhero, reporting for duty.
So, what gives? Am I a chameleon of social interactions, morphing between introversion and extroversion depending on the situation? Or is there a deeper layer that these assessments can’t quite uncover? Buckle up, because I’m on a mission to decode the extrovert-introvert enigma that is me. Stick around, and let’s embark on this introspective rollercoaster together.
Analog not Digital
So, there I was, scratching my head over my seemingly split personality – INTJ one day, ENTJ the next. If you’ve dabbled in the Myers-Briggs world, you know that first letter is crucial, determining whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert. It’s like the personality universe flipping a coin to decide your social fate.
Enter the confusion-busting moment from the HumanMetrics assessment: “Because you appear to have marginal or no (1%) preference of Extraversion over Introversion, characteristics of more than one personality type may apply to you: ENTJ and INTJ.” Well, isn’t that just peachy? It was a lightbulb moment. I had been viewing my introversion and extroversion as an either-or scenario, a rigid binary code. Little did I know; I was on a spectrum, and it’s more of a grayscale painting than a black-and-white photograph.
According to the 16 Personalities assessment, I’m a proud INTJ-T, aka an Architect. However, even they acknowledged my internal tug-of-war between introversion and extroversion, pegging me at 45% extrovert and 55% introvert. It’s like I’m standing on the border between two countries, neither fully claiming me as their own.
Then there’s the Keirsey Temperament Sorter (KTS), dubbing me a Mastermind. Now, that sounds cool, but it aligns with the INTJ from Myers-Briggs, throwing me back into the web of personality paradoxes.
What’s glaringly evident is this gray area between introversion and extroversion. I find myself stationed close to the center of the spectrum, like a person teetering on the fulcrum of a seesaw. And let me tell you, it’s a perplexing place to be.
This dance between the two ends of the spectrum has me questioning the very nature of labels. Why must we confine ourselves to boxes that don’t quite fit? No one is a perfect 100% anything, and yet, we persist in trying to squeeze ourselves into those narrow definitions.
Maybe there should be a special label for those of us chilling in the middle, a badge of honor for existing in the beautiful gray space where introversion and extroversion engage in a perpetual tango.
Context Is King
As I delved deeper into my personal introvert-extrovert rollercoaster, I realized that the key player in this dynamic wasn’t just the nebulous spectrum but also the context of my interactions. It’s like my social comfort levels and the settings were performing a synchronized dance, each influencing the other.
Take, for instance, my aversion to cold calls back in the day. The discomfort was palpable. I felt like a time-thief, barging into someone’s day uninvited. It wasn’t just about my introverted tendencies; it was about violating an unspoken social contract. After all, nobody likes a surprise call from an unknown number. The context here was an intrusion, an unexpected disruption to someone else’s agenda. No wonder I felt like a fish out of water.
Now, flip the script to a scenario where I’m teaching or addressing a crowd. The context shifts dramatically. In this theater of interaction, anticipation reigns supreme. Whether or not I know the individuals in the audience, the expectation is clear – they’re there to hear me. It’s like stepping onto a stage where the spotlight is not just accepted but eagerly awaited. The context changes everything. It’s a space where my introverted reservations take a back seat, overshadowed by the understanding that this interaction is not only warranted but desired.
Context, it seems, acts as a magic wand, transforming the dynamics of my introversion and extroversion. The more I pondered, the more I realized that it wasn’t an all-or-nothing game. It was about finding the sweet spot, the context where I felt at ease, where the rules of engagement were clear and agreed upon.
So, here I am, navigating this intricate dance between my internal spectrum and the external context. It’s not about trying to fit neatly into a pre-assigned label; it’s about understanding the ebb and flow of my own comfort levels and the environments that either amplify or dampen my extroverted tendencies. I guess I am fluid! And it depends on the circumstances.
Embracing Individuality
So, there I was, diving into the rabbit hole of famous personalities with traits similar to mine – INTJ. It’s like stumbling upon a secret society where Gandalf the Grey, Professor Moriarty, and Katniss Everdeen are all card-carrying members. Now, that’s a diverse crew if I’ve ever seen one.
The temptation to draw parallels between these iconic figures and myself was undeniable. Gandalf? C.S. Lewis? Count me in! It’s an intriguing thought, being part of a league that includes brilliant minds, leaders, and fictional characters who have left an indelible mark on the world. Yet, as the saying goes, comparison is the thief of joy.
It’s easy to get swept away in the allure of sharing personality traits with legendary individuals like Elon Musk or Michelle Obama. After all, who wouldn’t want to be in the same category as these trailblazers? But, here’s the catch – while the similarities are fascinating, they’re not the whole story.
We share a label, a set of characteristics, but that doesn’t mean we’re interchangeable clones. Each of us is a unique concoction of experiences, quirks, and dreams. Sure, I might navigate the world with a similar mindset as Gandalf, but I’m not about to whip out a staff and start fighting Balrogs.
The danger lies in forgetting our individuality amidst the thrill of finding kindred spirits. I’m not Gandalf, and I’ll never be C.S. Lewis. I’m me, with my own journey, aspirations, and, let’s face it, peculiarities.
So, while it’s undeniably cool to be in the same personality club as these luminaries, it’s essential to remember that the label is just a starting point. We’re not defined by our INTJ or ENTJ status; we’re defined by the unique blend of introverted and extroverted tendencies, the gray areas that make us who we are.
As I navigate this maze of personality revelations, I’m learning to appreciate the company of these fictional and real-life counterparts without losing sight of the fact that, in the grand tapestry of human existence, I am a one-of-a-kind thread.
INTJs
Gandolph the Grey, Professor Moriarty, Seven of Nine, Katniss Everdeen, Colin Powell, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Elon Musk, Michelle Obama, Friedrich Nietzsche, C. S. Lewis, Augustus Caesar, Susan B. Anthony, Sheev Palpatine/Darth Sidious
ENTJs
Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Julius Caesar, Winston Churchill, Alexander Hamilton, Napoleon Bonaparte, Nancy Pelosi, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Harrison Ford, Robert Downey Jr., Dwayne Johnson, Carl Sagan, Stewie Griffen, Lord Voldemort, Leia Organa
For Your Consideration
- Ever Tried the Personality Assessment Tango?
- Have you ever taken personality assessments like Myers-Briggs, DISC, or others, and found yourself doing a little interpretive dance with the results?
- Label Liberation: Yay or Nay?
- How do you feel about labels? Are you a firm believer in them, or do you think they oversimplify the rich tapestry of human personality?
- Contextual Chameleons Unite!
- Can you relate to the idea that your behavior might shift depending on the context of the interaction? Are you a contextual chameleon?
- Expectations, Comfort, and the Introvert-Extrovert Game
- Think about a situation where you felt uncomfortable or out of place. Was it more about the context or your introverted tendencies? How did expectations play a role?
- Gray Area Explorers Wanted!
- Are you comfortable existing in the gray areas, acknowledging that human behavior is complex and doesn’t always fit into neat boxes? How do you navigate the in-between spaces of introversion and extroversion?
Notes
https://www.mbtionline.com/en-US/MBTI-Types/INTJ
https://www.16personalities.com/intj-personality
https://www.humanmetrics.com/personality
Treasures of the Elysian Fields 
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