Real Meaning of Extroversion/Introversion
Aug 17, 2013 18:26:02 GMT -5 by leon
sitbone, skuagrey, and 6 more like this
Post by leon on Aug 17, 2013 18:26:02 GMT -5
The meaning of extroversion and introversion has drifted considerably from Jung's original definitions of the terms. Currently, extroversion means "outgoing and social" and introversion means "quiet and solitary." Originally, the extroversion meant "energy directed towards external objects" and introversion meant "energy directed towards internal objects." This definitional drift exists not only in the public realm but in mainstream academic psychology. Many academic psychologists, including adherents to the Big 5 (which is the biggest personality theory in academia), use the current definitions of "outgoing and social" and "quiet and solitary" to characterize extroversion and introversion. Ironically, they create research based on the current definitions to "prove" Carl Jung's type theory wrong. For instance, they find that people fall along a normal curve on the extroversion-introversion scale ("outgoing and social" on one end and "quiet and solitary" on another end), thereby proving type theory wrong because if type theory were right, than there would be a bi-modal distribution (that is, two curves instead of one, one representing introversion, and the other extroversion).
Of course, when it comes to traits like outgoing, social, quiet, and solitary, people would fall under a normal distribution. But these traits do not directly have to do with extroversion and introversion. They may be symptoms of extroversion and introversion, but there are plenty of outgoing, social introverts and quiet extroverts.
So I want to create a thread to see how we can properly characterize introversion and extroversion, by showing what it is and what it is not. Feel free to disagree or to add, because I am not really sure how to do it myself (so that is why I created a thread).
1. Extroversion does not only have to do with people. Introversion can be used as a means to interact with people. According to current definitions, extroversion means "outgoing and social" which implies activity or interaction with others. As Jung said, extroversion is an attitude towards objects. Therefore, it is not just an attitude toward people but also to inanimate things. Actually not just inanimate objects but also ideas. Extroverted intuition, thinking, sensing, and EVEN feeling can be done without other people around, or without even having other people in mind. Extroverted intuition can be used by someone who is solitary manipulating ideas in his/her head. Extroverted feeling can consider the ambiance of a room that has no people in it. Extroverted thinking can be done by someone laying down in bed organizing ideas in his/her ideas.
Introverted thinking can be a tool used to interact with others by finding out the "rules of interaction." Introverted sensing can be used at a party.
2. Extroversion is objective; introversion is subjective. Today, the public and academic psychologists believe objectivity and subjectivity has to do with thinking and feeling, but this is not the case. If you told someone extroversion has to do with objectivity and introversion with subjectivity, they probably tell you that you do not know what you are talking about. Extroverted intuition attempts to cover as many objective possibilities of a situation. In introverted intuition, there tends to be greater salience of certain possibilities over others. Extroverted feeling wants to objectively know what people are feeling, often by asking them. Extroverted thinking reasons starting with the object (empiricism), and introverted thinking reasons starting with the subject (philosophy).
3. Extroversion is about breadth; introversion is about depth. This can be tricky, since extroverted functions can lead to deep, profound thoughts, and introverted functions to shallow ideas. I do not mean breadth and depth in terms of this. What I really mean is that since by nature extroversion is objective, it tends to cover a broader range. Since extroverted intuition is interested in objectively covering as many possibilities as possible, it tends to have a broad range of ideas and possibilities in mind. In introverted intuition, by contrast, certain possibilities are more salient, and it tends to be concerned with certain ideas and possibilities more (polishing a stone).
4. Introversion is somehow more serious? I am not putting this in the right words. But in my observation there is something more "serious" about the introverted function. For instance, extroverted feeling can lead to a broad range of emotions, from positive to negative. However, extroverted feeling tends to want to maintain a positive atmosphere. Introverted feeling can lead to broad range of emotions, but it is less adverse to dark "unseelie" emotions than extroverted feeling. Extroverted thinking is probably responsible for scientific positivism--the belief that science leads to progress. Extroverted and introverted thinking can both be quite critical, but introverted thinking especially so. Extroverted intuition often conjures up both positive and negative scenarios, however it general has an optimistic attitude. Introverted intuition often conjures up positive and negative scenarios too, but tends to warn people of negative consequences, and seems to take possibilities more seriously (such as by considering possibilities with higher likelihood and acting upon them in an urgent manner).
4. Extroversion is dynamic to the external situation, and introversion is dynamic to the internal situation? Extroversion is dynamic to the external situation. Extroverted feeling is like a heart on a sleeve, and is changeable, changing in accordance with the outward situation. Introverted feeling, because of its subjective stance, does not change with the outward situation as much, and thus is more focused on internal moods.
What else? ...
Of course, when it comes to traits like outgoing, social, quiet, and solitary, people would fall under a normal distribution. But these traits do not directly have to do with extroversion and introversion. They may be symptoms of extroversion and introversion, but there are plenty of outgoing, social introverts and quiet extroverts.
So I want to create a thread to see how we can properly characterize introversion and extroversion, by showing what it is and what it is not. Feel free to disagree or to add, because I am not really sure how to do it myself (so that is why I created a thread).
1. Extroversion does not only have to do with people. Introversion can be used as a means to interact with people. According to current definitions, extroversion means "outgoing and social" which implies activity or interaction with others. As Jung said, extroversion is an attitude towards objects. Therefore, it is not just an attitude toward people but also to inanimate things. Actually not just inanimate objects but also ideas. Extroverted intuition, thinking, sensing, and EVEN feeling can be done without other people around, or without even having other people in mind. Extroverted intuition can be used by someone who is solitary manipulating ideas in his/her head. Extroverted feeling can consider the ambiance of a room that has no people in it. Extroverted thinking can be done by someone laying down in bed organizing ideas in his/her ideas.
Introverted thinking can be a tool used to interact with others by finding out the "rules of interaction." Introverted sensing can be used at a party.
2. Extroversion is objective; introversion is subjective. Today, the public and academic psychologists believe objectivity and subjectivity has to do with thinking and feeling, but this is not the case. If you told someone extroversion has to do with objectivity and introversion with subjectivity, they probably tell you that you do not know what you are talking about. Extroverted intuition attempts to cover as many objective possibilities of a situation. In introverted intuition, there tends to be greater salience of certain possibilities over others. Extroverted feeling wants to objectively know what people are feeling, often by asking them. Extroverted thinking reasons starting with the object (empiricism), and introverted thinking reasons starting with the subject (philosophy).
3. Extroversion is about breadth; introversion is about depth. This can be tricky, since extroverted functions can lead to deep, profound thoughts, and introverted functions to shallow ideas. I do not mean breadth and depth in terms of this. What I really mean is that since by nature extroversion is objective, it tends to cover a broader range. Since extroverted intuition is interested in objectively covering as many possibilities as possible, it tends to have a broad range of ideas and possibilities in mind. In introverted intuition, by contrast, certain possibilities are more salient, and it tends to be concerned with certain ideas and possibilities more (polishing a stone).
4. Introversion is somehow more serious? I am not putting this in the right words. But in my observation there is something more "serious" about the introverted function. For instance, extroverted feeling can lead to a broad range of emotions, from positive to negative. However, extroverted feeling tends to want to maintain a positive atmosphere. Introverted feeling can lead to broad range of emotions, but it is less adverse to dark "unseelie" emotions than extroverted feeling. Extroverted thinking is probably responsible for scientific positivism--the belief that science leads to progress. Extroverted and introverted thinking can both be quite critical, but introverted thinking especially so. Extroverted intuition often conjures up both positive and negative scenarios, however it general has an optimistic attitude. Introverted intuition often conjures up positive and negative scenarios too, but tends to warn people of negative consequences, and seems to take possibilities more seriously (such as by considering possibilities with higher likelihood and acting upon them in an urgent manner).
4. Extroversion is dynamic to the external situation, and introversion is dynamic to the internal situation? Extroversion is dynamic to the external situation. Extroverted feeling is like a heart on a sleeve, and is changeable, changing in accordance with the outward situation. Introverted feeling, because of its subjective stance, does not change with the outward situation as much, and thus is more focused on internal moods.
What else? ...