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Science News

Introverts Have More Brain Activity? 757

* * Beatles-Beatles writes to tell us Yahoo News is reporting that introverted individuals tend to have more brain activity in general, specifically in the frontal lobe. From the article: "The attitude that there's something wrong with introverted people is widely shared in society, where fast talk and snap decisions are often valued over listening, deliberation and careful planning. Extroverts seem to rule the world or, at least, the USA, which hasn't elected an introverted president for three decades, since Jimmy Carter."
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Introverts Have More Brain Activity?

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  • by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 28, 2005 @10:30PM (#14134565)
    I'm recycling a comment from another AC in another Scuttlemonkey/**Beatles-Beatles post. This guy's getting worse than Roland Picklepail:

    Am I the only person who has noticed the numerous stories that get posted by *--Beatles-Beatles? Am I also the only person who has noticed that the link used in is name is a constantly changing URL (depending on the story) with pointers to various scammy sites? Is it not obvious what he's doing? He's using the awesome PageRank of slashdot do promote his sites based on searches that have the word Beatles in them.

    It's a small price to pay for free advertising. Find a story, summarize it in 5 minutes, post to slashdot, and get a pagerank boost that advertisers would pay hundreds (or maybe thousands) for. (Text links on high-ranking sites is big business - just ask oreilly).

    Slashdot should at least put a ref=nofollow in the links to submitters (or better yet, only link the submitter's name to his/her user page).


    In closing, a quick bit of WHOIS shows that all the sites linked by **B-B are registered to Carl Fogle. Carl, cut this crap out.
  • Fast talker (Score:5, Informative)

    by vik ( 17857 ) on Monday November 28, 2005 @10:30PM (#14134566) Homepage Journal
    "...fast talk and snap decisions are often valued over listening, deliberation and careful planning..."

    Maybe on your side of the pond, mate.

    Vik :v)
    • Re:Fast talker (Score:3, Insightful)

      by PsychicX ( 866028 )
      Obviously introverts are smarter. We don't waste all our brain power talking about who hooked up with who, we actually go and do shit.
      • Extroverts simply like attention, like to talk, like to be heard, and would rather believe everyone cares than admit that they dont.

        Think of it this way, why would anyone care who you hooked up with? and how exactly is this information good to put out there? I wont say introverts are smarter, but introverts are at least more cautious when it comes to the information they put out and the trust they put into individuals. It should be obvious.

  • by Mirkon ( 618432 ) <mirkon.gmail@com> on Monday November 28, 2005 @10:32PM (#14134570) Homepage
    Extroverts try to convince everyone how smart they are. Introverts assume everyone already knows it.
    • by HardCase ( 14757 ) on Monday November 28, 2005 @10:46PM (#14134661)
      And neither realizes that they're about as smart as the next guy.
      • by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 28, 2005 @11:14PM (#14134807)
        I seriously doubt this, at least not for slashdot readers. According to a 15 page intelligence and personality report I paid for, I am smarter than 98 percent of the populous. I expect most slashdot readers(except the Apple users (I would expect them to have much, much lower scores)) to have similar levels of intelligence.
        • by eosp ( 885380 ) on Monday November 28, 2005 @11:20PM (#14134833) Homepage
          And yet you still can't spell populace right. I'd get a refund.
        • by Golias ( 176380 ) on Monday November 28, 2005 @11:26PM (#14134873)
          I seriously doubt this, at least not for slashdot readers. According to a 15 page intelligence and personality report I paid for, I am smarter than 98 percent of the populous.

          If you ever paid hard-earned cash for a "15 page intelligence and personality report" about yourself, you are probably far dumber than most people.

          Well-educated, perhaps, but dumb as a sack of hammers.
          • by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 28, 2005 @11:45PM (#14134985)
            WHOOOOOOSH
          • by Flying pig ( 925874 ) on Tuesday November 29, 2005 @05:23AM (#14136219)
            Years ago I did get such an assessment. It was actually paid for by a company I had applied to. I didn't get the job but the agency wanted to discuss the report with me. Why? Because it said that I was in the top 2% of white collar workers for management aptitude but was more suited to a small company. That was 10 years ago and it was the best advice I ever got. I moved to a small company, was on the board after just a few months, did almost everything, then moved into consulting, still in a small company environment. I didn't get rich (though I am today a lot better off than if I had stayed in large corporates) but I have had a very interesting ten years doing stuff I enjoyed. I would recommend anyone unsure of their job path to get a professional assessment.
    • by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 28, 2005 @10:51PM (#14134692)
      Being an introvert myself it's not surprising that I think that introverts are smarter in intellectual pursuits simply because they are constantly thinking instead of speaking. However, whether this higher intellect has much benefit for the world is questionable, as most intraverts keep it all to themselves. It is also likely that most intraverts easily form incorrect opinions and hold onto them because they don't test them in debate with other people as extraverts do. But what do I know, I've probably been thinking about this too much already.
    • by MikeFM ( 12491 ) on Tuesday November 29, 2005 @01:13AM (#14135400) Homepage Journal
      I beg to differ. Introverts just don't care if everyone knows how smart they are. Most of them don't really realize how smart they are. Introverts tend to spend more time thinking about actual interesting things and not just what people think of them. Which is probably why they seem antisocial - they really don't give a flying fuck what everyone else thinks. It's not that they don't care. It's more that they really don't stop to think about it.

      I think it's why a lot of people who are intelligent and whom we think of as extroverts will admit to being introverts that have learned to fake extroversion in order to do what they want. A lot of actors, musicians, business men, etc that seem very public faces were introverts as children and return to introversion when they aren't working. Sort of an interesting twist on the whole thing I think.

      Ahhhhh I like stories like this that tell me I'm smarter than everbody else!
  • Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)

    by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Monday November 28, 2005 @10:32PM (#14134574)
    Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • Reminds Me... (Score:5, Informative)

    by Llywelyn ( 531070 ) on Monday November 28, 2005 @10:33PM (#14134586) Homepage

    A while back I read an article in The Atlantic titled "Caring for Your Introvert [learningplaceonline.com]" by Jonathan Rauch. Absolutely great piece.

    • Irony (Score:5, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 28, 2005 @10:44PM (#14134646)
      I love this bit from your link:
      Are introverts arrogant? Hardly. I suppose this common misconception has to do with our being more intelligent, more reflective, more independent, more level-headed, more refined, and more sensitive than extroverts.
    • by elucido ( 870205 ) on Monday November 28, 2005 @10:57PM (#14134723)
      The main reason people decide on the introvert approach is because people don't actually care. If people actually cared then introverts would have a reason to be more outgoing. Think of it that way.

      One key difference among introverts, introverts know you don't really care and stay in their own world. An Extroverts world and entire reality only exists if people in that reality allow for it.

      View it like this, if you are an introvert because you don't want an overly dramatic, painful, insane life, and want actual control over your life, thats just the logical way to have control.

      If you are an extrovert, you care what other people think of you, you care about others more than others care about you, and I'm not saying its wrong to care about others, but extroverts simply get attached to everyone, or no one, while introverts are very selective with whom they attach to and connect with.

      It's just different strategies, if a person can put up with the pain of being an extrovert, then theres nothing wrong with it, but for others being an extrovert is impossible or difficult unless its in a very artificial way. The artificial way of being an extrovert is to pretend to care, pretend to listen to people, pretend to trust people, and pretend to be social. Example, being social at work or at school because you are supposed to, not because you actually like to or need to, this is how an introvert views.

      An extrovert HAS to be social or they go insane with bordem. An extrovert HAS to feel loved or they get depressed. An extrovert MUST feel accepted, MUST feel normal, and so on and so forth.

      introverts want to simply stay in their own world and enjoy their time here, and are much more time conscious in that they know its a complete waste of time to play social mind games with people.

      • I think you're over-generalizing a little. Actually, a lot. Isn't it possible for a person to enjoy being social without being attached to everyone? Sure, an extroverted person needs to have someone to be extroverted to -- but that's a far cry from needing to be loved and accpeted by everyone, and from getting attached to everyone.

        Introversion and extroversion are about what your focus is, not what you need. Some people have all the fun and energy in the world when they're with other people. Some people ha

        • by meta-monkey ( 321000 ) on Monday November 28, 2005 @11:59PM (#14135050) Journal
          I think you're about right. I'm extremely extroverted, but I don't mind being alone, either. I find people extremely interesting and entertaining...at least when there's something interesting and entertaining about them. I like being able to talk to pretty much anybody. It's really not hard...just ask them questions about themselves. What do you do? Where are you from? Do you have a family? What do you like to do for fun? The best questions to ask are "why" questions, because they're open ended and make people think, and also motivation questions, for the same reasons. "Wow, what made you want to be a chicken sexer [wikipedia.org]?" usually makes for a very interesting story.

          The problem occurs, however, when you meet truly boring people. The guy who works as an insurance claims adjuster and has no hobbies or interests. Thankfully that's pretty rare. Most of the time people have at least one thing about them that's truly interesting and unique, and if you get them started on that topic you can be entertained for quite awhile. As a bonus, they'll think you're the most interesting person in the world, too, since the most interesting people are those are interested in them. You better actually be interested in people, though, or you'll just find yourself getting annoyed.

          Oh, but playing social mind games is fun, too.
          • by saranagati ( 913029 ) on Tuesday November 29, 2005 @12:33AM (#14135201)
            well one thing both of you are a little off about is introverts and extroverts "enjoy" acting out as one (or not acting out?). The basis of the test is really to prove whether you feel "recharged" after spending time by yourself or by interacting with others. Although people generally enjoy doing what they feel recharges them, you really can't interchange the two. Personally I'm about as introverted as it gets according to myers-briggs, however I really do enjoy interacting with people who I find interesting and when I feel that they find me interesting however, interacting with people really drains me and after a while of interacting with people I'll naturally just start to appear uninterested even though I'm just self-reflecting so that I'll be able to continue.

            As for whoever said, extroverts need others to care about them, that can't be farther from the truth, they really just seem to have a more verbal way of self-reflecting. By talking with others, most extroverts I've known seem to realize more about themselves from either hearing other peoples experiences or just saying something about themselves aloud.

            As for the parent poster stating that talking isn't hard, introverts know that, usually we genuinely just don't care and sometimes don't want to know the answer to these questions.
  • by dotslashdot ( 694478 ) on Monday November 28, 2005 @10:34PM (#14134591)
    What about perverts?
  • by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 28, 2005 @10:34PM (#14134594)
    Introverted as I am I won't be able to express this but I do have FAR more brain activity than others. I don't think it has to do with my introverted but it's more of a symptom.

    For example; today I had an awful day. I'll think about it until tomorrow morning. My extroverted friends will shrug it off as "bad day, tomorrow is another". If in fact I do "think" more, I'll spend less time socializing as it'll cut into my thinking time.

    Yesterday at a church event I attempted to be even more extroverted than normal. I was insulted in the course of the evening, a minor misunderstanding of my position, and of course it distracted me the rest of the evening as I thought about how to restate and rectify my position.

    So yes, we think more but why would the thinking want to associate with the brain-dead? We don't. We fall back into our shells and think about why the world is as it is.
    • This is the kind of thing I was going to post. I am an introvert (degree depends on situation, ranging from slight extrovert to medium/strong introvert). I think introverts have more brain activity because they think about things more. An extrovert says something in a conversation. They might think about it a little first, but they say it.

      An introvert says it, but only after thinking it over, if it is the best thing to say, the timing, thinking about what others say a bunch to try to come up with good things to say, etc. An introvert can "over analyze" things like that.

      Other things happen too. When I'm going to meet someone, I'll often think up entire conversations on the way. It isn't purposeful, but I think something along the lines of "I could say X", then that leads to "then they would say Y", and it continues and before you know it I've had a little conversation in my head.

      I think about all sorts of stuff. I can be walking down the street and I'll start thinking about something completely irrelevant. I'm not talking about "I remember that one birthday", I'm talking about "how you could build X" which leads to how to solve problem Y, how X would be useful in situation Z, etc.

      That is sort of the whole introvert/extrovert thing. Introverts do all this stuff inside. Extroverts might do these things as conversations with other people, or they might fill that "need" in some other way with normal conversation and such.

      That's how I see it. I used to be more of an introvert, and I've never been an extrovert so I can't say I've had that point of view (outside of the odd situation).

      • Don't you think you are creating a false dichotomy though? For example, I am by no means an introvert, but I sometimes have trouble with doing/saying things impulsively. So where do I fit in? Honestly, I think this whole thing seems a bit fabricated, personality cannot be distilled into two catagories very easily(if at all)
        • I think it simply refers to a natural tendency. It isn't a binding concept. Like I said, it can change depending on the situation. Alcohol seems to make people less introverted. In some situations you are probably introverted, in others extroverted. Maybe doing/saying things impulsively (which I do sometimes too) is sort of a "pressure valve" from all those times you held it back? Just a random theory.

          Like many (well, MOST) things in psychology, this is a guide and nothing more. Psychology (like most disci

  • Perhaps (Score:5, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 28, 2005 @10:34PM (#14134595)
    A book, "The Introvert Advantage", delves with great detail into the differences between introverts and extroverts.

    More information here: http://www.theintrovertadvantage.com/ [theintrove...antage.com]

    Here's a quick bit from the site:
    Are You One?
    We all use both our introverted and extroverted skills, but we are hard wired to be more one than the other. Look at the lists below and determine which one feels more like YOU!

    Not every aspect will fit exactly for you because we are all unique. If you don't feel like you fit one side more than the other, even by 51% to 49%, then ask yourself this question: If there is an emergency do you tend to stand still and feel somewhat shutdown or in slow motion? If you have a standstill reaction to stress more often, then you are probably an introvert. In a crisis do you tend to move your body immediately and feel like taking action, maybe without pausing to think? Then you are probably an extrovert if you react with movement. Under stress we can experience our innate temperament. Look over the two lists and think about how you ARE, not as you'd like to be. If your still uncertain, as a last ditch effort, ask someone you trust and who is honest to read these and suggest which one sounds more like you.

    Introverts:
    • Enjoy time alone
    • Consider only deep relationships as friends
    • Feel drained after outside activities, even if they were fun
    • Good listener
    • Appear calm and self-contained
    • Think then speak or act


    Extroverts:
    • Like to be in the thick of things
    • Relish variety
    • Know lots of people, considers lots of people friends
    • Enjoy chit-chatting, even to strangers
    • Feel stoked after activity
    • Speak or act then think OR think while speaking


    I recommend this book if you think you are or know somebody that you think is indeed an introvert, as this book says alot about what an introvert is and what the article briefly describes.
    • Re:Perhaps (Score:5, Insightful)

      by LoverOfJoy ( 820058 ) on Monday November 28, 2005 @10:58PM (#14134729) Homepage
      You brought out the important determining factors. The thing that people often misunderstand is that people who are "good" at "being social" are not necessarily extroverts. Often those people who are the life of the party really prefer alone time and are incredibly drained after the party.

      On the other hand, many "nerds" who really struggle at small talk still crave opportunities to meet lots of people and on those rare occasions when they are on top of their game they feel energized and love it.

      Being a nerd (or a geek for that matter) does not necessarily mean being an introvert.

    • Re:Perhaps (Score:3, Insightful)

      by gweihir ( 88907 )
      If there is an emergency do you tend to stand still and feel somewhat shutdown or in slow motion?

      Well, I am certainly an introvert, but in an emergency I have this tendency to act fast and usually correct without really thinking about it. I think emergency behaviour and normal situation behaviour are not necessarily correlated, at least for introverts. Or maybe introverts tend to panic into inactivity while extroverts panic into (useless, dangerous) hyperactivity, while those that keep their heads act prett
  • by Mad_Rain ( 674268 ) on Monday November 28, 2005 @10:36PM (#14134604) Journal
    For introverts, there was also lot of activity in the area of the brain that relates to the visual processing and the desire of red staplers... but that's probably just a coincidence. ;)
  • Well, duh... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Burning1 ( 204959 ) on Monday November 28, 2005 @10:36PM (#14134607) Homepage
    Introverted people tend to seriously overanalize situations and have difficulty relaxing in social enviornments. The result is conversation that feels forced, somthing that most people don't find attractive.

    Ever wondered why meeting people is easier when tipsy? It makes your brain shut up.
    • by Jerf ( 17166 ) on Monday November 28, 2005 @11:12PM (#14134796) Journal
      Introverted people tend to seriously overanalize

      Oh, no, I bet Mr. Goatse is quite extroverted.

      He certainly seems to be aggressively interested in sharing his innermost feelings to all and sundry.

      Quite practiced at it, too.

      I would think introverts would tend to avoid analizing at nearly all costs.
    • Re:Well, duh... (Score:5, Interesting)

      by Bitsy Boffin ( 110334 ) on Monday November 28, 2005 @11:15PM (#14134809) Homepage
      Ever wondered why meeting people is easier when tipsy? It makes your brain shut up.

      Typical extrovert thinking... "hey why don't you get drunk then you'd have fun just like me". I don't blame you for thinking that, an extrovert can't help it, they have no chance of understanding what makes an introvert tick because not only do we not care to spend the time to tell you, but you won't sit still long enough to hear it.

      Here's the thing. Introverts don't want your kind of fun, we're quite happy doing our own thing, sitting down, talking quietly and thinking about stuff - that is what is fun for us, not mindless verbal diahhorea (sp?), getting drunk and hitting on anything with legs.
      • Re:Well, duh... (Score:5, Interesting)

        by BewireNomali ( 618969 ) on Tuesday November 29, 2005 @12:03AM (#14135067)
        I don't necessarily think its typical extrovert thinking at all.

        I'm rather introverted, and for me it goes like this. Most of the time when I'm thinking about something I have an internal conversation with one of three distinct voices in my head. They often come to different conclusions. I mediate and come to a consensus. the short of this is that it's a lot of fucking talking going on in my head.

        The other thing is that I tend to be obtuse - in social situations and be very analytical in public. This causes problems.... many people dont like to interact with someone they perceive might be smarter than they - it causes them to feel insecure. Also, many people tend to base their whole worldview on their opinions. So in what I might perceive as casual conversation ends up altering someone's world view unnecessarily... this tends to create uncomfortable conditions.

        One or two drinks for me does the exact thing poster mentioned. When I drink... the other voices are quiet. They don't speak, and it's a very serene vacation from the pinball match that is my psyche. It also allows me to focus intently on more pertinent and prudent pursuits: getting laid. And getting laid is about listening and being what that chick wants right at that time.

        Interestingly enough - an analogy. Marijuana is banned by the Olympic committee, even though it doesn't really give athletes an advantage. I ran track - and knew some athletes who smoked weed before meets. The reason: it takes the edge off. Being nervous and jumpy throws their rhythm off; and rhythm is everything when wins and losses are measured in the blink of an eye.

        Alcohol works like that for me in a social environment. I usually get something mild or watered down - or get something strong and nurse it. Athletes call it being too keyed-up; I can imagine the equivalent exists for those who have strong cognitive faculties.

        And while like you, I enjoy doing my own thing for the most part; I far more enjoy getting laid on a regular basis. You have to join the world to do this.
        • Re:Well, duh... (Score:3, Insightful)

          by Spire ( 101081 )
          Marijuana is banned by the Olympic committee, even though it doesn't really give athletes an advantage. I ran track - and knew some athletes who smoked weed before meets. The reason: it takes the edge off. Being nervous and jumpy throws their rhythm off; and rhythm is everything when wins and losses are measured in the blink of an eye.
          Is that not an advantage?
      • Re:Well, duh... (Score:3, Insightful)

        by Rutulian ( 171771 )
        Let's not confuse being introverted with being anti-social. The difference lies in the reason for being a quieter and more withdrawn person. If you hate people and are bitter towards all humanity, which leads to feelings of discomfort/awkwardness in social situations, and causes you to have a general attitude of "I don't want to talk to you, leave me alone with my computer," I would brand you anti-social. If you simply tend to be more pondering or analytical, a person who is comfortable in a social setting,
  • by ZachPruckowski ( 918562 ) <zachary.pruckowski@gmail.com> on Monday November 28, 2005 @10:38PM (#14134615)
    So basically this is a colony of introverts, and we get a story about how great introverts are. What does that do for us in terms of teaching us? It feels like nerds needed to give each other a pat on the back.

    I feel the karma burning, but hey, I got a 4 today, so I can afford a -1.
  • by David Hume ( 200499 ) on Monday November 28, 2005 @10:38PM (#14134619) Homepage
    Introverted children enjoy the internal world of thoughts, feelings and fantasies, and there's a physiological reason for this. Researchers using brain scans have found introverts have more brain activity in general, and specifically in the frontal lobes.
    Are they introverted because they have more brain activity? Or do they have more brain activity because they are introverted? Or are they introverted and have more brain activity because of another cause?

    There is frequently an assumption that the physical (brain chemistry, electrical activity) causes the behavior (introspection), as opposed to the other way around, or some other, independent cause.
     
  • makes sense (Score:3, Interesting)

    by ThatGeek ( 874983 ) on Monday November 28, 2005 @10:38PM (#14134621) Homepage
    I guess it makes sense. The more time you spend talking the less time you spend thinking.

    I still have to wonder about the research methodology though... You stick an introvert who likes being by himself in one machine and an extrovert who hates being by himself in another. Is it really any wonder that the person who likes being by himself has more brain activity in this situation? I think it would be better if they could somehow measure an introvert reading a book and compare that to an extrovert mingling at a party.

  • by Scarletdown ( 886459 ) on Monday November 28, 2005 @10:39PM (#14134623) Journal
    I believe it was the late great philosopher Douglas Adams who stated, "If people stop talking, their brains start working."
  • by centipetalforce ( 793178 ) on Monday November 28, 2005 @10:42PM (#14134637)
    Attaching a label to yourself is a great way to start a self fulfilling prophecy, unless you are simply self analyzing. The old "I'm an introvert so I don't get friends" philosophy is widespread and teribly limiting. You CAN be both, and I try to stretch both sides of me.
    I try to beleive I'm a little more diverse than one word, the same way I don't describe myself as a Jew, or white, or red head, or whatever. If you are in a situation where you have to describe yourself as one word, you may be around the wrong people.
  • Ewww. (Score:3, Interesting)

    by deacon ( 40533 ) on Monday November 28, 2005 @10:42PM (#14134639) Journal
    Extroverts seem to rule the world or, at least, the USA, which hasn't elected an introverted president for three decades, since Jimmy Carter.

    Heh. I remember Carter. His "introvertedness" if that's what it was, was beside the point. The man exuded a mopey hopelessness every time he spoke. His energy policy consisted of wearing cardigans on TV when he gave his "fireside chats", and telling us he was turning down the thermostat at the White House. His cap on gas prices resulted in gas shortages.

    His foreign policy of "USA bends over and spreads them" is directly responsible for the mess that exists in Iran today, and in fact one of the hostage takers of the time is "El Presidente" of Iran today.

    Carter may be capable of building houses, and beating off savage attack rabbits with a canoe paddle.

    He was waaay out of his depth as a president.

    Everyone should have to endure watching the man's speeches to America. Those who missed it won't understand what a dismal time that was.

  • Cause and Effect (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Yeldarb-7 ( 873124 ) on Monday November 28, 2005 @10:43PM (#14134643) Homepage
    I wonder if the increased brain activity causes a person to be introverted (they are more immersed in their thoughts and less concerned with the outside world) or if a person being introverted causes them to have more brain activity (they think to fill the "void" where social interaction would fit in in an extrovert)
  • by Anoraknid the Sartor ( 9334 ) on Monday November 28, 2005 @10:44PM (#14134647)
    Ok, so you are saying that recent American Presidents have not had much frontal lobe activity...

    You know, we'd guessed....
  • by dpbsmith ( 263124 ) on Monday November 28, 2005 @10:45PM (#14134649) Homepage
    Supposedly George Smathers attacked Claude Pepper by calling him "a known extravert," with a sister who was a "thespian" and a brother who was a "practicing homo sapiens," saying that Pepper "matriculated" in college and "practiced celibacy" before marriage. Pepper lost.
  • O.Q. (Score:4, Funny)

    by dimension6 ( 558538 ) on Monday November 28, 2005 @11:01PM (#14134743)
    "Every time you see a story about a serial killer on TV, what do they do? They bring on the neighbor. And the neighbor says 'Well, he was always very quiet,' and someone in the room says, 'It's the quiet ones you gotta watch.' This sounds to me like a very dangerous assumption. I will bet you anything that while you're watching a quiet one a noisy one will fucking kill you! Suppose you're in a bar and one guy's sitting over on the side reading a book not bothering anybody and another guy's standing up at the front with a machete banging it on the bar saying 'I'LL KILL THE NEXT MOTHERFUCKER THAT COMES IN HERE!!!' " --George Carlin
  • by Dachannien ( 617929 ) on Monday November 28, 2005 @11:01PM (#14134747)
    Nothing exemplifies the supposed power of the extrovert more than The Apprentice. All those disgusting Type-A personalities backstabbing each other and ripping the crap out of each other for the tiniest mistakes to make themselves look good, and not only are we supposed to be amused by it, but we're also supposed to believe that that's really how you get real work done. It undoes what few remnants of "cooperation" are left from our positive Sesame Street educations and convinces us that being rude and loud at other people's expense is the only way to succeed.

    • by meta-monkey ( 321000 ) on Tuesday November 29, 2005 @12:16AM (#14135129) Journal
      Yeah, that's all fictionalized for television. I own a business, and I know a lot of other people who own businesses, and I meet a lot of managerial employees, etc. Fake assholes like the people on The Apprentice are generally seen through very easily, and either used or dismissed. Don't use an overly-dramatized prime-time "reality" TV show produced by Donald Trump as a scientific study.
  • by aled ( 228417 ) on Monday November 28, 2005 @11:09PM (#14134788)
    I have only this to say:
  • introvert != quiet (Score:5, Insightful)

    by JanneM ( 7445 ) on Monday November 28, 2005 @11:21PM (#14134841) Homepage
    Being introverted does not necessarily mean that you're a quiet, reflective kind of person in social situations. Being introverted really means that you don't like too much people, for too long a time at once. You need a good deal of "alone-time" to be comfortable.

    That can mean that you're also quiet or a wallflower at parties, but does not at all have to be. It may just as well be that you're happily partying and jabbering away - just mostly with people you already know, preferably smaller groups, and not that often.

    In fact, I prefer to see introversion as the positive difference of the clingy extrovert who can't stand being alone, who values themselves only through the eyes of others, and who has to fill their time with sounds and voices at any cost, whether if it means constantly blaring TV, spending hours on the phone saying nothing at all, or always having a boy/girlfriend just to have _someone_, since anyone, no matter what kind of creep, is better than being alone.
    • by Thing 1 ( 178996 )
      [...] or always having a boy/girlfriend just to have _someone_, since anyone, no matter what kind of creep, is better than being alone.

      God damn you hit the nail on the head. I no longer have relationships becaues I don't need creeps. (Or children; with nano I'll live forever, blah blah blah.)

  • More isn't better (Score:3, Insightful)

    by The Pim ( 140414 ) on Monday November 28, 2005 @11:33PM (#14134920)
    While I'm sure that many introverts are turning over deep coding problems, coming up with the idea that will change the world, and making keen observations, others are neurotic, anxious, or wasting cycles on trivialities. Not all brain activity is condusive to health, happiness, and success.
  • by csoto ( 220540 ) on Monday November 28, 2005 @11:48PM (#14135000)
    He's the one staring at YOUR shoes.

    Thank you, I'm here all week. Try the lobster.
  • testimonial (Score:3, Interesting)

    by yagu ( 721525 ) * <yayagu@[ ]il.com ['gma' in gap]> on Tuesday November 29, 2005 @12:05AM (#14135074) Journal

    From the slashdot article:

    The attitude that there's something wrong with introverted people is widely shared in society, where fast talk and snap decisions are often valued over listening, deliberation and careful planning

    I consider myself introverted but I was always excellent applying technology and creating solutions that worked and usually exceeded expectations.

    That "exceptional" technology skill got me invited to lots of decision-making and planning meetings and consortiums. But people often expressed afterwards (and sometimes even during) these sessions disappointment in my seemingly lack of participation or unwillingness to "speak up". I always apologized and explained I really couldn't find it in my constitution to say something unless I had something to say.

    I usually found myself deep in thought about discussions ongoing but rarely found conclusions simple, even in seemingly simple scenarios. Overall I sometimes wonder how many dings I accumulated for that trait. (I will say, I did quite well for myself reputation-wise overall.)

    Curiouser and curiouser.

  • Carter? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by TopSpin ( 753 ) * on Tuesday November 29, 2005 @12:32AM (#14135197) Journal
    James E. Carter and introvert? The guy who, for most of my lifetime, has been gallivanting around the planet advising and negotiating with anyone drawing breath, publicly criticizing all of his successors, participating in all manner of charitable causes, special interests and important events, and doing interviews for anyone capable of granting airtime? That "Jimmy" Carter? This guy visited TMI while the core was still molten.

    Give me a ****ing break [wikipedia.org]. The man has probably forgotten more friends than any ten of you will ever have.

  • by Sarusa ( 104047 ) on Tuesday November 29, 2005 @02:21AM (#14135665)
    Mind Wide Open [amazon.com] summarized this pretty well. Active scans of people working on a problem or engaged in a specific endeavor have shown repeatedly that extra brain activity is not a good thing. It means you're floundering. The more activity the worse you're doing. Your best results are when just that tiny minimum necessary bit of the brain lights up.

    Thinking of several pronounced introverts I know I'd have to say this applies; sure they're thinking a lot, but what they're doing is obsessing on little problems and turning them into full-blown crises which they can mull over and over again for maximum horrorific effect.

    Of course there are real introverted geniuses. I guess they just channel it better.
  • by Wilson_6500 ( 896824 ) on Tuesday November 29, 2005 @02:59AM (#14135803)
    I don't know what it's like to be an extrovert, but I've been around a couple in my life. Conversation can really separate the one from the other--at least, that's what I've noticed.

    Seems to me like extroverts _plan_ their conversations. They might be listening to you, sure, but on some deeper level they're busy thinking of what's coming next--or perhaps looking around to see who else is around they can draw into the conversation.

    I'm an introvert. I don't like a lot of "change" in my conversations--new people cause repetition, get me off on tangents, or cause the subject to change prematurely. Extroverts plan as they go for this kind of stuff--"Hey, there's Bob. Bob knows Optics. I'll get him over here and see what he has to say." My reaction to Bob's presence--unless for some reason Bob is already part of the conversation--is, "Oh, it's Bob."

    Unless I've planned well ahead of time, I'm so busy trying to come up with what to say _as I'm talking_ that I don't have much ability to map out my thoughts. Even when the other party is talking, I'm too busy pondering what _they_ are saying to think about what _I_ am going to say. I converse by inspiration: if the other party doesn't give me any good inroads to a new topic, I have a hard time holding up my end--unless I don't feel the need to pay attention because, for instance, I've heard a story before. Then I'm free to sit and think about what's been said.

    If I had to guess at the main mental difference between extroverts and introverts, it would really be that the former can think off the cuff and get along, whereas we introverts are compelled to reflect and concentrate, whether or not we can get along by winging it.

    Extroverts bubble; introverts stew.

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