Absolutely agree.

I would class myself as being introvert. I like my Shell time. I work better in a vacuum and enjoy either the silence or my music without the need for people talking. I operate better locked in my head.

That being said, I can be very extroverted. Not because I am, but because I have to be. I just decided one day that there is no reason to fear being forward. I can operate well in big groups, social groups or with public speaking. I just choose not to care what people think of me and do what ever I want. But this doesn't come naturally, I philosophically "bite the bullet" and dive in. No regrets and life has been good.

But I NEED to go back to my cave where it's comfortable and "enjoy the silence". Often when I do, I have flashbacks of embarrassment for things I've done and said in the heat of the moment. Nothing crazy, just little things like some Infinitesimal part of something that meant nothing to someone else but my conscience pushes forwards and makes a big deal. I spoke without thinking it through and forming my sentences carefully and now I'm kicking myself for it. Meanwhile, no one else even knows (or cares).

So I'm Introverted, but I'm not shy.

I'm an extro-introvert in RL. I keep to myself mostly, and I let everybody know it.

Haha, I actually tried that for a little while because yeah, it bothered me how insincere the whole thing can be and I hate doing that whole dance. Thing is if you unload fully on your partner then it puts them in an awkward postion because they feel they have to reciprocate your full disclosure when perhaps they don't trust you sufficiently. At least thats the way I see it (and its why I stopped being a dick to people who were just trying to be polite )

The worst small talk? 1st year of university. You meet a lot of new people which I was mostly fine with. What bothered me endlessly was the same few questions. Where are you from. What course are you on etc etc. Maybe its selfish of me, but first I got bored of asking them and then I got bored of answering. Eventually I started asking people what their favorite flavour of icecream was (lemon sorbet btw) just to, you know, break routine. I guess you might call it an ice(cream)breaker and tbh, it worked quite well. Oh, and if somebody answers vanilla then you need to keep that person close. They are the best kinds of people (and there aren't very many vanillas). Maybe I don't really have a problem with small talk, I just have a problem with boring small talk

Interesting to note that "How do you do?" is traditionally reciprocated with another "How do you do?". I mean, its seems totally absurd, its almost like the question is rhetorical - it certainly doesn't expect an answer. Its just a polite courtesy and to do anything but show the same courtesy back would be considered rude - how self absorbed of you to actually answer! The conversation might evem bloom into discourse on the state of the weather (the last refuge of the unimaginative .

Oh, and it kind of is stupid though SveNitoR. Don't worry, I don't consider myself stupid or somehow broken in this regard, but I really can't see how anxiety serves any purpose. Obsessing over the tiny details of a conversation only serves to make me look stiff and robotic, like some sort of psychopath trying to remember how to smile with their eyes. I've heard theories that the reason alcohol is so embedded in our society is because on some level we actually sort of need it to overcome this inhibition. Unfortunately I don't drink, although I have found a sort of vicarious empathy - I inherit the same hibition if I am with people who are a bit buzzed, just none of the memory loss (a blessing ang a curse). Anyway, thats quite tangental. I guess what I'm saying is that I'm quite comfortable being an introvert and while anxiety certainly bothers me and stresses me out more than I'd like I don't let it paralyse me.

I think it was alluded to in this vid, but not stated outright.
Outgoing personalities do not necessarily equate Extroversion, or leadership roles.

Instead, I have come to an understanding that the polemics of Intro/Extro-version are rooted in WHERE one sources their stimulation from. He stated that Extroverts recharge in the company of others, or via "external sources", whereas Introverts recharge by reaching inward through "processing" ("thinking" itself it too narrow a definition).

So, really, Extroverts "pull in" (from outside) more than they "push out", while Introverts "pull out" (from inside) more than they "push in". IMHO

I'm very much an introvert. I'm not shy or anti-social but I have friends and relatives who cannot fathom why I prefer to spend time by myself as much or more as with them. This video rings true at the very least on the social and societal aspects and how I work and interact with others.

I'm with ya PHFJ, I hate bars and clubs and cannot fathom why anyone goes to them heh. I met my wife through mutual friends, she's almost as introverted as I am heh.

Of all the many descriptions of introversion I've heard, this is the closest to describing me. It's almost perfect.

When I was young, I faked being extrovert and mostly made an ass out of myself and came off like a try-hard (which I guess I was). When someone close to me pointed out that I was actually an introvert, it was a relief that it could be OK not to talk all the time. Every aspect of my life improved. I'm quiet and I own it.

Introvert that pretends to be an extrovert here, I have a love hate thing with smalltalk. When it comes to people I know, usually its just a way to grease social wheels to get onto something real so smalltalk is quite pleasant, wheras with more outer circle people, it can get exhausting and if not done while charged can lead to socially awkward moments. Usually the only times I have trouble with this is when people try to persist with social interactions I'm not interested in and eventually it burns me out or when trying to maintain relations with people that arent necessarily inner circle.

I went to a psychologist a long time ago and she wrote a novel about me, I mean a novel about me for my parents. In it she said I was introverted and scatter brained.

Sometimes I wonder what impact that had on how I grew as a young adult. Maybe she should have just kept her thoughts to herself and said instead, he is defiant and has a bad attitude towards authority as displayed in many kids his age.

Quite true, it's particularly chic for some people to go around telling everyone how much of a "Geek" they are these days, but both the video and the book it's based on (I've read it) state that nobody is 100% one or the other. There are probably lots of people out there who manage to function like an extrovert much of the time but in reality are pretty introverted in nature and maintaining that extroverted facade can be very exhausting.
I'd consider myself to be an introvert and I also suffer from social anxiety or even shyness in certain social circumstances, and I certainly don't consider myself "special", at least not in a good way.
The book does a pretty good job of not making judgements about either one being good or bad but does outline the pros and cons of each personality type.

Comment hidden because you are ignoring dag. (show it anyway)

One of the things mentioned in the video doesn't ring true with my experience. I know many people with very outgoing extrovert-seeming personalities who claim to be introverts.

I think there is some social cachet in claiming the "misunderstood, enigmatic loner" title.

Actually, in my experience there is a bit of stigma in claiming to be an extrovert - mainly because they're played as chatterbox busy bodies or "relationship managers" in popular media.

Total introvert here, hell my email is hermitcrab.

As an introvert with eccentric style, I really like it here in Denmark. I can have whatever hair I want or dress however and no one bothers me. Everyone here is polite but keeps to themselves. Really nice.

I am an introvert who pretends wholeheartedly to be an extrovert, or otherwise I would never leave the house or talk to anyone. After a while it kinda becomes real...

Mostly introverted here, but none of the "poor introverts living in an extrovert's world! D:" stuff rings true for me. Kind of offensive.