Are most writers introverts?

To be introverted or not to be...that is the question.

  • I consider myself introverted.

    Votes: 109 68.6%
  • I consider myself extroverted.

    Votes: 20 12.6%
  • I consider myself ambiverted...or something else--here, I'll post about it.

    Votes: 30 18.9%

  • Total voters
    159
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kaitie

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I'm also fairly certain that you are not implying that any of the rest of us introverts who haven't reached your goals are any less confident or any less functioning!

I'm kinda satisfied with the introvert I am,
-as I'm sure- many of us are as well. =)

Nope, I'm implying that I used to be super ridiculously shy and I've mostly gotten over it. And the reasons behind my super ridiculous shyness were mostly a lack of confidence (from being bullied my whole life) and a lack of social skills (based on not living in a neighborhood and getting very rare interactions with other kids my age). Those are the things I've had to work on to improve the shyness. I'm still an introvert, but I've learned to work around it. Which is good because I'm a teacher. :tongue
 

Discord

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I took Myers-Briggs in High School, and I remember being unsatisfied with the results. I think this was because at that age my self-awareness wasn't the most developed and I answered the questions more about how I wanted to be percieved, rather than accurately. Maybe I should take it again and see.
 

Shadow_Ferret

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I'm afraid of crowds. I don't like meeting new people. I'm nervous of new situations. I'm socially inept and rarely join conversations even with people I know. I have no real life friends (and keep coming up with excuses to meet up with a childhood friend who keeps emailing me that we should because I have no idea what we'd talk about). And in nearly every social setting I let my wife act as a shield.

So I don't know. Does that make me introverted?
 

CrastersBabies

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Though I'm an introvert, I can maneuver the social world easily enough. I'm a teacher as well and many of my teaching pals are also introverts. It's physically and mentally draining to turn ourselves "on," for a class, lecture, seminar or panel. And it's not that I have overcome my fear of public speaking, I've just learned how to mitigate it and have tools, exercises, tricks that I use before every single class or speaking engagement to prepare myself.

You're talking to the woman who, as a child, would whisper EVERYTHING until she was 6 or 7. I was horribly shy. If I went back in time and told my 7th grade self that I'd be teaching some day (in college and at the local jail), I wouldn't have believed it. Might have even passed out at the news.

But, you learn to function, you learn what works for you. For some, they are still shy and a bit xenophobic. For others, like me, they have to work their butts off, every day. 1st class of the semester, I still feel like I'm going to hurl. That will never go away. But, I know how to handle it and move through it.

Just because I'm an introvert doesn't mean that I can't function in an extrovert's atmosphere (and do so quite well). For me, it means that I prefer solitude, I prefer my sanctuary. I spend a lot of time in my own head. But, if I want to be a successful commercial writer, I feel I need to be comfortable to give a reading of my work, to speak to other writers at conferences, to interact with agents and publishers and the public. Not my cup of tea in any way, but a necessary evil. :)
 

Peter Graham

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Fully paid up extrovert. I'm never happier than when having a few pints in the sunshine* with a smattering of the bug eyed misfits I'm proud to call my pals. I cringe about the things I say and do, but say and do them anyway. None of it will matter after I've shuffled off!

Regards,

Peter

* A rare phenomenon in these parts
 

willietheshakes

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People are always surprised when they find out how shy and introverted I am - apparently putting on the in-public mask really works.
 

DragonHeart

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I'm introverted, but I've learned a lot about handling social situations since I work in retail. For me it has a lot to do with confidence--yes, I too was one of those "weird kids" who got picked on in school because I didn't conform to anyone's standards but my own. Fortunately now that I've been out of school and among a group of people who are much less judgmental than my peers ever were, I've managed to overcome a lot of that perceived shyness. I still have my guard up most of the time, though.

I find it's very situational for me. Generally, the weirder someone is, the more comfortable I am around them. :p I was actually rather surprised recently when I found myself hanging out with one close friend and essentially a group of strangers (some of his friends, who were all cosplaying and more than one of them was drunk) and I actually wasn't nervous about the situation at all. Very unusual for me, but it actually felt pretty good. And also three days at a major convention with literally thousands of people everywhere--no problems. Normally I'd be fleeing in the other direction as fast as possible lol, but since it was a group of people I am comfortable with (gamers, since I am one myself), the crowd size didn't matter at all.

Sometimes even around family I find the need to retreat and recharge after an hour or two, but I guess that's more because I'm so different from most of them. Not a black sheep per se, just that I have so little in common with anyone outside my immediate family. Found it kind of funny that I was more comfortable around people dressed up as assassins, aliens and cactuars than I do around people I'm related to. So I guess I'm not as shy around people as I thought I was, it just has to be the right situation. Probably because "normal" people still judge me and I find "weird people" to be much more tolerant and, frankly, interesting in general.
 

Dreity

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I'm introverted, but I've learned a lot about handling social situations since I work in retail. For me it has a lot to do with confidence--yes, I too was one of those "weird kids" who got picked on in school because I didn't conform to anyone's standards but my own. Fortunately now that I've been out of school and among a group of people who are much less judgmental than my peers ever were, I've managed to overcome a lot of that perceived shyness. I still have my guard up most of the time, though.

I find it's very situational for me. Generally, the weirder someone is, the more comfortable I am around them. :p I was actually rather surprised recently when I found myself hanging out with one close friend and essentially a group of strangers (some of his friends, who were all cosplaying and more than one of them was drunk) and I actually wasn't nervous about the situation at all. Very unusual for me, but it actually felt pretty good. And also three days at a major convention with literally thousands of people everywhere--no problems. Normally I'd be fleeing in the other direction as fast as possible lol, but since it was a group of people I am comfortable with (gamers, since I am one myself), the crowd size didn't matter at all.

Sometimes even around family I find the need to retreat and recharge after an hour or two, but I guess that's more because I'm so different from most of them. Not a black sheep per se, just that I have so little in common with anyone outside my immediate family. Found it kind of funny that I was more comfortable around people dressed up as assassins, aliens and cactuars than I do around people I'm related to. So I guess I'm not as shy around people as I thought I was, it just has to be the right situation. Probably because "normal" people still judge me and I find "weird people" to be much more tolerant and, frankly, interesting in general.

Oh my goodness, yes!

I thought it would be so nerve-wracking and awful when my husband's old college buddies came to visit and play DND for a weekend. I thought I would be the quivery little clam that I was in school. But nope, I contributed to the conversation, made jokes and geeky references, and I almost fell out of my chair laughing at least twice. It was like I had known these people for years.

I still hide upstairs when certain family members are over because I have nothing in common with them and have no idea what to say. So yeah, if you're weird enough, we'll get along famously. ^_^
 

Kindness

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I seem to be one or the other at any one point in time. I seem to have to make a switch in mindset to socialize or write. During the months where I'm writing I don't want to be disturbed for long and human contact can be bothersome. When I'm busy socializing my priorities change and writing takes a back seat to friendships and romance. So "ambivert", I guess, haha.
 

Alpha Echo

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You know, I used to be much more of an extravert. I loved to go out and party or go to huge BBQs or whatever.

In school, I was ostracized.

Then I met my first husband who pulled me out of my shell, and though I hate to admit it, we had a lot of fun for awhile. We were extremely social, but I think I was mostly because he was. I did what he wanted to make him happy...and in doing so, at the time and sick as it was, it made me happy.

Now...I miss smoking sometimes because it would give me an excuse to get away for a few minutes if I was in a big group of people. Now, I can't get away so easily.

Fortunately, my husband's the same way, so as I mentioned in a previous post, most of the time, it's just us. :)
 

LJD

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dunno about most, but I'm one.
 

CrastersBabies

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You (CrasterBabies) seem extremely extroverted in my eyes. I dread the day I sell my book and actually have to promote it in person. I have no idea how that will happen. Maybe I could pay someone to be me.

Ha! It could be that online I'm very dynamic, but as someone else wrote, the internet seems to draw more introverts, specifically message boards and the like. I'm also a writer. I've always been vastly better at expressing myself through writing than "in person" or verbally.

Perhaps there should be a distinction between online extroversion/introversion and the "in person" type? Hmmm.

I also dread the public side of publishing. I have been to many book signings and the authors I see seem so at-ease in front of crowds. I wonder if they've just learned how to nail it over the years?
 

Maze Runner

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You know, I used to be much more of an extravert. I loved to go out and party or go to huge BBQs or whatever.

In school, I was ostracized.

Then I met my first husband who pulled me out of my shell, and though I hate to admit it, we had a lot of fun for awhile. We were extremely social, but I think I was mostly because he was. I did what he wanted to make him happy...and in doing so, at the time and sick as it was, it made me happy.

Now...I miss smoking sometimes because it would give me an excuse to get away for a few minutes if I was in a big group of people. Now, I can't get away so easily.

Fortunately, my husband's the same way, so as I mentioned in a previous post, most of the time, it's just us. :)

I'm missing something here. You were outgoing, in school you were ostracized, your first husband pulled you out of your shell, now you miss smoking 'cause it gave you an excuse to go off alone-- Not jabbing, Just interested. BTW, the smoking thing is killin' me (literally?)- was off for a year and now back on for a few months- gotta kick it-
 

liter8media

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I consider myself to be in the middle. I am deeply extroverted, but I show strong Introverted tendencies. This divide creates a problem for me in defining myself psychologically. But I'm proud of both of my sides, as well as proud of hopefully opportunities to engage on both levels.
 

backslashbaby

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I consider myself to be in the middle. I am deeply extroverted, but I show strong Introverted tendencies. This divide creates a problem for me in defining myself psychologically. But I'm proud of both of my sides, as well as proud of hopefully opportunities to engage on both levels.

I find I confuse other people. Folks who want to have a blast again the very next weekend don't always understand that yes, I really am holing up the whole weekend and nothing is wrong in the least!

Or folks who know I said No to something don't know to catch me next week instead (and I'm not just being polite when I say that). I'm not confused myself, but you can tell that it must be a fairly unusual mix of energies from people's reactions :)
 

Alpha Echo

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I'm missing something here. You were outgoing, in school you were ostracized, your first husband pulled you out of your shell, now you miss smoking 'cause it gave you an excuse to go off alone-- Not jabbing, Just interested. BTW, the smoking thing is killin' me (literally?)- was off for a year and now back on for a few months- gotta kick it-

LOL! I'm so sorry. I tend to ramble. I guess I was trying to figure myself out as I typed. Because I'm weird.

Let's forget my past.

LOL.

Right now, I'm an introvert. Very much so. so much that sometimes I miss the excuse to leave a group to smoke a cigarette.

But I don't miss the act of smoking at all. :)
 

LaurieD

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Introverted around people I don't know/feel comfortable around. Crowds and things of the like I avoid when I can.

Extroverted with people I know/am comfortable with. Was an extrovert when I was in elementary school but by the time I was in high school there were only a few people I was actually comfortable socializing with.
 

Dr.Gonzo

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Extrovert. I try and pull it back a bit at times.
 

Maze Runner

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LOL! I'm so sorry. I tend to ramble. I guess I was trying to figure myself out as I typed. Because I'm weird.

Let's forget my past.

LOL.

Right now, I'm an introvert. Very much so. so much that sometimes I miss the excuse to leave a group to smoke a cigarette.

But I don't miss the act of smoking at all. :)

Something a lot of us would like to do. That's forget our past, not yours. Right now I'm cursing Sir Walter Raleigh.
 

aruna

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I am the quintessential introvert. I am also intensely shy. As a child, I would not speak to anyone who was not a close family member or friend. As I grew older, some people put this down to snobbery, but it wasn't. I hate having to interact with strangers; yet I love being among them. I love travelling and going into foreign cultures and observing people. When I was ten I begged my mother to send me to boading school in England, which she did. I went, and lived a silent, shy life, making only a few friends and otherwise going pretty much unnoticed. I loved it.

With people I like and with good conversationalists, I'm an extrovert. But like Jo March, I can say that it would be easier for me to save your life than to make nicey-nice small talk with you for too long.

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Exactly.

I don't think there's any rule that says most are introverted, though this poll shows otherwise.

I, myself, am extremely introverted and more so as I get older. My ideal evening is a glass of wine and a good book with my husband beside me, and my daughter playing nearby.

We rarely go out, though I do love a nice dinner out once in awhile.

Aside from family and a few close friends - by few, I mean...I have 1 friend I get together with for lunch or dinner maybe twice a year, and my husband has a couple friends he knew in high school that we still see maybe once a year...we really aren't social. We're both happiest at home, or at least, alone together. Camping, fishing, whatever.

I prefer online communication to in person or on the phone.

*shrug*

I'm like a hermit...who's female...and married but celibate and loves sex (with the husband).

That's me all over, except for the end -- but I fixed it.;)

The Myer-Briggs test is very consistent. I always come up as an INFJ no matter which test I do, and the description is very accurate for me. I especially love this line: "Usually self-expression comes more easily to INFJs on paper, as they tend to have strong writing skills."

I'm consistently off-the-scale INFP. The Wikipedia short description gets it to a T:
INFPs focus much of their energy on an inner world dominated by intense feeling and deeply held ethics. They seek an external life that is in keeping with these values. Loyal to the people and causes important to them, INFPs can quickly spot opportunities to implement their ideals. They are curious to understand those around them, and so are accepting and flexible except when their values are threatened.
Though I'm an introvert, I can maneuver the social world easily enough. I'm a teacher as well and many of my teaching pals are also introverts.

I couldn't imagine a worse job for me than teacher.

You (CrasterBabies) seem extremely extroverted in my eyes. I dread the day I sell my book and actually have to promote it in person. I have no idea how that will happen. Maybe I could pay someone to be me.

It was awful. Yet somehow I managed it, for the sake of my publisher. I even once gave a (succesful) talk to 100 people.
Over the years I managed to play the game and I can now go out and speak in front of people. But I hate it. I'm happiest at home.

I remember when I quit my job after my second child was born. I was so happy to get to stay at home! Some friends sneered at my decision not to go back to work and warned me that I would get rusty and the roof would fall on my head. But that was when I started to write my first novel, the one that gort published. So I got the last laugh.
 
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noema

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I'm def an introvert, INFP from the myers-briggs type indicator.
Rather abusive childhood, so who knows how that changes things. I'm 30 now and its only in the last few years that I've started to feel more comfortable with myself, as in confident enough to stop clamping down me whenever I'm around people.

I have discovered that even though I'm an introvert, I enjoy talking/doing things with people I like. The problem is I know so few of those people... And since I really really really really dislike small talk as well as too many other things... trying to meet new people f***ing sucks.

As for writing, it has always been my favorite way of communicating. I even met my introvert husband online... :)
 
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