Are We Happier When Extraverting?

[INTrPosr]

I wondered whether any of you agree with this (http://websearch.cs.com/cs/boomframe.jsp?query=extraverted&page=1&offset=0&result_url=redir%3Fsrc%3Dwebsearch%26requestId%3Dcf3b5c92db665f53%26clickedItemRank%3D6%26userQuery%3Dextraverted%26clickedItemURN%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.apa.org%252Fmonitor%252Fapr03%252Facting.html%26invocationType%3D-%26fromPage%3Dmainmenu81%26amp%3BampTest%3D1&remove_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.apa.org%2Fmonitor%2Fapr03%2Facting.html) article?

[MacGuffin]

I'd generally agree.

But acting extraverted is draining. Eventually I hit a wall, and then the effect stops.

I think introverts are generally more depressed, and would do better if we interacted more with people.

But it is like exercise, it is hard, and eventually the negative outweighs the positive.

[Merkaba]

I agree for the most part. For a while I thought maybe I was just a really shy E or something because getting out and being extroverted does make me quite happy for the most part. Then of course I really do like spending time alone, and after being out and about for extended periods I just want to be alone after a while, get some time to myself and recharge my batteries.

[Vagabond]

I think that introverts that reach out and extroverts that reach in are better off. More in balance, maybe. However, I think one is happiest when they follow their natural tendencies.

[s]

I'd generally agree.

But acting extraverted is draining. Eventually I hit a wall, and then the effect stops.

I think introverts are generally more depressed, and would do better if we interacted more with people.

But it is like exercise, it is hard, and eventually the negative outweighs the positive.

I agree with Ol' Darth yet again.

Must be the damn mind tricks. :D

[Jezebel]

It depends on what *kind* of extraverted activity it is. If I'm thrown in a room full of a bunch of strangers that I don't have much in common with, then no I'm not going to have fun. One of the big reasons I feel so drained when I have to interact with people is because I'm not able to do something I would enjoy more, even if I like the people I'm with. Sometimes it's not even the people that bother me, but that I'd rather be doing something else that doesn't require interaction with other people. In those cases, I'm usually happier alone. I do enjoy the company of other people as long as they also enjoy the same activities as me.

[flan2dave]

You could probably construct a similar study that shows extroverts are happier if they spend more than their usual time introverting. Its a two way street. You also have to consider how people's attitudes play into affecting your mood when you choose one activity or another. Would an introvert be happier if introverted type of activities are held in higher esteem? Could then the extrovert likewise find less contentment in their preferred activities because of an unsaid condonement? Another problem is that "happy" could mean anything, it could be a naive, empty kind of happiness.

[Dunearhp]

The sample size of 46 college students seems too small to me.

Have they done a study of putting extraverts and introverts into solitary confinement for a few days? Would the extraverts be more likely to become unhinged? Introspection can scare some people.

I think that extraverted behaviour is enjoyable for most people, but then, we are social animals.

This forum is a large number of intraverts extraverting.

To me, the study sounds statistically dubious. It also doesn't ask some other questions that would be interesting. Such as how long can an introvert force extraverted behaviour, and with how many people, before they feel stressed and need to leave to put their thoughts in order.

For me personally, my chameleon aspect takes over in social settings. Many people would probably swear I am an extravert. If I do this for more than a few hours then I start to lose concentration, then I need to stop for a while so that my head clears. :wacko:

Sorry if this post seems a little scattered. When I am typing I often think of several concept simultaneously. If I don't write the down quickly and in bullet style then I lose them. It is a pain when trying to write coherent essays. :banghead:

[Spartan26]

Where's the article?

I can be very happy or proud of myself when I approach a stranger and start a conversation or pay a compliment. To actually verbalize something I'm thinking, I'll give myself props for. Maybe because there's so much shame associated with introverted behavior that I feel good to break it.

I can feel a certain peace getting up in front of people, interacting with them. But I'd agree it'd probably get old.

I'd much rather work on a problem internally but have been in external creative environments where the process and feeding off of other people's energy added to the fun and excitment. But that only goes so far. There are times I'd want everyone to shut up so I could really think.

[cjs55]

"You could probably construct a similar study that shows extroverts are happier if they spend more than their usual time introverting. Its a two way street."

Close. The thing is, Introverts that are happy will have more energy to act extroverted. Thus, you can't necessarily say that extroversion causes happiness. I would guess that for Extroverts, when they are happy, they can be alone for extended periods of time without trouble.

I still bet if you put an introvert alone for 4 days, and an extrovert alone for 4 days, the introvert will say "not the end of the world", while the extrovert will be freaking out. However, in the opposite case, the introvert will be freaking out being around people for 4 days nonstop, while the extrovert will be ok with it.

[cjs55]

Oh, btw, is the correct spelling Extraverted, or Extrovered? Introverted vs. Intraverted implied as well.

[Boozer]

I can be very happy or proud of myself when I approach a stranger and start a conversation or pay a compliment.

Yeah, I do that for most social situations. But I still avoid them whenever possible.

[INTrPosr]

It depends on what *kind* of extraverted activity it is. Sometimes it's not even the people that bother me, but that I'd rather be doing something else that doesn't require interaction with other people. In those cases, I'm usually happier alone. I do enjoy the company of other people as long as they also enjoy the same activities as me.

Interesting you say this Jezebel, because most ENTPs that I have chatted with, feel that way. They love action and doing, but would rather do it without people. I think that types who have strong Fe and to some extent Fi, enjoy being around people. Then again dominant Se types are all for the party.

So does anyone think that ambivert should be entered into the direction of energy level equation? Hmmm.....ANTP

[Arioch]

It sounds rather dubious.

1. It is culturally more accepted to act extroverted. What is done to deminish people lying because of this?

2. Is a little depression really that bad a thing? If it is the price of a greater knowledge of our selves isn't it more then worth it?

3. would this help introverts in the long run? Doubtful, since not only must we account for a lower tolerence for being around people but perhaps also perhaps a greater amount of taste.

4. Happiness in this article seems to be short bursts of pleasure in this article. How is going after short bursts of pleasure going to lead to a happier more forfilling life?

Are we suppose to be like social crack heads? Flitting from party to party, being a social butterfly hoping we get that feeling one only gets from smack?

Or are there perhaps more forfilling and effecient ways of achiving happiness that don't involve looking for that next hit?

I was going to write more but I think I've said enough.

[INTrPosr]

I think that my extraversion is doing things that don't involve people. However, ENTPs say they do the same. This brings up a question. How many of you are in extraverted jobs? I am strongly considering a job in Employee Relations to enhance my experience to go in business for myself.

[Arioch]

I think that my extraversion is doing things that don't involve people. However, ENTPs say they do the same. This brings up a question. How many of you are in extraverted jobs? I am strongly considering a job in Employee Relations to enhance my experience to go in business for myself.

I'm planning to become a teacher. That probably counts.

[Ponderous]

I wondered whether any of you agree with this (http://websearch.cs.com/cs/boomframe.jsp?query=extraverted&page=1&offset=0&result_url=redir%3Fsrc%3Dwebsearch%26requestId%3Dcf3b5c92db665f53%26clickedItemRank%3D6%26userQuery%3Dextraverted%26clickedItemURN%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.apa.org%252Fmonitor%252Fapr03%252Facting.html%26invocationType%3D-%26fromPage%3Dmainmenu81%26amp%3BampTest%3D1&remove_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.apa.org%2Fmonitor%2Fapr03%2Facting.html) article?

I think there are flaws in this theory. If we look at extraversion and introversion from a Myers Briggs standpoint, we are looking at where a person gets their energy. The article states that "energy" was one of the qualities that they associated with extraversion. Poor way of classifying, in my mind. For example, we have a couple of statements about introverted energy in this thread:


But acting extraverted is draining.

I really do like spending time alone, and after being out and about for extended periods I just want to be alone after a while, get some time to myself and recharge my batteries.

Here's my generalization: I generally think that folks who say that people are happier extroverting, are extroverts themselves.


I don't think being introverted makes you more likely to be depressed.
....
What exactly do they consider "happy"? I wonder...
I completely agree.


You could probably construct a similar study that shows extroverts are happier if they spend more than their usual time introverting.

I think so too.


Oh, btw, is the correct spelling Extraverted, or Extrovered? Introverted vs. Intraverted implied as well.

Dictionaries will take extraverted or extroverted. Introverted appears to be the preferred. IIRC, Jung coined the terms by defining them, but the way he first choose to spell the EXT word is no longer the more common way it's spelled.

Ponderous, who gets more energy from introverting.

[jimkopelli]

When I'm with the right people, I'm totally different from when I'm not. You could kind of call it being a selective extrovert.

[Aryan]

When I'm with the right people, I'm totally different from when I'm not. You could kind of call it being a selective extrovert.me too! :D

definitly not happier but i see extroverting as a way to interact with people and test my limits.
as an introverted thinker i would like to stay detached most of the time.
extroversion also drains a lot of energies, when you deal with people
i think that may be due to our weak Fe (extraverted feeling) function ?

[Zamira]

I think they have the wrong cause effect relationship here.

as a 100% introvert I usually only act extroverted when I am happy. If I'm not happy or not feeling well the whole world can go and piss off for all I care.

When I was a kid eg from about age 5, if I was around a friend for an extended period of time I would start a fight just to have them go away. I still do the same thing but now mainly by letting my mind romp in the meadows or hiding in my room.

[Dr. Caligari]

I get the feeling that the person who conducted this study or wrote the article is suggesting that there is something inherently displeasing about being introverted, to which I wholly disagree. I don't think introverts are happier when extraverting, just happy. From my experience, it feels much more gratifying to be introverted, and oftentimes liberating. Solitude is something to be valued, not cursed. Too little interaction may be unhealthy, but too little "me time" can suffocate a person and it may even be detrimental to their sanity.

[crule81]

If I spend too long either extraverting or introverting, I find myself wanting to do the opposite for a while just for a change. Too much of either one can be taxing, albeit in different ways. But the threshold is much less for extraverting. I can handle intorverting, on the other hand, for much longer periods before I get antsy for a change.

[lauriep]

When I'm with the right people, I'm totally different from when I'm not. You could kind of call it being a selective extrovert.

I agree. When I'm with one or two people that I really click with, I will act very extroverted and get energized. But with strangers or in a large group, I'll feel uncomfortable and drained.