But I now know that they are two entirely different things, and my dislike of telephones fits right into the former. So I'm normally abnormal! Let me explain.
I completed the 200 question Meyer-Briggs test, as well as the C Jung humanetrics test and also a psychology test from a certain clinic. I'm assuredly an introvert. And that is no surpise to me.
My score was 12. Yikes.
This one? 100% introvert. Eek.
This test was a bit less professional, but it was based on Meyer Briggs, and I was still 85% introverted.
An introverted person is not lonely or sad or depressed. We love who we are. We're just not you.
Here's a good definition of an introvert:
Opposite of extrovert. A person who is energized by spending time alone. Often found in their homes, libraries, quiet parks that not many people know about, or other secluded places, introverts like to think and be alone.
Contrary to popular belief, not all introverts are shy. Some may have great social lives and love talking to their friends but just need some time to be alone to "recharge" afterwards. The word "Introvert" has negative connotations that need to be destroyed. Introverts are simply misunderstood because the majority of the population consists of extroverts.
- Zoning out
- Sudden quietness
- A desire to leave even though the event/party is just getting started
- Irritability
- A desire to stick closely to familiar people
- An intense interest in books or art in the room
- Special attention given to the house pet
- A desire to perform activities that don’t require conversation (i.e. helping to clean, serve, DJ, take photographs, etc.)
- Unwillingness to indulge in small talk.
Oh my god, the cartoon below even looks like me.
Which brings us to the elephant in the room. The telephone. I hate it. You know I hate it. This is how I feel when it rings:
And it's one of the most prominent traits of a severe introvert.
I find that the telephone is intrusive, especially for introverts, whose brains don’t switch gears all that quickly. When we’re deep in thought, a ringing telephone is like a shrieking alarm clock in the morning. And we often give bad phone—awkward, with pauses. We struggle without visual cues, and our tendency to ponder before we talk doesn’t play well on the telephone. Being stuck on a too-long call makes me want to chew off my own leg to escape.
There were three people in my life that I could have long, enjoyable phone chats with. One was my mom, so now there are two. My friend, whom I adore, lives on the other side of the province and I don't see her enough. But, she gets me. I think she is like me. We can talk for hours, and we have, and we can travel together and share a room, and it's wonderful. We can be together 24 hours a day, and it's fine. There is a third one in our trio, but she's not a phone talker either. Which is why we travel so well together too, I guess. I have other friends who I love dearly, but to my dismay, I just can't do the phone thing with them....much as I sometimes feel guilty about it. Or if I do, I generally need to be the one to initiate the call.
The other is my son, who is as much of an extrovert as I am an introvert, but we are of the same blood and our phone conversations just work. They just do.
I see people with cell phones pressed to their ears, chattering and chattering and chattering. What on earth do they find to talk about? I’m incapable of stringing that many words together at one time. Sometimes, I can’t even finish my own sentences, losing interest halfway through and trailing off. (Much to my husband’s irritation).
I've always been a letter writer, and at first I found email almost as intrusive as a phone....it's too instant, but I've grown accustomed to it, however, don't expect an instant answer. I need to form a reply slowly.
So there you go. Yes, let's unite indeed! No RSVP needed.
