# Introverted or Extroverted?



## Huilunsoittaja

Just a curious poll question. Choose what you think you _usually_ are, pretty much everyone is a combination. Non-music related, although you could make it that way. 

In case those terms are a bit foreign,

Extroverted means outgoing, having a lot of friends, able to talk easily with anyone. Being around people stimulates you, and even gives you energy.

Introverted is essentially the opposite, but it doesn't always mean you're shy. It means you have a bigger thought life, and usually fewer but closer friends. Instead of stimulating, being around people drains your energy a bit, so you like to take breaks of just being alone.


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## World Violist

Absolutely introverted. Probably a good bit of the reason I thrive so much on these boards; I don't have to deal with physically being around people, and I can take a break from being here for as long as I want without it seeming rude or anything.

I've had way too much time with people lately, and having a roommate was a pretty terrible experience all told, partly because he wasn't one of my friends and we were polar opposites. But now I'm home for the summer and can be ALONE!


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## Vaneyes

World Violist said:


> Absolutely introverted. Probably a good bit of the reason I thrive so much on these boards; I don't have to deal with physically being around people, and I can take a break from being here for as long as I want without it seeming rude or anything.
> 
> I've had way too much time with people lately, and having a roommate was a pretty terrible experience all told, partly because he wasn't one of my friends and we were polar opposites. But now I'm home for the summer and can be ALONE!


Terrific off-the-cuff response, but you'll probably mellow by the end of the summer.

I've always found this question to be a half full/half empty thingie. Truth is, without being bipolar, I enjoy both. I slightly tip the scale to extrovert, stopping considerably short of bubbly.


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## Almaviva

I'm definitely extroverted. I love people. I often invite friends over for dinner, and I throw some of the best parties around. I'm quite the talker (you may have realized it, given my often verbose posts), sometimes to the point of exaggerating (as in monopolizing a conversation).
It doesn't mean I can't be withdrawn and self-absorbed at times (especially when listening to opera with noise-cancelling earphones).


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## Ravellian

I'm a little bit of both, I guess. I'm certainly outgoing and comfortable with people at school and at work during the day, but I have few close friends simply because I choose not to have them. I generally prefer to spend my free time by myself, especially during the evening/night.


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## Weston

I am so introverted I have to take meds to put up with the extroverted majority. And they are notorious in thinking of it as some kind of disease to be cured. 

Now, don't misunderstand me: I really do like people. (Half of them are above average, even.) But they do drain me and I must retreat from them regularly. I find I cannot think or focus clearly unless I am alone.


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## Ravellian

Almaviva said:


> I'm definitely extroverted... I'm quite a talker


I'd never have guessed


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## World Violist

Vaneyes said:


> Terrific off-the-cuff response, but you'll probably mellow by the end of the summer.


I love off-the-cuff responses. I saw the topic and responded. No miscommunications.


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## Meaghan

College has definitely made me more extroverted than I used to be, though I'm still a bit short on social instincts. Having private space is pretty important to me, so I count myself _very_ lucky that I've gotten to live in a dorm with split doubles (I basically have my own room, I just have to walk through my roommate's room to get to it). I think I would do very poorly with sharing a room.


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## mmsbls

Definitely introverted. I'm a scientist that spends almost all my time in a lab often by myself. I love to read, think, and listen to music. When I was in college, I was much more extroverted and actually enjoyed parties. That has certainly changed.


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## Sid James

I'm naturally introverted, quite private & shy, but I have been moving towards the middle ground over the years. Most of this has been simply a matter of learning in "the school of life" but I did do a couple of practical communications courses at Sydney Community College about 10 years ago which was a step in the right direction. I'd like to think that I'm pretty flexible & am able to communicate and connect with a wide range of people at a reasonable level. I can be a bit too serious at times, but if I'm around people that I trust I do let my hair down a bit. I have relatively few intimate friends, most of the people I know are more acquaintances than friends. I like to treat people equally. If I met the Queen or Prime Minister (formalities aside), I wouldn't treat them any differently (or any more courteously) than I do the cleaner at my office. I even treat those people I don't particularly like with the same level of respect, but I just keep my distance from them. I think that the main thing with people is to find a "middle ground" between yourself and them. From that point one can develop more intimacy with the person if one wishes to do that. It's all about balance for me, sometimes I like solitude (or as much of it as I can get living near the centre of the largest city in Australia) and at other times I like to get out & connect a bit with others...


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## Kopachris

O Solitude! Solitude, my _home_! I have lived too long wildly in wild strange lands to come home to you without tears!

Now shake your finger at me as mothers do, now smile at me as mothers smile, now say merely: 'And who was it that once stormed away from me like a storm-wind?-

'who departing cried: I have sat too long with Solitude, I have unlearned how to be silent! You have surely learned _that_-now?

'O Zarathustra, I know all: and that you were _lonelier_ among the crowd, you solitary, than you ever were with me!

'Loneliness is one thing, solitude another: you have learned _that_-now! And that among men you will always be wild and strange:

'wild and strange even when they love you: for above all they want to be _indulged_!

'But here you are at your own hearth and home; here you can utter everything and pour out every reason, nothing is here ashamed of hidden, hardened feelings.

'Here all things come caressingly to your discourse and flatter you: for they want to ride upon your back. Upon every image you here ride to every truth.

'Here you may speak to all things straight and true: and truly, it sounds as praise to their ears, that someone should speak with all things-honestly!

'But it is another thing to be lonely. For, do you remember, O Zarathustra? When once your bird cried above you as you stood in the forest undecided, ignorant where to go, beside a corpse.

'When you said: May my animals lead me! I found it more dangerous among men than among animals. _That_ was loneliness!

'And do you remember, O Zarathustra? When you sat upon your island, a well of wine among empty buckets, giving and distributing, bestowing and out-pouring among the thirsty:

'until at last you sat alone thirsty among the intoxicated and lamented each night: "Is it not more blessed to receive than to give? And more blessed to steal than to receive?"-_That_ was loneliness!

'And do you remember, O Zarathustra? When your stillest hour came and tore you forth from yourself, when it said in an evil whisper: "Speak and break!"-

'when it made you repent of all your witing and silence and discouraged your humble courage: _That_ was loneliness!'

O Solitude! Solitude, my home! How blissfully and tenderly does your voice speak to me!

We do not question one another, we do not complain to one another, we go openly together through open doors.

For with you all is open and clear; and here even the hours run on lighter feet. For time weighs down more heavily in the dark than in the light.


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## World Violist

I think Kopachris just trumped me for off-the-cuff-ness.


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## emiellucifuge

I operate easily in groups of people and often take the lead. However, as much as I enjoy this, most people dont know a lot about me and I very much enjoy keeping thoughts to myself. I dont tolerate fools gladly.
So I chose introverted.



Weston said:


> Half of them are above average, even.


Haha!


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## Meaghan

The very skewed results of this poll are interesting. Are classical music fans more likely than the general population to be introverted? Are internet forum users?


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## mmsbls

I think there is a tendency for people to underestimate how outgoing they are. There are psychological tests that do a better job at estimating this quality. I don't know any reason that classical music lovers should be less outgoing than the societal norm, but I suspect that people who frequent forums might be less outgoing in general.


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## World Violist

I'm gonna have another "off-the-cuff" moment here and just suggest a few things... not that I necessarily mean them, just pondering.



mmsbls said:


> I think there is a tendency for people to underestimate how outgoing they are. There are psychological tests that do a better job at estimating this quality. I don't know any reason that classical music lovers should be less outgoing than the societal norm, but I suspect that people who frequent forums might be less outgoing in general.


Good point that I think I agree with. Classical music lovers might be more inclined to think critically, but I know plenty who are quite outgoing. I'm wondering also if the causality we've been assuming isn't quite dead-on, but that it's a function of our outgoingness or lack thereof that compels us to listen to certain kinds of music?

I mean, Almaviva is very outgoing and loves Italian opera, yet I, who listen to Bruckner, Berg, Sibelius, etc. who are all very psychologically and philosophically probing on a purely musical level, am really quite subdued in real life.

(And I want it to be known that I am not demeaning Italian opera or think that it doesn't have deep philosophical and psychological implications; it just has a way of dramatically implying them rather than musically, whereas Bruckner must pour all of it into music because there's nothing else.)


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## Yoshi

I don't think there's anyone more introverted/shy than me :lol:. I've been worse tho when I was younger. I avoided social interactions at all costs because I just hated talking to people. If people would talk to me I would just nod or whatever. It was so bad that I had someone asking me if I was mute once. Oh the embarassment... anyway I got better. Now I can talk to people but I'm still awkward. It might not appear so online, but in real life I'm extremely shy. My family think there's something wrong with me because I could spend days without talking to a human being. The weird thing is that I feel the happiest when I'm alone.
You wouldn't imagine how many people try to change you when you're that shy. It's just not gonna happen .


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## Almaviva

World Violist said:


> I mean, Almaviva is very outgoing and loves Italian opera, yet I, who listen to Bruckner, Berg, Sibelius, etc. who are all very psychologically and philosophically probing on a purely musical level, am really quite subdued in real life.


Well, I do love Italian opera, but I also love Austrian/German, French, Russian, Czech opera, etc. I love oratorios, cantatas, lieder. I love symphonies, piano concerts, violin sonatas, etc. I love baroque, classical, romantic, modernist, and contemporary opera. You like Berg, I like Berg too.

I don't think it's just because Italian opera is expressive and dramatic.

More likely the skewed number of introverts here is more linked to the issue of Internet message boards. Maybe people who have some social phobia and have trouble expressing their opinions to real life interlocutors are more likely to get attached to Internet message boards; shy people like the anonymous side of the forum, etc.

As a matter of fact, maybe we can't even say what I've just said. The point is, the sample above is made of people who are BOTH classical music lovers AND attached to internet message board discussions.

We can't draw a conclusion from this sample that would apply to only half of the characteristics of the sample. In other words, we can't extrapolate this to all classical music lovers because not all of them are fond of Internet message boards.

All that our poll shows is that in a limited sample of people who are classical music lovers *and* are fond of message boards, most of them are introverts.


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## Vaneyes

Meaghan said:


> The very skewed results of this poll are interesting. Are classical music fans more likely than the general population to be introverted? Are internet forum users?


I'll guess the tendency would be YES in both cases, due primarily to the generally passive action required, but I don't think anything close to the current 87.5% reading that we have on this thread.

Somewhat related, here's a "personality and taste" article based on an Edinburgh study three years ago.

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5ipg-HB8ITF_LQr857o7C5Rf23hlQ


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## Weston

Jan said:


> You wouldn't imagine how many people try to change you when you're that shy.


Oh yes I would. They think they are being encouraging when they say "don't be shy." But they're really saying "don't be you."

I respect quiet people and wish there were many more of us. I invented an axiom to go along with that feeling: Q=m/u (Communication Quality is inversely proportional to utterances per minute.) I discovered this equation while trapped with a babbling airhead on a broken down public bus one day. I mean, are these people so uncomfortable with their own thoughts (or lack thereof) they must spew them out to get rid of them or something?


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## Yoshi

Weston said:


> Oh yes I would. They think they are being encouraging when they say "don't be shy." But they're really saying "don't be you."
> 
> I respect quiet people and wish there were many more of us. I invented an axiom to go along with that feeling: Q=m/u (Communication Quality is inversely proportional to utterances per minute.) I discovered this equation while trapped with a babbling airhead on a broken down public bus one day. I mean, are these people so uncomfortable with their own thoughts (or lack thereof) they must spew them out to get rid of them or something?


I'm glad to see someone who gets me . When people used to say that I would just be even more shy because I wanted to avoid said person.

You're right about that... I remember a long time ago when I was at school this guy started following me and asked: "Why don't you talk much? Why are you always quiet?" he asked it so many times that I got fed up and said: "So I don't embarass myself by saying stupid things, like you do all the time!". People around me heard it and started making fun of him and he never bothered me again :tiphat:.


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## Huilunsoittaja

Wow! So many introverts! My kind of people!  It must be something about classical music that draws introverts so much, probably because it's intellectual, and stimulating to the mind.



Weston said:


> Oh yes I would. They think they are being encouraging when they say "don't be shy." But they're really saying "don't be you."


Yes, I think there is a point where one can be so introverted it has a negative affect such as being shy. But as I said before, being introverted isn't a bad thing, and society often looks down on introverted people by _assuming_ it's shyness, and not just internal reflectiveness.

I'm introverted myself, just to put it out there too. But I think being a musician has helped me overcome the shyness part. When I play my flute, I have the opportunity to express my inner self without a worry over loss of words. I can even transform my character and be outgoing when I play the flute, and I enjoy that part of performing. I've played for hundreds of people at a time, so doing presentations in school (or even reciting poetry ) aren't so daunting as it use to be.


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## Yoshi

Huilunsoittaja said:


> I'm introverted myself, just to put it out there too. But I think being a musician has helped me overcome the shyness part. *When I play my flute, I have the opportunity to express my inner self without a worry over loss of words.* I can even transform my character and be outgoing when I play the flute, and I enjoy that part of performing. I've played for hundreds of people at a time, so doing presentations in school (or even reciting poetry ) aren't so daunting as it use to be.


I feel the same while I'm playing piano


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## jhar26

Introvert. Most people are just a pain in the butt really.


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## Sid James

Huilunsoittaja said:


> ...When I play my flute, I have the opportunity to express my inner self without a worry over loss of words. I can even transform my character and be outgoing when I play the flute, and I enjoy that part of performing. I've played for hundreds of people at a time, so doing presentations in school (or even reciting poetry ) aren't so daunting as it use to be.


You're spot on, it's easy to forget that music is itself a form of communication - from the composer via the performer to the audience (of course, the composer & performer can also be the same person)...


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## Conor71

I do like people, but apart from a few family and close friends I prefer my own company most of the time  - There's definetely nothing wrong with being introverted and I have no plans to change myself to become more outgoing!.


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## Sid James

I am becoming conscious of my negative attitude to extroversion - sometimes I think that it's self indulgent and ultimately superficial. It's a bit contradictory because one of my favourite musicians of all time is Louis Armstrong, who was definitely an extrovert (even criticised for having an "Uncle Tom" attitude by some of his own people, but I think that that opinion was basically unfounded). But I think that I like Armstrong's positive attitude more than his extroversion, it wasn't fake or put on, from what I can tell he was like that in real life. I don't mind acquaintances & friends who are like this, naturally happy and fun. What I'm beginning to be tired of are people who are very cynical and sarcastic, who put barbs out and barriers all around them, using this as a wall between them and other people. They come across to me as quite negative and insecure and they really **** me off, to tell the truth...


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## karenpat

I was actually a bit surprised to see such an overwhelming percentage of introverts (myself being one of them by the way). A few months ago I read a fascinating cover story in Psychology Today about the introvert/extrovert differences and the pressure in society to be extrovert, it was like a revelation to me. I thought I was just weird.


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## Air

I like to call myself a "situational extrovert" since I tend to be energized by people only in certain situations - naturally, the situations I am most comfortable with. In fact, a lot of my friends and family are even convinced that I am an extrovert, only because I have the ability to act like one when I am most comfortable. In reality though, I am usually very reserved, especially when I'm tired, and like to retreat to my "comfort spot" if I can help it. One of them, of course, is Talk Classical Forum.

Unfortunately, this sort of variance can sometimes be mistaken for bipolarity or passive-aggressive anger problems, neither of which are true. 

I do love people though, no matter how tiring I find it to deal with them sometimes. I think on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the most introverted), I'm probably sitting around a 6.5.


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## Kopachris

Huilunsoittaja said:


> I'm introverted myself, just to put it out there too. But I think being a musician has helped me overcome the shyness part. When I play my flute, I have the opportunity to express my inner self without a worry over loss of words. I can even transform my character and be outgoing when I play the flute, and I enjoy that part of performing. I've played for hundreds of people at a time, so doing presentations in school (or even reciting poetry ) aren't so daunting as it use to be.


Yeah, I think being a singer in a choir helped me, too. Because performers of any sort have to be able to get up in front of a crowd and perform under pressure, I can imagine that that could make musical introverts a little less shy in certain situations. I know that I feel totally at home with my choir and easily "let my hair down" when I'm with them. Performing gives confidence, which, while I'm still very much an introvert, has helped me in social situations.


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## Ravellian

Wow, that's a lot of introverts.... however, having been a message board user most of my life, I know for a fact that most frequent message board users are not very sociable in real life. This is the way people can post all their thoughts anonymously without having to deal with people face-to-face. It's comfortable this way, yes, but much less fulfilling I think. I now use message boards much less frequently than I used to, and I enjoy life a lot more.

You guys need to get out and experience the thrill of directly talking to people more!! It's part of what makes us human - we need these types of interactions to thrive. On the surface, it might seem shallow, but it helps you to create friends, and you can be so much more productive and have so much more fun when you have friends. It extends to the workplace, also. Provided you have proper leadership, a team will always be more productive than a single person. 

Well gee, I wasn't sure which option to choose at first, but reading the posts here, compared to most of you I'm definitely an extrovert.


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## Serge

Wow indeed! That should explain this spectacular board’s bubbling character. From now on I’ll be internally referring to it as “Norwegian Wood”. ‘Cause it freezes a lot, probably deeply engrossed in itself, thinking.


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## Huilunsoittaja

Serge said:


> Wow indeed! That should explain this spectacular board's bubbling character. From now on I'll be internally referring to it as "Norwegian Wood". 'Cause it freezes a lot, probably deeply engrossed in itself, thinking.


Or, you could just call it Finland.


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## Jules141

I'm more introverted, was very shy when young and am comfortable around myself. Although when I am around my friends people would consider me to be extroverted, suppose it's just because I'm comfortable around them? I cannot bear to be without my friends. I love parties and going out, wasting my student load on alcohol isn't wasting at all.

Funnily enough most of my friends are extroverted, I prefer much more to hang out with extroverted people, it helps bring the courage to act yourself, and by "be yourself" I mean what were all afraid of: socail faux pas and embarrasment.

It doesn't surprise me that classical attracts introverts, it requires focus and involvement so it can't be listened to socaily really. Theres a reason everyone is silent in the concert hall.


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## Chris

Ravellian said:


> You guys need to get out and experience the thrill of directly talking to people more!! It's part of what makes us human - we need these types of interactions to thrive. On the surface, it might seem shallow, but it helps you to create friends, and you can be so much more productive and have so much more fun when you have friends. * It extends to the workplace, also. Provided you have proper leadership, a team will always be more productive than a single person. *


There may be occasions where the energy and sociability of an extrovert will get things done that would not otherwise be done, but in my experience extroverts are more often a menace to society, because they think in social rather than logical terms.

I worked in IT for nearly 30 years and I cannot count the number of stupid, hopeless projects that were carried forward on a manic wave of optimism generated by extrovert managers. These people couldn't perceive the smell of death that hung about these idiotic schemes right from their conception. Most of the (introverted!) programmers could see these projects were never going to fly, but the heads of the extroverts in charge were filled with considerations of which important people wanted these things implemented. Immune to reason, they jumped about with enthusiasm, rallying the troops (so they thought) into true faith in the Cause. Can we do it? Yes we can! Ra-Ra-Ra! The rest of us anticipated, with prophetic accuracy, the breaking out of reality and the inevitable slow collapse of the whole enterprise into a death spiral.

One example. Not too techie I hope. I worked for an insurance company. Insurance systems are very complicated. For historical reasons (e.g. previous mergers) the company had several different systems to sell the insurance. The gullibles on the Board were bewitched by a team of smart salesmen into buying something called middleware. The theory behind this middleware was that you could design a simplified common front end (user screens) used by everybody, while retaining the guts of the individual systems (their databases, accounting subsystems etc) with the middleware doing all the data translation. Most of the technical people took one look at this and shook their heads, but us introverts weren't in charge! I remember Dave the Project Manager, hopping about, crackling with sparks of extrovert zeal as he exhorted us to believe. That particular project took about eight months to die. When it was finally abandoned it had cost about twenty million pounds.

So let's hear it for sensible, level-headed, realistic introverts everywhere


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## jurianbai

only a moderate introvert here. being working in a job that rely a lot on how good your mouth is, somehow the basic formula to being extrovert is mastered!

it is true internet message board user is mainly solitude geek, but this is classical music forum, we discuss quite a specific "topic" that hardly can found in real life.

and LOL to above post, btw have you worked under an _introvert_ melancholy type of superior, yet??? ;P


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## Ravellian

I understand how you feel Chris - there are a lot of stupid, empty-headed managers out there who got their jobs because of their social ability and little else - but there do exist many smart, level-headed people who are ALSO extroverted. It may depend on the industry. Most of my colleagues in the accounting departments would be considered both extroverts and cautious, rational people.


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## Vaneyes

Extroversion can be deadly, such as the man at a 24th floor office party who jumped against a window to prove it was unbreakable. It wasn't.


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## Almaviva

jurianbai said:


> only a moderate introvert here. being working in a job that rely a lot on how good your mouth is, somehow the basic formula to being extrovert is mastered!
> 
> it is true internet message board user is mainly solitude geek, but this is classical music forum, we discuss quite a specific "topic" that hardly can found in real life.
> 
> and LOL to above post, btw have you worked under an _introvert_ melancholy type of superior, yet??? ;P


Exactly. I post like crazy on the opera forum, because I have only a few real life friends who at least tolerate opera, most people I know hate it, and it *is* my main hobby so I rely on this site. It doesn't mean that in other aspects of my life I don't have a good number of close friends.


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## delallan

I am a 'true' introvert, although my career (which includes a considerable leadership role) dictates that I must operate most of the time in the realm of the extrovert. I have become quite sociable over they years, and can enter into conversation with anyone, and in fact, doubt very much that people would know that I am introverted by nature. I do a fair bit of public speaking as well. I despise leisure social gatherings (except those that are with family) but have come to accept them as part of what it is to be in polite society.


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## Kopachris

delallan said:


> I am a 'true' introvert, although my career (which includes a considerable leadership role) dictates that I must operate most of the time in the realm of the extrovert. I have become quite sociable over they years, and can enter into conversation with anyone, and in fact, doubt very much that people would know that I am introverted by nature. I do a fair bit of public speaking as well. I despise leisure social gatherings (except those that are with family) but have come to accept them as part of what it is to be in polite society.


Pretty much same here, except that my career doesn't include a leadership role at all because I don't have a job right now. Maybe I'll get one over the summer, but then it still probably won't include much leadership, as I would have just graduated high school.  I do fairly well with public speaking, though, after years of doing presentations and choir performances for school.


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## delallan

Good for you! The key is that introverts have to move into situations where they feel less comfortable, in order to succeed in areas that are dominated by extroverted people. It has nothing to do with being shy, I don't think, and more about comfort level.


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## Polednice

Unquestionably an introvert, and to the extent that my social anxieties are a cause of depression. I've come to accept myself more and more, still being very young, but have simply never been good at interacting with people. I feel sick with inhibition if I'm with more than two other people at a time, and I try to keep my social circle very small - at the moment, I'd say I have (and am happy with) 5 friends - one of them being my partner (by 'friend' I mean someone I'm generally open and comfortable with, though it doesn't really matter, because I never bother with acquaintances outside of these 5 people anyway).


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## emiellucifuge

Having read some of the other user's posts I am begnningnto doubt my previous assesment. I certainly see myslef as introverted compared to the people around me, but that could be down to the extraorinarily brash and outspoken nature of the Dutch.


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## Iforgotmypassword

I like to think of myself as an extrovertet introvert. I enjoy being around people and am generally good with them but when it comes down to where I feel comfortable and natural, it's alone or with one close friend.

I like being alone with my thoughts not having the need to say anything and just experiencing, be it in nature, while listening to music or sitting on the roof of my house or on the lawn in the sunshine. 

This is why I rarely go to college parties like a lot of other people my age. They're all about getting "f**ked up and having a good time (whilst bumping some lil wayne and kanye west) while I would prefer to listen to some real music and have an intelligent conversation over some quality brews or a joint. 

I also feel like I open up a lot more as a person when in a one on one situation as opposed to large groups where I just tend to just exist until I can single out one person to talk to.


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## Lenfer

I seem unable to vote has this poll closed? I would have chosen introverted. I think even though performing is quite a extroverted thing to do I feel that most musicians and I include myself are introverted. I only play for myself even when I rarely do so in public it was for me not anyone else. I also think that music well classical music anyway even though hundreds if not thousands of people can be listening to the same music at the same time you can't share it, you are alone for that moment. Only you know what how it sounds like to you and I find the nuances of classical music unique. I don't listen to jazz perhaps it could also have this subtlely but I can't comment.

I do also listen to rock music so I'm not approaching it with a negative view of the music. I find rock music and all of it's offspring a much more communal affair and even if I don't like the band I can still enjoy the company of others and the atmosphere not that I go to rock concerets often. 

Sadly this reflective "moment" is lost on so many people today. Perhaps all those great minds of the classical music world, yes they did compose great works but maybe the music inside them made them great and not the man that made great music?

Just my thoughts. :tiphat:


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## Klavierspieler

Definitely introverted. I don't dislike people, but I hate crowds and I'm very shy toward strangers. I generally dislike parties except parties that only involve my close family and friends (and parties for musicians where the ice is usually broken with some chamber music).


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## Curiosity

I'm a loner by choice, but I'm definitely not shy. Quite the opposite. Don't know what that makes me. Introvert I suppose.


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## Polednice

Curiosity said:


> I'm a loner by choice, but I'm definitely not shy. Quite the opposite. Don't know what that makes me. Introvert I suppose.


Loner by choice but not shy = extroverted misanthrope.


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## Almaviva

Lenfer said:


> I seem unable to vote has this poll closed? I would have chosen introverted. I think even though performing is quite a extroverted thing to do I feel that most musicians and I include myself are introverted. I only play for myself even when I rarely do so in public it was for me not anyone else. I also think that music well classical music anyway even though hundreds if not thousands of people can be listening to the same music at the same time you can't share it, you are alone for that moment. Only you know what how it sounds like to you and I find the nuances of classical music unique. I don't listen to jazz perhaps it could also have this subtlely but I can't comment.
> 
> I do also listen to rock music so I'm not approaching it with a negative view of the music. I find rock music and all of it's offspring a much more communal affair and even if I don't like the band I can still enjoy the company of others and the atmosphere not that I go to rock concerets often.
> 
> Sadly this reflective "moment" is lost on so many people today. Perhaps all those great minds of the classical music world, yes they did compose great works but maybe the music inside them made them great and not the man that made great music?
> 
> Just my thoughts. :tiphat:


Yes, the poll is closed. The original poster has the option of setting a duration for a poll.

By the way, welcome to the forum, relatively new member! (Kind of funny to only welcome you after you've posted 34 times, but better late than never).


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## violadude

I'm extremely introverted. I think I spend about 50% of my life or more inside my own head, with just my thoughts to keep me company.


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## Curiosity

Polednice said:


> Loner by choice but not shy = extroverted misanthrope.


Hehe, perhaps.


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## regressivetransphobe

I like to think neither, that's rather binary thinking and it doesn't do anyone any good. Some days I'm more outgoing than others, other days I hate people.


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## Xaltotun

Manic Depressive all the way, changing from extremely extroverted to extremely introverted.


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## violadude

Iforgotmypassword said:


> I like to think of myself as an extrovertet introvert. I enjoy being around people and am generally good with them but when it comes down to where I feel comfortable and natural, it's alone or with one close friend.
> 
> I like being alone with my thoughts not having the need to say anything and just experiencing, be it in nature, while listening to music or sitting on the roof of my house or on the lawn in the sunshine.
> 
> This is why I rarely go to college parties like a lot of other people my age. They're all about getting "f**ked up and having a good time (whilst bumping some lil wayne and kanye west) while I would prefer to listen to some real music and have an intelligent conversation over some quality brews or a joint.
> 
> I also feel like I open up a lot more as a person when in a one on one situation as opposed to large groups where I just tend to just exist until I can single out one person to talk to.


This is pretty much how I feel.


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## Lenfer

Almaviva said:


> Yes, the poll is closed. The original poster has the option of setting a duration for a poll.
> 
> By the way, welcome to the forum, relatively new member! (Kind of funny to only welcome you after you've posted 34 times, but better late than never).


It's always nice to be welcomed thank you *Almaviva* I've only been using CT for 2 days perhaps 3 anyway it's the thought that counts.


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## clavichorder

I suppose I'm still fairly introverted, but I'm also a very "kinesthetic" person apparently, always moving. Talking with people helps increase my enthusiasm about thing tremendously if they are a good conversationalist and can at least pretend to be interested, but I suppose I'm selective about who those people are, namely people I've grown comfortable with.


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## presto

I find it very hard to pick one or the other, I need to have my own quiet time to myself and often not really interested in socialising much.
Other times I can be a bit of a show off and enjoy the attention especially with my bodybuilding stuff and having a laugh with friends.
Guess I’m a bit of both.


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## beethovenian

Strangers usually find me shy and quiet and meek. But when they know me well enough, they find that i am a little devil that can't stop talking and teasing.:devil:
When i was younger, i went overboard with teasing a friend and he got really pissed and he didn't talk to me again. Learnt my lesson after that.

I do hate any kind of big social event but i enjoy the occasional hang-out with close friends.


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese

both at the same time


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## Capeditiea

introverted so far... that my only friends live in other states, even countries...


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