Innie or Outie?
Posted: Sunday, February 19, 2012
by Connor Davidson
The question of whether I am an Innie or an Outie is a surprisingly complex question. It would be a ludicrous over simplification to simply say introvert or extrovert. I will say with absolute certainty that I am somewhere between JD Salinger and Brian Blessed. Though that is not at all helpful.
To further explain the concept of a selectovert consider the one of the classic questions used to determine introversion or extroversion: “Do you like parties". Well, what sort of party? If it was a club environment with loud music and wild dancing I would be a complete introvert, I would be totally incapable of connecting with any other human being and have to leave as quickly as possible. However if it were a Star Trek convention and someone was mocking Captain Janeway I could be very loud and assertive. Whereas the average non-trekkie club goer would probably become more introverted in that situation and simply look around the room wondering how inbred the people with the pointy ears must be.
Basically I’m going to say that I am a selectovert.
“"
I am somewhere between JD Salinger and Brian Blessed"”
The problem with the term selectovert is that it is essentially dodging the question. So I’ve thought of another way to think about it. I am an introvert when on autopilot but an extrovert on manual. If I had to go an entire day without seeing or speaking to a single person it would not bother me that much. I know people at university who would work at their desk for an hour and then go and find someone to talk to. Whereas I would work at my desk all morning then go to get lunch and eat at my desk while watching something and then return to work. However, if during that brief period of going to make lunch I got into an interesting conversation I could be there for well over an hour. I am sufficiently introverted as to not actively seek people to talk to but insufficiently introverted as to be unable to hold a conversation and get to know people. Though the conversation must be interesting as I am totally incapable of small talk. I am also genrally pretty bad in large groups.
One of the tactics I have developed for socialising in large groups of people I don’t know is to look around the room for someone on their own who looks slightly confused and very out of place. It takes an amount of extroversion to walk up and talk to a random stranger but I can manage that. I select to be act slightly more extroverted so as to make my introversion less awkward. The reason I can manage this is that the person standing alone is usually very happy to be talked to. I’ve done this a number of times and every time it has worked great. Despite the fact that these people are introverts as time progresses they will become more extroverted and conversation will become easier and easier. Several times conversation has become so easy that it has went on to past closing time at 2 or 3 in the Morning. It is a beautiful tactic.
Though I once spoke to a very introverted engineering student who was planning to go out clubbing for the first time having only brought a small can of cider so I decided to be nice and offer him some whisky explaining the importance of drinking whisky straight. Two hours of drinking 46% blended scotch later he decided to tell me this was his first time drinking. I didn’t feel so nice. But the next day I found that he had a good time so I felt better, though he probably felt worse.
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)I'm select-overted. Ha!Thanks for the comment.
Now, I really enjoyed this article. You will do well in University. As a matter of fact, I would not be surprised if you shine as some type of scientist. And as Dr. Watson of Sherlock Holmes fame once said, "There is no reason to add anything to perfectly good Scotch whiskey", I agree.I like to think of substances added to whisky as pollutants. I was in a bar last week and we decided to get a fancier whisky (Johnny Walker Black) and we had to shout to the barman to not add cola.Good move...if I ever make it to Scotland I'll buy you a proper undiluted drink and if you ever make it to The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (I'm nearby that) you can do the same.I''ll hold you to that.
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