[Doctorjuice]

I submitted an introvert vs extravert video on youtube. Watch it if you want, and I would love some critique and feedback roud:

Not sure if this is the appropriate place to post this, if not just let me know!

How do you guys spot introverts or extraverts? Are there any specific body movements/posture/behavior that you look for (besides just the obvious)?

 

[Letmethink...]

Introvert INFJ reporting again.
I would like to put emphasis on the fact that the introvert-extrovert difference is based on the dominant function. As we all know, everyone has introverted and extroverted functions. That's why the body language can be very misleading. I myself am very often considered an extrovert, because my auxiliary function is extroverted feeling.
When I try to spot who is introvert and who is extrovert, apart from using my intuition, I usually look at their sociability. And you just can't help from feeling that introverts always hide a part of themselves when speaking, as if they are only letting part of themselves out. But as I said before, I usually depend on my instinct, no rational basis here.
Hope it helps.

 

[TrailMix]

How do you guys spot introverts or extraverts? Are there any specific body movements/posture/behavior that you look for (besides just the obvious)?

I feel like its sometimes very difficult to spot extroverts and introverts. I feel like if someone has an Fe function (wherever that may be, even if its the fourth function etc) it is far more difficult to tell whether they are introverted or not. For example, I'm an INTP and have a very strong Fe; I'm very expressive and generally very open with my emotions unless they're about people, which I keep very much on a short leash. I also keep my negative emotions in-check as well, but thats beside the point.

What I'm saying is that Fe is probably the most extroverted function, and the more developed this is in ANY type, the more difficult it is to tell if someone is an introvert or not. The function, at least for me, acts as a self-editing/self-promoting social booster. However, instead of making me a people-person, it makes me "good at people" because my more prominent functions are Ti and Ne. It craves attention and social insight, even when I dont want to be around people (hence why I'm on this site haha)

The easiest way for me to tell if someone is an introvert is not when I'm conversing with them, but when theres a large group. You can spot introverts because they'll become more easily distracted by their own thoughts; tending to be the ones who "zone out" or "go dormant" for periods of time. They can be very active in one conversation, but be very passive and even non-existent in the next depending on their topics of interest while extroverts will be more prone to joining in on anything. Also, introverts are most likely to leave from an event first. Trust me on this. haha

Another indicator is the willingness to take part in small-talk. I HATE small talk but my Fe dictates that I must in order to make certain people happy. I'm more the person who waves a quick "hello" to someone in passing, and I've noticed most introverts will do this to even their close friends instead of wasting time on such (to us) meaningless conversation. I dont like saying things unless I think they're worth saying while others would love to just talk and talk and TALK haha.

Another thing that makes it difficult to spot introverts is when they're loud around their friends. I, as well as a couple of my other friends, am an introvert, but can be incredibly loud and hyperactive when I'm surrounded by mis amigos. I have WAY more energy in a small social setting than I do in a larger one and I am intimidated by big groups. The smaller the group, the louder and sillier I'll be, and if people didn't know me outside of a small-group setting, they'd probably think I was an extrovert.

I dunno if I'm helping by my examples, but I think what I'm really trying to say is that you cant really tell if most people are an introvert or extrovert until you analyze their behavior in multiple scenarios.

I know, I know... tl;dr... just read the last sentence I guess haha

 

[Yomotsu Risouka]

@TrailMix: I agree with your post in general, but...

You can spot introverts because they'll become more easily distracted by their own thoughts; tending to be the ones who "zone out" or "go dormant" for periods of time.

This particular example doesn't necessarily apply to NFP. The Ne+Te combination can lead to an NFP in an extroverted state seeming to zone out. It, uh... sort of happens a lot when I play certain tabletop games, haha. I'll get so engrossed in imagining my next turn that I lose track of everything else.

Another thing that makes it difficult to spot introverts is when they're loud around their friends. I, as well as a couple of my other friends, am an introvert, but can be incredibly loud and hyperactive when I'm surrounded by mis amigos. I have WAY more energy in a small social setting than I do in a larger one and I am intimidated by big groups. The smaller the group, the louder and sillier I'll be, and if people didn't know me outside of a small-group setting, they'd probably think I was an extrovert.

This, on the other hand, doesn't necessarily have anything at all to do with E/I. It can easily be an issue of social anxiety, which also affects extroverts.

 

[TrailMix]

@TrailMix: I agree with your post in general, but...


This particular example doesn't necessarily apply to NFP. The Ne+Te combination can lead to an NFP in an extroverted state seeming to zone out. It, uh... sort of happens a lot when I play certain tabletop games, haha. I'll get so engrossed in imagining my next turn that I lose track of everything else.


This, on the other hand, doesn't necessarily have anything at all to do with E/I. It can easily be an issue of social anxiety, which also affects extroverts.

Yeah. Ive actually heard that ENFP's tend to be one of the more introverted of the extroverts haha and can often come across that way. I was thinking more in terms of the Fe crowd though, and its just one way of spotting them, but you're definitely right! I feel like it's almost an N thing that you're describing, and thats another issue altogether; I feel like determining extroverted and introverted in N's is more difficult especially with Fi users... or maybe thats just me

As for the second part, with social anxiety, thats true as well. I guess more what I was trying to say is that each will prefer a different kind of interaction than the other. Extroverts will likely prefer more people to socialize with than introverts who are more choosy about who they share things with, preferring to focus on only one or two people at a time instead of entertaining a group. If social anxiety is an issue DURING interaction, these people tend, from my experience, to be more introverted.

For example, my boyfriend and I both have a little social anxiety, but you'd never guess it by just talking to him. He is VERY E and comes off very outgoing and very sociable, but behind closed doors he worries a lot about what people think of him. He's almost overly-nice. I, on the other hand, also appear outgoing, but when I get even slightly uncomfortable, I close off immediately and put on the "just be polite, just be polite..." face and completely withdraw haha

I shoulda put this in earlier, but all the stuff I posted was just from personal experience, and is by no means scientific haha

 

[JungyesMBTIno]

Ive actually heard that ENFP's tend to be one of the more introverted of the extroverts haha and can often come across that way.

That's mythical behavioristic mumbo-jumbo for the most part. One of the most extraverted people I know is an ENFP. If they are more quiet, this wouldn't be surprising though, since N is often misunderstood in this highly S society. Still doesn't mean this changes their natural preference for extraversion though.

 

[Eric B]

I think what they mean by "introvert" at that point, is that EN's or ENP's or whatever, need "time to think" a bit more compared to other extraverts, and they interpret this as "being introverted" a lot.

 

[JungyesMBTIno]

@Eric B

Would this be related to sorting out dominant Ne?

 

[Eric B]

Not sure what you mean "sorting out", but the way it is usually claimed, Ne seems to need "time to think" sometimes, compared to tither dominant extraverted functions, so they are not always as expressive as other E's.
Sometimes, this is attributed to all EN's. (ENP or ENJ).

I myself never completely bought this (it was once used by someone to claim I was ENFP, despite my not being that expressive), but people keep claiming it, so I allow that there must be something to it. But it is something that would only hold true at times. Normally, they are just as expressive as any other E.