Friday, May 21, 2010

Opinion: On Extreme Extrovert By Extreme Introvert

I was present to witness my bday twin in conversation with our resident in your face >800 FB friend extroverted manwhore. It wasn't pretty. But it did make me giggle at the lack of connection- it was like watching a ball being thrown and each side kept dropping the ball like total klutzes.

The conversation was painful. Extrovert keeps harrassing introvert...listening but not hearing, not absorbing. As a fellow introvert and relatively more experienced and sharpened by years of annoying extroverts, I totally understood even if he didn't and almost felt compelled to pick up the ball and pass it over - stop the protracted agony by being the go-between translator!

What I find is that extroverts so misunderstand us that rather than listening to what we are trying to tell them all they are focused on is themselves and why does this person not like me, why does this person not want to talk to me?

If people say introverted people are self-absorbed off in their own worlds of thoughts and feelings I counter the opposite:extroverted people are so self obsessed that all they do is talk AT you revolving around themselves rather than ever take in or listen to what you are actually trying to say when they do pause to breathe and invite you to speak.

I'm starting to think that for me as an extreme introvert I can only take other introverts especially if I have to appreciate large doses of other people's company. Extroverts for more than small doses make my head spin and tend to make me feel like the blood has been drained from my veins...or at the very least...very physically exhausted and needing a whole day to recover. Why o why am I always surrounded by and subjected to so many Extreme Extroverts?? I guess it is a lesson in learning tolerance and forgiveness...and TOLERANCE. arghhhhhhh!

2 comments:

Franko Gnedo said...

You don't seem like an extreme introvert in your blog. But I suppose nor do I :) There may be a reason why you attract or are attracted to people you percieve as extroverts.

Zz... said...

Extreme Introverts WRITE- their writing is a warm comfy alone time escape. In real life they have no opportunity to express themselves cos they are constantly trying to run away from all the overwhelming NOISE from all the loudmouths who keep earbashing them and invading their space! It's really just a difference of manifestation - introverts verbal diarrhoea in writing and extroverts verbal diarrhoea in person- take your pick! I know which one I prefer! :)
I am more extroverted in writing than you though. The reason why I attract extroverts is the law of balance. Extroverts are like the necessary social lubricant of society-stick two extreme introverts in a room and you'll just get...SILENCE. I noticed the only time I end up talking to or meeting introverts is by default if some loud mouth is talking to both of us simultaneously. I guess in a sense we are all indebted to extroverts or we'd probably be really quite friendless!