Comments on: Extroversion privilege

By: JM

JM — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 01:31:40 +0000

I’ve experienced this.
At public school, and at summer camp, I was described as “extroverted” for my enthusiasm to participate in games, to tell jokes, to be part of a group dynamic, to answer questions in the classroom and to share ideas. However, when I went to a boarding school for junior and senior year of high school, I was suddenly described as “introverted” and “shy”.
At public school, the only thing that mattered was the ability to think critically and absorb and remix information. At boarding school, all classes were seminar-style.Those who could state their opinion the most forcefully, interrupt others and speak the loudest succeeded in sharing more thoughts and ending more discussions…as a result they were seen as more capable and more intelligent than their quieter counterparts and were treated as such by the teachers. Similarly, when a student needed something, like a room switch or schedule change, the teachers didn’t take them seriously unless they threw a tantrum, cried or tried to run away, regardless of what the student told them verbally. People tend to internalize the expectations imparted on them by others. Some of those kids really suffered, psychologically.

By: Kayle

Kayle — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:42:03 +0000

Your professor is a moron. Reminds me of the kind of doctors who tell you you’re fine because “everything’s normal” when you’ve just spent the entire appointment telling them that how you are is radically different from how *you* normally are. Forest. Trees. Book or diploma in front of nose in front of forest of trees.

By: elle

elle — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 04:02:46 +0000

“You don’t smile enough. You’re not bubbly enough. You don’t talk enough.”

I have actually lost two jobs because this is what was said of me! People still have this problem with me. I’m not bubbly, I’m not a non-stop gabber, and what in the f*ck do I need to be grinning for 24/7? Yes, there are these expectations of women to be the social sex. Men can be strong and silent. If a woman is quiet there’s something the matter with her. You’re either a cheerleader or a b*tch.

By: Fancy Nancy

Fancy Nancy — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 22:18:50 +0000

Personally, I’m not sure about this extra-intra thing … I seem to be both. Whilst UK society seems to be favour showing emotions more than it used to, I am suspicious of extra-intra labelling and anyway I think I’m both!

By: sbg

sbg — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 21:12:39 +0000

Maybe they aren’t introverts, but they were being told repeatedly that their personalities as they were needed to extroverted more. FCOL, there’s also always a contestant who eventually bursts into tears and the judges say, “Finally, some emotion, yay!” as if not showing emotion readily means there is a void.

I totally get that some just aren’t capable of emoting in two dimensional photos, extroverts and introverts alike, really, but I do think the girls are being judged on more than just that. “You don’t smile enough. You’re not bubbly enough. You don’t talk enough.”

By: Jennifer Kesler

Jennifer Kesler — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 18:39:49 +0000

Actually, looking at models, I don’t think they WANT any personality radiating from them – might distract people from the crap their bodies are being used to sell us – so the show is probably full of shit on that level, too.

By: elle

elle — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 17:44:10 +0000

What I hate is that everybody has a personality! Having a “personality” is not synonymous with being an extrovert. That’s one thing. Second of all in the case of ATM I don’t watch it but I would think that an introvert would radiate what’s inside of them on camera. I really don’t think these girls with “no personality” are necessarily introverts. They may be bashful or just stiff, attributes which are no more synonymous with introversion than having a “personality” is with extroversion. That being the case, the stiff girls who radiate nothing from the inside perhaps should not be in modeling. They are only broken in the sense that they do not fit that particular profession. That is different from telling introverts that they are broken as human beings and too introverted to live.

By: sbg

sbg — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 05:01:36 +0000

Confession: I’ve only just figured out why one of the reasons watching America’s Next Top Model is so frustrating. Every. Single. Year. There’s a girl who the judges rag on for having “no personality” or, in their words, are boring. Those girls? Introverts. All season long, they’re being told they have no personality and they need to fix it – and I sit out here eating my bon-bons relating to those unrelatable, “broken” girls.

By: Attackfish

Attackfish — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 20:18:09 +0000

I know a very extroverted person with bad social anxiety. He’s definitely a shy extrovert.

By: Jennifer Kesler

Jennifer Kesler — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 16:37:56 +0000

Also, I’ve found most extroverts don’t get the concept of liking someone but needing “time off” from them occasionally, so they assume you are actually rejecting them whenever you ask for alone time. In my experience, no amount of explaining it to them will make them believe me, so I only bother to form friendships with introverts anymore. I don’t have time for people who think I’m a liar.