Godot Taxis
Wednesday 14th December 2011 5:13pm
5,749 posts
Quote: TopBanana @ December 14 2011, 10:14 AM GMT
I used to work with a guy who I'd never met - i.e. we had to be in regular email contact. He was fecking hilarious in his emails, yet when we met he hardly said anything and was as quiet as a mouse.
That's because he was an introvert. Introverted people don't get much energy from social interaction. Your friend's 'hilarious' personality was still there in the flesh, it's just that social interaction doesn't bring it out.
Most people have introverted aspects of their personality but only a small percentage of the population is primarily introverted - it's nothing to do with 'being shy' or lacking confidence - there is no fear, just a desire to withdraw from group interaction.
I can think of a couple of very regular BCG posters who are like this, very talkie online but silent in person. The mistake that some people make is that there is nothing going on inside - introverted people are no less aware or 'present', just non participatory. They're usually thinking why doesn't that extroverted person shut-the-f**k-up, while the extrovert is thinking: (about the introvert) Is this person braindead?