Introvert vs. Extrovert
0 
In recent times we have heard Susan Cain speak, in the TED video of the Power of Introverts. She has also written a book entitled “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking“. I am sure this has delighted many introverts. I am more of an introvert myself and am relieved that somewhere, some people value our quiet virtues!
Getting on my flight back from London, I had looked forward to a relaxing time in the skies, watching movies, listening to music, reading and dozing off occasionally. No sooner had I settled in to my seat, my neighbour appeared, an unmistakeable extrovert, laughing along his way to his seat on the aisle, telling me he would leave his coat in his seat and going off to talk to others.
I do sometimes engage in conversation during a flight but prefer this to be just a little. I was determined this flight, to stick to my introverted activities, headset on whenever possible. The last time I obliged a talkative neighbour and engaged in conversation throughout a flight, the constant turning of my head to talk had left me with a serious neck ache.
Well, this flight, when my neighbour returned, he struck up conversation with a few others around who didn’t have their eyes closed. Later on, to my surprise, when I returned after going to the washroom, I found him sitting in my seat! His rationale? Well, he said, it was all the same and we were all going to end up in the same destination. (I believe he was just restless and needed to talk.) I politely requested to have my seat back, a request he acceded to, then I promptly plonked my headset back on. Okay, on hindsight, maybe I should have lightened up, taken the little joke and engaged in light banter. Horrible me! Later on in the flight, I heard (despite my headsets), loud laughter from him for a good half an hour as he watched the inflight entertainment – a reminder to me of the similar scene in the movie “Anger Management”.
In the end, I felt a little sorry and mean. I guess to an extrovert, having me as a neighbour that flight would have been awful. After all, extroverts derive their energy externally and need the external stimuli and introverts get their energy internally – we just cannot help it. It really is hard for introverts and extroverts to understand each others’ inner worlds.
(This is a re-blog of a post from my blog: http://tinkerthinktank.wordpress.com)
Introvert vs. Extrovert,
Tags: Anger Management, conversation, energy, extrovert, inner world, introvert
Hello hello and welcome to EP!
Ah I can totally relate to your article. I can be quite the introvert myself. I have moments where I do like to chat to people and mingle (although NOT good with casual chit-chat, I tend to have a pretty big imagination and I love to create stories), but very often I wander in my own world and observe the world I’m in. Sometimes you just need the extra time to get things together in your mind you know? I’ve had some annoying times in college where me being more of an introvert wasn’t accepted -_-. It didn’t help that everyone else in my group were extroverts, but the revenge was pretty sweet when they started asking me for advice hehe.
I don’t think you’re horrible at all for not chatting to him after he sat back in his own seat. Some days, you just don’t want to ramble to people.
Hello, TJ!
Thanks for the welcome! Thanks also for sharing your thoughts and for your kind words. It’s reassuring to know there are others who can relate to these inclinations, without regarding them to be anti-social or bizarre somehow. I can spend hours alone happily in my world of books, music, thoughts, movies, etc., Like you, I have moments where I like company and mingling too. Thank you again.
Cheers
Tinker
You’re most welcome!! And I agree with Dani as well. Very often I feel that people only start talking for the sake of talking. I’ve know a few people that were simply “afraid” of silence and just keep on rambling and eventually they just don’t make sense at all. I’m all for nonsense and rambling, but you have to know when to “stop” haha.
It’s all about the balance I think
Hello and welcome to Expats. Glad you are here.
I can be either. I guess that makes me lucky. I have never liked idle chit chat though..I feel it is a waste of words. I think some people talk for the sake of talking. So many times I feel as you do and am quite happy in my own little world, but other times I welcome the new and different and possibility of learning something new from someone I haven’t met before. Perhaps they need introvert/extrovert designated sections of seating? 
“talk for the sake of talking” -- exactly!!
Welcome to Expats!
It sounds like this person on the plane had a lot more dysfunctional issues to add with being an extrovert. I generally would call myself an extrovert but wouldn’t think of acting like the inconsiderate clod you wrote about.
I look forward to more!
Hello Dani and Dan
Thanks for welcoming me! Thanks also for sharing your thoughts. I guess it’s a spectrum and we are all at different points along the spectrum. I’ve been told for extroverts, the action of talking helps their thinking process and that’s how they operate. Introverts need to think quietly, so tend to talk only when they have had time to think alone. It’s quite a wonder how we all interact with one another with these complex differences!
Cheers
Tinker
Welcome to EP! Great piece. I am absolutely an introvert. My headphones are on whenever I go out in public: food shopping, walking, etc..
I can talk with people, although I prefer an audience of one rather than in a group. I clam up around groups of people like at parties and such. I find a corner and usually sit there all night -- chatting with one or two people only.
Small talk is hard for me -- it’s boring. However, you ask me about movies, TV or books, you might not get a word in edge-wise. haha…Those are my topics and can go on and on about them with ANYONE! ANYWHERE! ANYTIME! It’s those subjects that pull me out of my shy shell. But bring up politics, current events or even the weather -- you lose me to drift off into my own little world where I will nod and smile back at you not hearing a word you are saying
I would be totally annoyed if someone took my seat -- especially a stranger. That’s just odd behavior to me. But glad you got your seat back. I would have just smiled, sat down and put my headphones on.
Hello Katy
Thank you! Thanks for sharing. I share a number of your traits (e.g. preferring small audiences, preferring books and movies to politics). Small talk, at parties is fine for me, to the extent that it is to figure out if someone’s going to be interesting! Otherwise, yes, I’m with you -- it’s boring.
Cheers
Tinker