Convert yourself from Introvert to Extrovert?

Steve Swedler says on September 16th, 2005 at 4:08 am

I agree with you. I don’t understand the core of his logic. Why would someone want to become an extrovert in the first place? Not every introvert is a recluse shut up in thier house without a telephone and wrting in little journals all day. I think that Pavlina makes no effort to explain why being an introvert is so undesirable and thus has no basis to assume that the general introverted population would gain any benefits from becoming an extrovert. I’ve posted my opinion here if anyone is interested… http://www.unhappyemployee.com/?p=9.

Daniell says on March 7th, 2006 at 9:16 pm

I agree with you. There are two different personalities in the world, introverst and extroverts. And there’s no reason why introverts should be transformed to extraverts. Frankly, I find the notion offensive!

Check out his article which highlights the main misconceptions extraverts have about introverts at:
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200303/rauch

daisy says on April 8th, 2006 at 1:20 am

i find one has to socialize.
now dat my sister is married, i realise dat i dont hav any same age friends.
only people who care to talk are my parents and my servants
i am scared tthat once my parents are gone,n i dont hav much money. i will hav no one to talk to.

Introgirl says on April 27th, 2006 at 6:51 am

God put two types on this earth for a reason. Extroverts serve the bold, rush in where fools dare to tread function, and introverts serve the whoa, bud, let’s think about this before we rush in function. What kind of nightmare would it be if everyone were an introvert or everyone were an extrovert. It’s about balance, people.

I am offended by turning from introvert to extrovert because it pathologizes a temperament. There is nothing the matter with introverts! However, there is something the matter with social anxiety, but that is not synonymous with introversion anymore than being a loud-mouth bully is synonymous with extroversion.

Elizabeth Wagele says on July 16th, 2006 at 9:59 pm

I am horrified at the idea of becoming more extraverted. My book, THE HAPPY INTROVERT- A WILD AND CRAZY GUIDE FOR CELEBRATING YOUR TRUE SELF just came out. I’m proud of being an introvert and wouldn’t change for the world. It’s a gift to have an interesting inner life and so many interests. I’m never ever bored.
Extraverts have their gifts and we have ours. What’s more, each of us uses both introversion and extraversion every day – it’s a matter of degree and in what areas they are stronger.
Read my book. It’s fun and very interesting, with my usual style of many of my cartoons added to help explain things. I also wrote The Enneagram Made Easy.
Yours truly,
Elizabeth Wagele

hypnoguy says on April 30th, 2007 at 10:39 am

Somebody replied “god put two types on this planet” I disagree.

There are many shades of introversion ranging from mild introversion to extreme introversion also with varying degrees of anxiety / social panic and avoidance.

At the end of the day, it’s not about condeming ‘introverts’ and making them change because this is somehow socially unacceptable.

It’s about people leading happier more fulfilling lives, and if introversion is a block to this happiness, then it’s preferable to change and become more of an extrovert.

leslie says on July 17th, 2007 at 2:06 pm

FYI: Myers Briggs says there are 16 types of personality. I took the test on-line and found out more about myself from the results than I did from talk therapy.

Milena says on October 4th, 2007 at 2:00 pm

Perhaps Steve Pavlina was always an Extrovert and was an unhappy one who felt somehow stuck inside himself. I can’t find another explanation for him testing once year as an Introvert and years later as an Extrovert.
Introverts as others above have stated are not going to become Extroverts.

Introverts and Extroverts are simply two different personality types, granted with many shades of each existing.

I read the title of Steve Pavlina’s article and cringed. It seems to me his article feeds the misconception, as least in our Western culture, that extroversion is the desired and better personality type.

We introverts need to value ourselves and others need to learn to value our differences.
I am glad for Steve that he is now a happier person but really I think life is about finding ones own happiness and in my opinion we find the most happiness by embracing who we really are and not by trying to become someone else.

Shaun Killian Australian Leadership Development Centre says on December 12th, 2007 at 8:14 pm

Hello All,

I agree with the notion that everyone has different gifts and introversion is one of them (being an introvert myself). From a performance point of view, maagement expert, the late Peter Drucker asserted that the fastest way to turn an average performer into a star performer is to recognise their gifts and place them in roles where their gifts are what is called for (or people can do this themselves see combined MBTI/Strong Career report at http://www.mbtionline.net.au).

However, within our area of expertise (leadership), it is clear that extraverts have a clear advantage. This does not mean that introverst cannot be good leaders. It does mean, that with the social apsect of leadership, introverts are likely to find the work more draining and they will have to consciously develop competence in areas that extraverted people naturally find easy. You can find some useful, research backed tips in our free article, The Socially Intelligent Leader, available directly from http://www.leadershipdevelopme.....Leader.pdf

Kindest Regards
Shaun

Meresca Milnota says on July 10th, 2009 at 12:51 pm

I’m totally agree with Shaun Killian. I’m an introvert and find it so much unpleasant leading others. Noisy life, alcohol, dishonest… But high-paid jobs often involves leading… So, I find Steve Pavlina’s suggestion a bit useful.
Stieve said that balance is the best – I’m too, not intend to be a fully extrovert person.

Rishabh says on November 15th, 2009 at 4:33 am

Strange!! Most of you have taken the article in wrong sense, the article is not trying to transform all introverts into extrovert, as that would be wrong. It only tried to help those introvert who wants themselves to be transformed. We all are of different types introvert and extrovert are just words they can’t define peoples’ traits accurately. As we all are mix of both.