My wife is a nine...I am a ten! I am not talking looks (I lose that comparison hands down) I am talking personality. Not that I have more personality than her...I...uh...oh bother (yup, huge Winnie the Pooh fan) I just mean... Let me start at the beginning...and remember to have Sylvia read this while she is away at her friend's house this weekend. She likes to punch me in the arm when I have done something like this.
When Sylvia and I were searching for a church to attend, 10 years ago, we happened upon a few that didn't seem to fit. Then we were invited to come to a church by friends of ours. We went a few times and they seemed to be just what we were looking for. One thing they did was an all family retreat up to the Santa Cruz mountains. The next time the retreat rolled around I summoned up all of my courage (you'll see in a minute) and went.
It was a great time of food, worship, food, hiking, and food. Oh yeah, there was also a husband and wife team of speakers who gave four lectures throughout the weekend. All of their lectures were based on the Myers Briggs personality test, and one in particular, was very important to us. The Myers Briggs test is designed to find out how you tend to react in certain situations and where you would be the most comfortable. The first area dealt with whether we were extroverted or introverted. Simple right? Here is where it gets interesting.
On this questionaire there were 10 questions. Questions like, would you rather, "go to a party or read a book?" Or choose, "I feel energized after a party." or "I feel tired after a party." Something like that. You get the idea. Well, as we were going over the answers as a group Sylvia kept peeking over at my paper to see if we matched. Each time her eyebrows grew a little closer together as her confusion met consternation. At the end of the test, the speakers told us how to score our individual results. Each question, of course, deals with being an introvert or an extrovert and this is when I found out that Sylvia has scored 9 out of 10 on the extrovert side. I, no surprise to me, scored a perfect 10 deep inside the stronghold that is, introversion. It's a nice place, my stronghold, it has wall to wall carpeting and is fully stocked with Dr Pepper, back issues of Mad Magazine, and every movie ever made by the original cast of Saturday night Live.
Now those of you who know me are probably saying something like, "Introvert? Yeah right!" Let me just say, that being introverted doesn't mean that you never talk to people, comb your hair over half of your sullen face, and paint primarily using shades of blue. It does mean that you are more comfortable around people you know well rather than people you are not familiar with. At least it does for me. It just isn't my natural tendency to seek big crowds of people. Sylvia was shocked! I have no idea why! It took me seven years of waving 'hello' through the window of the nursery she worked in to get the courage to talk to her. On the other hand, once I get to know someone, it is typically easier to get a pitbull to let go of a frisbee than to get me to shut up. Especially if you happen to laugh at my jokes! I guess I thought she knew. I knew Sylvia was an extrovert on our first date. It was wonderful, and I knew that she could be someone who would keep me from living in a cave, by myself, eating large Togo's roast beef sandwiches (you thought I was going to say fruits and berries didn't you!? - not gonna happen).
So from then on we have added a new level of knowledge about each other. I understand that when she is talking about a decision to be made, out loud, with me within earshot...it means that she is thinking, out loud, and others happen to be in the room. As long as I remember that she may not be asking for my help and may be thinking out loud, we avoid confusion.
I have it easy though. She has to figure out why I am sitting and staring into space while I have quiet down time...and worry about the neighbors describing me to the media as a "quiet neighbor."
When Sylvia and I were searching for a church to attend, 10 years ago, we happened upon a few that didn't seem to fit. Then we were invited to come to a church by friends of ours. We went a few times and they seemed to be just what we were looking for. One thing they did was an all family retreat up to the Santa Cruz mountains. The next time the retreat rolled around I summoned up all of my courage (you'll see in a minute) and went.
It was a great time of food, worship, food, hiking, and food. Oh yeah, there was also a husband and wife team of speakers who gave four lectures throughout the weekend. All of their lectures were based on the Myers Briggs personality test, and one in particular, was very important to us. The Myers Briggs test is designed to find out how you tend to react in certain situations and where you would be the most comfortable. The first area dealt with whether we were extroverted or introverted. Simple right? Here is where it gets interesting.
On this questionaire there were 10 questions. Questions like, would you rather, "go to a party or read a book?" Or choose, "I feel energized after a party." or "I feel tired after a party." Something like that. You get the idea. Well, as we were going over the answers as a group Sylvia kept peeking over at my paper to see if we matched. Each time her eyebrows grew a little closer together as her confusion met consternation. At the end of the test, the speakers told us how to score our individual results. Each question, of course, deals with being an introvert or an extrovert and this is when I found out that Sylvia has scored 9 out of 10 on the extrovert side. I, no surprise to me, scored a perfect 10 deep inside the stronghold that is, introversion. It's a nice place, my stronghold, it has wall to wall carpeting and is fully stocked with Dr Pepper, back issues of Mad Magazine, and every movie ever made by the original cast of Saturday night Live.
Now those of you who know me are probably saying something like, "Introvert? Yeah right!" Let me just say, that being introverted doesn't mean that you never talk to people, comb your hair over half of your sullen face, and paint primarily using shades of blue. It does mean that you are more comfortable around people you know well rather than people you are not familiar with. At least it does for me. It just isn't my natural tendency to seek big crowds of people. Sylvia was shocked! I have no idea why! It took me seven years of waving 'hello' through the window of the nursery she worked in to get the courage to talk to her. On the other hand, once I get to know someone, it is typically easier to get a pitbull to let go of a frisbee than to get me to shut up. Especially if you happen to laugh at my jokes! I guess I thought she knew. I knew Sylvia was an extrovert on our first date. It was wonderful, and I knew that she could be someone who would keep me from living in a cave, by myself, eating large Togo's roast beef sandwiches (you thought I was going to say fruits and berries didn't you!? - not gonna happen).
So from then on we have added a new level of knowledge about each other. I understand that when she is talking about a decision to be made, out loud, with me within earshot...it means that she is thinking, out loud, and others happen to be in the room. As long as I remember that she may not be asking for my help and may be thinking out loud, we avoid confusion.
I have it easy though. She has to figure out why I am sitting and staring into space while I have quiet down time...and worry about the neighbors describing me to the media as a "quiet neighbor."
I also score on the introverted side according to the Meyers Briggs test, and my boyfriend cannot understand it all. He says, "But you're always out and DOING something with friends!"
ReplyDeleteThe way they explained it to me when I scored a strong Introversion Score was that being in a crowd exhausts me. I draw my strength from being alone. And I am a clown. It just means that after sticking my neck out and participating in exhausting, though thoroughly enjoyable social activities, I need to seriously recharge my battery in a very low-key and few people manner.
ReplyDeleteWhat? Are you my Twin? Born 22 months later? At least I look younger than you! Bwaaahaaahaaa!