A stranger walks into the elevator and starts chatting to you. A friend pops over for a surprise visit. The boss announces that you’re going to start the meeting with a “fun” icebreaker. If you’re an Introvert, all of these situations can make your blood run cold.
Introversion and extraversion are opposite ends of the personality spectrum. Few people sit right at the edges of the spectrum, however, and this means that extraverted personality types will show introverted tendencies when they need to and, likewise, Introverts will tap into their less-dominant extraverted side in certain environments and situations.
If you’re an Enneagram Nine like me, you know that the terms “unfamiliar” or “conflict” or even “effort” have negative connotations. As Nines, we like to be comfortable, and stability is one of our biggest strengths.
The concept of an attention-seeking Introvert might sound odd. But if you have that reaction you may be drawing a false equivalency between extraversion and attention-seeking, which are actually two different things.
If you’ve taken the 16-type test and feel torn between two preferences, don’t worry – you’re not alone. It’s fairly common to recognize parts of yourself in two or more type profiles, and that’s when breaking down the key differences and similarities can help bring some much-needed clarity about which type fits you best.
When it comes to telling some personality types apart, it can get a little tricky. One of the more confusing pairs is the ISTP and INTP. Because these two personality types are similar in their functions and only differ through one preference, Sensing (S) and Intuition (N), you might find yourself identifying with certain aspects of both the ISTP and INTP type profiles, which can make it difficult to land on the type that fits you best.
Some Introverts take to social media like a duck to water. Others feel uneasy even thinking about participating on popular platforms like Facebook, Tiktok, Instagram or Twitter. Family members might be pressuring them to share public updates, employers might expect them to promote the company enthusiastically, and marketing gurus might be warning of imminent business failure unless they promote it with cute videos, newsy posts or upbeat blogging that just doesn’t feel comfortable.
“Nobody’s perfect.” Osgood Fielding III from Some Like It Hot
“Practice makes perfect.” Benjamin Franklin
“They say that nobody is perfect. Then they tell you practice makes perfect. I wish they'd make up their minds.” Wilt Chamberlain
Ah, the elusive concept of perfect. We’d all love to meet the perfect person for us. Live in a perfect world. Golf a perfect game.
At some point in your life, you’re going to be put in a high-pressure situation where your nerves will be tested. For some people, the ability to cope under pressure comes naturally. For others, it takes some practice.
The people who thrive under pressure are the ones who are able to fall back on tried-and-test techniques and coping mechanisms to keep their cool. They know how to draw on their support network, utilize the tools around them and most importantly, stay flexible.
Have you ever acted out of character under stress? Maybe you're usually happy-go-lucky but become pessimistic when overwhelmed. Or perhaps you pride yourself on being calm and pragmatic but find yourself acting uncharacteristically emotional when the going gets tough.
Sound familiar? Chances are, you're experiencing grip stress.
THE FINE PRINT:
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