We hear these terms all the time.  When someone is really loud and demanding attention, we assume he is an extrovert and assume the opposite in recognition of an introvert.  But is that all there is to it?  Far from!

Extroverts (Es from now on) define themselves by externals while Introverts (Is from now on) define externals according to their internal reality.  Hmm… That’s really deep.  Let’s excogitate on that…  Es take information that they perceive through their senses and use that to determine who they are.  Wow!  Is have a defined reality in their psyche that they use to clarify externals.  Talk about different!  That’s far from just loud vs quiet.

Because of the difference in these coping devices, the E and the I have many distinctions.  Es act before reflecting, and Is reflect before acting.  Es are straightforward, understandable and accessible; Is are reserved, complicated and private.  Es are outgoing, sometimes highly expressive, but may not recognize their own needs.  Is are self-aware, sometimes passionately intense, but may not realize their effect on others.

Are you wondering which you are?  Here’s a fun quick quiz to give you a clue.  Here’s another E/I quiz.

As we move through life, colliding with others or missing them completely or best-of-all creating symbiotic relationships, if we can understand ourselves and others – our differences and similarities, we can create a fuller reality.