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Introvert? Extrovert? Which vert are you???

#121
Introvert/extrovert isn't a personality type, it's a way of gaining or expending social energy.

If being around people wears you out, causing you to need time alone to recharge, you're an introvert.
If being around people gives you energy, you're an extrovert.

Introverts can be sociable and extroverts can be shy. I'm an introvert, but I can be plenty sociable. However after the party/event/gathering/whatever, I need time by myself or with just my wife to recharge my batteries. And sometimes I just don't have the energy to be around people.
 
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#123
My guess on myself is I lean far to the side of being an extrovert. I like to talk to people before a gig, on break, after the gig, etc.

But I also enjoy the quiet time to ride home by myself after a gig. I turn on the "Coast to Coast" radio show and listen to all the late night stories of conspiracies and aliens making popcorn.

So I guess I agree there is a "spectrum" to the introvert/extrovert scale that is fluid.
 
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#127
To directly answer the question in this thread..............I'm an introvert. (who cares?) But, in some social scenarios, I can go into extrovert mode, act silly, be charming, say witty things and be animated. But the end result, or at the end of the day, I'm exhausted and stressed out from the extrovert mode. I prefer to avoid situations that cause me to go extrovert. And, I feel guilty that I'm being a phony and not true to myself when I go extrovert. I guess that in social situations, I feel an obligation that out of courtesy to others, I have to show interest to them and be likable. When in reality I'm not a people person.

It seems that many introverts Steve Martin, Michael Jackson, Johnny Carson and many others are/were extroverts when it comes to entertainment but in their personal life, they are/were introverts.

It's a complex question and it deals with human psychology and I don't understand it and after 68 yrs, I'm still trying to figure myself out and haven't got there yet.

Playing bass live, I can not multi-task (sing & play and act a fool). I have to focus on my playing and stay focused. Kind of the John Entwistle persona. At least in behavior as his playing style was untouchable.
 
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#128
100% Introvert. And in my case I do think it played a role in my picking up bass. This is an instrument where it's much easier to get with an ensemble with minimal effort/human interaction/attention grabbing, and I was definitely sick of that with guitar when I switched over.
 
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#130
Brian Reihms said:
Took me years to figure it out, but always wondered why I was totally exhausted after being around large crowds like the mall for example. Same goes for interacting with people who constantly talk about random things having absolutely no relevance to them or me. If any of the above is prolonged, need time alone to recharge. Conversely, if it is music related, crowds or otherwise, it's energizing. Thank goodness!
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Same. Took me a long time to figure that out as well. Spent a lot of time in my youth trying not to "miss out" on stuff, even if it killed me energy wise. Big group stuff, like. As I matured, I got rid of that FOMO tendency. Experience will do that...I know exactly what I'm missing out on these days! My need to recharge drives most of my activities. That's why I've gravitated away from big group stuff to more solo pursuits.
 
#132
MaxJJK said:
This is an instrument where it's much easier to get with an ensemble with minimal effort[...]
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When it comes to skill on your instrument, I wouldn't be so sure about that. :D Or at least it hasn't been my experience. People often expect us to be the backbone (in some situations moreso than the drums), and nobody likes wobbly spines. For example, I know a lot of people that depend on bass to keep them within the form, jazz for example. Always listening to what the bass is doing.

But speaking about the human interaction part, I think you're right.
 
#133
Nashrakh said:
When it comes to skill on your instrument, I wouldn't be so sure about that. :D Or at least it hasn't been my experience. People often expect us to be the backbone (in some situations moreso than the drums), and nobody likes wobbly spines. For example, I know a lot of people that depend on bass to keep them within the form, jazz for example. Always listening to what the bass is doing.
Click to expand...

Oh yeah, I'm definitely not in the "Bass is easy to play" camp. But since I'm gonna be spending quite a few hours locked in my room recuperating and getting good anyway, why not make it easier to reap the rewards? :D
 
#136
You know it is a bit of a subliminal study i do. Mostly because I was in a party crew of extroverts and personally love attention! We were all crazy as a pack of wet badgers! It can be taxing doing those shots and stunts. What i find fascinating is most of us ended up dating \Marrying people that were the exact opposite of us.
:)
"Attention...give it to me"!

Scenes from the good ol days:
Fridaynight.jpg
 
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#140
Fascinating topic that I kinda started with my post in that "Motivation..." thread. :thumbsup:
Many interesting, and very honest answers.

I'm like many others already described here: I'm an introvert, but can pull the extrovert on stage or at dinner table easily. But I need to recharge afterwards by being alone for some time.
Friday night gigs are worst case for me - going out at the end of a workweek is quite the opposite of what I would naturally do.
After-show parties? I hate that. I need to go home after the gig.
 

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