Introvert or Extrovert?

I look through several official descriptions of what is an introvert and its contrary. They were plenty good ones but I choose the ones from the Oxford Dictionary as it’s definition was from a philosophical point of view.

Let me give you what dictionary states for an introvert:  a person predominantly concerned with their own thoughts and feelings rather than with external things.

Now the definition of an extrovert: a person predominantly concerned with external things or objective considerations.

Often enough I am asked if I am an introvert or an extrovert and often enough I can’t answer. In both cases, it has an impact on my daily life, work and socially? I believe I am both. It all depends on my state of my mind, the people involved, the surrounding and so on. All of which plays an essential part in whether I am an introvert and an extrovert.

Let me give you another situation to explain my thoughts. My ex-brother in law who happens to be on the most prominent criminal trial lawyer in the US. He can’t crack a joke, he is totally awkward socially and shies away from the crowd. By this description, he clearly fits the introvert but then how do you explain his faculty to be such at ease and adequate with his colleagues and work as well as performing superbly in a courtroom, where he is an extrovert.

Unless of extreme cases, I believe that we are both and a multitude of factors come into play for our behavior in a specific situation. For me, it isn’t possible to classify people as such.

What I would rather do is to split people as reserved and non-reserved. These two categories do not take into account if the person is shy or not, as I believe, it has no bearings in my categories.

To be reserved is a choice, you chose privacy versus the other. It is not dictated by shininess or being intro or extrovert.

Exactly the same statement for the non-reserve people the same applies. You can very well be shy and introvert, but once you trust someone you become, non-reserved

This is my own opinion and can be totally “out there,” but I feel strongly about it as this topic always disturbed me and didn’t want to be put in such box

This problem starts early In life as I see my two teenage boys being already confronted by it. They don’t seem to be affected by, but I know they will when they’ll be asked or told that they are an intro or extrovert.

What is your opinion on this matter? Where do you think you fit?

 

Peace and serenity

Lawrence