How sociable are you?

[NickyJ]

I chose 1. I don't like big crowds, and I find most people...... weird.

 

[Till]

I enjoy socialising, but i doesn't come effortlessly to me, and i don't appear to have as much need for it as other people. So i have to push myself a little not to constantly fall back on lazier ways of spending my leisure time.

 

[Zelig]

It's because of the stigma that loners are weird .

I'm weirdly awesome.

 

[warpus]

I'm as introverted as they come, but due to my job I've forced myself to figure out how to be good at being social.

Small talk means absolutely nothing to me. As far as I'm concerned it is useless and it bores me to death. When I'm talking to someone there's got to be a point to our discussion... I don't get why people do it, but I've figured out how to wing it. I am now good at small talk, as much as it might bore me. I hate gossip for similar reasons.

Conversations about people interest me the least - in my mind those conversations are best reserved for the most "special" among us. Conversations about places are more interesting, and conversations about ideas are what interests me the most.

So yeah, I've figured out how to be social, but I'm incredibly introverted. I can go out and not feel anxious in social situations, go around, meet new people, etc. I might not like it, but I'm decent at it.

 

[jtb1127]

I'm not.

 

[Cheetah]

You know, there's nothing wrong with beng an introvert. If you shy away from social interactions it's not because you're broken, it's because you have a neurological preference for that.

It always breaks my heart to see introverts kicking themselves about being awkward or anti-social. I wish I could just shake them and say "you're okay! you can't help it!" but there's such a strong cultural bias in favor of extroverts that it can be hard to go against that.

I see you are from Norway, however, so I'm not sure how much that applies. Being an introvert is nothing to be ashamed of, however.

The hell there is.

Saying that it's okay to be introverted is too close to the crappy advice of "just be yourself". It's a terrible, damaging and - while it may be given by the best of intentions - evil advice to give!

There are tons of disadvantages of being introverted: One gets to meet less people, loses out on lots of fun and excitement, meets less girls, are slower at building any kind of social network (and it will necessarily be smaller), etc. Humans are social beings, and being introverted is to sideline oneself in life. Of course a usual introvert is not an introvert by choice, but it's a choice to not try to change it!

My quality of life has improved a thousandfold when I'm being more extroverted and sociable. Though I still have a way to go before I feel I'm sociable enough. And I don't think it will ever come naturally to me. Sometimes I really need to force myself to go out and do activities with or around other people. The carrot and the stick is that an extroverted life is awesome and fun, while an introverted life is, while easily fun and interesting in the short term, filled with misery and thoughts of what the extroverted have in the long term.

I'm very angry about my natural tendency for being introverted. Though unfortunately I only have myself to take it out on. I despise that part of me, but during the last 5 years I've come a long way in being able to repress it.

I like being extroverted, and my life is much, much better than before. I just always have to consciously work hard to be extroverted.

Edit:

I see you are from Norway, however, so I'm not sure how much that applies. Being an introvert is nothing to be ashamed of, however.

Oh, and also, there's not much cultural difference between Norway and the US. Though I'm not sure how that would matter either way?

 

[warpus]

I'm not.

Yes, I enjoy being to the point as well. That's why small talk does not interest me Most social conventions confuse the hell out of me - but I go along with them and have figured out how to make it appear as though I'm "normal"

 

[jtb1127]

Yes, I enjoy being to the point as well. That's why small talk does not interest me Most social conventions confuse the hell out of me - but I go along with them and have figured out how to make it appear as though I'm "normal"

I agree.

 

[duckstab]

I put myself at a 3.

On the Keirsey / Meyers-Briggs I'm very strongly on the "I" end of the Introvert/Extravert scale. I get along with people and enjoy social interaction to some degree, but I need my alone time to recharge.

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

A bimodal distribution. How interesting.

 

[CELTICEMPIRE]

I chose 8, I like people for the most part.

 

[duckstab]

The hell there is.

Saying that it's okay to be introverted is too close to the crappy advice of "just be yourself". It's a terrible, damaging and - while it may be given by the best of intentions - evil advice to give!

I think your reply embodies a common misconception, that being an introvert means being socially inept or dysfunctional. A healthy introvert is fully capable of participating in and enjoying social situations. They may not embrace those situations as eagerly or as often, and they tend to find such situations leave them more tired then energized. But it's only when introverts overcompensate by avoiding social interaction entirely that it becomes a problem.

I learned this the hard way. Today I'm happily married, two kids, get along well with my colleagues, and have some good friends. But I didn't get there by beating myself up and thinking my regular need for solitude made me somehow defective.

 

[downtown]

I'm a very social guy...between and 8 and a 9 I think. I get kinda stir crazy if I don't get to do something with a bunch of people every week or so. If I'm with a ton of people I don't know, I guess I can be a little awkward, but in small groups? Aint no thang.

If I'm with people for an extended period of time, like an entire day, I do like a few hours at home to just peace out and unwind though. I don't need it constantly, but I do enjoy socializing. I'm a people person.

 

[Crezth]

I think your reply embodies a common misconception, that being an introvert means being socially inept or dysfunctional. A healthy introvert is fully capable of participating in and enjoying social situations. They may not embrace those situations as eagerly or as often, and they tend to find such situations leave them more tired then energized. But it's only when introverts overcompensate by avoiding social interaction entirely that it becomes a problem.

I learned this the hard way. Today I'm happily married, two kids, get along well with my colleagues, and have some good friends. But I didn't get there by beating myself up and thinking my regular need for solitude made me somehow defective.

Listen to this man. He's right.

Being an introvert is nothing you can help so there's no point in hating yourself for it.

There are tons of disadvantages of being introverted: One gets to meet less people, loses out on lots of fun and excitement, meets less girls, are slower at building any kind of social network (and it will necessarily be smaller), etc. Humans are social beings, and being introverted is to sideline oneself in life. Of course a usual introvert is not an introvert by choice, but it's a choice to not try to change it!

Ugh. Listen, if all of those things are important to you, then yeah, I guess. But don't think that meeting a ton of people and girls and building a colossal social network are the only ingredients of a happy, fulfilling life. In fact, I can tell you that for me, personally, this is not the case. And I'm an extrovert.

 

[GenMarshall]

I'm very angry about my natural tendency for being introverted. Though unfortunately I only have myself to take it out on. I despise that part of me, but during the last 5 years I've come a long way in being able to repress it.

I like being extroverted, and my life is much, much better than before. I just always have to consciously work hard to be extroverted.

You're not the only one angry about being introverted. I myself WANT to be extroverted, but the years of pain and scars from being bullied has forced me into that possition.

 

[Cutlass]

Nor very. And much less than I used to be. What you see here is about the extent of how social I am.

 

[_random_]

I'm not averse to socialization, but I'm not very good at it either. No clue how the hell I'm supposed to quantify something like sociability, so my vote probably shouldn't be taken seriously.

 

[Skwink]

9. I have a ton of friends and talk to everybody but a select few who I dislike. If I spend too much time alone I get really bored, and I like parties with friends.

 

[Zelig]

Sociables is a fun game.

 

[azzaman333]

Probably just below average.