Geeez Eloise... Sometimes this posting gets wild! That's a good reason to read a thread like this. Informs me about something of tangential interest and yet entertains as I have my cup of morning coffee. Perfect start to the "introvertial" day!
OK seriously. I'm in the camp that finds 'generally related information' (to something like T, that has a direct impact on my life) can be useful for understanding a condition. That in turn can have an effect on my behaviour, or broaden my view to subtly give a....."Mmmmmmmm. OK. Yeah that makes sense" attitude, that shifts my perspective. This type of broadening of understanding makes me more grounded in my condition/place in the world as it is now, and for the most part helps, not hurts.
Case in point, and as it happens, directly related to this "Introvert" question!
My son (34) often gives me a hard time about not getting out and seeing people, going out and having fun, just putting earplugs in and going to the stock car races with him, etc., etc..."You used to do all kinds of stuff, now you just sit at home!" (Of course going back-packing to 11,000 ft. for a week does not count, or the extensive list of 'quiet' things I do). Yeah, we are in VERY different universes!
He just does not get it re this T and H stuff. Of course by now I'm used to it but still try and explain on occasion while also emphasizing that he should protect his ears. He's in construction for Pete's sake!
Anyhow, I was idly mulling this conundrum a few weeks back when another friend who has been compromised for years by Lyme Disease (so "gets it" re limitations) phoned and I happened to mention this to her. Her answer was so succinct: "God Michael, it's simple you idiot. I've known you for 15 years and you did all that out there, full on, wacko dance/stage stuff, that whole social scene with your PR job, travelling all over the world, etc., etc., etc. OK, now you can't do that. You are an extrovert that has been forced to become an introvert, by dint of your condition! You are still the same person inside, but you just can't go out and do all that stuff any more. Just how the chips have fallen."
It was such a clear summary. I laughed, as of course 'knew' that but just had not quite put it that way. I found it useful and helpful and a very easy sentence to use in explaining to someone like my son who remembers the 'before' me and can't get to grips with the 'after' me.
So in that sense I find threads like this can be useful and not at all self indulgently perpetuating an awareness of my T. Hell, after 58 years of it the "dwell on it part" is sort of irrelevant. It makes zero difference whether I '"think about it" or not...It's how it affects my life and how I behave to it that is relevant.
So I agree that is the thing to keep in mind, as perseverating and thinking about T in an anxious or continual way is indeed unhelpful. But understanding and clarification can come in all sorts of ways and from all sorts of places. To me that is helpful and productive and brings to mind that old saw: "Knowledge is power".
Get it where you can, even if from innocuous threads about the relevance of introvertism!
Enjoy your coffee... Best, Zimichael
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. ISTJ is the same thing as an INTJ except with a more developed sensing than intuition. 2 of my scores were close, so I can float between INTJ ISTJ and INTP
