Persistence is the Key to Knowledge

I analyzed the scene in which Ree goes to Milton’s house and attempts to talk with him in order to obtain information about her father’s whereabouts.  When talking to Milton’s wife, Ree uses the word ‘mam’ twice, which is a sign of respect, but she cusses when she is denied the opportunity to talk to Milton, which can be viewed as disrespect.  In the beginning of the scene Milton’s wife has her arms crossed and a stern face and by the end of the scene Ree has the same body position, whereas Milton's wife now looks exposed and nervous.  These two observations lead to the conclusion that in the beginning of the scene Milton’s wife holds the power and Ree is vulnerable.  She has Ree’s future in her hands and the power to say no.  By the end of the scene Ree has the control and Milton’s wife is the one who is nervous.  Ree is persistent and has the ability to cause problems.  Milton’s wife is scared of what Ree might discover.   Ree is courageous and not intimidated, this aids her in acquiring knowledge on her father’s disappearance. 

Milton’s wife calls Ree ‘child’ four times during the scene.  When Ree waits for Milton the camera pans to a statue in the yard of children playing.  These are both ironic and symbolic.  Ree being referred to as a child is ironic because even though she is only seventeen, she takes care of her entire family as an adult would.  She holds all the responsibility for her family and is very mature for her age, so being referred to as a child is demeaning and does not match Ree's character at all.  The statue is symbolic because it sits in the yard of a person who holds Ree's little siblings' and mother's fate in their hands.  The children in the statue are joyful, but Ree’s little brother and sister will not have a joyful, innocent childhood if Milton does not reveal what has been done to Ree’s father.  Ree’s motherly personality and her inner need to protect her family push her to gain information.

Ree stops Milton’s wife from saying no a multiple times within the scene.  When she turns her back on Ree to go inside, Ree says, “Please mam, I really, really got to”.  Later in the scene when Ree is told she cannot talk to Milton, Ree quickly replies, “I’ll wait” and also forcefully claims they are blood and that should be of value to Milton.  She has a determined and stubborn personality.  Ree refuses to give up or leave without the information she craves.  This scene does a terrific job demonstrating how Ree’s personality helps her to collect insight on her father.

Blog Prompt #2: Personality & Knowledge in Harry Potter

Select a character from either Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone or Winter's Bone that intrigues you. Then, "close read" ONE passage or scene that helps you answer the following question:

How does your character's personality help him/her to acquire knowledge?

Your entries and two comments are due by 11:59pm on Friday, 9/5. Be sure to read the section on close reading in the Comp II Handbook, and also be sure to read all of the examples carefully. Your task here is to analyze--not summarize--a passage or scene, so be sure to focus on the formal aspects of whichever passage/scene you choose to analyze.

Introverted Extrovert

My personality is a fairly even mixture of introvert and extrovert, with a little bit more leaning towards the extroverted side. I really enjoy being sociable and hanging out with friends and new people, but only in small doses. As much as I love to make people laugh and be surrounded by others, I can get very annoyed and bored after a few hours - sometimes less. Once I reach that point, I need to just be by myself for awhile to listen to music, work on projects, or play some video games. This does force me to value each of these situations highly, though. It makes me much more sociable when I am in a group of people, but also helps me to focus on whatever I am doing when I am alone.

This mixture of introversion and extroversion makes it a little bit difficult for me to learn in a classroom type setting, sometimes. The introverted side of me really helps me focus in when I need to, but my extroverted tendencies make me want to talk to my friends in the class and not focus on the information at times. On the other hand, there are a lot of times where I do not learn well in group discussions, because I get uncomfortable being around everybody and having to talk with them. That does not happen very often, but it has inhibited to my learning on occasion. Where this really helps my learning abilities is with online classes. Since I can focus so well when I am on my own (as long as I have had my extrovert requirements filled for that day), I learn way more on my own and enjoy learning that way the most.

Introvert and Extrovert

     I am both an introvert and an extrovert.  I am a Registered Nurse/Clinical Supervisor at a hospital.  For my job it is very important for me to be an extrovert.  I round with doctors, nurses, and patients all day at my job.  My job is to make sure that all of these people are happy.  I am required to present a positive and upbeat attitude to everyone I come in contact with while I am working.  One of my sayings is, "fake it till you make it."  If I am tired or not feeling good I fake it and put on a happy face to keep the morale up on my nursing units.  My nurses count on me for it.  My patients also appreciate a smile and kind words when I visit with them.  As you can imagine some days this is very difficult!
     When I get home I become an introvert.  I am so tired of cheerleading, troubleshooting, and taking care of everyone else's problems that I just want to be alone.  I like to read, watch TV or just sit quietly.  I don't like to socialize in crowds.  I prefer to spend my time with a few of my closest friends and our families.  I like my time to myself to unwind and just be still.  This doesn't happen as often as I would like because I am a wife, mother, sister, daughter and aunt.  The time I get to be an introvert is very special to me.  It helps me charge my batteries for the times when I need to be an extrovert.

Perspective Change

Without a doubt, if I were given this prompt a few years ago I'd categorize myself as an introvert. Reading through Quiet: The Power of Introverts by Susan Cain, three different types of personalities were distinguished; extravert, introvert, and ambivert. A person who enjoys the social setting, whether it’s a raging party or just a large group of friends getting together to study would be an extravert. On the other side of the social spectrum are introverts. People with this type of personality tend to seclude themselves and feel uncomfortable being in large group settings. Then there are those of us that don't fall in either, but seem to have a bit of both personalities. This is referred to as having an ambivert personality. Growing up I didn't have many friends and had poor self-confidence. This led to better grades because I didn't have friends to distract me with parties or hanging out. Therefore, I graduated high school in the upper portion of my class. By the time I reached college, it was a different story. I lost a significant amount of weight and gain more confidence. Needless to say I had a good time my freshmen year transforming from having an introvert personality to having an extravert personality. This change, although fun hurt my grades and I ended up on academic probation for three semesters. I feel as though, like myself many freshmen go through the same issue when finally leaving home and being on “your own” for the first time. Now that I started my junior year, I have gotten into the hang of the “college life” and now would consider myself an ambivert. I enjoy the social scene to hangout with friends, but I also like to set aside time for myself so I can get my work done and keep on top of my grades.

Always Alone, Never Lonely

        After reading the beginning, I am actually excited to finish the rest of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking! I have had a very introverted personality my entire life, and have always been criticized for it. As a child, I almost always preferred to play with my toys or read by myself rather than with my brother or my friends. Of course my parents always encouraged me to include everyone. It wasn’t that I didn’t get along with other kids; I just liked to be alone with my own uninterrupted imagination. When I reached my teenage years, I wanted very badly to take art classes, and more than anything else, to get a horse. Once again, my parents thwarted my plans and pushed me to pursue more social activities such as band, sports, and clubs. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy doing these things, but they were never what I really wanted and by the end of the day I was more than ready to retreat into my room and forget about the rest of the world. Even now, I have decided to end my college career with a two-year liberal arts degree because I feel that I am under constant pressure to be loud and outgoing when all I want is to be left alone!

            Starting this book has given me hope that there actually are other people like me. Being social and popular were never important goals to me. In my opinion there are more important things in life to worry about than what other people think of you. Today people are so focused on impressing other people and their selves, it’s like nobody has a real personality anymore. Nobody is interesting when everyone acts the same way. I really hate that just because I am quiet people assume that I am unfriendly, not smart, and not up to their standards. I got turned down for a house keeping job at a hospital because my interviewer thought that I was too quiet and would be intimidated by other workers. I have lost participation points in classes for not speaking up enough, but when I do say something I am ignored anyway. Sometimes being an introvert feels like a punishment. Because I am not outspoken and attention hungry, society does not seem to accept me. What is so bad about being an introvert after all? What is wrong with thinking before you speak, and only speaking when you have something important to say? What is unacceptable about not having to be surrounded by people to be happy? I am excited to see what the rest of the book has to say!

Quiet and Happy

            When I first picked up this book and realized it was about introverts and extroverts I automatically thought I was an introvert. I am very content being on my own and by myself and a lot of the time I feel no need to talk. That might sound strange to some, however I love just listening to people have a conversation and taking in everything they have to say. I learn a lot by doing this. After a little while reading and thinking about extroverts, I thought some of the qualities related to me as well. I also entertained the idea of being an ambivert. It was interesting to read that no one is a pure introvert or extrovert because I felt a little of both. Work seems to bring out more of my extrovert personality but I’m not sure if that’s because I feel like that’s what I need to be doing or if it’s because I’m truly an extrovert.  Because I’m so content on my own, I would assume that it is because I feel like it’s expected and desired. I work with people all day at a physical therapy clinic and I have no problems introducing myself and talking to people at work when we meet for the first time. If I was just out by myself on a normal day I would never start a conversation with a stranger. I don’t feel like it’s always necessary. It doesn’t bother me to sit in silence with my friends and definitely doesn’t bother me to sit in silence with a stranger.

           I also have a mix of the two personalities when thinking about how I best learn. I am 100% more of an introvert now, however in high school I seemed to be a little more extroverted. I believe it was probably because you got to do them with your friends and I liked that social time. Now, I hate group projects. They usually end up being a headache and awkward.  I would also prefer to just sit in a lecture and think about what’s being said instead of the professor trying to interact with the class. It is usually forced and doesn’t seem to get a lot accomplished. With that being said, I would definitely consider myself an introvert. I believe a lot of the time my extrovert personalities emerge because I have always felt it is more socially acceptable.

My Quiet Personality- Introvert

While reading Quiet, I kept thinking about how I was going to describe my personality as an Introvert or an Extrovert. At first, I could not figure out which personality I was. I thought I was both of them, but as I kept thinking deeper into it, I was thinking I was more on the Introvert side. You see, during my childhood, I was very active and loved to go out and play all the time. That's when my personality was being an Extrovert. However, as I got older, I realized I was becoming quieter and keeping to myself most of the time. I had found a comfort zone that I loved and didn't ever want to leave it. I rarely started going out with my friends, only occasionally, but not as much as I had used to. Becoming and Introvert, and being in this personality setting has really helped me learn a lot about myself, the things around me, even how to get things done a lot faster. In the book, Quiet, it said something about if boys were too quiet, they were interpreted as gay. As soon as I read that, my thoughts were all over because just because a boy is too quiet all the time, does not mean he is gay. It may just mean that he likes to be by himself a lot. There is nothing wrong with that. Having an Introverted Personality really opened up my eyes at what I could learn. Before, I loved working in groups on projects and such for school. Now, I do things alone because it really gives me more time to think about what I want to write about or do for a project. Also, with having an introverted personality, I can get things done a lot faster and on my own time. There would be no deadlines (except for when it comes to school and work) and get things done when I want them done. Personally, having an introverted personality really opened up a whole new set of doors for me and lately, I have felt that my personality is who I will be for the rest of my life. Nothing wrong with that, right?

Why Not Both; The Ambivert

I found this book very intriguing and often shaking my head in disbelief; because of how relatable some of the personality traits mentioned in the text are to myself.  I find that I may based on what has been mentioned so far in the book I'm an ambivert; as I have both characteristics of an introvert and an extrovert person.  I often find myself multi-tasking during the day quite frequently, however I believe that I'm able to concentrate well with regards to my classes and life in general.  

Even though I don't have any real issues focusing in my classes, I prefer seminar style classes as opposed to lectures. This is because I think that seminars help me get fully in-gauged and really actively help my learning.  I don’t mind speaking up in a class discussion in order to communicate my idea out loud even if I’m not correct.  This is what really helps one learn in general, to learn from mistakes.  The opposite is true with my coursework as I prefer to work alone on projects as this is where I believe I get to be at my most productive.  This characteristic is true for an introvert person, and one that I find to not always be the case.  I enjoy my solitude however I also enjoy going to bars and going out with friends.  This book has greatly helped my understanding of how I learn personally already.  It puts the learning into two basic personalities, the introvert and the extrovert.  I think that being an ambivert person can be an advantage to ones learning as it can combine the best of both types of people.

"A Gregarious and Unreserved Person"

When reading Quiet:The power of introverts in a world that can't stop talking by Susan Cain I find it hard to relate to the introvert living in an extrovert world because I feel that I am the clear definition of an extrovert. I've seldom feel the need to be alone, or want to leave a group of people. Being in Mansfield made me realize that college it is an extroverts dream. You are constantly surrounded by people and activities to partake in. As a Extrovert I relish and succeed in this type of environment. I am constantly motivated by the people around me making my work ethic better. An observation about Extroverts that I have made, that wasn't in the book, is that they are people pleasers and thrive off of the energy that they surround themselves with.What I understand now from reading Quiet is that Extroverts loved sharing what they have offer to the world and also crave it. I never had fulled realized that but this is also applicable to me too. Being a music student you are constantly being put on the spot or critiqued for your talent. We live off of the pressure to perform and be proficient in whatever we have to do. I also found out that being an extrovert doesn't equal power and being an introvert doesn't equal weakness. You can be an introvert and be a completely powerful and aggressive person. Even the author of  this book, Susan Cain, had a career as a Wall Street lawyer for a decent amount of time and still identifies as a introvert.
The Merriam Webster Dictionary describes a extrovert as "A Gregarious and Unreserved Person." I use these personality traits to my advantage, and feel that this definition perfectly describes who I am today.

The Best of Both Worlds

After reading the first 40-60 pages of Quiet: The Power of Introverts, I’ve come to realize that I am ambivert. Ambivert is when you are a little extrovert and a little introvert, which I believe I am.  I feel that at first glance, and sometimes with my friends, I’m a little introverted. At other times, I can display really extroverted qualities. A lot of times people think that I’m shy and stay to myself, until they get to know me and see that I’m really not as shy as they thought. People would probably assume I’m just introvert because I don’t tend to go out my way to be social unless I want to be, which can be a lot at times and then not at all other times. I can also be assertive, dominant, and love having company but then I can also get in moods where I want to be alone for hours.  In the book Quiet I think I related a lot with the statement, “Introverts may have strong social skills and enjoy parties and business meetings, but after a while wish they were home in their pajamas.”  I think that’s how I am often, but then I have my moments where I want to be out and with other people all night long.  I play basketball and I believe a lot of my extroverted qualities come out while on the court. I’m not much of a writer so when it comes to explaining what I learned; I’m better at communicating while talking to the person. When it comes to expressing my feelings, I prefer to write down how I feel, gather all my thoughts, and then talk about it in person. I would also say that I enjoy group projects when it comes to certain things, however, at other times I would rather get things done myself because I know it will be exactly how I want it. I would have to say that when it comes to learning I’m definitely more introverted, and when it comes to the rest of my life I can be more extroverted.

Transformation: Learning to Embrace Change

The more I read “Quiet” by Susan Cain the more I found myself relating to the situations she described. I was born an introvert. I was always considered to be shy and slightly reclusive as a child growing up, but now as I reflect on those times, I wonder what changed. Through a lot of self reflection I have decided that as Cain mentioned it is society that influenced me to hide my desires to remain an isolated introvert and become what I have today. To hide my fears of rejection, by the time I entered high school, I had perfected the poise and attributes of constant self-assurance. That is, during the day. While at school I held my head high and refused to show weakness. I excelled at sports and defied the social norms by befriending all fellow classmates without regard to their parents’ income, status or popularity. At night, my inner introvert would take control of my body. As a werewolf morphs with the full moon, I transformed at the opening of my front door. The rest of the night would be spent in my room only to come out for dinner. I would quietly have the TV playing and spend the night doing homework, reading or drawing. That was the cycle every day, every morning I would awake and mentally prepare myself for the role that I had to play to make me more acceptable to the world. Nothing has changed since those days many years ago. The only difference is that I have gotten better at it. The biggest shock came when I was discussing this assignment with my spouse and when asked what he thought of the question “am I an introvert or an extrovert?” he laughed at the thought that I would be anything but an extrovert. The biggest shock came from the fact that I could not argue with his statement. In the years since high school, I have perfected the confidence needed to face everything I have ever been scared of (except for spiders). I have won some of those battles and I have lost some but after it is all said and done, I regret none. I am a role model for my children and proud they see me for the strength I have learned to embrace instead of fight. I still secretly enjoy the days when I am home all alone for the peace and quiet of an empty house but find myself looking forward to my families return and all the excitement and chaos that they bring.

Having to Fake the Extrovert Way of Life

Reading this book has really made me think about my life and how I come off to other people. I am quiet at times when I am uncomfortable or trying to assess a situation that is unfamiliar to me. Although when I am in an environment or a situation I am very comfortable in or know the people enough to open up I am a very different person. I would much rather be that person in the back of the room observing everything that everyone does because that’s what I find myself doing on a daily basis anyway. I would consider myself an outgoing introvert in the sense that I am not the kind of person that needs to be alone all the time or can never come out of my room and be around people but I am able to talk to people when I absolutely need to. I have taken on some important roles in clubs and in the work place making me not able to sit in the corner and be quiet all the time. I have to be able to open up and talk to people, the other side of me. I used to think that I was an extrovert but just recently have I realized I am certainly not and am more so an introvert. I have read some of the other posts as well and have found that other people are having some of the same issues as I do and then the people that are extroverts are having both totally different issues but also some of the same in a way. 

A Silent Extrovert

                When I first read the title of the book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, the first thing that I thought was, “Not another boring book”. To my surprise, just in the first 40-60 pages, I have found it extremely interesting and I haven’t been able to stop reading it.  Living in a world with most extroverts, I tend to think that I grasp to the concept of extrovert because it is the preferred personality style to have. With my personality, I look forward to going out with my friends and trying new, adventurous things to do. I love being around a ton of people and having so much fun with everyone. I am a very sociable person who loves meeting new people. Although, if I am around many people I do not know, I tend to feel shy and become not as outgoing as I would normally be around my closest friends. But, I think that this is the case with most people when they are put into an uncomfortable situation. A reason that I also believe a might be more of an Extrovert is because with my job, I deal with hundreds of people every single day, and 75% of them I do not know anything about. I work as a Certified Nursing Assistant in the hospital in my hometown and I can honestly say I love my job. I look forward to the concept of how many patients I will have and how I can help take care of them in their time of need. I just love the concept of taking care of someone who you know nothing about and then as you continue to take care of the same person for days, you tend to develop a mutual friendship for each other and then all of a sudden you know their life story. The only time when I do feel as if my “introvert side” comes out quite a bit is when I am learning. I love just sitting in the class, not talking, and just listening to the conversations happening around me. It does not bug me if I am alone in a classroom. I wouldn't even mind if no one talked to me the whole class. I even enjoy when the professors teach class from a slide and don’t hold discussion times or make fun activities for the students to complete. I do believe that I am an Extrovert just because when I am put into an uncomfortable situation I do not think I feel any different than most people would if they were also put into an uncomfortable situation. Although, I do not mind being alone, being with other people is definitely something I would prefer. I would rather go out and have a good time with other people than doing something I enjoy with myself because I would prefer sharing my happiness with others instead of just keeping it to myself.

Introverted and Proud

     I always considered myself a introvert, and as I read this book it reassured my assumption. It is sad to realize how much I've been trying to conform to societies expectations of being extroverted as Cain has brought to my attention. I have constantly been told to speak up, tell them how it is, or you need to get out more and because of that I tried to adapt who I was to the person society was telling me to be. I enjoy time by myself, I hate conflict and confrontation, I avoid big gatherings, and I hate the pointless conversations when meeting new people. I like to be the person who sits back and watches others put on the show, being the center of attention is far from anything I want. I have realized in reading this book I need to break away from try to conform to the expectations and be the person I really am.
     When it comes to how I learn and being a introvert I find it hard to really involve myself in the classroom. I observe and keep my thoughts to myself, and when forced to step out of my comfort zone I find it stressful and irritating. Speeches are beyond nerve racking for me, the idea of others solely dependent on you for entertainment is frightening, but yes I do it because I have to and I hold all of those agonizing feelings in.

Extro-Intro, The Ultimate Swap

 As I read through “Quiet” by Susan Cain, I found myself relating to a lot of the topics. For instance, the biggest point that hit me was when Susan mentioned that many times people are introverts and don’t even realize it until something monumental happens in their life.  Also unknowingly having ADHD all my life may have had something to do with this but when I was younger I was always outgoing and outspoken and looked at as a leader by all my peers.  I was an athlete and was always very good as well as being very large for my age.  This continued all through high school and my first year of college until my girlfriend of 2 years broke up with me.  I basically just took a step back and looked at my life and what I wanted to do with it.  Ever since then I have had much different priorities, Before then I always wanted to go out and have fun all the time but now I find comfort in solitude exactly how the book described it. I would rather have in depth conversations with somebody I trust and I absolutely cannot stand small talk.   I still have trouble understanding how I could go from being an extreme extrovert to an extreme introvert based one simple reflection on my life but it happened.  It has greatly benefited my understanding of others though because I have been on both sides of the spectrum and as the book sates there are great benefits to being an introvert once one learns how to channel the strengths that extroverts do not have.  

Taking the Back Seat from an Extroverted Driver

Reflecting backwards, since my recent arrival at age 48, I find it partially foggy yet somewhat clear, like plexiglass that has been cleaned too many times, to collect many youthful moments of what the true Rolf was like. However there is enough presently in this old noggin to confidently come up with a graph of my path along this tricky trail of extroversion and introversion. 

I’d say the majority of my mental clay was formed during the 70’s. I did get a lot of comments, either from parents or onlookers, telling me that I had to get over my shyness and stop acting weird. I was labeled as smart, but odd or cowardly. School was commonly brutal as the more outgoing my classmates were, the more I seemed to slink back into a hole to avoid the chaos. Thus my learning was affected, specifically when the teacher would tell me that I needed to either project more like the other students or get my head out of my shoulders. I never thought poorly of myself, and since I was an only child, I had lots of silent moments to reflect on things. I wished the whole world would leave me alone, but it didn’t. 

I have always had introverted tendencies. I have cherished and sought out seclusion, like a lizard in a tank with kids tapping on the glass. I have always been able to create magnificent things, conjure inventions, detail new business plans and create logistical treasures that put me in the middle of any outdoor adventure. But that’s when I’m alone. When I’m surrounded by “people chaos” my mannerisms and abilities tend to go with the flow of the water, like a torrent I would be foolish to try and control. 

Yet something happened when I hit my teens, as I left the back seat and decided to take the wheel. I suppose I finally got the gist of what my family and society was asking, threatening, me to do. Humor found me the avenue for which I could travel safely through the populace, and I became a ham of sorts. I began telling stories and jokes, making my classmates and friends laugh with my antics. This greatly increased my popularity. On a darker side, I didn’t appreciate critics who didn’t accept my efforts. I was initially a small boy, but had a growth spurt which seemed to go on forever and put me taller than most any other peer I came across. Anyone who didn’t like what I had to offer, got cracked, usually placing me in the principal’s office. But this was ok, as it managed to keep my inner recluse at bay. 

For the next 30 or so years, I remained the same, comfortable with crowds, being my own man, and putting myself in some very unique public situations both here and abroad. For whatever reasons I grew into a fine extrovert, and did whatever was necessary to stay away from seclusion and fingers which pointed at any inability to blend in with the crowd. Yet, something in me knew this was terribly wrong. I had placed the real me on a back burner and moved onto another stove. 

To bring things up to the present, these last five years have been a pleasure to live, more so than any other year on mental file. And, like so many great comments within the book Quiet, I found a new me, or perhaps an old me is better said. I have dumped the notion of needing to show others that I am unique. The road has been without rest, but step by step I monitor any unconscious efforts which attempt to place me within the crowd of those who strive to be the diamond in the rough. I find the energy required to be worthless and destructive. Long solitary walks through forests, along river and near ocean shorelines, here in Oregon, are my daily meditation. By re-following my heart I have found that my life as an extrovert gave me nothing but fleeting memories for which to look upon. By being true to my introverted self, I have found a stronger conversationalist, a better parent, a more conscious husband, and a more balanced person. I still appreciate a good party of people or a menagerie of faces at an overseas airport. Thus my lines may have merged my course into that of an ambivert, but I find it sad to see that so many are judged as “peculiar”, when the cowardly finger should be reversed on those that lift it. 

A Solid Ambivert …

I have never been a shy person, but I wouldn’t say that I’m an extrovert.  I am very happy being out on my own and away from everyone else.  I usually accomplish much more work alone rather than with a group of people however, if I am with a group of people I am usually the one to take charge and make things happen.  Quiet:  The Power of Introverts stated that no one is only introvert or only extrovert.  Everyone is some combination of the two with usually a little more of one than the other.  Quiet also said that if a person is fifty-fifty that is called an ambivert.  That’s basically where I fit in.

It has always been pretty easy for me to fit in everywhere I go, a chameleon of sorts.  If a situation calls for me to be outgoing, I have no issues stepping up to the task.  Otherwise I am very happy relaxing and keeping to myself.  No matter what your personality, whether “ex” or “in”, there are many situations that demand you to go outside of your comfort zone.  I have found that being able to keep to my self is sometimes as useful as being outgoing.  Much of that depends on the environment that you are in at the time.  I am lucky to be flexible and comfortable enough to dance in both worlds.

What I have learned most about extrovert versus introvert is that it doesn’t matter either way.  The most important this is to understand what you are and how you can adapt to be successful using what you have.