Although it may be absurd to understand a person holistically using a framework categorized into 16 categories, the popularity of MBTI is welcomed if you see it as an attempt to understand another person.
The columnist feels that her perception of the first letters of the MBTI type classification, I and E, which distinguishes the attitude of responding to the environment as Introversion and Extroversion, is different from before. In the past, introverted people were sometimes seen with negative connotations, shy or timid, and mentioned as a personality that needed to be improved or changed for a smooth social life, but now they are understood with an innate temperament and treated as such.
Compared to extroverts, introverts feel uncomfortable in situations where they have to demonstrate social skills and often feel awkward when many eyes are focused on them. Because the direction of psychological energy is directed inward, introverts often find the ‘broad and diverse interactions’ that extroverts like to be daunting, and prefer ‘a small number of intimate relationships’. Therefore, there is often a misunderstanding, that introverts like to be alone and do not like interacting with people. However, as an introvert herself, she assures us that introverts also like people, a lot. However, she prefers individual, close, one-on-one interactions, not multiple people at once. While extroverts are building-wide networks, introverts may be busy forming a smaller number but deeper relationships.
Recently, she hosted a meeting where introverts were the main focus. It’s called ‘Introverts' Secret Brunch’. A thought came to her as she received inquiries from people who wanted to participate in a support group but were hesitant due to anxiety about unfamiliar situations. ‘Let’s just get together with introverts!’ The condition for participation is that you must be an introvert. Ten minutes before the meeting was to start, the quiet tension as each person cautiously entered the room was enough to make her sweat. Then an idea occurred to her. ‘Oh, we’re all introverts.’ She let go of having someone speak up first and naturally faced silence.
So, how did our meeting go? We introverts, who do not open our mouths hastily and are considerate of each other and observe the atmosphere, naturally join in the conversation at our own pace. Before she knew it, she had put down the bag she was holding sat back against the chair, sipped her coffee, and ate the cookies, getting comfortable, and our time was filled with warmth, well over 3 hours.
For the first time in a while, we had a comfortable, slow conversation, and it became deeper and more fulfilling. Introverts also need communication. Maybe even more so than others, she doesn't know. They want to communicate, many environments in this society do not wait for introverts until they are ready, so this desire is often frustrated and suppressed. She wants to create a space where people can freely express their desires and hopes that introverts will be more understood and accepted in our society and that our understanding of others will deepen.
