Introverted thru-hikers

[yari]

INTP here also.

Diane, the trick to owning a cellphone (or any kind of phone for that matter) is not to feel obligated to answer it when it rings. That's why god invented voicemail. It's YOUR phone, it's YOUR money, so just turn the damn thing off or ignore the ringing.

I think we introverts shouldn't let the rest of the world shame us for not wanting to engage them.

I am with you on letting the darned thing ring also. Just because the caller wants to talk to me doesn't mean I want to talk to them! I make no apologies for that either. I don't have a cell phone and have no desire to have one, much to my boss' dismay. He just can't get his head around the fact that I am really good with computers and don't want a cell phone. I don't have the heart to tell him flat out that I don't want to talk to him every time he gets a thought. I have told him that if he wants me to have one he can pay for it and pay for me to be on call 24/7. Luckily he is way to cheap to go there.

[10-K]

Another thing about being an introvert is that they sometimes give off an aloof or snobbish vibe which is really shyness/fear.

FWIW, being shy is really a form of self-centeredness - most of the time when shy people feel like the spotlight is on them no one is even thinking about them.

(I'm speaking in the 3rd person but generally I see myself as shy as well so what I'm saying applies to me as well.)

[woodsy]

I

It's a crazy fantasy of mine to own a cabin in the woods all alone with nobody to bother me.

Not crazy at all, I have thought the same thing for ever.

And there is still time......

[4shot]

FWIW, being shy is really a form of self-centeredness - most of the time when shy people feel like the spotlight is on them no one is even thinking about them.

(I'm speaking in the 3rd person but generally I see myself as shy as well so what I'm saying applies to me as well.)

when you are young, you are concerned with and worry about what others think of you. As you mature, you don't care what others think of you. As you mature and beome wise, you understand that they weren't thinking about you at all.

[10-K]

when you are young, you are concerned with and worry about what others think of you. As you mature, you don't care what others think of you. As you mature and beome wise, you understand that they weren't thinking about you at all.

Yes, and making the leap from "I don't care what people think." to "It doesn't matter what people think." was significant for me too...

I give meditation practice full credit for the acceptance I feel for myself and others.

[garlic08]

I've spent a lot of time on trails with a friend who is extremely introverted in "real life". He's the opposite while hiking. Now I can see that he makes friends easily among those who share his interests and activities.

I think hiking appeals to all personality types fairly equally.

[Sassafras Lass]

ISFJ here. This is a very interesting thread!

[Sassafras Lass]

So how many of my fellow "I" types grit your teeth, swallow hard, take a deep breath, and attend hiker gatherings e.g. SoRuck, PA Ruck, Franklin April Fools etc.? In particular, how was it the first time when you may not have known anyone? Did you come away breathing a sigh of relief "it's over!"?

Don't mind saying it was hard for me and still is. Having said that, I'm looking forward to the Roanoke get-together this weekend as long as I can stand in the corner and not talk to anyone.

Agree.

Though my lack of confidence the past 2 years has been due to my mangled mouth - if I could get some dentures or something it would help tremendously.

But I do go back and forth between feeling confident and able to handle myself in a good manner (I'm in retail) and feeling like I want to hide away from customers.

[RGB]

Why should being an introvert be considered a problem? Actually, I think it is seen as a problem in the US because so many people in this country don't know when to shut up.

[RockDoc]

ISTP
Good company: Amelia Earhardt rocks!



I liked this question:

You get pleasure from solitary walks
YES NO

[maybe clem]

Another thing about being an introvert is that they sometimes give off an aloof or snobbish vibe which is really shyness/fear.

While that might be the perception I don't agree that is the actual state of the introvert. It's merely a different energy, and thoughts and attention turned inward. Extroverts tend to assume everyone is like them or should be like them, so there must be something wrong with anyone exhibiting different behavior.

[maybe clem]

How many of us INTPs are so antisocial and misanthropic that we don't use cellphones?

I hate phones in general and cell phones with a passion. I agree with ignoring it or keeping it turned off but people are so accustomed to instant access now that I've noticed that really angers others.

If you want to put me in a Starfleet uniform and slap a combadge on my chest that's one thing but until then, no thanks.

[4shot]

Look at all the replies from all of us introverts...do you suppose the extroverts are out hiking?

[emerald]

I am with you on letting the darned thing ring also. Just because the caller wants to talk to me doesn't mean I want to talk to them!

Good for you!

I don't have a cell phone and have no desire to have one, much to my boss' dismay. I don't have the heart to tell him flat out that I don't want to talk to him every time he gets a thought.

I'm nearly certain you don't feel the need to text it him to him either!

I have told him that if he wants me to have one he can pay for it and pay for me to be on call 24/7. Luckily he is way to cheap to go there.

Sounds like a good arrangement to me.

[Cookerhiker]

I have and use a cell phone for the simple reason that I chose not to get a landline when I bought my house. No landline + no TV = $avings.

But I don't spend much time on it.

I'm amazed how many of us INTPs are here on WB.

[Delta-Dawn]

According to that test, i is a INFJ.

So am I. Dead on accurate for me.

[LordoftheWings]

Wow, I just read the whole 5 pages and I see I'm WAY out numbered. Twice over the years I was tested to ESTP. I see a very interesting time in my future.

@ Mr. Nixon, I have no idea what you go though with any social anxiety. I was always the little kid that threw rocks at Bees nests and pee'd on the electric fence. BTW, The ESTP population has no idea how annoying we are at trying to get you to talk, so If I poke you with a stick until you stab me, I'll just apologize up front and say I'm sorry

[zombiegrad]

I'm an INFP and for a year I did temperament testing with MBTI at a career center at a large southwestern university. Fun stuff! For us introverts, it's not about shyness per se but about feeling energized when we're by ourselves, being quite entertained by the rich inner world of our thoughts. I'm pretty dominantly introverted but I definitely enjoy company, some people more than others. That's what really excites me about the AT; you get the opportunity for solitude AND companionship. You decide! I'm sure the AT draws a wide variety of people and personalities, so a lot of opportunity to meet new and similar/different people. We dall o have some basic similarities, though; respect/appreciation for the outdoors, tolerance for solitude...what else would y'all say?

As for those of us who are socially shy or anxious, I bet the trail experience can bring out sides of us that we didn't know we had. Hiking the AT can even be a transformative experience! I'm taking a year off from grad school and a thru hike is a welcome change of pace from the academic bubble I was living in. I had some reservations about starting a thru hike in mid march because of the crowds, but now I'm seeing the plus side of all that good company

[ebandlam]

I am ENFP.

But this is besides the point. Regardless of what you are, you are who you are. Nothing is going to change that. Being an extrovert is no better than being an introvert or vise versa. I am an extrovert, but my good friends are introverts (and no I don't talk their ears off). When I took the Myers Briggs test several years ago, the administrator walked us through each dimension - but one thing she said still resonates. It is not what you are but how you deal with it that matters. When I am stressed, I like solitude - helps me bring focus back in my life.

Just my 2 cents - or less...

[Oleskool]

when you are young, you are concerned with and worry about what others think of you. As you mature, you don't care what others think of you. As you mature and beome wise, you understand that they weren't thinking about you at all.

As true as it gets.