Introverts didn't 'win' lockdown • Hacker News Board

Re: Introverts didn't 'win' lockdown

#31

Post by philipov » Sat, Jul 10, 2021, 3:17 PM UTC

dannyw wrote: post #17

hirundo wrote: post #9

I'm a physically and socially isolated introvert in a rural county and have been working from home for a decade. About the only difference for me was the occasional need to put on a mask before walking in a store. My greatest inconvenience was very minor: I was turned away from a convenience store for not having a mask with me. Early in the lockdowns I made a trip to the closest big city for a dentist appointment and…

I'd like to hear more about your life experience - how much human contact do you have on a weekly basis?

Does the internet count?

Re: Introverts didn't 'win' lockdown

#32

Post by throwawayocd » Sat, Jul 10, 2021, 3:20 PM UTC

I'm heavily introverted, and the lockdown has negatively affected me in various ways. Most notably, I've developed a severe case of contamination OCD that is crippling my personal development and career. After seeking therapy and talking things out, I've come to realize a lot of it has to do with heavy isolation. Now that I'm vaccinated and still seeking therapy, I find that going out and being surrounded by others significantly reduces the anxiety I get associated with my contamination OCD triggers.

This further proves the point that just because somebody is introverted, it does not mean they suffer social anxiety. At the end of the day, both introverts and extroverts need human interaction.

Re: Introverts didn't 'win' lockdown

#33

Post by Kiro » Sat, Jul 10, 2021, 3:20 PM UTC

dannyw wrote: post #17

hirundo wrote: post #9

I'm a physically and socially isolated introvert in a rural county and have been working from home for a decade. About the only difference for me was the occasional need to put on a mask before walking in a store. My greatest inconvenience was very minor: I was turned away from a convenience store for not having a mask with me. Early in the lockdowns I made a trip to the closest big city for a dentist appointment and…

I'd like to hear more about your life experience - how much human contact do you have on a weekly basis?

Not the poster but I could easily go a few years without human contact. It's just not important to me.

Re: Introverts didn't 'win' lockdown

#34

Post by dannyw » Sat, Jul 10, 2021, 3:20 PM UTC

DeusExMachina wrote: post #15

ballenf wrote: post #4

Was just watching Youtube video Veritassium about the non-existence of learning styles yesterday. I wonder if similar studies would show that there really are no introverts vs. extroverts in the sense that all people really have roughly the same need for human contact. Kind of like everyone needs physical activity, but some people gravitate more to it than others. Probably the wrong forum to voice such a theory...

The Big Five model statistically shows that extroversion/introversion is one of the five axis over which personality varies. So studies already showed that there are introverts and extroverts. The only thing you could say is wrong is the supposed dichotomy. Instead, we have a gaussian distribution along the axis.

OP isn't saying there are no preference differences, but rather all humans have a similar level of need for social contact.

Re: Introverts didn't 'win' lockdown

#35

Post by ZanyProgrammer » Sat, Jul 10, 2021, 3:21 PM UTC

hirundo wrote: post #9

I'm a physically and socially isolated introvert in a rural county and have been working from home for a decade. About the only difference for me was the occasional need to put on a mask before walking in a store. My greatest inconvenience was very minor: I was turned away from a convenience store for not having a mask with me. Early in the lockdowns I made a trip to the closest big city for a dentist appointment and…

It seems like you "won" because you kept your job, living in a rural area and being introverted was just a side bonus.

Re: Introverts didn't 'win' lockdown

#36

Post by perardi » Sat, Jul 10, 2021, 3:22 PM UTC

tboyd47 wrote: post #20

There aren’t any measurable elements of personality that are fixed. Personality changes as you age. I’ve witnessed a reversal in each of the Myers-Briggs markers in the past 15 years (from INTJ to ESFP) — not intentionally, but that’s just the way my life played out. I’ve come to see the truth of the matter like this: every human being has a need for socializing, but it takes effort and is exhausting. The amount of e…

Agreed on the mutability of these traits.

I have definitely become more of an extrovert as I’ve gotten older. Only child of only children growing up in a rural area…kind of an incubator for introversion. But having lived in a big city, been out in the world, seen what there it to be seen, I’ve become far more outgoing. [also maybe drugs, i dunno]

And I am coming out of the pandemic times rarin’ to go. Arguably too much—I am purposefully having a slow weekend after the madcap last 2 weeks.

Re: Introverts didn't 'win' lockdown

#37

Post by johndhowell » Sat, Jul 10, 2021, 3:22 PM UTC

thrower123 wrote: post #10

The past year has proven how introverted I am. The best days of my life are the ones where I don't see or speak to another human being. Blessed days.

Same here. I feel bad when I mention that my life has gotten infinitely better since Covid. I get to work from home and just be by myself, it's amazing.

Re: Introverts didn't 'win' lockdown

#38

Post by tboyd47 » Sat, Jul 10, 2021, 3:22 PM UTC

kristofferR wrote: post #28

tboyd47 wrote: post #20

There aren’t any measurable elements of personality that are fixed. Personality changes as you age. I’ve witnessed a reversal in each of the Myers-Briggs markers in the past 15 years (from INTJ to ESFP) — not intentionally, but that’s just the way my life played out. I’ve come to see the truth of the matter like this: every human being has a need for socializing, but it takes effort and is exhausting. The amount of e…

Agree! One of the most harmful beliefs about the concept of intro-/extroversion is that it is something you are and not something you do. Many people limit themselves massively because of how they've labeled themselves. Especially in "strong introverts", the label is often used as a convenient excuse for not going through the often painful process of trying to improve their confidence skills and social skills. "I'm a…

Aye. It’s funny, perusing the other comments in this thread, how attached people are to these labels, which really have no factual basis at all. We choose the stories that we tell about ourselves; yet we act as if the stories chose us.

Re: Introverts didn't 'win' lockdown

#39

Post by hirundo » Sat, Jul 10, 2021, 3:22 PM UTC

dannyw wrote: post #17

hirundo wrote: post #9

I'm a physically and socially isolated introvert in a rural county and have been working from home for a decade. About the only difference for me was the occasional need to put on a mask before walking in a store. My greatest inconvenience was very minor: I was turned away from a convenience store for not having a mask with me. Early in the lockdowns I made a trip to the closest big city for a dentist appointment and…

I'd like to hear more about your life experience - how much human contact do you have on a weekly basis?

I have daily human contact online at work. I've never met one of my coworkers in the flesh. In meatspace, I drive into a tiny village once a week to get mail at the post office, usually talking to nobody. Every other week I go to a more distant small town and hit the grocery and hardware store, and pass a few words with a clerk or three. It isn't unusual for a month to go by without speaking in the flesh with anyone that I'm not buying something from. I've had years go by without a non-commercial visitor to my home. I built a desk a couple of years ago and I'm still waiting to show it off to somebody.

It isn't a good way to live. But for some weird reason it isn't very lonely ... until I'm around people. Then the loneliness becomes unbearable and I retreat.

Re: Introverts didn't 'win' lockdown

#40

Post by Kiro » Sat, Jul 10, 2021, 3:23 PM UTC

charles_f wrote: post #2

Can be summarized by the quote they give > Social connections are a basic human need… Being an introvert doesn't mean you don't want to socialise at all - Danièle Gubler and Katja Schlegel

Strong disagree on it being a basic human need. I've had months without socializing and didn't think much of it. In fact, I was really happy during those times.