introversion

[piranha]

supergee writes about introversion and paying attention.

i am copying my comment to have it here for further ponderings.

i think the introvert/extravert distinction is really important, yes. but i wonder whether the paying attention stuff is not actually on a different axis from introversion. i am a strong introvert, but i don't have trouble with paying attention. in fact much of the joy in my life comes from paying attention. i don't mind travel at all, except for the people, *heh*. i prefer to drive myself so i am not piled into a container with too many other people in too close a proximity. i like the great outdoors, i love discovering and learning more things about life. i find watching people fascinating, it's just interacting with them that wears me out.

bodily maintenance annoys me not because of the paying attention part, but because it is maintenance, and i find that boring, and basically want to take the sysadmin approach: automate it as much as possible, and only pay attention to new and different stuff.

Comments

[firecat]

For me the link between introversion and lack of attention has to do with feeling forced to pay attention to specific stuff. Alone time involves letting my attention drift where it will. When I'm socially tired it's way more difficult for me to pay attention to stuff just because I should or it's important or it's expected. This applies especially to social stuff, but it also applies to other stuff.

[firecat]

PS, thanks for that thing about body maintenance. When I get bored with body maintenance I tend to believe I'm engaging in body hatred, and it's nice to be reminded that's not necessarily true.