Why I Don't Believe in "Verts"
Are you an introvert or an extrovert? The results may surprise you!
Doubtful.
Buzzfeed, I've taken so many of these at this point that nothing short of a "nonexistent-paranoid-delusional-trovert" would surprise me.
See, the thing is, with the millions of psychological studies of personalities and inclinations that I've seen, the one thing I have actually learned is that psychology is fluid. Despite claims of enlightened absolutes, nothing in the study of man's complexity is concrete.
We are so eager to free ourselves by discovering ourselves that we end up restricting ourselves. Does that make any sense?
As a society, we have become so concerned with labels that we box ourselves in. In truth, we are so much more than black or white, gay or straight, gender-fluid or cis, vegan or omnivore, introvert or extrovert.
Imagine you had an enormous jar full of assorted jelly beans, and you slap the label "Cherry" on the lid. Technically, you're not wrong. There are cherry jelly beans in there. But when you reach into that jar, you'll be expecting cherry and you'll end up with grape.
If you say you're an introvert, I'll be expecting you to behave as an introvert would in every social interaction. Now you feel like you have to defend yourself every time you say you actually want to hang out.
If you say you're an extrovert, I'll be expecting you to jump at any chance for social interaction anytime. Now you feel like you're disappointing people every time you just don't feel like going out. You have to give a reason, or else I'll assume something must be wrong.
Why do we have to be one or the other?
But there are also those who subscribe to the "introverted extrovert" or "extroverted introvert". That's not a thing. By definition, you are either introverted or extroverted based on these labels. To say you are both is adding an additional label that doesn't actually describe all that you are because everyone is some variation of the intro and extro labels. No one wants to be socially proactive all the time. Everyone needs their downtime. No one is a social hermit crab. We all need some form of interaction with another person.
All of these personality tests that try to pin us down and explain us are limiting our self-perception. Even those fancy scientifically proven psychological online tests try to define us in four letters. When I go through and read my profile, I see a lot of things that are true about me, but I see just as many things that aren't, or things that could vaguely be applicable.
It's like reading a horoscope that makes educated guesses based on what month I was born in to determine if I'm Troy or Gabriela. I look at one or two spot-on descriptions and BAM. I'm convinced that I'm actually Chad (regardless of the many traits that are not at all true about me on that list).
All of these letters and words and labels confine an incomprehensible concept into a rigid, picture-perfect landscape painting, when we really look more like a Jackson Pollock piece.
(Note: This is not a real Pollock piece, it's a painting inspired by Polluck. I liked the colors better.)
So I say why not do away with labels altogether?
Next time you're about to hit reblog on the post about extroverts that's so relatable to you, stop to think about what you're really saying about yourself. Next time you make an excuse because you're an introvert, think about why you're really saying no. Is it because you are an introvert? Or is it because you're tired and really want to curl up with a book instead tonight?
None of us is an introvert or an extrovert. We all have introverted and extroverted characteristics.
Well, I'm going to go outside to socialize and meet new people. Or maybe I'll stay in for the night and watch a Disney movie.
I can do whatever I want—because I'm my very own "vert".
Doubtful.
Buzzfeed, I've taken so many of these at this point that nothing short of a "nonexistent-paranoid-delusional-trovert" would surprise me.
See, the thing is, with the millions of psychological studies of personalities and inclinations that I've seen, the one thing I have actually learned is that psychology is fluid. Despite claims of enlightened absolutes, nothing in the study of man's complexity is concrete.
We are so eager to free ourselves by discovering ourselves that we end up restricting ourselves. Does that make any sense?
As a society, we have become so concerned with labels that we box ourselves in. In truth, we are so much more than black or white, gay or straight, gender-fluid or cis, vegan or omnivore, introvert or extrovert.
Imagine you had an enormous jar full of assorted jelly beans, and you slap the label "Cherry" on the lid. Technically, you're not wrong. There are cherry jelly beans in there. But when you reach into that jar, you'll be expecting cherry and you'll end up with grape.
If you say you're an introvert, I'll be expecting you to behave as an introvert would in every social interaction. Now you feel like you have to defend yourself every time you say you actually want to hang out.
If you say you're an extrovert, I'll be expecting you to jump at any chance for social interaction anytime. Now you feel like you're disappointing people every time you just don't feel like going out. You have to give a reason, or else I'll assume something must be wrong.
Why do we have to be one or the other?
But there are also those who subscribe to the "introverted extrovert" or "extroverted introvert". That's not a thing. By definition, you are either introverted or extroverted based on these labels. To say you are both is adding an additional label that doesn't actually describe all that you are because everyone is some variation of the intro and extro labels. No one wants to be socially proactive all the time. Everyone needs their downtime. No one is a social hermit crab. We all need some form of interaction with another person.
All of these personality tests that try to pin us down and explain us are limiting our self-perception. Even those fancy scientifically proven psychological online tests try to define us in four letters. When I go through and read my profile, I see a lot of things that are true about me, but I see just as many things that aren't, or things that could vaguely be applicable.
It's like reading a horoscope that makes educated guesses based on what month I was born in to determine if I'm Troy or Gabriela. I look at one or two spot-on descriptions and BAM. I'm convinced that I'm actually Chad (regardless of the many traits that are not at all true about me on that list).
All of these letters and words and labels confine an incomprehensible concept into a rigid, picture-perfect landscape painting, when we really look more like a Jackson Pollock piece.
(Note: This is not a real Pollock piece, it's a painting inspired by Polluck. I liked the colors better.)
So I say why not do away with labels altogether?
Next time you're about to hit reblog on the post about extroverts that's so relatable to you, stop to think about what you're really saying about yourself. Next time you make an excuse because you're an introvert, think about why you're really saying no. Is it because you are an introvert? Or is it because you're tired and really want to curl up with a book instead tonight?
None of us is an introvert or an extrovert. We all have introverted and extroverted characteristics.
Well, I'm going to go outside to socialize and meet new people. Or maybe I'll stay in for the night and watch a Disney movie.
I can do whatever I want—because I'm my very own "vert".
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