Introvert or Extrovert?

Or do those terms not really apply to us as part of the autism diagnosis includes difficulties with communication?

A response on this forum prompted me to think: are you an extrovert then?

Most people here appear to be introverts - however, does this just go back to autism?

Years ago I did the Myers-Briggs test and I came out as an INFJ (Advocate).

I seem to remember this was the rarest profile and my autistic friend was the same.

A link below for anyone interested:

https://www.16personalities.com/infj-personality

So, if there was a choice between actually meeting a real person in real life or just an image of their face on a computer screen, the screen would win hands down for me!

How do you perceive yourself and do you think the term is relevant as we are autistic?

Parents
  • That test always confused me and I never quite understood what the letters meant - which annoyed me as I’ve always thought I was intelligent but some things I can’t get my head around. Anyway…

    Im definitely an introvert, meeting face to face or online, including the phone and zoom or whatever is used. I can speak okay through text, email, pms etc but anything more than that I can almost feel myself physically shrinking back. But I also hate my own voice, and how I look, which is mixed in with worrying I won’t know what to say or say something wrong. A very very long time ago I used to speak to someone online an awful lot. He really wanted to meet (as friends only so there was no pressure). I hardly spoke, he must have thought he wasn’t meeting the person who he thought he was. It’s like I was almost glazed over and didn’t know how to be me. I also have the problem where sometimes on the phone I’ll speak too much, and then you get that silence from them trying to work out what is wrong with me. I’m just a major f&£k up if I’m honest! 

Reply
  • That test always confused me and I never quite understood what the letters meant - which annoyed me as I’ve always thought I was intelligent but some things I can’t get my head around. Anyway…

    Im definitely an introvert, meeting face to face or online, including the phone and zoom or whatever is used. I can speak okay through text, email, pms etc but anything more than that I can almost feel myself physically shrinking back. But I also hate my own voice, and how I look, which is mixed in with worrying I won’t know what to say or say something wrong. A very very long time ago I used to speak to someone online an awful lot. He really wanted to meet (as friends only so there was no pressure). I hardly spoke, he must have thought he wasn’t meeting the person who he thought he was. It’s like I was almost glazed over and didn’t know how to be me. I also have the problem where sometimes on the phone I’ll speak too much, and then you get that silence from them trying to work out what is wrong with me. I’m just a major f&£k up if I’m honest! 

Children
  • I’m just a major f&£k up if I’m honest! 

    Maybe not?

    I am also totally different online (ie typing text on this forum) to in real life because I'd be so nervous meeting the members here.

    It's been pointed out to me that although generally quite a quiet reserved person, when I'm nervous I'm overwhelmingly talkative so that no-one else can speak.

    I just gush.

    However, I can also completely shut-up and not join in at all.