introversion and personality type

Hello! How has your summer been? Mine has been really busy, but I think that's the norm for most people during the summer. Between all the usual household and garden care and meal planning and shopping and the making of meals; dentist appointments (I need another crown in August - waah!), lots of vet appointments, yoga classes, finding contractors for our damaged roof, replacing the central air conditioner (finally got a new one!) and for re-doing our front porch and sidewalk (this contracting stuff has been kind of a nightmare)...then Brian was on vacation for 12 days so we did some day trips and got some projects done around the house...things have been a bit crazy. But honestly, it's all good. We're getting things done, we're in good health and feel great, we're spending more time outdoors and doing things with friends and family. It's all what a summer should be.

Brian went back to work today after his 12 days of being home, so now I'm trying to get back to my usual routine. Like I was telling a blogging friend in an email, of course I love my husband, but with being an introvert - especially an INFJ - I need a lot of alone time. And when I don't get enough of it, it makes me anxious and cranky. She said she understood because she was an introvert, too - and that she thought that most bloggers probably were.

Later edit: if you're not sure what an introvert is, or even if you're one yourself, here's a good article that explains it: Signs You Are an Introvert. It does not mean you're shy. 

Are you familiar with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator? According to Wikipedia, it "is an introspective self-report questionnaire with the purpose of indicating differing psychological preferences in how people perceive the world around them and make decisions." I learned about this - and took the test - when I was 18 and taking a Psychology class in college. Since then, I've taken the test a few more times and I always come up as an INFJ. You can take the online test here if you're curious as to what type you are.

Here's some tidbits about the INFJ personality (from 16personalities.com):

"The INFJ personality type is very rare, making up less than one percent of the population, but they nonetheless leave their mark on the world...

INFJ's tend to see helping others as their purpose in life, but while people with this personality type can be found engaging in rescue efforts and doing charity work, their real passion is to get to the heart of the issue so that people need not be rescued at all.

INFJs indeed share a unique combination of traits: though soft-spoken, they have very strong opinions and will fight tirelessly for an idea they believe in. They are decisive and strong-willed, but will rarely use that energy for personal gain – INFJs will act with creativity, imagination, conviction and sensitivity not to create advantage, but to create balance...

INFJs find it easy to make connections with others, and have a talent for warm, sensitive language, speaking in human terms, rather than with pure logic and fact. It makes sense that their friends and colleagues will come to think of them as quiet Extraverted types, but they would all do well to remember that INFJs need time alone to decompress and recharge, and to not become too alarmed when they suddenly withdraw....

Famous INFJs: Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Alanis Morrissette, Jimmy Carter, Nicole Kidman, Morgan Freeman, Goethe"

How about you - are you an introvert or extrovert? 

What's your personality type?