Tuesday, October 30, 2012

How Do You Gain Your Energy?

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In undergrad, part of my program involved studying personality types. I liked this unit. There were a few different definitions of extravert versus introvert (welcome to the world of social science - every term has like 5 varying definitions), but the one I found most intriguing had to do with how we gain our energy.

Do you gain energy from being at home, having time to read a good book, taking a solitary walk? According to social scientists, you would be labeled generally introverted. 

Or...

Do you gain energy from being around people, from exchanging conversation, making connections in a crowd? (Extroverted). 

In reality, no one is exclusively one category or the other. We all like conversation, just like we all at times enjoy curling up with a good book for some personal and quiet time. But, in general, how would you say you gain the most energy?

I am extroverted. Period. I get so, so, SO sluggish if I'm just sitting around by myself all day. If I don't have human interaction, I mean the kind where I can make people laugh and vice versa, it's hard for me to maintain motivation in other areas of my life. It's good to know this at this point in my life. It's been tough lately, so when I get really down I know I need to work harder to be around other people.

So, I've (hopefully tactfully) been asking if I could come to other people's parties. :) And you know what, as soon as I'm around those other people, I feel better, lighter, more energized. It's amazing. I NEED people. This is as much a bad thing as a good thing, of course. Some days require you to be at home alone all day, whether that be illness or a term paper, etc. And our worth shouldn't depend on the attention we get in a crowd, right? But I just can't help liking groups more than solitude. 

Blessings of today that go along with that: My sweet visiting teacher invited me last night to a "Family Storm Evening" which was a blast. In addition, I had a great conversation with my roommate, watched Titanic with Celeste (hysterical - don't worry, we skipped the bad sketchy sketches), and ran into some people from the ward. Heavenly Father is looking out for us! I believe He gives us what we need. :) May your day be joyful!

2 comments:

merilee said...

I think I like naps and long walks alone, but I do enjoy a small, intimate group of people to talk to. Except, when it's family, I love BIG groups.

Celeste Elaine said...

I can't believe you blogged about our guilty pleasure ;-). We also discussed the emotional health of all of the characters in the film. It was quite educational.

Can you believe that I don't know? 6-7 years ago, I know exactly what my answer would have been; I sought involvement and social excitement. Now, it's changed. Part of that feels very good, solid, and like a more comfortable part of me is fitting; like I am wearing the wool sweater that I was too busy/trendy to take out of the back of the closet when I was in college. The other part of me remembers that not all seasons call for wool.