www.thecolorspeople.com
Resource Guide
Intro/extraversion
The PRI System recognizes another important aspect of personality styles – introversion and extraversion. While identifying our styles, it is important to determine if we tend toward either extraversion or introversion. This determination can make a substantial difference in others' identification of our personality style or “way”. It also strengthens our own self-understanding.
This personality trait is a very important consideration in understanding human behaviour. It is also most helpful in contributing to the identification of preferred personality styles of others.
Extraverts prefer to process their understanding of the world externally. They draw energy from outside, from the external world of people, activities and things. Extraverts like to verbalize observations, data, ideas, thoughts, and beliefs in dialogue with others and be actively involved with them. They are action oriented and are energized by involvement and interaction. They seek opportunities for participation and involvement with others. In a sense, extraverts think out loud. They are mostly ‘up front’ with what they are thinking. It is usually easy to know what extraverts are thinking or feeling - they tell you.
For approximately seventy-five percent of the population, extraversion is the preferred way of communicating and relating.
Conversely, introverts prefer to process their understanding of the world internally. They prefer to draw energy from their inner world of ideas, emotions and impressions. They like to process observations, data, ideas, thoughts and beliefs internally. Introverts will share these with others if asked. But they usually do not tend to engage in constant dialogue with others. They more often prefer to focus in their quiet world of ideas and concepts. They will lose energy through constant interaction and often need private time to re-establish lost energy. Introverts are also more private about personal matters. They can be very sociable, but may reveal less information about themselves than the extraverts.
Approximately twenty-five percent of the population prefers introversion.
Every person is sometimes introverted and sometimes extraverted, but it is apparent that some individuals have a preference for one, more than the other. The significance of identifying extraversion and introversion in understanding personality styles helps us to more accurately observe others. It is easier to identify the personality styles of extraverts because they provide greater amounts of information, “what you see is what you get”. The primary or preferred personality style of introverts is more difficult to determine through mere observation and brief encounters.
Introverts often present themselves in a secondary personality style and can confuse observers and cause them to misinterpret their preferred personality style. It is often necessary to spend more time with introverts before making assumptions about their personality style preferences. It is also necessary to ask more questions of them in order to obtain information about their ideas, thoughts and desires.
As an Extravert I am more likely to:
Project my energy, feelings and thoughts outward
Process my thoughts and feelings with others
Be easily distracted
Enjoy lots of activities
Respond quickly to questions and comments
Share personal information
Develop thoughts and ideas through discussion
Do-think-do
As an Introvert I am more likely to:
Retain my energy, feelings and thoughts inward
Process my thoughts and feelings inside first
Concentrate well
Enjoy quiet time
Need time to think or feel before responding
Develop ideas through reflection
Think-do-think
