I just stumbled onto an article that Jonathan Rauch wrote about introversion, and I thought I would share. The URL is http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200303/rauch. There's also a link in the sidebar to an interview with the author that's well worth reading. Money quote from the article:
“Do you know someone who needs hours alone every day? Who loves quiet conversations about feelings or ideas, and can give a dynamite presentation to a big audience, but seems awkward in groups and maladroit at small talk? Who has to be dragged to parties and then needs the rest of the day to recuperate? Who growls or scowls or grunts or winces when accosted with pleasantries by people who are just trying to be nice? If so, do you tell this person he is "too serious," or ask if he is okay? Regard him as aloof, arrogant, rude? Redouble your efforts to draw him out? If you answered yes to these questions, chances are that you have an introvert on your hands—and that you aren't caring for him properly.”
Two reasons this article interested me. First, there are some professors at the school who seem to fit this description, at least to a certain extent. They're terrific teachers, and they may come across as gregarious and funny at the lectern, but they have a hard time carrying on routine conversations with students outside of class. Second, I wonder whether a lot of the people that many of you like to dismissively write off as "gunners" are actually misunderstood introverts. Think about it: they have no problem talking in class and they love to exchange ideas in serious conversations, but they don't come out on the weekends very often and they don't like to make small talk. Many people reflexively deem such people aloof, arrogant and rude, but as is often the case, I submit that conventional wisdom may be misguided. Thoughts?
10 comments:
Of all the things I regret the most about last semester, it was never taking Scott Peppet up on his open invitation to take him out to lunch... all anyone ever had to do was schedule a Tuesday.
And I was too shy to do it. (What would I say to a, gulp, professor, anyway?) Oh how I wish I could have picked his brains regarding the tech-business my husband and I are starting. But I didn't want to seem like I was taking advantage of him or anything. So I just never did it.
I think you're on to something. I'd bet that in person I come off as a stuck-up know-it-all, when really I'm scared of talking to people I don't know (oh how I detest small talk).
Scotty P is one of the nicest, most outgoing people I've ever spoken with. He is anything but an introvert--quite the contrary. As Coffinberry's post suggests, the question is more whether all of us have the networking skillz to walk up and chat with our Professors, let alone people that could give us a jobby-job. Communication, as they say, is a two-way street.
EC: as much as I love the Peppet Show, if you want to pick brains for a tech business, a law professor might not be the best place to start.
Sigh. It's true that shy people are often misunderstood as stuck up. And many people who have no problem "performing" in front of large groups are rather shy one-on-one.
Whether or not those who constantly participate in class are misunderstood when they aren't social outside of class, they should keep in mind that law school classes are usually rather large and that they are just one person in that class. As a recovering gunner I try to limit myself to one comment per class per day. That way I still participate, but I also respect the rights of my fellow classmates to be involved in class. So, in my opinion, gunners shouldn't worry if others think they're snobs, but they *should* worry about hijacking their classes.
SP, what do you think, are we right about you?
Most can agree that a certain Dean that reads this blawg may have time to respond to such an interrogatory, but SP?
Eh, SP's on here at least once a week, guaranteed.
I'm a big fan of the Myers-Briggs. I'm an (I)ntrovert, (S)ensing, (T)hinking, (J)udging. I definetly think that the (T) and the (J) contribute greatly in the "misunderstood introvert" theory. The (T)s like to logically progress through things in mental steps, which means it may take them longer to formulate responses than a (F)eeling type. The (J)s like things to be planned out and happen in a predictable manner, which may explain why random small talk with a new acquaintance could be so painful. Mix those together with the (I) who directs and recieves energy from inside and you've got one "misunderstood introvert."
I myself am very shy, and I rarely ever start conversations with people I don't know.
And yeah, most of my friends will tell you they thought I was horribly stuck up before they got to know me.
Moop, excellant point about gunners respecting the interests of other students. I participate, but I always worry about dominating a conversation in a room of 40 other people.
I wish that the faculty would participate in this blog, just to get their perspective.
Flip side of the "monopolizing the discussion" argument, of course, is that most professors go out of their way to call on new people when they can. That the same people keep being allowed to talk on has less to do with them trying to take over the conversation than it does with the rest of the class not taking steps to become actively involved in the discussion. I'm not real sure why the frequent talkers get held responsible for this, but it seems to happen that way.
I'm late getting to this, but I never found Peppet anything but outgoing even outside of class.
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