Anyone who used to be an extrovert and are now an introvert?

[FiveOaksAcademy]

The other friendship thread led me to ponder this. I used to be an extrovert/life of the party type person. I consider myself an introvert now. I just wonder how common this is? I'm in my forties and find that I really just don't trust people that much anymore. I thoroughly enjoy my family...I'm happy at home. If it were up to me, I would cook, clean, play games with them, watch movies with them, do crafts, play outdoors, etc., and avoid most other adults. I have come to such a peaceful place with my children and have a good relationship with them. I would stay home pretty much all the time!! I don't do it, though, because my kids enjoy getting out and doing things.

 

I used to be a person who wanted to get together with groups of women, do women Bible studies, shop, go to lunch, have playdates where I talked to the other moms and kids played, etc. I do have about 3 women I trust enough to do those things with now, but it is fairly rare.

 

One issue I have is that in groups, I feel that women wind up being very careless with their mouths and either talk badly about others, their husbands, their kids... I don't like those situations...I DESPISE gossipy conversation. Couple that with the fact that I'm not that brave about speaking up to stop the gossip, and it works out to be a bad situation for me.

 

Sometimes I worry that there is just something wrong with my lack of desire for being social. Is this a common thing for being in your forties? Do you just kind of get to a place where you accept who you are and are at peace with it? The only time I worry about it is when I realize just. how. social and busy many of the women I know are!!!

[cathmom]

My dh would claim that this happened to him...I consider that he is just a depressed extravert.

[Bluegoat]

I think that if you are using the term fairly loosely, just to mean a social or non-social person, it can happen.

 

If we're talking about typology, than an exytovert is someone who gets their energy from time spent socially, while introverts get it from time spent alone. So there are introverts that appear to be very social and enjoy it, but they still really need time alone to recharge. And the same for extroverts I guess. So it could be that before you were a very social introvert, and now you are still an introvert who is less social.

 

Some people are less extreme as well, so they might go from being a borderline extrovert to introvert, and I think life experience and situation would really play into that.

[jenangelcat]

I think that if you are using the term fairly loosely, just to mean a social or non-social person, it can happen.

 

If we're talking about typology, than an exytovert is someone who gets their energy from time spent socially, while introverts get it from time spent alone. So there are introverts that appear to be very social and enjoy it, but they still really need time alone to recharge. And the same for extroverts I guess. So it could be that before you were a very social introvert, and now you are still an introvert who is less social.

 

Some people are less extreme as well, so they might go from being a borderline extrovert to introvert, and I think life experience and situation would really play into that.

 

:iagree:

 

I'm a lot more social than I was 5 years ago. I'm still an introvert.

[trailofsparks]

I think that if you are using the term fairly loosely, just to mean a social or non-social person, it can happen.

 

If we're talking about typology, than an exytovert is someone who gets their energy from time spent socially, while introverts get it from time spent alone. So there are introverts that appear to be very social and enjoy it, but they still really need time alone to recharge. And the same for extroverts I guess. So it could be that before you were a very social introvert, and now you are still an introvert who is less social.

 

Some people are less extreme as well, so they might go from being a borderline extrovert to introvert, and I think life experience and situation would really play into that.

 

Yep, this. I am in my 40s and have experienced too much of other people's drama and crap. I've always been an introvert, but used to enjoy being around others more than I do now. In fact, anymore I rarely want to be around others. I have wondered, though, if this will change when I am not so busy with self education and education of my dc. I only have so much energy to go around!

[LucyStoner]

I always tested as a MB ENTJ, with the E being for extroverted. Now, I am not so sure. The E part of my job wore me out at times I really love quiet alone time now. I seem to be, at alternating times, an ENTJ and and INTJ. I can turn the E on if I want to or need to but often I just don't want to anymore if that makes any sense at all.

[KnitWit]

I have always been an introvert. I just used to feel like I needed to make myself be different to be liked or to make other people feel comfortable or any other number of reasons that I finally let go of and I think it made me look more extroverted than I am. I am friendly and I don't think I'm reclusive, but people DRAIN me. My husband loves being with people. He thinks the more the merrier. I don't like lots of people. I end up in the kitchen. Sometimes I sneak to my room and read. :lol: