Gregarious Introvert
Wednesday, May 24, 2006 | 8:36:03 AMWould you consider me more of a gregarious introvert or a reserved extrovert? Also... why?
This was the question that I asked many people yesterday.
(For sake of ease, I shall abbreviate gregarious introvert to GI and reserved extrovert to RE for nearly the remainder of the post.)
In any case, the votes ended being tied, 8-8. Two that I asked, however, switched from RE to GI after giving it more thought. I discounted votes from those that randomly chose, usually because they didn't understand the words.
Personally, especially after discussing it, I consider myself to be a GI. I asked the question to help me decide which one fit me more and to see how other people see me.
While the words mean nearly the same, there are slightly different connotations to both. A lying thief steals for a living, but constantly lies. A theiving liar lies for a living but also steals. Such is the difference between GI and RE. The noun part is the intrinsic description. The first word, the adjective, describes a common occurrence for the second.
Another this that I noticed was that the people who chose GI tended to either talk with me more or put more thought into the question. Those choosing RE just looked from afar and saw my outward personality.
The individual words in each are opposite of the corresponding word in the other. Yet, the two phrases mean nearly the same. Both are oxymorons as well. The inverse of an oxymoron is a synonym? Paradox?
You're definitely a gregarious introvert.