# Introverts at Work **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 19, 2018, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introverts-at-work/823213 "2018-10-19T15:26:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2018, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introverts-at-work/823213/41 "2018-10-23T02:56:46Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > Yeah, I agree with **RadicalPi**. That sounds like a rather idiosyncratic definition of introversion. I’m with **Chronos** on this one. I believe, based on both personal experience and things I’ve read, that preferring gatherings designed around a purpose or activity to unstructured socializing is, if not part of the definition of introversion, at least correlated with it. Where an extrovert would see getting together with other people as an end in itself, an introvert is more likely to be open to the idea of getting together with other people to do something. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2018, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introverts-at-work/823213/42 "2018-10-23T05:26:12Z")
> [@CelticKnot](#): > > Last year I was teaching in a school doing “redesign.” They were trying to completely change how elementary education is done, and they had good intentions. > One thing they wanted was to have students able to work together and collaborate on projects. This is good, but I felt the need to suggest that some students don’t always work well in groups and introverts need time to be alone and regroup instead of constantly being in loud groups. From the principal’s reaction, you’d think I was trying to give work space to future serial killers. To her, no one should ever be allowed to be alone, and every student should always be extroverted. > > There’s a problem when a culture wants to change or eliminate all people with one particular temperament type. There’s a Spanish expression I still haven’t been able to translate to English (well, there’s many…): _puesta en común_ as noun, _poner en común_ as verb. Literally, “to make common”, “to make owned-by-all”. Some times, teamwork consists of 1) splitting up the work, 2) distributing the work, 3) the team getting together and not just putting each piece of work besides every other piece, but also doing a general once-over so the completed work is completely smooth; a casual observer will not be able to tell that different parts were done by different people. Those 3 steps are always done when you’re managing something in a professional environment. No matter whether it’s a project or operations, nobody expects the production people and the maintenance people and the sales people and… to be telling each other all the time “I’m starting a machine-clean operation”, “I’m verifying the readings in our environmental meters”, “I’m entering a new contract into the system”… You split the work, you each do your part, and you communicate to each other the parts the rest of the team needs to know. Not because people from different departments / streams / whatever don’t want to talk to each other, but because otherwise nothing would get done! ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2018, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introverts-at-work/823213/43 "2018-10-23T10:57:54Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I’m with **Chronos** on this one. I believe, based on both personal experience and things I’ve read, that preferring gatherings designed around a purpose or activity to unstructured socializing is, if not part of the definition of introversion, at least correlated with it. Where an extrovert would see getting together with other people as an end in itself, an introvert is more likely to be open to the idea of getting together with other people to do something. There may be a number of things are correlated with introversion, but correlation doesn’t make something a defining characteristic. I would never say something like, “Introverts are quiet” even though it is true that many introverts are on the quiet spectrum. “Lots of introverts are quiet” is a much more accurate generalization. At least once a month, I hang out with a group of fellow coworker introverts at a bar to do absolutely nothing but kvetch about work and imbibe (and talk about how **monstro’s** penchant for red and purple drinks). As I said, I don’t like the bar scene, but because it’s just 1) the four of us, 2) we have been working closely together for years, so we aren’t trying to do the awkward “getting to know you” thing, 3) we don’t let the night drag on, and 4) we only meet up once in a while, it’s tolerable. This is an unstructured activity. Do you think we’re outlier introverts? Or do you think it’s more likely that there’s a subset of introverts who don’t like unstructured activities at all and a subset of introverts who do just fine with those kind of activities as long as certain conditions are met? If “unstructured activities” were anathema to introverts, you would not expect to find them accepting invitations to or hosting parties. But my experience shows neither is true. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2018, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introverts-at-work/823213/44 "2018-10-23T13:44:15Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > Employee in America. If you want me to show up and laugh at your jokes, pay me, otherwise you are stealing my time from me. And really, “Hooker” implies professionalism, standards, and a support network which makes it too refined. I believe the proper term for someone who sells themselves to the highest bidder, with no standards as to the actual job duties and no recourse in the event of abuse, is “Whore.” ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2018, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introverts-at-work/823213/45 "2018-10-23T14:45:10Z")
One thing that some may not consider is physical difficulties. Especially ones you can’t see, like being hearing impaired. I have horrible tinnitus. I do wear hearing aids and they help a little. I’m Ok in quite surroundings with a few people. But sometimes, even just a room that echos, a loud heating vent, or someone that doesn’t enunciate gives me trouble. Just got my flu shot. Was in a room with just the nurse. I could hardly hear a word she said. A classic Seinfeld low-talker in that case. A lot of people just mumble. Put me in a loud group with a lot of back ground noise, and I can’t really hear any one at all. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2018, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introverts-at-work/823213/46 "2018-10-23T17:28:33Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > And really, “Hooker” implies professionalism, standards, and a support network which makes it too refined. I believe the proper term for someone who sells themselves to the highest bidder, with no standards as to the actual job duties and no recourse in the event of abuse, is “Whore.” Way out of line and reported. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2018, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introverts-at-work/823213/47 "2018-10-23T18:44:18Z")
> [@amaguri](#): > > …how they become a “running joke” at the office and I think that triggered me 😛 You could quote Tommy DeVito: [“I’m funny how, I mean funny like I’m a clown?”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E84VqqCPI7w) But then again, maybe that’s why I don’t get invited out to work mixers any more…☹ ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2018, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introverts-at-work/823213/48 "2018-10-24T09:53:11Z")
**Moderator Note** > [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > And really, “Hooker” implies professionalism, standards, and a support network which makes it too refined. I believe the proper term for someone who sells themselves to the highest bidder, with no standards as to the actual job duties and no recourse in the event of abuse, is “Whore.” I’m going to assume that you were just running with the joke that **RaftPeople** started, but let’s drop the whole hooker thing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introverts-at-work/823213.md?page=2)