Introvert vs Extrovert - do extroverts feel the same pressure that introverts feel?

This question came up over this past month in our house. So, I thought I might take advantage of this space to try to explore it knowing fully that this exploration will likely not bring me any solutions to the question. As an introvert I am not likely to go around asking extroverts the question.

Both my husband and I are on the introverted end of the spectrum. He is more fully on the spectrum than I am, but I have similar tendencies. We both prefer to be alone the majority of the time, or with those that we are exceptionally close to us. However, we feel pressure to be social and maintain some balance.

My choice to be social is to be a part of small groups. I like to find a group that I'm comfortable with and build my social community in that manner. I curl on a team, I am part of a group of stitchers, I go to writing sessions with other writers and I'm often the planner of large family gatherings.

Hubby's manner of being out in the world is to attend large sporting events as a spectator, participate in huge runs, and he enjoys Vegas!  For him, I think this is akin to being a part of the action, but not the focus of the attention. He can blend in to the crowd and feel their energy.

This past weekend we were on our way to my curling teams annual Christmas party. It's not huge, only eight of us with spouses. I wasn't feeling particularly like going - almost approaching too big, but hubby was looking forward to it. He knows my team mates, but only peripherally. Therefore, true to form he could get away with pulling back into himself and allowing me to be the outgoing one of the couple. I think that is what led to my reluctance to go.

Upon discussing our thoughts on this we decided that hubby and I do these things in order to maintain a certain perspective on life and to feel like we're part of society. This revelation got me to wondering if extroverts feel any kind of pressure to be solitary and explore their own imaginations free from the stimulation from others.

Family Fun

I began doing some family research in anticipation of my mother's 80th birthday about seven years ago. At the time I didn't find much on her family, but found a great deal of eyebrow-raising information about my father's side of the tree.

What a twisted and gnarled tree it has turned out to be - on both sides. My generation has always joked that we are pretty twisted, but we have nothing on the previous generations! I guess we come by it honestly.

I have tried to share a lot of my discoveries with the brothers, but they are fairly flippant about it, but as I learn more some of the patterns are repetitious and others I am glad to say that I believe we've broken them. I suppose that most families have their cuckoo nests when you dig a little and it is likely a numbers game. We're a pretty fertile bunch, so the odds are in our favour that we would have more than those who chose to have smaller families.

What really interests me is how I could possibly weave this into a story and show the connections from generation to generation. Additionally, how much is simple genetics and how much is learned behavior?

This is what keeps me thinking the last little while as I have acquainted myself with some relatives that I have just introduced myself to.

A plan baby

It's time for a new plan and I think hubby and I have just given birth to one.  It's a five year plan that we are both going to have to set our minds and hearts on to see it grow up to what we know it can be.

This plan has a number of components: financial, emotional, spiritual and professional. The end result should be one that brings us both peace and adventure and how each of us will handle those two components together should be interesting for our relationship.

I think that is all I wish to share of this mission for a bit. I tend to wish to protect ideas in their infancy until I am completely comfortable with the shape, size and feel of them.