Originally Posted by
Ralphie Halves
Good topic BTW. Not enough of these.
On the bolded part, I disagree. Most extroverts I know are overcompensating bigtime, or are generally very insecure and require lots of attention, or often both. Of course it's easy for me to sit here and say "all extroverts are emotional disasters that cry themselves to sleep" when I'm not one myself.
I'm an introvert, and as I've gotten older I've become moreso. Don't get me wrong, people make the mistake of thinking of introverts as shy and aloof, and that's misguided IMO. I don't initiate conversations, but I gladly add to them, never needing to talk for very long, because I don't like to be around people that do that. I LOVE my alone time, unlike many who require constant companionship, but I can be comfortable and fit into any social environment. Being in the hospitality industry for a long time really helped there.
I don't think technology has anything to do with it. I think introverts or extroverts are who they are regardless of changing technology. Example: Back when cellphones were just starting to become the norm, people were talking on them and not paying attention to what they were doing, and getting into car accidents. Others would talk loudly on them in movie theaters and other areas where you're supposed to keep it down. And people were blaming cellphones!! No, thoughtless a-holes were always thoughtless a-holes, cellphones were just a great way to shine a brighter light on who those people were.
People who are more introverted flock to dating websites, because they are more comfortable and can be themselves during that really awkward getting-to-know-you process, to where extroverts have no problem with that part.
As far as materialism and shoving donuts in your mouth, that sounds a lot more like a self-esteem thing, which is a different issue altogether.