Introverts: The System Is Not Set Up for Us

If you're a follower of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicators (MBTI), you understand how some folks can be categorized by personality type:

E - Extroverted
I - Introverted
S - Sensing
N - iNtuitive
T - Thinking
F - Feeling
P - Perceiving
J - Judging

Most of the chatter I see on the internet is about the differences between introverts (of which I am one) and extroverts. But I believe, in my case, more than one factor plays into my occasional inability to enjoy the popular culture.

Extroversion vs. Introversion. No question that the American culture is extroverted. Do you love interacting with the crowd? Can you talk with anyone? Can you convince? Can you charm? If you answered yes to all of these, you're most likely going to succeed in this culture. Do crowds overwhelm or exhaust you? Are you uncomfortable talking with strangers? Do you trip over your tongue when trying to convince someone of your ideas? Do you lack an interest in winning people over? You might be a candidate for social ostracism...or a character spot on Big Bang Theory.

Sensing vs. Intuitive. America also has very much a sensing society: facts, dollars, sensations...if you work primarily with what's in front of your eyes, you're considered to have "common sense" and better able to address the questions of your peers on the spur of the moment. On the other hand, if you're more past- or future-minded or "inside your head," you're considered impractical, an egghead.

Thinking vs. Feeling. Our culture is more feeling than thinking (try getting into discussions about astronomy or philosophy with random strangers here!). Are you fond of tactfulness? In that case, you're less likely to get yourself into a social faux pas. Part of a democracy involves moderating opinions to ensure domestic tranquility, sometimes at the price strict truth--if such notions irritate you, well, you're likely to stand out in a crowd.

Perceiving vs. Judging. America is a pretty relaxed place on matters of protocol and timeliness. A "judging" person, in the MBTI world, means applying rules (arbitrary or not) to behavior. Perceiving people prefer to let things happen.

I'm about half there, most recently testing out as INFJ, Introverted-Intuitive-Feeling-Judging. So imagine a quiet guy who spends his time inside his head and is easily hurt or upset by the behavior or tardiness of others.

The Myers-Briggs traits are only part of the story. After living in Washington, DC, for three years, it became painfully clear to me that I was ill-fitted for life in our nation's capital. Do you crave power over others? Fame? If not, Washington and Hollywood are not for you. Do you want to experience everything from mountain climbing to extreme sports to "extreme eating?" No? I'm sorry, you won't fit the zeitgeist. Are you interested in making a fuss? Forcing your opinion on others? Do you want to share all of your personal secrets aloud? Live on the cutting edge of fashion? Own the newest, biggest, best, and most expensive of everything? If not, your social standing might suffer. Or so it seems to me.

It's a weird world out there, if your personality is not wired to appreciate it. Find your own way. It can be done.

Myers-Briggs, Culture Wars, and the Avant-Garde

In the process of reading The Introvert Advantage, a few facts converged in my mind:

• Extroverts outnumber introverts 3 to 1 in the general populace.
• The science, space, and engineering communities that I support (as a semi-extroverted introvert, I'll note) are dominated by introverts.
• My extroverted friend Darlene the Science Cheerleader has been fighting against stereotypes and for broader public participation in science- and technology-related debates.
• Awhile back, I wrote an article about the arrival of professionals (i.e., extroverted marketing types) into the space advocacy business.

It has since occurred to me that the "two cultures" identified by C. P. Snow in the early 1960s were misidentified. The war might not be between cultures but between temperaments: between the introverts and the extroverts.

Consider a few side effects of being introverted:

• Natural quietude and deep (internalized) thinking.
• A tendency to focus deeply on topics of personal interest, often in compensation for social awkwardness.
• A tendency to believe, often rightly, that others don't understand you or your interests.

The result of these introverted tendencies is a long-running snobbery by introverted and technically minded individuals against generally socially minded extroverts. This snobbery is not limited to the science or engineering worlds, however; introverted artists often exhibit pessimistic or depressive outlooks and tend to look down on optimistic extroverts (e.g. cheerleaders).

What, then, is the "culture war" or "temperament war" about? I think it has to do with influence, power, and money. There are many, many more extroverts than introverts, yet introverts often monopolize the cultures of high technology and the arts, which generate much of the wealth in this country. The majority wants a piece of the action.

That is why "geek" is now more chic.

That is why fantasy, science fiction, and comic book-based movies are now the big money makers in Hollywood.

That is why the shape of space exploration is shifting toward a more participatory activity.

That might be why we have our first nerd President.


"Geek" might be chic, but the extroverts are taking over, and they now want their say on issues which, up to now, were controlled by introverts because they were the only ones with enough interest to pay attention to them.

So what will be the end result of this invasion of the introverts' domain by extroverts? Speaking as a moderately extroverted introvert, if I had to guess I'd say that as "geek space" becomes more mainstream, the introverts will move on to other, even more esoteric interests, ideas, art forms, and technologies.

Introverts might not say much, but they do keep the avant-garde moving steadily onward, continually pushing the boundaries of the human experience. So the "war" won't be won or lost. Instead, the introverts will simply move the battle lines somewhere they can get a little peace and quiet. As with anything avant-garde, by the time the avant-garde has become mainstream, the frontier has already moved on, simply because introverts hate crowds.

Potpourri CXXIX

Off we go, into the wild inky yonder...

Time Magazine has a surprisingly good piece on Obama's new space policy. I say surprisingly because mainstream (i.e. non-aerospace-focused) publications usually get things very wrong when it comes to space matters. That doesn't make the policy any better, but it's nice to know some people outside the space geek community are finally getting it.

A site created by my buddy Veronica: Astronauts for Hire.

From my ESL student: a site offering advice on revising a novel.

People like to complain about "all that money we're wasting on space when we could be spending it on more important things here on Earth." Okay, try this site by Fox News: it's a calculator that shows how much you, personally, have paid for the Constellation Program based on your gross income. Might make you stop complaining, or marvel that you get so much cool stuff for so little money.

It is a bad sign when the legions start getting explicitly involved in the workings of domestic politics.

NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate has a new web site to explain the new policy.

The Cassini spacecraft has detected lightning on the planet Saturn. Boy oh boy, I'm sure glad all those anti-nuclear protesters fought so hard against flying plutonium into space...gosh knows what sorts of stuff we might be ignorant about otherwise. It's not just religious conservatives who can be anti-science.

The threat from nuclear terrorism is increasing…


Oh, and if a nuclear attack did happen in your area, don't expect a fast response from Obama's federal government...not to be confused by Bush's government in response to Hurricane Katrina, of course.


Obama’s disregard for the press must be bad—they’re even reporting on it!

Speaking of nukes, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) is reporting that Iran could have enough nuclear material for a bomb within a year


One sign your space policy is not being received well? When the First Man on the Frickin' Moon criticizes it...and he doesn't say boo about anything. It's also a bad sign when one of the potential beneficiaries is doubtful as is Burt Rutan, a known maverick and major critic of NASA. Nice job, guy.


The bill regarding trials for terrorists also includes NASA funding. Guess which one will get more attention.


A new method has been found for photographing Earth-like planets. Cool! Also, Earth-like planets might be more common than previously thought.


The Houston Chronicle has a poll on whether to demolish the Astrodome…another relic from the early Space Age at risk.


Obama is changing the U.S. nuclear weapons policy. Time will tell how bright this is.


Random: CNN had an online poll asking “Do you attend church regularly?” Results of this unscientific poll: 32% said yes, 68% said no.


Joss Whedon, creator of Firefly and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (among other things) has been tapped to direct the “Avengers” movie. Heck yeah!


More random: a culinary review of the KFC Double Down “sandwich.” And here's a review of the best hot dogs in the nation...allegedly.

Speaking of food reviews, I need to get cracking on combining my part of a review of a space cookbook with my foodie friend Michelle's parts I and II! My part is written, I just have to do editing. 'Twas an interesting experiment in leveraging my Facebook connections...in this case, a friend from WAY back in my Lincoln Elementary School days who has since become a serious at-home amateur chef. A publisher wanted me to review a space cookbook, but I knew jack about creative cooking; Michelle knows food, so--synergy! Thanks, Michelle!

Is depression contagious?

Had a brief discussion with someone about my Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality profile. For years I've tested out as an INTJ, but this person suggested that I might in fact be an INFJ. Here's an article that clarifies the difference between the two.

Here's one way to make music from random interplanetary phenomena. This actually sounded like some of the Buddhist chanting my pal D2 listens to, so I forwarded it to her. She seemed to like it; I guess it's an acquired taste.

I'll be in Chicago next month for ISDC, and plan to hang out with family and friends at some point. Am looking seriously at this place my sister recommended. What the heck, any pizza from Chicagoland is going to be better than what I get in the South...

How's this for a fun workplace?

Popular Mechanics has a very friendly interview with Lori Garver. I say friendly because not everyone in the space biz is so keen on said policy.  That said, I found most of the arguments reasonable, and wish we'd heard more of them when the policy was rolled out.

This was a good way to end last week: I’ve been nominated for a NASA Spaceflight Awareness Team Award for my part in the Ares I-X outreach team.

From Facebook buddy Sarah: a poem that caught my eye.

From Hu: the dorkiest complaints about the accuracy of the Apollo 13 movie.

From Dar: an article on engaging the public on nanotechnology.

From Doc:

• A Sherlock Holmes story by noted SF/fantasy writer Neil Gaiman.
• "Your career captured in still photography." Hard to argue with.

Speaking of Obama's space policy, which he discussed at Kennedy Space Center last week, here's my current take on it, as I explained it to Darlene the Science Cheerleader:

This is more or less in line with the OSTP statement I posted a couple days ago. There WILL be Americans going up to the International Space Station after Shuttle. First via Russian rockets, then by commercial transport, once they get those nailed down. The rest of the NASA budget will be dedicated to space science (robots, telescopes), environmental monitoring, aeronautics, and exploration TECHNOLOGIES. This last item means they'll be developing components that would be needed for future human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit (LEO), like new rocket engines, in-orbit fuel depots, and high-efficiency life support systems. However, the program to build complete rockets and spacecraft to take human beings beyond LEO--the Constellation Program--would end.

Oh, one slight difference: there will be a down-scaled Orion spacecraft, which will be used as a crew return/rescue vehicle for the Station. The vehicle would be upgradable, eventually, to become what it was intended to be: an EXPLORATION vehicle. Space geeks get particular about that word because exploration is going where we've never gone before... See More. LEO is not new territory anymore.

There will probably also have to be some test flights of the various exploration and heavy-lift technologies...what they'll fly on is beyond me, but what do I know? I'm not a politician.

Potpourri CXI

Cleaning out the inbox and getting laundry done this morning...it's an epic morning at Casa de Bart! Why not join in the fun?

The Iranians claim to be behind a crash/hack of Twitter yesterday. Message: "You allow our people to tell the world what we're doing to them, we'll crash your site." Nice.

From Melissa: an alternative to the Diet Dr. Pepper I've been drinking ("That stuff causes kidney damage!")...Zevia Black Cherry Cola. Well, first I'll have to find it locally. Second, I'll have to find out if I'm allergic to it. The reason I shifted from regular to diet was because I liked the caffeine but was allergic to the high-fructose corn syrup. Zevia is sweetened with stevia, a plant-based sweetener that has recently appeared on TV as an alternative to aspartame or saccharine (both old favorites of mine).

Need something fun (toys/treats) for your dog this holiday season? Here's a shameless plug for Bark Avenue Bakery, my friend Christine's dog bakery in southwest Orlando. Chris also takes internet orders for merchandise.

A reflection of sunlight was found on a frozen lake on Titan, the largest moon of Saturn. Frozen water? Unlikely, given how far out Saturn is from the sun, but interesting nonetheless. Interesting universe out there.

From Pastor: Luther Bible verses in MP3 online. Guess who volunteered to read for the German service this year? That'll teach me to take Spanish in high school...

The Zombie Apocalypse craze continues. Doc ordered one of these shirts--how the Scooby Doo Mystery Machine would look like in the event of the Z.A. Still don't get this zombie thing. Some sort of comment on the quality of acting on television? Our politicians? I'm baffled.

Insurgents in Iraq have occasionally intercepted imagery from overhead drones. Apparently encryption wasn't high on the list? How good would an insurgent feel if the feed they were getting was of themselves just as the missile was being fired? The Department of Defense is working on this issue, presumably.

With the sun's sunspot cycle being very quiet the last few years, NASA has determined that the outermost layer has been cooling dramatically. No word from the global warming crowd if they were going to accuse the sun of being in collusion with oil companies to undermine the proof of global warming.

SpaceX was planning to run its last engine test prior to launching Falcon 9 in 2010. No word on the SpaceX website yet that they've actually run the test, though.

Scientists using data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) presented a paper suggesting that the radiation environment on the Moon might not be any worse than what a nuclear industry or x-ray technician gets exposed to in a year. This is good news for future explorers or settlers, as there are existing protocols and mitigation steps to cope with those levels of radiation. Still, you wouldn't want to be sunbathing out there...

Alerting Bruce Willis...saving the world from an incoming asteroid wouldn't be as simple as NASA sending up a group of roughnecks to take care of business. Former Apollo 9 astronaut Rusty Schweickart suggests that a certain amount of international diplomacy would be called for first. Why? Well, deflecting an asteroid using some sort of tug would be a very gradual process, and until it was safely out of the risk zone, its trajectory could actually be pointed at various countries on the Earth. Who decides what a safe trajectory is? Who builds the hardware? Sigh. There are times when it helps to take unilateral action.

From Tracy: an article explaining why the trends in new media are hard to track.

NASA is making audio files of space stories available online.

From Lin:

• An editorial on the source of the ongoing problems with the economy. If you've read this blog or Lin's contributions long enough, you probably don't need to guess what direction this editorial is pointing.
• An open letter from the National Taxpayers' Union asking Congress to reject H.R. 4173, "The Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2009" because of the amount of additional regulation taxes it would impose on an already struggling economy. The Obama administration either doesn't get it or gets it and doesn't care, but if you take more money from businesses by increasing taxes and make it harder for them to operate, they will not create jobs and the economy will remain stuck.
• While salaries might be declining in the private sector, the number of civil servants making big money has increased dramatically in the last two years (note: this implicates Bush AND Obama).

And to end on a more positive note, I've been toying with research for a science fiction novel. Dr. OZMG is a sharp observer of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality types, so I'll probably be pinging her at some point on how the various MBTI types might operate in a space environment. One thing that was interesting to note was that the primary jobs needed to get any mission done up there--astronaut, engineer, scientist, researcher, pilot--tend to fall into two major personality categories: INTJ (my type, incidentally), and INTP. Both of these types are introverted, more focused on abstract principles than exterior/social cues, and thinking (as opposed to feeling). This also describes most of my friends in the space business.

That is not to say that there are not extroverted scientists or engineers (or even technical writers). It's just that folks with this set of personality traits is more drawn to the technical disciplines that make space travel possible. The more social folks will probably end up making money elsewhere and becoming passengers on Virgin Galactic or some other space tourism operation.