Leave me alone, doggonit!

Via Robbo, a short quiz on introversion. Go read his post for the background, then take a look at the questions yourself. The higher the number of "yes" answers, the more introverted you are.

1. I prefer one-on-one conversations to group activities. Yes. I have a difficult time following more than one conversational thread (unless I'm talking to myself), often leading to that "alone in a crowd" feeling.

2. I often prefer to express myself in writing. Yes. Six years of babbling, 1500+ posts here, and that's only my public writing.

3. I enjoy solitude. Oh-so-true. My skin begins to itch when my congeniality quotient is reached. When I start to twitch, it's time for me to go.

4. I seem to care about wealth, fame, and status less than my peers. Eh, those things are nice to have, but I'm not willing to obsess over attaining them nor fight to keep them.

5. I dislike small talk, but I enjoy talking in depth about topics that matter to me. As a matter of self defense, I've become a master of small talk. If nothing else, it tricks people into judging me shallow and uninteresting, therefore leading them to leave me blessedly alone. But enjoy it? No.

6. People tell me that I’m a good listener. Yes. More than that, I'm a good rememberer. I may not recall your name, but I can tell you exactly what we were discussing, no matter how long ago.

7. I’m not a big risk-taker. Pfft. I'm a c.p.a. by training; I don't do anything without weighing the options. Except when I do things on impulse. Score this one as half true, half false.

8. I enjoy work that allows me to “dive in” with few interruptions. I would have to agree with Robbo on this - I prefer few outside interruptions. My personal rabbit trails, however, are simply happy little interludes to allow my subconscious to work on the problem at hand.

9. I like to celebrate birthdays on a small scale, with only one or two close friends or family members. So small a scale that I no longer have birthdays.
10. People describe me as “soft-spoken” or “mellow.” I generally get "nice" and "quiet", though every so often it's characterized as "stuck up" or "distant".

11. I prefer not to show or discuss my work with others until it’s finished. Yep.
12. I dislike conflict. My stomach still ties itself in knots during (or in anticipation of) any type of conflict, but my brain realizes there are situations where I need to stand my ground. Brain usually wins, much to the chagrin of my intestines.

13. I do my best work on my own. Early in my career at the university, I realized I could not possibly take advantage of our free tuition program, as classes today require a staggering amount of group work. Groups tend to gravitate down towards the highest abilities of the weakest member.

14. I tend to think before I speak. My mother is fond of making grandiose pronouncements about the way things are. Once I realized she was blowing hot air most of the time, I started not challenging her until I knew I was right and she was wrong. She still hates the fact that I'm right 99% of the time. I've a deep, strong aversion to looking like a fool.

15. I feel drained after being out and about, even if I’ve enjoyed myself. Last weekend I had fun social engagements all three days. It took me all of this week to recover. This is a firm yes.

16. I often let calls go through to voice mail. No, surprisingly. Chalk it up to a couple of jobs where I answered the switchboard (at one hotel, still with the old fashioned pull cord connections and manual rings). I have a great deal of difficulty and guilt over hearing my phone ring unanswered.

17. If you had to choose, I’d prefer a weekend with absolutely nothing to do to one with too many things scheduled. Yes, please.

18. I don’t enjoy multitasking. True, but more because I don't believe it is as effective as focusing on one thing at a time.

19. I can concentrate easily. False, but it is not my fault. The rise of the internet and the sound-bite driven youth culture has been systematically destroying my concentration level.

20. In classroom situations, I prefer lectures to seminars. Lectures, primarily because I can retreat to the world inside my head (as long as there are written materials to accompany the lecture - I learn more thoroughly and quickly via the written word).

So that's what - 17.5 yes responses? Not surprised.