Which better reflects an individual’s intelligence: their spoken words or written words? Most people might initially think writing because that is how the most intelligent ideas are spread: in books. But, essentially, speaking is to writing as taking a test is to taking an open-book test. When writing, the “book” is every book ever—the entire internet: Google, Wikipedia, academic papers, etc. All of human knowledge is at your fingertips.
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A couple of years ago I wrote about how I was an INFJ according to the Meyers-Briggs personality type indicator, but it turns out I might actually be an INTP. Back then I took several MBTI tests and got INFJ more times than not (though there was some variation). Now when I take the test, more times than not, I am an INTP (though again there is some variation, sometimes getting INTJ). The more I read about INTPs, the more that type seems to fit me. One thing is clear, however: every time I take the test, then and now, I am always firmly IN (Introverted and iNtuitive), it’s only the last two letters (thinking/feeling and perceiving/judging) that vary. Continue reading
Solitude makes people more creative. When isolated from other humans, you become extremely bored. (This includes both in-person interaction and indirect forms of human communication, such as via the internet, watching television, or reading books.) When completely deprived of interaction with other people, you become so craved for some kind of stimulation that you’re forced to fill that need yourself—in your imagination. You create fictional characters and stories in your head to fulfill your innate need for stimulation and social interaction. Continue reading
I used to think of my shyness and social anxiety as a disorder—something wrong with me. As if I got unlucky and inherited a genetic defect. Then, I heard that social anxiety is not something you’re born with—it’s developed. Which didn’t make sense either because I’ve been shy and socially anxious my entire life. It wasn’t until I learned about evolutionary psychology that everything started to make sense. I was born with the tendency to be shy around strangers and worry about what other people think of me, but that wasn’t a genetic mistake. Shyness and social anxiety were actually an evolutionary advantage. Continue reading
I briefly talked about Haruki Murakami’s memoir, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, in my “Top Ten Books I Read in 2016” post, but I thought this book was worth expanding on, particularly Murakami’s passages about his introversion. Continue reading
I’ve recently become interested in personality types and the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). After taking several free online tests (16personalities.com has a good one), I’ve discovered I am an INFJ. Continue reading
I used to feel bad about being alone. I felt like there was something wrong with me. That I should be hanging out with friends like everyone else. But when I was with people I felt just as bad because I was so uncomfortable. There was no way for me to win. Continue reading
I recently listened to an episode of the Broken Projector podcast that featured an interview with a Hollywood literary manager. He talked about what he looks for in a prospective screenwriter client and gave some good advice, chief of which is to “write a great script,” but I was a bit disheartened by something else he said. Continue reading
“Did you get him to talk?”
“He doesn’t like to talk… He’s not the biggest talker.”
In a recent interview on the Tonight Show, Jimmy Fallon spoke with Jodie Foster about their interactions with Robert De Niro. Both joked about how De Niro doesn’t talk much. They laughed about it, and something about that rubbed me the wrong way. Continue reading
T.Z. Barry 