Saturday, November 4, 2023
There are still efforts to label people as “introvert” or “extrovert.” This is as bad as a “High D,” or a “green,” or an “INTJ,” or an “inverted compulsive retrograde.” They are all labels that do not help us to better communicate on interact, but generally attempt to “explain away” behavior and drop people into mental “drawers” and categories. “Gen X,” “millennials,” and “the greatest generation” are no better.
We’re individuals. We’re not postage stamps, or rocks, or pottery to be “collected” and curated and sorted.
Start out with the person in front of you. Don’t assume that person is “damaged” and
don’t assume that the person fits into some pre-determined typology. Body language, graphology, and eye movements are no better as indicators of anything useful.
A job candidate for one of my clients once said to me, “Apparently, you don’t like me.”
“What makes you say that?” I asked, astounded.
“Because your arms are folded indicating that you’re closed off to me.”
“NOW I don’t like you,” I said, as I ended the interview.