The ESFP/INFJ

The first is an extroverted personality type known as "The Performer." I know an ESFP, and believe me, people remember him. He is extremely popular. He is very chatty, gregarious and he makes people laugh - all of which are highly prized traits in Western culture.

I am an INFJ, an introverted personality type (actually the rarest of all types), known as "The Protector," or "The Confidant." People rarely remember me - probably because I don't speak unless I really have something to say, and because - to put it simply - I am a very private person. I don't spend a lot of time talking about myself.

The ESFP gets his energy from being around people - the more people, the better. He does very well in large gatherings. Conversely, he feels drained by being alone.

It's the other way around for introverts. They excel in one-on-one situations and feel exhausted by the small talk and superficial interactions that tend to characterize large groups. They gain energy by spending time in solitude, alone with their own thoughts.

However, it is believed that introverts exert tremendous influence (behind the scenes, of course).

A few famous introverts:

Sir Issac Newton
Soren Kierkegaard
Albert Einstein
Steve Wozniak
Marcel Proust
Steven Spielberg
Charlotte Bronte
Virginia Woolf
W. B. Yeats
Vincent Van Gogh
etc.

Just some food for thought on a Sunday morning.