Fellow INTP here. The conflation of introvert and shy is a continual source of frustration. Even my immediate family was dismissive when I casually mentioned I’m pretty deeply introverted.

Modern society hasn't evolved to include introverted people. I find that in a business setting, I'm always forced to be fake-extroverted just to fit in or I might be perceived as having a mood. This is pretty apparent from the amount of books and articles there are for converting introverts into extroverts.

I overheard someone giving advice to their daughter the other day that was basically "if you don't go out and meet new people, then you will be unhappy in your life." Which is absolute bullshit, but c'est la vie.

In my view, there are a lot of cases where people conflate the "clinical" and "popular" definitions of words. For instance if I say that I'm "depressed," it doesn't mean that I've been diagnosed with clinical depression. It just means that I'm bummed.

Unfortunately, people will interpret your comments according to their own biases, and I've that a lot of people are biased to distrust or dislike introverts. For this reason, I would never admit to being an introvert, in a business setting. I would rather tell people that I'm mildly extroverted, and then let them believe what they want.

Why would you be discussing your personal attributes in a business setting?

Interestingly, I once worked for an employer that required everybody to take a personality test. The results were never discussed with anybody, and the whole thing could have been a bunch of hocus pocus, but it nonetheless raised the issue.

It's actually pretty common to do personality testing in businesses.

Some hire an MBTI consultant for whole workshop days. Some just order a pre-made test.

When taking the test, it should be possible to identify the questions that code for the "extrovert" and "introvert" scale.

Oh yes it is. That's the sad part. When you find yourself manipulating your own personality test. :) I actually meant to reply to the person above you who was surprised that you'd reveal that information in a business setting.

I've thought a bit about it, and am actually OK with it. For one thing, we manipulate our own personalities, so why not our personality tests. It's our job to make people comfortable working with us. The people whom we work with don't have to know what we're actually thinking at any given moment. In fact, I suspect if it were actually possible to create an algorithm that opens up a window into our minds, civility and collaboration would collapse.

Totally agree. I'm actually a shy extrovert. I'm unhappy around people and not around people :-(

All of this. Like a lot of us that frequent HN (I'm assuming), I'm introverted af. I'm not shy though.

So if I'm shy and experience crippling stage fright, what am I?

You're shy and experience crippling stage fright. That might sound trite, but it's better than trying to otherwise fit you in one of two boxes that don't accurately (nor intend to) take those two features into account.

The definition of an introvert is a shy person.

Audrey Hepburn, Hollywood star and UNICEF Ambassador:

"I have to be alone very often. I'd be quite happy if I spent from Saturday night until Monday morning alone in my apartment. That's how I refuel."

Agree with ionised and reddit_clone (below). I'm an introvert and I am definitely not shy, nor are my thoughts 'self centered'. It's simply that it takes more mental energy to engage with those I don't already know.

[edit] to clarify to whom I'm agreeing.

I am pretty introverted. It's not that I'm shy, it's that conversations take a lot of mental energy for me, it's exhausting.

Except it isn't. I suggest you do some reading and educate yourself.

No psychologist worth their salt would define an introvert that way.

There a various definitions, but the one I like is: introverts exhaust energy while around people, extroverts recharge.

It's only one of the definitions. If anything, it's the common one instead of being the scientific one.

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/introvert says:

"introvert

noun

1. a shy person.

2. Psychology. a person characterized by concern primarily with his or her own thoughts and feelings (opposed to extrovert ). "

No (2) doesn't sound right. It makes it sound synonymous to 'self centered', which I am sure most introverts are not.

Your "own thoughts" don't have to be about yourself. It just means you're paying less attention to what other people think or feel.

(edit: added "don't")