Lesson Three

falsification of type

Falsification of type is a rather stuffy and perhaps even scarey way of saying that someone is trying to be something they aren't. When we read this phrase, we want to avoid the parental authoritarian and negative tone. It sounds like the Authenticity Nazis are going to show up at your house tonight, doesn't it? But actually, the price paid is even dearer. Not being true to your type can be toxic and even fatal. Let's look at this more closely this week.

Sometimes people think if they simply want to better themselves, they are trying to be something they aren't. Families that are stuck in limited resources will often use this concept to keep family members "in line". For example, "People like us don't go to college. Don't try to something you're not." Or "Only snobby people live in that part of town. Don't try to be something you're not." Or even "You can take the boy out of Kansas but you can't take the Kansas out of the boy." This kind of talk is first cousin to,"What makes you think you're so great?" or "YOU??????" said in a tone of disbelief that you could even consider bettering yourself, i.e., departing from the fold.

I've worked with people as an intuitive counselor for over twenty years and of course you should better yourself. Not only that, you should better yourself in ways that are specific to you. To really win in life means diverting from the herd and finding your unique path. Part of this path for us, is to understand and accept our introversion.

Unfortunately, for many of us, our self concept has been defined by the majority of extroverts (there is a three to one ratio of extroverts to introverts in America) who don't understand us. They think we are people who want to be the life of the party and fail. They think we would die to be able to make clever small talk. Little do they know how much we abhor these things!

So, we aren't talking about anything negative. We are expressing a concept that -- without even realizing it -- society, families, teachers, churches and other parts of our society can influence us in ways that are against our basic nature, particularly when American society tends to frown on introversion. It is natural for children to want to please and some of us sold out completely in order to please the adults in our environment who wanted us to be extroverts.

The purpose of this course is to reclaim your positive self image. This will increase your self esteem and your confidence in yourself.

Here's a statement by one of the members of my introverts forum, Dave. By the way, the word "extrovert" can also be spelled "extravert".

It's my suspicion, Nancy, that there are many such Americans, functioning as extraverts, but feeling either guilty, or exhausted, or unfulfilled, or ALL OF THE ABOVE, because they are trying to be something they are NOT hard-wired to be, and they don't even REALIZE it. At least that's the way it was for ME for most of my life, and I'm finding others, in my acquaintance, outside this group, that are listening to me, vibrating to what I say, more and more, and beginning to get in touch with their introversion, and it's really liberating. :)

 

 

 

 

Do you agree with this statement?

yes no Name email Any other comments or can you give me examples from your own life? [form expands, so write all you want]

  Please read Katherine Benziger's Report on Falsification of Type to learn more.

Also visit these pages ...

Jungian Basis for Falsification of Type Issues ;

Other Contemporary Authors on This Topic

Benziger Breakthrough

ORDER eBTSA Test or other materials [take this test for $100, not included in the course]

order your t

You've come a long way. You're half way through the course. Time to order your Introvert by Design Tshirt.

The back says, "Alone, but not lonely."

This is the tshirt you'll be getting at the end of the course . Please specify your size (they run pretty true to size). You also have a choice of colors: pink and white (shown here), black and white, or baby blue and white.

Please specify size. XL L M S Please specify color. black and white pink and white baby blue and white

 

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real life

This week make an assessment of where you are with your introversion. How much of your time would you say you spend trying to fake it? Please review the characteristics of introverts and try to align more with the reality of your personality type this week.

  Introverts need to spend about half their time alone for good mental health.

  Introverts hate small talk. It is meaningless to us and we get no rewards from it.

  Introverts prefer to communicate in writing and generally don't like the phone and especially not cell phones. We don't like to be interrupted and hesitate to do that to others.

  Introverts focus and concentrate. They often consider the socializing that goes on at work as distracting. They get no rewards from casual socializing.

  Introverts love to read, take walks, be by themselves, listen to music, sit by the fire, play with pets and travel. They generally do not like big, noisy, crowded, over stimulating environments such as a Carnival Cruise, Disneyland and the shopping mall or food court.

  Much of America is designed to please extroverts. Introverts can feel like ducks out of water. As you go about your week, decide how many things in your routine and environment are made up to please extroverts who like noise, motion, color, buzz, whirrr, the press of flesh, small talk, casual socializing and speed!

  Introverts don't like being rushed. They prefer not to talk if they don't have something significant to say. There is a high degree of integrity among introverts -- we say what we mean. That puts us in the minority in most situations.

I wrote a humorous article about Marketing to Introverts which you might enjoy reading.

     For enrichment information, please feel free to visit www.theintrovertzcoach.com.