Here's a good way to tell the difference between introverts and extroverts ... by looking at some pictures from the family scrapbook.

The twin on the left is Nancy. She's an infp introvert. The twin on the right is Susan. She's an enfp extrovert. That's their grandfather and he's an introvert.

Nancy is a Healer and Susan is a Champion. Nancy has a deep capacity for caring and wants to bring peace to a few special loved ones and to the world. Susan finds ethical meaning in everything and sees life as an exciting drama.

Both twins will grow up to be idealistic advocates.* [Read more about the idealist introvert here.]

The girls are learning how to plant seeds. Introverted Nancy wants to watch while extroverted Susan jumps right in. Learning styles differ among types.

This is how Linda Kreger Silverman, PhD, suggests helping introverts learn best. Silverman works with gifted introverted children.

• Respect their need for privacy.
• Never embarrass them in public.
• Let them observe first in new situations.
• Give them time to think. Don’t demand instant answers.
• Don’t interrupt them.
• Give them advanced notice of expected changes in their lives.
• Give them 15 minute warnings to finish whatever they are doing before calling them to dinner or moving on to the next activity.
• Reprimand them privately.
• Teach them new skills privately rather than in public.
• Enable them to find one best friend who has similar interests and abilities: encourage this relationship even if the friend moves.
• Do not push them to make lots of friends.
• Respect their introversion. Don’t try to remake them into extraverts.

Click here to visit Silverman's site and learn more.

DISCOVER YOUR CHILD'S PERSONALITY TYPE

Silverman works with gifted introverted children. Both Nancy and Susan are gifted. Nancy, the introvert, is observing first because it is a new situation. Her sister, Susan, the extrovert, is intensely excited and participates right away. She learns by doing.

Click here for another example.

INTROVERT-APPROPRIATE BIRTHDAY PARTIES

* Famous enfp's like Susan include Chaucer, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Carl Jung, Mohandas Gandhi and Eleanor Roosevelt. Learn more about INFJs.

Famous infp's like Nancy include Homer, the Virgin Mary, Shakespeare, Hans Christian Andersen, Mister Rogers and Princess Diana. Learn more about INFPs.