The Introverted Copyeditor, Part 1

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is an assessment of psychological preferences, often called personality types, based on the work of Carl Jung. The MBTI measures a number of factors, including where people put their attention and get their energy—elements that seem increasingly in demand and important to understand in a modern world. The MBTI calls it extraversion when people direct their attention and energy to the outer world and introversion when they’re more focused on the inner world (MyersBriggs.org). 

In the national samples taken by the Myers-Brigg organization, roughly half of the population expressed introverted tendencies—54 percent of the men and 48 percent of the women (Essentials of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Assessment). My own, very limited and unofficial sampling indicates that the percentage of introverted copyeditors may be even higher than these general national averages. When I polled colleagues a few years ago, only two in ten thought they were more extraverted than introverted, and one of them wasn’t sure. 

The good news: Editing and writing consistently make it on the “best jobs for introverts” lists. 

The bad news: Introversion is often misinterpreted, and introverts can feel excluded, overlooked, and misunderstood in the workplace (The Introverted Leader). 

For the next few Monday posts, we’ll look at special considerations of introversion. Monday may not be the best day of the week for thoughtful introspection, but if my entirely unscientific poll is any indicator, most of you are introverts and won’t mind.

Image courtesy of Quinn Dombrowski (quinn.anya).