Are you an otrovert? Why this personality type could be your greatest gift
Age: The term is brand new.
From 'otro' meaning … ? Other.
And 'vert' meaning green, as it does in French? Are we talking about aliens? No, 'vert' meaning to turn. As in divert, convert, invert …
And introvert? Yes! See also extrovert, terms Carl Jung came up with to describe personality traits.
So if introverts look inwards, and extroverts outwards, where the hell do otroverts look? Neither of the above. 'Their fundamental orientation is defined by the fact that it is rarely the same direction that anyone else is facing.'
Says who? Rami Kaminski, the pioneering American psychiatrist, came up with the term and has recognised the personality type in some of his patients, and in himself.
When and how did he see it in himself? As a child, when he joined the Scouts. He put on the uniform, sat in a circle and repeated the pledge, but while other kids seemed awed by the initiation, 'I felt nothing,' he writes in New Scientist.
So it's about not fitting in. Exactly.
And is that bad? He says that some have seen it as a psychological problem to be treated, and admits there can be social consequences in a culture that is geared towards belonging, especially for teenagers. Otroverts tend to be immune to what he calls 'the bluetooth phenomenon'.
Have they checked their settings? Maybe it's just switched off. He means the ability others have to emotionally pair with others in the vicinity.
Oh. Anyway, I'm sensing it's not all negative and there's a big 'but' coming … But he thinks everyone is born an otrovert. And for those who resist the cultural conditioning that cements our affiliations with various groups and identities, there can be advantages.
Such as? Originality and emotional independence. You can think for yourself and have original ideas. He's written a book about it, The Gift of Not Belonging: How Outsiders Thrive in a World of Joiners.
Self-help for maverick carpenters? No. But note it's the gift, not the burden of not belonging.
Who are some examples of otroverts from history? He mentions Frida Kahlo, Franz Kafka, Albert Einstein …
An impressive list for Team Otrovert. No! Not a team, a bunch of individuals. Kaminski says George Orwell was another. 'History is full of independent thinkers who aren't emotionally dependent on any group and can therefore see the fanaticism of a hive mind long before most people can.'
Got it. Not found in hives, herds, flocks etc. Dolly the Sheep? Not an otrovert. There you go, though Shaun might be an exception as he's a true renegade.
Do say: 'Every day is Independence Day.'
Don't say: 'So it is like a club, but for people who don't like clubs.'
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