Chris - introvert or extrovert?

[champthom]

With Chris bitching about how he misses high school and how he wishes he had friends, I'm starting to wonder if perhaps he's an extrovert who is miserable because he can't be around people.

For those who don't know, introversion is pretty much tendency to limit social interaction. Introverts tend to take people in small doses and they get drained if they're forced to socialize for too long. Extroverts on the other hand get their energy from other people and they feel drained if they're alone too much. People will typically assume that being introverted is the same thing as being shy, but that's not necessarily the case. The two tend to go together but you could have an outgoing introvert and likewise, a shy extrovert. It's about how you get energy from people.

I'm curious if maybe Chris is a shy extrovert, that maybe the reason he feels miserable is because he can't go out as often as he'd like to and doesn't have friends to socialize with. Of course, you also have to consider that he also spends a lot of time by himself, presumably willingly, to play video games. It's also possible he's an introvert because maybe he just wants a small network of friends to hang out with, not necessarily a large group of people.

Normally I get irked when people ask questions about Chris that we don't have a definitive answer for, and I'm really not looking for a definitive answer here. Rather, based on what we know, do we think Chris is - introvert or extrovert?

 

[Drawets Rednaxela]

I want to say he's extrovert and is confusing shyness with social retardation.

 

[Henry Bemis]

He's an extrovert, albeit socially inept and easily exhaustible, and he knows this way deep down inside.

As in, he desperately wants a large network of friends/sycophants, but quickly shuts down when presented with such opportunities because that requires not only paying attention to others, but contributing something in return, which is something that Chris's extremely limited experience, perceptiveness, and intelligence-on top of his lack of empathy-makes difficult.

 

[AtroposHeart]

I'm actually going for introvert. We have seen documented evidence that when he is in public places that he goes off and plays on his vidya or something. That is definitely an introvert trait.

Now, just because you are an introvert doesn't mean you want to be by yourself all the time. Most introverts have a small group of people that interact with daily. Chris really doesn't have that. for those who are argue 'but Anna', never forget that she is currently his biggest troll. I seriously doubt they chat much at all over facebook. Also many introverted people can actually be mistaken for extroverted, and vice versa, because they are charming and good with social interaction and such. However, in Chris case I think he is mistaken as extrovert because of how desperate he seems to be.

Now, if he were that desperate he would try, which Chris doesn't do. Chris doesn't try for a social life and that is why doesn't have one, of course Barb does play a factor. However, if he REALly tried he could overrule her.

Keep in mind the introvert/extrovert thing is more of spectrum than a box. Some people land at different levels of introversion to extroverism.

 

[Lucrid]

I was actually thinking of posting a thread just like this, but wasn't sure how to approach the topic.

It's possible that he's an extrovert deep down inside because he complains so much about being lonely. His behavior in public places, though, doesn't reflect this, since he spends all his time sitting at a table by himself. I feel like most typical extroverts, if they decided to go to a bar or restaurant where they didn't know anybody, would at least try making small talk with the owner or maybe some of the customers. Chris seems to want socialization, but he wants the socialization to come to him. He also doesn't welcome socialization from just anybody -- he doesn't want to talk to guys or security guards; he only wants to talk to those who may be sweetheart material in his eyes. Hence the attraction signs. Another point in support of extroversion is that we don't see any evidence of Chris being drained from social interactions. Then again, we don't have a very large sample size of Chris's social interactions, and recently there has been pretty much none.

So I think that Chris is basically an extrovert, but ever since the trolling started, he has become having more introverted characteristics (such as not wanting people to call him or contact him, ignoring e-mails, etc). Unless you count his recent Facebook craziness as being some kind of extroversion.

 

[pickleniggo]

Chris is such an anomaly that it could go either way, really. Consider these questions:

(1) If Chris was an extrovert, why does he need people to approach him instead of vise-versa?
(2) If Chris was an introvert, how could he possibly consider sashaying about the mall in skirts, and using the ladies room?

Granted, Chris' autism and upbringing stunted him socially, but if he'd had the proper care as a child do you think he'd be more social or more prone to accept hanging out by himself? Chris may only want socialization because it's the one thing tantrums and pity-parties won't bring him. Would he truly be able to enjoy the company of people? By all accounts, we can infer that Chris is actually super boring and self-centered so it's unlikely he'd be interested in what anyone else has to say.

I guess to answer the question, Chris is an introvert that wants an audience.

 

[Alec Benson Leary]

I don't think you can really judge which he is. Introverts may like their alone time more than extroverts, but both need at least some meaningful social contact, and he has spent a long time not getting any. Even the most introverted person in the world would be crying out for friends and companionship if he were forced to spend over a year living in a hoardshack tending to an overbearing elder who made you constantly sit in the same room with her but didn't offer so much as an interesting conversation.

Of course, that last part... well, Chris is kind of doomed there. He has proven time and again that he really can't have interesting conversations, because he doesn't see why he should have to care about things that interest other people. And without the ability to even talk to someone else, how is he going to make a real friend?

 

[BillRiley]

All excellent questions! Lemme handle these one by one...

Chris is such an anomaly that it could go either way, really. Consider these questions:

(1) If Chris was an extrovert, why does he need people to approach him instead of vise-versa?

Because he's not an extrovert. In fact, Chris is so intensely introverted, he needs people to initiate contact with him or he can't communicate at all. When he does have to initiate communication, it probably goes something like this...

(2) If Chris was an introvert, how could he possibly consider sashaying about the mall in skirts, and using the ladies room?

That's part of Chris-­Chan's Enduring Love Quest. Since he can't initiate communication with a prospective Sweetheart, he's come up with the brilliant fool-proof plan of attracting da ladies to him. In this latest incarnation of the attraction gambit, Our Pet Manbaby thinks he'll attract a Tomboy by dressing up as a "TomGirl." (Also it indulges some long-gestating gender issues Chris has, but that's another topic.)

Granted, Chris' autism and upbringing stunted him socially, but if he'd had the proper care as a child do you think he'd be more social or more prone to accept hanging out by himself?

Probably he'd be much more social. He'd never display extroverted behaviors, but at the very least he'd have learned how to communicate effectively with other people. Unfortunately, Borb were there to prevent anything like that from happening because omg hommasexul conspiracy imma gonna sue!

Chris may only want socialization because it's the one thing tantrums and pity-parties won't bring him. Would he truly be able to enjoy the company of people? By all accounts, we can infer that Chris is actually super boring and self-centered so it's unlikely he'd be interested in what anyone else has to say.

I guess to answer the question, Chris is an introvert that wants an audience.

As near as I can tell, what Fat Dummy wants socially is a small circle of female acquaintances who are forced by social convention to tolerate his presence for short periods of time. In other words, exactly what he had in high school.

 

[Hasharin]

(1) If Chris was an extrovert, why does he need people to approach him instead of vise-versa?

Due to shyness.

(2) If Chris was an introvert, how could he possibly consider sashaying about the mall in skirts, and using the ladies room?

Again, it has more to do with shyness or boldness, rather than introversion or extraversion. So yes, I find it strange that Chris has problems approaching people, complains about not being able to make eye contact etc., but has the guts to draw people's attention to himself by... well, being Chris. Screaming about trolls and Emanuel God, crossdressing and making out with blow-up doll in public in Bumfuck, VA, and the like.

 

[Grand Number of Pounds]

I'm very introverted, and I get lonely when there's no one else to talk to, so we can't say Chris is an extrovert just because he wants companionship, in the autistic way that he wants companionship.

To be honest I've never really given much thought to Chris being an extrovert. But like Henry Bemis said, he's socially inept and easily exhaustible, so yeah, he'd like to have a lot of admirers that he interacts with (as long as they meet his standards, sonichuizcool anyone?), but he's too socially retarded to have a large circle of friends. At best he'd have a couple of friends, but he really doesn't have a social outlet so he can't meet people.

As far as the tomgirl stuff - even very extroverted people sometimes have an awkward time breaking the ice with new people. The ones who aren't socially retarded may wear a funny T-shirt or a flashy accessory like shoelaces to get attention, but Chris, not being the most subtle person, juxtaposes female clothing on a male to get female attention.

Yes, Chris would have been better off with a Spencer's Gifts saga in which he wears funny shirts and accessories rather than going tomgirl.

 

[3Yikes]

There is also this thing called "Ambiversion", and it's basically the middle of spectrum. He could just be an ambivert with some tendencies towards either extraverted and introverted behaviour.

 

[Alec Benson Leary]

As near as I can tell, what Fat Dummy wants socially is a small circle of female acquaintances who are forced by social convention to tolerate his presence for short periods of time. In other words, exactly what he had in high school.

That's exactly it. He wants to recreate high school and live in it forever. It's the same reason he's so gung-ho on the reunion - he thinks it will be the genesis of high school part 2, rather than just one evening in a bar catching up with classmates who will go back to their own lives the next day.

 

[MetroidJunkie]

Even the most introverted person in the world would be crying out for friends and companionship if he were forced to spend over a year living in a hoardshack tending to an overbearing elder who made you constantly sit in the same room with her but didn't offer so much as an interesting conversation.

That's a good point, I hear most people would go completely insane if they were forced to have absolutely no social interaction for a long enough time period.

 

[Hasharin]

Even the most introverted person in the world would be crying out for friends and companionship if he were forced to spend over a year living in a hoardshack tending to an overbearing elder who made you constantly sit in the same room with her but didn't offer so much as an interesting conversation.

That's a good point, I hear most people would go completely insane if they were forced to have absolutely no social interaction for a long enough time period.

And the best evidence is Chris.

 

[Christ-Chan]

(2) If Chris was an introvert, how could he possibly consider sashaying about the mall in skirts, and using the ladies room?

Chris doesn't see what we see. He thinks he looks like a sexy 20-year-old girl who draws cheeky glances from everyone that pass him by. In one of the Jackie e-mails he's upset about the leaked pictures because "now the trolls will be able to recognize me". He wears that shit like a disguise, that's how delusional he is, and he actually believes the rest of the world is buying into his delusion.

 

[Pikonic]

I'm no psychologist, I've stopped trying to analyze Chris this way.
The Westernarck Effect doesn't apply to Chris, if Sarah Nicole got a divorce. He'd be all over her again. He just doesn't fit into a psychologists chair very well.
To answer the question, he's both, or niether. He simotanesouly wants new friends and to reconnect with the old, but also wants to be left alone. If a new person enters his life, he assumes they're a troll. When his niece tryed to reconnect with him, he assumed she was a troll.
All we know is "OMFG he has mental problems, shit"

 

[MetroidJunkie]

Chris doesn't see what we see. He thinks he looks like a sexy 20-year-old girl who draws cheeky glances from everyone that pass him by. In one of the Jackie e-mails he's upset about the leaked pictures because "now the trolls will be able to recognize me". He wears that shit like a disguise, that's how delusional he is, and he actually believes the rest of the world is buying into his delusion.

Well, he's a fan of Pokemon, maybe he got the idea from when Ash dressed as a girl to try to get into the Celadon Gym.

 

[Hasharin]

Chris doesn't see what we see. He thinks he looks like a sexy 20-year-old girl who draws cheeky glances from everyone that pass him by. In one of the Jackie e-mails he's upset about the leaked pictures because "now the trolls will be able to recognize me". He wears that shit like a disguise, that's how delusional he is, and he actually believes the rest of the world is buying into his delusion.

I forgot about that. Yeah, he actually seemed to think that all he needed to leave the past behind was ditching the and stripped shirts.

I remember Marvin said that when he saw Chris at Madicon, he was wearing something like theatrical eye mask. It was most likely a kind of Clark Kent-level disguise.

 

[Satoru182]

Well, he's a fan of Pokemon, maybe he got the idea from when Ash dressed as a girl to try to get into the Celadon Gym.

Why just pokemon, in cartoons in general a shitty disguise is enough to fool people. Bugs bunny with a wig and lipstick could pass a sexy woman to Elemer, and we are talking 1930s there. So after years of feeding his noodle this he thinks it works in real life

 

[Tubular Monkey]

Here's the thing - Chris is an extrovert, but he isn't proactive. He needs socialization, but the responsibility needs to be on others to form around him and create a social environment. It's the kind of insanity that might (might) work if he were somewhat attractive or had a charismatic magnetism to him. So no help there. He's a developmentally disabled man with two eyes on the past and no eye on the future. All the happiness he has ever known as involved him being put into social communities by his parents, where he was at best tolerated. But to the weak minded and self-obsessed, being tolerated is perceived as being part of the in crowd of hip young adults, where sex was there for the taking had he just not been so naive about things. And while he may now be realizing that he is not special in any way whatsoever, he is still left with both the entitlement for socializing and the complete ignorance about how socializing happens. Autism doesn't help the problem, but autistics can still learn the facts about how relationships of all kinds are give and take and form lasting and meaningful bonds with all kinds of people. Chris's entitlement will always trump his humility, and he will die alone. Still, you have to laugh.