Great post. I definitely have no problem having and exercising boundaries and look to tiny behaviors that clue in which people I come across will test me. I’m sensitive to the clues and they sound my alarms loudly that I’m planning exit plans and admonishing dialogue once someone hits my warning system by presumptuous behaviors.
Being an introvert (INTJ), I guard my world and energy perhaps more than an extrovert who feels charged by any energy they can feed on. I avoid vampires and banish them after I’ve given enough hints and given the blunt talk. It’s been amazing the stamina some have to test boundaries. I have great patience for many things but I draw the line on people who lead with greed and an appetite for other people’s energy. I’m “terrible” to those that find themselves at the edge of a long table and respected and loved by those that honor and understand me. I’m an Introvert with a capital I. 😬
Follow your instinct. If you feel drained from interacting with someone, defend your boundaries or run. A true friend will respect and defend your boundaries not test them.
J
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Hi @jnetsworld,
It seems there are quite a few INFJ's and INTJ's on Steem, and those account for some of the rarest personalities. Just an observation I've made over the past couple of years. Pretty interesting.
It's not that I have a problem laying down boundaries, it's that I suck at doing it in a nice way, and some people are very confrontational. I don't react well to physical threats and have encumbered legal issues in the past for defending myself, so, I want to avoid that at all costs.
Absolutely the same for me. I call them "indicators". I pick up on those indicators very easily, and not much thought process is involved. Intuition kicks in (logical or not) and I become very cautious. I will try to distance myself, and when they continually push, the asshole in me comes out in the form of (not so nicely) laying out my boundaries.
People are generally in shock when they see that side of me, they thought I was a sucker and didn't expect me to call them out on their bullshit. I would call it mistaking kindness for weakness. So many people just want to exploit and take advantage of others.
YES! I call them vampires too! lol.
Yes, introverts are notably drained from social interaction, whereas the extroverts charge from it. Pretty wild stuff.
Thank you for the very thoughtful comment my friend 🙂