I think 5, because it's just enough to get by with 1) your coworkers and 2) your clients. Anything outside of those two groups (friends, acquaintances, strangers) must cope with the social worker at the sociability level of 4 or less, and be understanding of it. However, 70% of social workers I've met thus far are a 7 or above, so a 5 encounter seems to be rare, unless you're friends with me. And just as a side note, "social" doesn't necessarily equate to adjectives like "outgoing," "loud," or "extroverted," but it does involve people. Lots of them.
When I began the process of applying to social work programs, I called the only social worker I was friends with, who lived in Cincinnati and secretly inspired me to take the next step of going to school. She talked to me as if to talk me out of social work, and I didn't take it as a sign that she thought I wouldn't suit the profession, but as a precaution. She happened not to know I was introverted (which, believe it or not, was understandable at that particular juncture where we met) and reminded me that the profession involves a lot of people, a lot of the time.
How could it be that a person can be 100% introverted (according to a free online survey)? That's a seriously mystical type of person. Did I become what it told me I was, or am I really that introverted? I happen to fulfill the stereotype of a shy and quiet introvert, so that makes me wonder if that explains the extremity of my introversion (our friend W does a surprisingly good job at briefly summarizing introversion). As I get older, I feel like I really understand introversion. I feel top-notch low-energy when I'm with more than one person (friends or not-- doesn't matter), and feel the most energetic and lively when I'm either by myself or with just one person (more so if our relationship is significant, and possibly if the person is weirdly fascinating). The fact that millions of tumblr and Instagram accounts are filled with romantic facades of introversion (ie. drinking silky lattes in a white bed with an open book) while I spend every day of my life wondering why I'm like this, makes me question society's understanding of human beings.
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| Gotta get the legs in the shot |
Additional things I wrote:
"NERVOUS BREAKDOWN"
"I feel like a machine"
