Open Thread: Guess What Is Killing You Now... [Y-not]

It's been a couple of hours, so how about a new thread on a topic that is oh-so-popular with the morons (and moronettes)... the Battle of Introverts vs Extroverts!

First, complete this quiz to determine if you're an Introvert or an Extrovert.

**If that quiz's format is too annoying for you, this one will calculate your score.**

(Your hostess scores smack dab in the middle on these sorts of quizzes -- I'm an "Ambivert.")

Now, here's how it's killing you:

According to a new study, women who feel anxious, moody, and distressed for a significant amount of time during middle age may be at an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease later on in life.

Researchers followed 800 women over 38 years. When the study began, the average age of the women was 46. The researchers evaluated each woman's levels of distress and neuroticism. They also looked at each woman's memory ability and if they were an extrovert or introvert.

Throughout the study, 153 women developed some sort of dementia, including 104 who developed Alzheimer's disease.

The researchers found that women with the highest levels of neuroticism who also experienced long-standing distress were twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's disease as the women with the lowest levels of neuroticism.

"We saw that persons with a high degree of neuroticism, combined with a low degree of extraversion, had the highest risk of Alzheimer's disease," Lena Johansson, from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, and the study's author, told LiveScience.

However, the study found that a woman's level of neuroticism did not always have a significant effect on their risk of Alzheimer's, unless their neuroticism was also accompanied by long-standing distress.

OK, I'm kidding you Introverts. And, actually, the researchers are fairly circumspect about their findings, pointing out that correlation does not equal causation. But I figured this was thread-fodder.

Do not despair, Introverts! Someone out there is giving you the respect you deserve:

Why Introverts Can Make The Best Leaders

"Most people don't know that I'm an introvert."

I hear this confession from surprisingly many successful executives. Quite a few, in fact, talk at length with me about their introversion, speaking candidly and often cathartically about their experiences. Most also admit that at some point in their leadership journey they've had to work to overcome being disregarded or misunderstood because of their quiet temperament.

How do these introverted leaders do it? How do they thrive in the extroverted business world? They seek to understand -- and play to -- their strengths.

It has been reported that a full 40% of executives describe themselves as introverts, including Microsoft's Bill Gates, the uber-investors Warren Buffett and Charles Schwab, Avon's chief executive, Andrea Jung, and the late publishing giant Katharine Graham. Odds are President Barack Obama is an innie as well. What does that mean? That introverts, not just extroverts, have the right stuff to lead organizations in a go-go, extroverted business culture

Here are five key characteristics that help introverted leaders build on their quiet strength and succeed...

Feel better?

No?

How about a nice, big hug?!

Open thread.

posted by Open Blogger at 03:20 PM

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