Carl Jung on the Introvert and University Vice-Chancellor.
Letters of C. G. Jung: Volume 2, 1951-1961
To Donald A . Rajapakse
Dear Mr. Rajapakse, 22 January 1952
As you see I am hastening to your rescue hoping that you did not get yourself into too much of a jam by your making yourself particularly
obnoxious to your Vice-Chancellor.
You know that one of the unfortunate qualities of introverts is that they so often cannot Help putting the wrong foot forward.
At all events I must say that it is a pretty daring attitude to risk a dispute with the Vice-Chancellor Of your University.
Obviously this gentleman is not quite informed about the situation.
Presumably he has never read my book Psychological Types, otherwise he couldn’t have made that mistake to assume that it is based upon “a premise” at all.
I’m an alienist and I have an experience of over 50 years with a great number of patients and people in general, and-together with a number of other pioneers in the field of psychology-! couldn’t help noticing that there is a very characteristic difference in the attitude and outlook of people.
As a matter of fact the forum of science has accepted not only the facts I described, but also my terminology practically all over the world.
It therefore seems rather preposterous to me that the Vice-Chancellor of your University shouldn’t be acquainted with these facts.
Of course the practical application you make is a method that would appeal only to a psychologist, i.e., a man who knows and appreciates the practical value of psychological classification.
That is a thing one cannot expect of everybody.
If your man should belong to a different discipline, then you have to tread softly, because people as a rule are very sensitive when it comes to the recognition of psychological truth.
People don’t like psychology and they don’t want to be saddled with psychological qualities.
So you can only try to call his attention to certain difficulties people have with their attitudes,
i.e., you ought to present it to him as if it were one of your own shortcomings, not his.
Tell him you are an introvert and explain to him what an introvert is and ask for his sympathetic understanding and his patience.
But be careful not to suggest that he ought to know how to handle extraverts and introverts.
No person in authority can be expected to know about psychology or to apply a psychological truth-particularly not when he is a European.
They underrate the human soul in an appalling way.
That’s about all I can tell you concerning your question.
I wish you good luck!
Sincerely,
C.G. Jung ~Carl Jung, Letters Vol. II, Pages 35-36.