Socially awkward

The other day, somebody asked me if I'm naturally introverted or extroverted.

My response was probably consistent with what a lot of journalists would say: "I'm an introvert, but I became extroverted because of my job."

Journalism attracts a lot of people who'd prefer to fill their social circles with words and fictional characters, rather than real people.

But at the same time, the profession is very heavy on face-to-face interactions. You often can't survive professionally if you don't ditch your comfort zone.

The issues came to mind after I found this New York Times piece, "The dating travails of young bankers." The article focuses on some financiers' apparent bad luck in the dating world.

I'm really interested in one of the reader comments that accompanies the story. A reader lists "the most socially awkward people in order." The results?

1. Engineers/Scientists
2. Techies
3. Accountants
4. Lawyers
5. Artists
6. Finance types

Remember, this is merely a reader comment and it's not backed by any official research. Still...the list doesn't seem too far off base.

Weigh in: Do we choose certain professions because we're socially awkward?

Or, are we socially awkward because of the professions we choose?