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Back in the fall I posted a number of polls where I asked people to report the extent to which they possessed certain characteristics. It’s only now that I got the urge to summarize the results. Here is what I found. “People who respond to surveys on LDS tend to be introverted (76%). Slightly less than half (42%) have what they consider to be some kind of spiritual testimony of the gospel as taught in the LDS Church. About 86% percent report that they experience some kind of anxiety or depression, whether clinical or not. 90% of respondents consider themselves intellectuals.”
It’s not clear how this compares to the general LDS population, but it seems a larger than average portion of us are intellectuals and introverted. I heard a few statistics that introverts are not nearly has high in the general population as the poll uncovered — at something much less than 50%. I would suspect the amount of testimony possessed by StayLDS people is lower than you would find in the average LDS ward, which makes sense because people come to staylds when in some kind of spiritual crisis.
Thought I would share these figures with you. I embrace who we are and have learned to be accepting of who I am, I hope you all feel the same way when you read this poll. the other day I told my boss that I am an introvert, and introduced myself to a group of students as a nerd. And that I was proud of it. As they say “What do you call a nerd in five years? Answer …Your boss”.
And for the people that don’t fit this profile, I hope you feel welcome nonethless. One thing I like is the open acceptance culture we have here, which is much different than what we experience at church. And I also appreciate a diversity of perspectives.
Wow – I’ve never really broken it down like that. I am definitely not introverted. That has been one of my struggles. I like discussion, interaction, the rest. Unfortunately, my discussions at church make other people upset, uncomfortable, nervous, etc. It’s not my intent to bring that into their lives. Because I know it causes that, I retreat. I can only bite my tongue or talk party line so long, then I need a break. I do feel that I am have a testimony of the Universal God that could be Mormonism, and that is an anchor to me, and it glides okay in the church.
On the depression/anxiety scale, I had very little of that until my FC. I had down days or rough life patches, but since this transition, I have had huge dark periods all related to this.
Intellectual – I have never considered myself that, and I don’t think others did, I do love scriptures and spiritual books. I love hymns, and interfaith connections. I do love history and it’s research, discussion, discovery. If that makes me intellectual, I guess I am.
Like you SD, I am so glad for this site. I can’t imagine in the early years of Sunstone, Dialogue, etc. How did they connect. A magazine a month would not be enough. Right now StayLDS is my ward. Ray, Orson, Hawkgrrl – are the Bishopric. Brian Johnston is the Stake President. I could go on. I really do have us catagorized. I learn, cry, rejoice, and am uplifted here. So who ever we are are, I am glad we are here.
Interesting. I don’t think I was around for that poll, but it fits me quite well. I have some minor social anxiety, but nothing clinical. I’m definitely an introvert, and I would call myself intellectual. Thanks for sharing that information. Thanks for the up date. I was wondering if the results would be posted. I fit right in with what you found.
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