We live in the age of extraversion. Intelligence has become synonymous with being “outspoken,” leaving the introverted folks like myself to question whether or not we have the same thinking capacities as others. We live in an age when the term introversion has gained a negative connotation. At parent-teacher conferences, my elementary school teachers would tell my parents that I was excelling in my schoolwork with the exception that I was “just a bit quiet in class,” implying that my soft-spoken nature would hold me back. Ten years later, I still consider myself introverted, and I speak for all introverts when I say that we are not unintelligent, standoffish, or antisocial. We do, however, interact with the external world differently than our extroverted counterparts.
To avoid misconception, let me begin by providing referential definitions for the terms.
An introvert, as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary, is “a person predominantly concerned with their own thoughts and feelings rather than with external things.” An extrovert, on the other hand, is “a person predominantly concerned with external things or objective considerations.”
The labels “introverted” and “extroverted” originated fairly recently (the polarity takes root in Jungian theory). Psychologist Carl Jung studied personality and came to the conclusion that individuals display both introverted and extroverted tendencies (but most show a preference for one over the other). An individual who displays equal preferences in both introverted and extroverted characteristics is considered an ambivert. The labels were originally established to determine how individuals felt energized. Extroverts thrive on social interaction and the energy of crowds, whereas introverts find themselves retreating to their innermost selves. This division means that introverts often need time to “recharge” after a prolonged period of social interaction. Recent studies have even shown that the neural pathways in introverted brains physically differ from those of the extroverted.
In modern times, the division between the introverted and the extroverted has morphed into something else entirely. Introverted has come to mean reclusive, uncommunicative, and detached. While these adjectives do indeed describe some, they do not apply to all introverts. There are plenty of other personality indicators that determine an individual’s attitude regarding the external world. The problem with labeling individuals as either introverts or extroverts is that the definitions are often misconstrued and consequently misunderstood. However, the labels do help individuals to understand themselves and their behaviors in relation to those around them. To avoid sounding judgmental, individuals must be cautious not to misuse the terms introverted and extroverted.
So far, I’ve said a lot about what introverts are not. There are, however, many unifying qualities that we, as introverts, have in common. Many introverts enjoy conversation, not unlike our extroverted friends. However, we find that we often do not speak out unless we have something meaningful to say and often label ourselves as “listeners” when it comes to talking. We often find that we are more sensitive to external stimuli, meaning that we are more easily worn out by social interactions. Due to the fact that we are often more hyper-aware of these conditions, we find ourselves mentally receding from others in public. We retreat to our inner worlds where we are most comfortable.
Susan Cain, the author of “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking,” argues that society places a higher value on extroverted personalities. She believes that there exists such a negative connotation associated with introversion that introverted types do not feel able to reach their highest potential. She states, “A widely held, but rarely articulated, belief in our society is that the ideal self is bold, alpha, gregarious” while “introversion is viewed somewhere between disappointment and pathology." If you want to learn more about the polarity between introversion and extroversion in modern society, I highly recommend Cain’s book.
The truth is that introverts, who make up nearly 50 percent of the population, are not abnormal, shy, or rude. We merely struggle to find our place in a world that primarily values the extroverted. We are the listeners and the observers who prefer to stay out of the limelight, and we want the world to know that introversion is not a flaw in personality.
So go hug an introverted friend (but maybe ask first).
