Extroverts and Introverts

When you hear the word “introvert”, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? A lot of people would think words like shy and reserved. Broadly speaking, an introvert, is one who has turned his attention in on himself. An introvert is more concerned with his own thoughts and feelings rather than with external things. An extrovert, on the other hand, is one who has his attention turned outward. They are more concerned with what is going on around them. Now, being an introvert is different from being shy. Shyness is the fear of social judgment. Introversion is more about the way you react to stimulation, which includes social stimulation. After an hour or two of being socially on, we need to turn off and recharge. We gain energy from being alone. An introverted person can either be his own best friend or his worst enemy. A common assumption made by people is that introverts like to be lonely. Do not mistake being alone to being lonely. Being alone is spending time in solitude or having time to yourself but feeling lonely is a whole other thing. Being lonely is feeling abandoned. Being lonely is feeling alone in a room full of people. Being lonely is craving human company but not knowing how to attain it.

Ever since I was a kid, I preferred being alone rather than in large, crowded rooms. I would often get tired from being outside too much and being around too many people at a time. I know people that have sleepovers and go to parties on the weekends for fun but honestly? My idea of fun on Friday nights is laying in my bed just reading books and watching Netflix. For an introvert, there is nothing better than being in solitude and even better when being alone with someone else who also wants to be alone. This may sound super antisocial but this is my definition of a good way of spending time. I love it when my best friend and I spend time together doing nothing and it doesn’t feel awkward. Just their company is enough. You have the animal warmth next to you and that alone is enough to make you feel like someone understands you. It gives you the opportunity to go roaming around in your own mind and think of things that might not have been easy when in a loud company.

Extroverts crave a generous amount of outer stimulation whereas us introverts- they feel most active and proficient when they’re in quieter, more low-key environments. Nowadays, most of our schools and workplaces are designed for extroverts. The activities they expect us to do are more for the needs of extroverts to receive that external stimulation in order to do their best. But, what about the introverts that want to do their best? Okay, let’s just take a moment to picture a basic classroom. When I think of a classroom, I think of a big teacher desk at the front and rows and rows of student desks at the back. But, that’s not how it is these days. Now, you would see a couple of desks joined together so that 3 or 4 kids are facing each other. Usually, these are the kids you are supposed to work with when doing group assignments. Even in subjects like math kids are expected to work together as a team. And for the ones that prefer to fly solo, they are seen as loners or rebellions or problem cases, even though the only reason they prefer to work alone is that they do their best when there is no outside pressure. Usually, the teacher’s favorites and ideal students are extroverts even though introverts do way better in class according to research.

Why is it that talkative people are rated as smarter, better- looking, more interesting, and more desirable as friends. I can tell you right here. Right now, that introverts have a whole universe full of things in their minds that only some people are lucky enough to know about. They are fiercely loyal and honestly, much more relaxing and calming to be with.

In the Big 5 theory of personality, extraversion is one of the core traits that make up the human personality. It indicates how outgoing and social a person is. There are also sub-traits with extraversion, which are friendliness, gregariousness, assertiveness, activity level, excitement seeking, and cheerfulness. Extraverts, making up half to three quarters of the American population, are energetic in social situations, unlike introverts who keep to themselves and are tired by socializing too much. They are also less involved in social activities. Extroverts fuel their dopamine pathways in their brain by seeking out external input. They do well in team and group settings where they can interact with other humans. They differ from introverts who are more involved in internal activity and their own thoughts. They don’t require the external simulation that extraverts do. Extraverts have an advantage because they have no difficulty with communicating and projecting their ideas. Extraverts have a higher opportunity of being the staff that is sent to work seminars and conferences. Extraversion does have its disadvantages. Extroverts are able to communicate and meet people easily, but those people are often only acquaintances. They have trouble developing close, strong relationships with others. Also, people often see extraverts as “attention-seekers” or “teacher’s pet” because they are the ones to always raise their hands and answer questions. They always have difficulty being alone and often get anxious when they spend too much time alone. Introverts often are seen as less socially desirable and people don’t want to be around them as much, but they are also linked to intelligence. Studies have shown that people who lie in the middle of introversion and extraversion are often better off than those who are at either extreme. The debate of the reasoning of extraversion is pointed to nature vs. nurture. There is a clear genetic component in extraverts. Twin studies suggest that genetic contribute to somewhere from 40 to 60 percent of the variance between extraversion and introversion. The environment can also have an impact. Sibling studies previously suggested that an individual experience have greater weight than do shared experiences in families. Other researchers have suggested that the variability in this trait may be connected to differences in cortical arousal, which is the activation of the reticular formation of the brain. With advantages and disadvantages of being an extravert, genetically you cannot control which one you are. Personality makeup can be slightly changed over your lifetime, but you will always have a little bit of what you were born with. 

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