Introverts are private and prefer their own thoughts to the outside world. They often excel in higher education and deep friendships but struggle with making new friends and large crowds. Self-tests are available to determine personality type.
Basically, an introvert is a private, quiet and lonely person. Introversion and its opposite, extraversion, also called extroversion, form the ends of a continuum that describes an aspect of each person’s personality. The concept was popularized by the work of psychologist Carl Jung.
Jung described an introvert as a person whose psychic energy is directed inward. Although most modern psychologists do not believe in the existence of “psychic energy” per se, they do agree that a person with this personality type is more interested and interested in their own thoughts than in the outside world. Introverts often seem shy and prefer to spend time alone or with a close friend or two. They generally feel more energy and can work more productively when alone.
While it is generally considered more desirable to be an extrovert in Western society and extrovert traits are encouraged, being an introvert has significant benefits. These people often excel in higher education, where the ability to spend large amounts of time with one’s thoughts is a great asset. They are also often capable of forming very deep and close friendships.
Psychologist Hans Eysenck postulated that the introvert experiences more brain activity than the extrovert and is therefore constantly at a higher state of stimulation without turning to external sources. Therefore, the large crowds of people that the extrovert is bored without may be overly stimulating for the introvert or difficult for him or her to pay attention. One study showed that these people experience increased blood flow to areas of the brain that control logic and problem solving.
There are also some drawbacks to this personality type. These people often find it difficult to make friends with others and can feel lonely. They may find events with large groups of people uncomfortable and may be perceived as rude or aloof. Introverts probably won’t excel in careers where engaged personal interaction with strangers is essential. A study by psychologist David Myers found that these people are less likely to be “happy” than extroverts, although the reason for the correlation is unclear.
People curious about where they fall on the personality spectrum can find many self-tests available in books and online. They should keep in mind, however, that most people don’t fall on the extreme ends of the spectrum and actually have characteristics of all kinds.
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