Who Is an Introvert?

Upon reading the history of personality science and the latest research and references, and interviewing professionals in this field, it can be said that introverts have three main characteristics:

1. They create a deep, rich world in their mind and live in it.
2. They prefer isolation to crowded environments.
3. They enjoy relationships with people, but they prefer to form deep relationships with a limited number.

Howeve, reducing this whole personality style to just three points is not enough to explain all the complex and fascinating features of introverts. So, in this article we will provide a comprehensive insight into what it means to be introverted, and how that affects your everyday life.

Brief history of introversion

Carl Jung's classification of personality types

Maybe the first step to answering the question "Who is an introvert?" is to understand the roots of the word and its conception, and how it has become what it is today. When you look at the history of science, you will find that the theory of introversion is a recent theory, which has not been more than a century. It was put forward by the Swiss psychologist "Carl Jung", who studied the characteristics of individuals and how they interact with the world. Young thinks that the pattern of personality is based on the preferences of the individual in four aspects:

1. The world (internal or external).
2. Data processing.
3. Decision-making.
4. The structure.

Introversion is often seen as a preference for the type of social environment, but "Jung" defined it as the natural tendency of the individual to focus their energy on their inner world. This means that introverts tend to spend a lot of time thinking and doing individual activities, and this is what energizes them.

In 1921, Young published his book "Psychological Types", which contains a detailed description of his theory of personality which has become the basis for many of the personality tests you find on the Internet today.

Note: In the 1960s, the psychologist Hans Eysenck developed a similar theory of introverted and extroverted personality based on the belief that an environment that highly motivates introverted people does not motivate social personality enough. This theory explains why introverts tend to be easily confused in a crowded environment, while extroverts are bored in a calm environment.

The Myers-Briggs Test

After discovering psychological types, "Isabel Myers" was influenced by Young's theory of personality and decided to continue his work. After years of study and observation, she developed the "Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator", so that people could understand their personal characteristics, including introverted and extroverted ones, specifically women who first entered the labor market during World War II.

Then the Myers-Briggs test became more widely available to the public and has since been conducted by millions to better understand their personalities.

"Quiet" book

Despite the fact that the "Myers-Briggs" test was available to the public, people greatly misunderstood introversion and rarely touched on some aspects of this character for decades; That is, misconceptions about introverts were common, and this was exacerbated by the fact that American society was very social.

Until the concept of introverts began to change, "Susan Cain", in an effort to spread awareness of introverts, published her book "Quiet", which revolutionized acceptance and understanding of introverts. The book and its website "Quiet Revolution" are among the many works about introverts in recent years that have helped society understand the pattern of personality that has always been the subject of misunderstandings.

The most important misconceptions about introverts

Society today is more aware of introversion than ever before, but we continue to misunderstand introverts because of misconceptions about them, such as that they are shy, or somewhat antisocial.

Here are the two most important misconceptions about introverts:

1. Introverts are shy

When people think of introverts, they often imagine very shy individuals, as they are afraid to meet new people, and they have difficulty in having conversations, but this misconception is one of the main reasons why introverts are sometimes seen as a defect of personality, not a normal pattern of personality, as no one wants to be described as shy or antisocial.

The basis of belief is that introverts are more likely to be ashamed than extroverts, but these are not interrelated, as shy is a form of social phobia.

According to Susan Cain: “Shyness is the fear of being judged negatively, while introversion is the ease of preferring to be exposed to fewer triggers”; in other words, shyness is the negative trait that makes people afraid to interact with others, not introvert.

However, what does "prefer to have fewer triggers" mean? To understand this statement, imagine that you are working early while sitting alone in your office, it is quiet and nothing distracts you, this is a low motivation environment. On the contrary, imagine that you have just arrived at a conference of hundreds of people, you are surrounded by dozens of conversations, someone is talking through the speakerphone, someone is giving you information about the conference, and you are trying to find a colleague from work, this is a highly motivating environment because many different things attract your attention, and you have to invest a lot of mental energy to focus.

When we say that introverts "prefer less motivation", it means that they feel more comfortable in a quiet office than they do in a crowded conference, but this does not mean that introverts naturally hate crowded environments, such as large events, as many enjoy them, but are tiring for introverts because they do not correspond to their natural preference.

2. Introverts are antisocial

Introverts have another unfortunate reputation of being antisocial, and sometimes perceptions of them are more negative; As some people consider them rude or arrogant, because they do not want to participate in social activities, and this leads extroverts and introverts themselves to believe that there is something wrong with introverts because of their desire to spend time alone.

"Emma Watson", provides a strong example of this misconception, as an actress and spokesperson for the United Nations, consistently receives invitations to parties and social events, but in an interview, she explained to "Rookie" magazine that she understood the meaning of introversion as follows: "I must have something wrong; I don't want to go out and do what all my friends want to do".

If you are introverted, it is likely that you have experienced the same thoughts and doubts when comparing yourself with your friends and extroverted colleagues. The truth is that introverts are not antisocial, and the desire for unity is not something to be ashamed of, because introverts need to be alone, not because they do not like people, but because social attitudes consume their energy, and then they need to regain their energy

To better understand the ability of introverts to engage in social interactions, consider the limited social energy of introverts, such as physical energy. If you work in a physically demanding job, you are likely to be tired by the end of the day, you will be exhausted by the end of the week, and when you lose energy, you will not feel motivated to exercise or work on personal projects.

Introverts experience a similar loss of energy when engaging in social interactions, and after spending the whole day surrounded by coworkers and seeing friends at social events throughout the week, they will not have the energy to go out with a group of people on the weekend; they need to spend time alone to recharge their social energy supply.

The science of introversion

We have an idea of what introversion doesn't mean, let's explore what it means now. Decades of research show that introversion is more than just a social preference or a personal trait; But there are physical differences between the minds and the nervous systems of introverts and extroverted, explaining why introverts prefer to spend time reading a book, or watching a movie on holiday, while extroverted want to attend a party.

Extroverts and Dopamine

We humans enjoy rewards, whether in the form of food, money or a trophy in a competition, and we are excited to expect an external reward, and these feelings are caused by a neurotransmitter called Dopamine, which encourages you to go out and celebrate every holiday, and then rewards you with a flood of pleasant feelings, as everyone has almost the same amount of Dopamine, but we do not respond to all of them in the same way.

According to Dr. "Scott Barry Kaufman", Scientific Director of "Imagination Institute", extroverts respond more strongly to Dopamine than to introverts. When extroverts have the opportunity to receive a reward, such as going out with friends or organizing an event, they have brain parts that contain Dopamine, and their energy rises, and they are excited to hope for that reward.

On the other hand, introverts show a less positive response to Dopamine because they are more sensitive, and a little of it can be overly stimulating, which is one of the reasons why introverts feel anxious in social situations where extroverts find pleasure.

Note: Researchers conducted a study that showed that the amygdala and nucleus reclining in the brains of socialists are more active when they bet. This result indicates that extroverts are more likely to pursue risky challenges because their brains respond to success more positively than introverts in the same experience.

Introverts and Acetylcholine

We know that the brains of introverts when exposed to high stimulation release Dopamine, which is not appropriate for them, but the chemical that suits them is Acetylcholine.

Unlike Dopamine, which causes enthusiasm towards external rewards. Acetylcholine gives you a pleasant feeling when focusing on the inside, which is what introverts prefer. Therefore, introverts enjoy daydreams. The happiness they feel from thinking is similar to the happiness that extroverts feel in a crowded room. These chemical responses explain many of the reasons for preferring different personality patterns for different activities.

The brain of social people may activate in response to Dopamine; therefore, they are enthusiastic about very stimulating social situations, such as parties. The reward that motivates Dopamine is to meet new people. The more extroverts, the stronger the funniest response in their brains, and this leads them to mix with others more, but the response of introverts is activated when stimulated by Acetylcholine, which happens when they focus their thoughts on themselves.

Tip: One way that introverts can stimulate the release of Acetylcholine into their brains in social events is by engaging in meaningful conversations with just one or two people. Deep and intimate discussions with people prompt them to focus on their ideas and come up with smart responses.

Note: Acetylcholine is also responsible for activating the sympathetic nervous system that results in the body entering a state of calmness, conserving energy in stressful situations, which may be the reason why introverts tend to handle conflicts more calmly.

Physical Differences

Neurotransmitters are not the only ones that explain the differences between introverts and extroverts; As scientists have discovered differences in brain structure, which may be responsible for some of the key traits of introverts.

A group of researchers have tried to find out why some people are more sociable than others by measuring their brain's response to images of human faces and flowers, and found that extroverts have shown much stronger responses to images of face than flowers.

However, introverts had an equally strong response to both flowers and human faces, which suggests that human faces are not particularly interesting for introverts compared to extroverts; this may explain why introverts are not enthusiastic about meeting and spending time with people like extroverts.

Note: Researchers found another physical difference in introverts, which is that the amount of gray matter in their prefrontal cortex responsible for making decisions is greater; this may explain why introverts think more when making decisions and the pleasure they find in thinking.

Characteristics of introverts

Having understood introversion, here are some basic characteristics to look for, to determine if you or anyone you know is introversive:

1. Enjoying solo work

Because being around people drains the energy of introverts, it is no wonder that they enjoy working alone. Work alone is a necessity for them to be productive, not just a preference. In an interview with Jennifer Kahnweiler, author of three books on introverts, and a PhD in guiding psychology on introverts in the workplace, she said: One of the greatest strengths of introverts at work is their ability to spend quiet time.

When you think about how much most schools and companies are focused on brainstorming and collaborating, individual work may not seem like a strength, but it should not be underestimated; Kahnweiler says creativity happens when we reflect well and spend time in our minds.

Thoughtful thinking is easy for introverts; because they spend so much time thinking, their preference to work alone allows them to come up with creative solutions, and produce the highest quality; this may explain why many creators are also introverts.

Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, wrote in his biography (iWoz): “Most of the inventors and engineers I met are like me; they are shy and live in their inner worlds, doing a better job when they are alone.”

Although Wozniak is not an expert on introversion like Kahnweiler, he recognized that introverts are able to deliver the best results when they work in quiet environments, free from distractions and free from peer pressure in groups.

Kahnweiler asserts that if you think of people as batteries, introverts charge their energy when they sit alone, and withdraw to their inner world in an atmosphere of calm; that is, introverts prefer to spend time alone at work because that activates them.

Their preference for working alone does not mean that they do not succeed in group settings, such as: meetings, or social events, but when extroverts tend to talk too much and out loud, introverts think carefully about their ideas before sharing them, and this can be their greatest strength.

"You'll have more of an impact when you're calm and you put your views in a different way," Kahnweiler says. You might think the key to talking effectively is preparation. If introverts prepare parts of what they have to say in advance, they will feel ready when it's time to talk, and they will impress others with their ideas.

2. Focus on ideas

Have you ever wondered why introverts have difficulty chatting, but have no problem getting into a discussion about deep or controversial issues? Or why do they prefer to engage in individual activities, rather than social activities? That's because introverts are more interested in ideas.

Remember: introverts' brains respond to human faces, as they do to flowers or other things, such as pancakes, cats, or others; people don't get their attention.

In each case, introverts decide on the topic of conversation or interesting activity, and for most of them, chats are not. Before you say they are heartless, think about the usefulness of their inclination to human communication. When they search for conversations and activities that focus on deeper topics, such as: goals, ideas, and complex feelings, they will form deeper connections as well.

The entrepreneur Elon Musk is an example of an introvert who always invests in deep thoughts; Musk, who describes himself as an "introverted engineer", runs SpaceX and Tesla Motors, two revolutionary companies he created after co-founding PayPal, the world's first successful peer-to-peer payment system.

Performing these roles requires commitment, and an incredible sacrifice on the part of "Musk" in setting his time priorities. Both companies have come a very long way to succeed, and this has taken more time than most people can commit to. Musk's motivation to do all of this was not external rewards, such as fame or wealth; his focus is on his ideological dreams, which is something that introverts possess in abundance.

In ordinary life, you can see an example of the introverted fascination of a quiet student who is energized when his/her favorite class starts, such as: art or science, or maybe you have a friend despite suffering with chats, he/she is a great speaker on deeper topics, and always works on personal projects.

This does not mean that introverts avoid contact altogether, and extroverts can commit to their ideological goals like any introvert, but their preferences are different, and if you tell an introverted person and an open person that they should chat with people or think, you can guess who will volunteer for each task.

3. Prefer having close friends and not too many friends

When was the last time you went to a party? "Last week"? Last month? Longer ago? Your answer may depend on whether you are introverted or not; for introverts who prefer isolation, managing social interactions can be a difficult task, and often, they may feel compelled to spend time in groups to listen to the community's opinion while their intuition tells them to stay at home.

Introverts may get tired of social interactions, exhausting themselves if their lives revolve around people, but they value relationships, and do not want to be alone all the time; therefore, most of them invest their precious energy in their relationships with close friends and family.

Just as introverts appreciate the time they spend in their inner world, they also enjoy communicating with people purposefully; That is, introverts prefer to invest their time in building and strengthening close relationships, to socialize in ways that are commensurate with their natural power to listen and think deeply without the pressures of chatting with a large group of people, they sometimes enjoy interactions in large groups, but generally prefer small groups.

The Ambiverts

So far, we've talked about introverts and extroverts as the opposite, if you're not one of them, you're the other, but you might think that you're not quite right for either of them, and even Carl Young, the creator of introverting and extroverting, thinks that no one is completely introverted or extroverted.

If your personality is a mixture of the two, you may be what is known today as "Ambivert," a person who has the qualities of my personality style; he/she feels one way one day, and another the next; for example, you may like to attend parties and socialize regularly, which is an extroverted trait, but you also prefer to work alone in a calm environment, which is an introverted trait.

Is balance a choice or a nature?

It may be convenient to call yourself an ambivert name, but this is overly easy according to the famous site "16 Personalities", although it is true that no person is completely extroverted or completely introverted, but most people tend to behave according to one pattern or another in most situations, and it is important to be aware of this.

Another puzzling thing is that most people, especially introverts, learn to behave in a way that is not consistent with their personality to achieve their goals. Although they prefer introverts, introverts are passionate about their goals, and achieving these goals may require the help of other people, and this leads them to develop habits that usually describe the extroverts, such as working in groups and going to events if this is required to achieve success.

The famous director "Steven Spielberg" once said: "I make an extra effort to convince people that I am not shy." Despite being introverted, "Spielberg learned to develop social qualities, so that he can pursue his cinematic dreams. Acting in his social capacity at work does not make "Spielberg" less introverted, or change his basic personality, but the result is worth the barter.

Testing introverted personality styles

There are dozens of personality tests to help you identify your personality style, but the following three are among the best to answer the question, “Am I introverted?”:

1. If you want to quickly find out whether or not you are introverted, the 10 question Quiet Revolution quiz will tell you.
2. If you believe in "spectrum theory", the "LonerWolf" test will tell you how good you are.
3. If you are interested in self-discovery, "16 Personalities" offers a comprehensive personality test, combining the "Myers-Briggs" test personality types with some of the more recent personality theories.

In conclusion

Perhaps now you know more about personality science and introversion than you did when you started reading, from its history, misconceptions, science, tests, and assessments, and we hope you have a better understanding of your personality style as well.