8 Things I've recently learnt about being an Introvert
10/01/2012, Author: Maria Gardner
I think I’ve always known I was an introvert – even before a personality questionnaire told me so. From a very young age I was very good at observing a situation from a slightly removed perspective, good at the ‘thinking’ stuff, not always so good at the ‘doing’ side of things.
My career path, via first studying Psychology, and then secondly by becoming a practicing Occupational Psychologist further gave me many opportunities to develop my understanding of this aspect of my character – for my own benefit, as well as for those I interact with on a daily basis as part of my work. It’s an aspect of personality that I find my delegates are keen to understand more about, as well as my fellow psychologists who always seem to enjoy debating when the opportunity presents itself (I’m thinking during the ABP conference, post-dinner after a couple of OJ’s).
The introversion-extraversion spectrum is probably the most well known, frequently referenced and long standing aspects of human personality. Most models of personality and nearly all personality questionnaires include some measure of it. However, on a daily basis we tend to rely on our own implicit models of what we think introversion and extraversion means; I often see social shyness or a lack of confidence being mistaken for introversion, or confidence and gregariousness, as extraversion.
The reality is that introversion and extraversion are more than these simple behavioural traits. Note, an introvert can feel confident and gregarious, as much as an extravert can feel shy or lack confidence in certain situations. If you take Carl Jung’s perspective on this aspect of personality, we need to look on a more fundamental level about how people perceive and interact with the world. Furthermore, Introversion-extraversion is one of the few aspects of personality confirmed to have a physiological basis – something that was first explored in depth by Eysenck in 1957, another major player in the field of personality theory and research.
All of these things combined inspired me to do a bit more reading into the area and led me to becoming quite excited when I recently came across the Introvert Advantage by Marti Olsen Laney (2002). The book covered some familiar (well established) ground but also pulled together a number of strands of research that I wasn’t fully aware of.
So, in the spirit of a caring and sharing start to 2012 here are 8 things I’ve recently learnt about being an introvert:
1. Jung first came up with the concept of introversion/ extraversion in 1900’s, as a consequence of observing how his contemporaries, Freud and Adler would approach the same patient case histories in very different ways – developing almost opposite theories
2. Extraverts outnumber introverts 3:1. It is an extravert’s world!
3. Introverts chemically process information differently to extraverts. Introverts are more sensitive to the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is tied to genetic differences in the D4DR, or ‘novelty-seeking gene’. Extraverts in comparison, are less sensitive so need greater stimuli to produce higher levels of dopamine (Hammer, 1999)
4. Introverts and extraverts brains are wired up to process information a bit differently. Information, when it comes into the Introvert’s brain takes a more internally focused and circuitous route. In contrast, extraverts’ pathways are shorter, less complicated and blood flows towards the sensory processing areas of the brain, i.e. touch, taste, visual, auditory (Johnson, 1999)
5. Some fields of thought suggest there are differences between right-brain and left-brain introverts, furthermore ‘…left brain introverts may be more comfortable living life as an introvert. They may have fewer social needs so be less conflicted over spending time alone’ (Laney, 2002)
6. Those with a stronger orientation towards the right hemisphere tend to be playful in solving problems, interpret body language easily, improvise, use metaphors and analogies, notice patterns, process information subjectively, see solutions as approximate and evolving
7. Those with a stronger orientation towards the left hemisphere tend to analyse pros and cons before taking action, base decisions on facts, think in terms of right and wrong, be keenly aware of time, process one step at a time, like to categorise, be idea-orientated, seek exact solutions
8. Some research as suggested that extraverts are happier (Pavot, Diener, & Fujita, 1990), and that extraverts tend to report higher levels of self esteem (Swickert, et al, 2004 and Cheng & Furnham, 2003). However, as Laney (2002) points out it’s quite possible that the survey’s used will have been written and conducted by extraverts, and therefore (unintentionally) biased towards their more externally orientated view of the world
So there are a few new and sparkly things I’ve recently learnt about being an introvert. I’ve focused here sharing on facts and information that was new to me, rather than covering the basics.
If you’d like to learn more about introversion then it’s a good book to start with, and also provides Introverts with practical advice on how to survive in an extraverted world. Gifts Differing: Understanding Personality Type by Isabel Briggs Myers & Peter B. Myers is also a useful resource and covers all four dimensions of Jung’s model.
You might also enjoy the following online resources:
http://www.thepowerofintroverts.com/
http://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/introversion
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2003/03/caring-for-your-introvert/2696/
PS: If you’ve enjoyed my ramblings please feel free to check me out on Twitter: mariagardnerUK
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