You've probably heart the terms introvert and extrovert before; in fact, you may even have been slotted in to one of the two categories. We often think of introverted people as being shy, whereas extroverted people are usually considered confident and outgoing. There's a lot more to it than that, though!
Introverted people are often considered shy, but that's not really accurate. Courtesy of telegraph.co.uk
The History
- Well known psychiatrist Carl Jung (1875-1961) is famous for coming up with several popular psychological concepts, among which is the idea of introversion and extroversion (sometimes known as extraversion).
- Jung defined introversion as a focus on one's inner activity, whereas extroversion is a focus on the outside world.
- Jung's theory of introversion and extroversion centered on the supposition that all of us have a bit of both in our personalities, though some may be a little more introverted and some may be a little more extroverted.
- "There is no such thing as a pure introvert or extrovert. Such a person would be in the lunatic asylum" - Carl Jung
Jung was one of the most influential psychological thinkers in modern history!Courtesy of sofia.edu
Are You an Introvert?
- Introverts usually "recharge" or get energy from spending time on their own, and find that it takes a lot of energy to spend time with large groups of people.
- If you are more introvert than extrovert, you probably like to engage in solitary activities, like reading, writing, hiking, and fishing. Someone with introverted tendencies needs to spend this time alone; if they spend all their time interacting (rather than reflecting) they may feel drained.
- It has been theorized that introverts are more easily stimulated, and thus can be very sensitive to crowds.
Introverts need a lot of time to themselves.Courtesy of Forbes
Are You an Extrovert?
- If you are more extroverted than introverted, you probably find that you gather energy from being in social situations. The more people the better! You like to converse with a wide variety of people and you feel energized when you interact with others.
- It can be challenging for those whose personalities tend towards the extroverted to understand that more introverted people need time to themselves, just as it can be hard for the predominantly introverted to realize that extroverted people need social interactions in order to be stimulated.
Extroverts are energized by interactions with others. Courtesy of fastcodesign.com
Whether you are more introverted or extroverted, or whether you fall somewhere in the middle, it's important to try to understand that every person has a different personality, and every person has different needs. We can all help each other to be happier and more relaxed by recognizing that what works for one person might not work for another.
Have Your Say!
Are you more introverted or more extroverted? Share in our comments section!
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