Am i an introvert? or am i just plain ol shy ?!
The term "introvert" is often used in a general form referring to a person who is shy. introversion and shyness have nothing to do with each other. An introvert or an extrovert can be shy...introversion is not synonymous to shyness.
Introverts are not necessarily shy.The main difference between a shy person and an introvert is the very basic fact - that people who are shy have a desire to interact with people. they want to get to know more people - talk to them and to some point act like the extrovert next to them - who is having a great time in the party !But they are unable to express themselves - largely owing to low self-esteem. Shy people are anxious or frightened or self-excoriating in social settings; introverts generally are not. An introverted person has the conversational skills and self-esteem necessary to interact successfully with others, but prefers to be alone. A shy person, however, wants to be with others but lacks the social skills and self-esteem needed.
so then who is an introvert? or what does introversion mean ?
The terms introvert and extrovert was first coined by Dr. Carl Jung as a means to understand various different types of personality. He described introversion and extroversion as two in-born ways that people gain and lose personal energy.
He understood that introversion and extroversion are on a continuum. At one end are introverts. They feel depleted by too much external stimulation and are energized by internal sources (ideas, impressions, thoughts).
Extroverts, at the other end of the continuum, are energized by external sources (activities, socializing, things) and lose energy during down time.
Some people use both sides of the continuum almost equally. We all possess both ways of increasing and decreasing energy but most of us inherently require more introverting or extroverting to accumulate our energy resources.
plainly put - an introvert would get exhausted after a time by being around a lot of people. and on the other hand if an extrovert were to be left alone - he would get exhausted ! he would need to go find himself a few people to interact with ..to talk with ! this is no way means that the introvert hates people and prefers to stay in seclusion ! he enjoys company of people - a few close to him - that he can argue - discuss and carry long conversations with!
People who prefer introversion may:
- be seen as calm and "centered" or reserved
- feel comfortable being alone and like solitary activities
- prefer fewer, more intense relationships
- sometimes spend too much time reflecting and not move into action quickly enough
- sometimes forget to check with the outside world to see if their ideas really fit their experience
About 25% of the total population is formed of Introverts.
Introverts are often misunderstood and extraverts find it quite difficult to gain an understanding of them . An excerpt from one of the articles i was reading frames this quite well ! :)
Are introverts misunderstood? Wildly. That, it appears, is our lot in life. "It is very difficult for an extrovert to understand an introvert," write the education experts Jill D. Burruss and Lisa Kaenzig.Extroverts are easy for introverts to understand, because extroverts spend so much of their time working out who they are in voluble, and frequently inescapable, interaction with other people. They are as inscrutable as puppy dogs. But the street does not run both ways. Extroverts have little or no grasp of introversion. They assume that company, especially their own, is always welcome. They cannot imagine why someone would need to be alone; indeed, they often take umbrage at the suggestion. As often as I have tried to explain the matter to extroverts, I have never sensed that any of them really understood. They listen for a moment and then go back to barking and yipping.
read the whole article here
so more often then not - extraverts - need to be doing things - talking to people - actively looking for answers - by questioning...arguing...debating their queries out. quite introspection and reflection arent exactly their "method" of figuring things out. they are often exasperated at others idea of "thinking things thru" - they believe in "talking things thru"...
if u know of a person who is an introvert...and sometimes just cant figure out what to do with him/her ! here's something that might help !(from the same article)
How can I let the introvert in my life know that I support him and respect his choice?
First, recognize that it's not a choice. It's not a lifestyle. It's an orientation.
Second, when you see an introvert lost in thought, don't say "What's the matter?" or "Are you all right?"
Third, don't say anything else, either.
"We're here, we're quiet - now quit hassling us!"
In order to determine whether you are an introvert or extrovert, you'll need to take more than this short questionnaire. However, your answers to the following may help you discover whether you lean in one direction or the other.Check each item that applies to you.
- I get drained when I spend a lot of time with other people.
(imagine urself at a party with lot of new / unknown people)
- I like presenting my ideas in writing.
( ask urself how comfortable you would be forming a reply if asked to suddenly present an idea verbatim)
- I need time alone to figure things out.
- My idea of a good time at a party is to have a conversation with one or two others about something we all know a lot about.
- I hold back in class discussions because I like to think out my answers completely before speaking.
- It takes energy for me to get to know people.
- I can concentrate on one project for a long time.
- I like to explore subjects deeply and thoroughly.
If you checked at least half the boxes, you might be an introvert. this was one very short and simple way to get an basic idea of how your preferences center.most of us are somewhere in between the continuum.
A test for introversion/extroversion can be taken here. A better option would be to take an MBTI - as this has various versions available on the net as opposed to a very few personality tests available to measure introversion and extroversion.more on MBTI here
Wonder how introverts process some basic stuff? n how extraverts do theirs? Then this is a definite link to read thru - Intravert's Lexicon
