What People Don't Know About Introverts and Extroverts

a post by Kurt Smith for the World of Psychology blog



When you characterize someone as an introvert, you are most likely referring to behaviors that seem quiet and withdrawn. We think of introverts as shy and anti-social, preferring to be alone or with one or two people rather than at a party or in a crowd. Extroverts on the other hand are assumed to be gregarious, loud and in search of the next party. There are many misconceptions, however, regarding these general beliefs about introverts and extroverts.

The terms introvert and extrovert were first coined by psychiatrist Carl Jung in the 1920s. Over the years they have become synonymous with certain behaviors and traits. Introvert in most people’s minds means that someone prefers their own company to the company of others and is disinterested in social events and friends, while extroverts are the opposite, always talking, looking for the next party and have lots of friends.

But the truth is that neither of those characterizations is completely fair or true. Introverts and extroverts are both far more complicated than those simple descriptions.

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Why Introverts Feel Drained in Groups and How I Preserve My Energy

a post by Ben Fizell for the Tiny Buddha blog

“In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you.” ~Deepak Chopra

When I was younger, I was always referred to as “the quiet one.” I didn’t mind it; I knew I was much quieter than most people I met. Not speaking and spending time on my own was natural for me.

Friends and workmates recognized this but would still often ask me if I wanted to join them when they were going out, even though they knew I would usually say no. They understood me as quiet, but they didn’t really understand just how much I disliked the whole socializing thing and how much it would drain me.

I’d always loved time on my own. Even if I was somewhere amongst people, as long as I didn't have to speak or engage with others, I was fairly content. In both situations I could retreat to my own inner world.

My thoughts and imagination were never boring; there were always observations to make about myself, the world, and other people. There was a sense of coming home whenever I became quiet. There was a familiar comfort in my inner world.

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Why the ‘introverts v extroverts’ battle helps neither side

an article by Rachel England published in the Guardian


The idea of extroverts all being outgoing, attention-seeking, confident, noisy types is both inaccurate and really unhelpful. Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo

When Carl Jung first introduced the concepts of as human personality traits back in the 1920s, he probably never thought that nearly 100 years later his theory would form the basis of a very quiet – but nonetheless persistent – battle of wills.

Type “being an introvert/extrovert” into Google and you get a plethora of emotive and divisive article headlines: listicles, op-eds, motivational blog posts – even scientific – all waxing lyrical about the benefits or downfalls of being one or the other. It’s true that Jung’s theories are pretty old by now and , but they’re essentially the basis around which this introvert v extrovert narrative has formed.

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Extroverts May Be More Exhausted Than Introverts 3 Hours Later

a post by Robby Berman for Big Think

A fair amount of research has been done involving what psychologists call the Big Five personality traits:

1. openness to experience,
2. conscientiousness,
3. extroversion,
4. agreeableness, and
5. neuroticism.

It’s been found the extroversion is a trait that has an immediate positive outcome. Unlike introverts, extroverts get happy when they’re socializing, though even the former can get there, too, just by pretending to be extroverted. New research suggests, though, that extroverts may pay a price for their fun, a price that introverts don’t pay.

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