In the book “The Introvert Advantage,” a therapist practicing in the field of psychology, and at the same time the leading specialist in America, talks about his work, shows introverts that they are the most ordinary people, only with individual characteristics. The psychotherapist believes that such people have developed analytical skills, creativity and high level concentration and composure. You can also find in the book important tips that will help the reader improve relationships in the family, at work and with friends.
Summary of the article
This theory was developed by Carl Gustav Jung. He believed that properties such as extraversion and introversion are given from birth based on physiology. A modern science Based on the experiments, he proved his assumption. Jung believed that the easiest way for a person to adapt to our world is to move, as necessary, from an introverted state to an extroverted one. He also considered an arbitrary state of an individual among two proposed ones. Human nature predetermines his desire for one and two facets. Each personality has its own “comfortable niche”, in which a person is best able to exist.
The psychotherapist believed that in childhood one should not prohibit or force a child to develop his temperament. From childhood, a predisposition to one or another type of personality is created, and the restriction of its development entails mental illness.
With the creation of the continuum, Jung assumed accessible and free movement through its spaces. This has a beneficial effect on a person’s better awareness of the process. In his opinion, each individual is capable of developing beyond the boundaries of his niche, i.e. Additional energy is used, but no new energy is created. The ability and ability to accumulate energy will allow a person to exist and function fully in different environments. Below are the main differences between introverts and extroverts.
The main difference between these two temperaments is energy source. Extroverted people take energy from the world around them. Such people are highly dependent on communication with others, they require constant action. But despite this, they need to alternate active communication, in which they give their all to the interlocutor, with breaks, otherwise everything will merge into one action.
Extroverts find it easy to express themselves, they work for results and enjoy communicating with the crowd. Most of these people are engaged in activities related to people. Contrary to the world's opinion about extroverts, they are not always cheerful, but their attention is directed to the world around them.
Just like regular people, extroverts can experience feelings of sadness and loneliness when living without social interaction. Because of this property, they often have a hard time coping with stress or fatigue.
Introverts, in turn, live within themselves, from where they get their energy for existence. Introverts can be not only quiet and closed people what society thinks. It’s just that they are most often dedicated to themselves. Therefore they prefer quiet and peaceful places, where you can be alone with yourself.
Introverts accumulate their accumulated energy . To maintain a stable state, introverts need a restriction from society where they can feel overstimulated. Despite this, the loneliness of introverts needs to be diluted by communication with society; in its absence, the desire and motivation to be in society in general may disappear.
These qualities are special for introverts internal state, such as coping with energy needs, resilience, perseverance and the ability to evaluate events objectively, creatively and regardless of extraneous factors.
These two types of people also differ in the type of irritation and reaction to outside world . Extroverts feel comfortable in an atmosphere of constant action. Such people prefer to receive new emotions and impressions, while introverts, on the contrary, prefer to be alone. The world around us they accept it as an obvious irritant, which characteristically affects their inner world.
Introverts often regulate their emotions by limiting incoming external information. . Such people prefer to work in a state of calm, concentration, preferably in one direction.
By various reasons extroverts need breaks too. If an extrovert is in the library, then he devotes very little time to the reading process itself. Soon he feels the need to talk or do something. They would rather be charged than feel a lack of interest.
In addition, extroverts and introverts are distinguished by their perception of the world. Extroverts tend to make many friends, broaden their horizons and be versatile. Everything they receive from the world does not always remain within their consciousness. Introverts like to be alone, which allows them to deepen their knowledge. Such people usually have only very close friends. They fill their interests from the world around them, and then analyze and expand. Introverts need one or two topics to communicate.
Almost all the differences are presented in the following list:
Extrovert:
Prefers to be in the center of events.
He likes the versatility of consciousness; one topic often becomes uninteresting to him.
He takes everyone he knows for friends.
Loves communicating with different people.
Prefers not to stop at one thing
No need to think about the answer.
Most often full of energy.
Likes to talk more than listen.
Introvert:
I like loneliness and a narrow circle of friends.
Takes for friends only those with whom he is well acquainted.
Likes to rest after certain activities.
First he thinks, and then he speaks.
Doesn't like large crowds of people.
Does not prefer work overload.
To understand what type you are, remember how you felt in stressful situation. If you felt uncomfortable or withdrawn, then most likely you can be considered an introvert, and if you easily managed to avoid conflict, then in such a situation you can be considered an extrovert.
To fully determine your temperament, you can take online tests.
There is a general belief that an introvert is shy person who does not know how to make friends, and an extrovert is a person who has good social skills and is never shy about anyone. These are far from decisive and incorrect factors for determining introversion and extraversion.
The main difference is that introverts make their decisions based on... own assessment information, while extroverts are influenced by what other people say and think. And it is not true to say that someone is an extrovert just because they are friendly or talk a lot. Note that most world-famous actors and actresses are introverts! There are other differences between introverts and extroverts.
Thinking inward
Introverts are inward-looking in their thought processes. They value what they think and feel and don't care so much what other people think and feel. Extroverts, on the other hand, are concerned about what other people think and feel and will not make a decision if it goes against the status quo. The postulate of fashion is “everyone wears it, and so do you!” works well when selling something only to extroverts. An introvert will most likely say, “So what?” and will appreciate how good and convenient it is for him. Extroverts do not evaluate information themselves. They believe that information is what other people say.
Everyone has traits of extroversion and introversion
No one is completely introverted or extroverted. You can be an introvert when it comes to work, but an extrovert when it comes to family. You can be an introvert in your religious beliefs, but an extrovert when it comes to sports. Therefore, when someone passes the corresponding psychological test, the indicator will be a percentage - for example, 54% extrovert and 46% introvert.
Social skills
Both introverts and extroverts can have outstanding social skills, regarding love relationship and small groups of friends. When someone can't make friends, it has nothing to do with whether they are an introvert or an extrovert. It has more to do with shyness, which can be a trait of any type of person.
Introverts can be good politicians too
Introverts can sometimes be much more the best politicians than extroverts. This is because they have a greater capacity for deep thinking, analysis, and are more likely to calculate the results of their policies. On the other hand, extroverts may pay more attention to what their constituents have to say.
Actors
Both introverts and extroverts can be excellent speakers. In addition, many worldwide famous actors- introverts. Did you know that Harrison Ford, Clint Eastwood, Meryl Streep, Meg Ryan, Julia Roberts, George Lucas, Christina Aguilera, Enya, Gwyneth Paltrow, Steve Martin, Eminem, Steven Spielberg, Billy Joel are introverts? Extroverts are Eddie Murphy, Robin Williams and Tom Hanks.
An interesting fact is that while there are many lists on the Internet that feature famous introverts, very few feature famous extroverts. There are perhaps two reasons for this.
- Not many people search for information about extroversion because extroverts are too preoccupied with themselves and other people. In addition, there is not such a negative opinion about extroversion as about introversion.
- Or, conversely, there are simply not too many extroverts among famous people, because acting success depends on the ability to get used to the role very deeply, to feel your character. And extroverts tend to focus on breadth rather than depth.
Politicians and businessmen
After all, politicians and businessmen are more often extroverts. Some famous extroverts are Margaret Thatcher, Sarah Palin, Phil McGraw, Anthony Robbins, Donald Trump.
On the other hand, philosophers, scientists, inventors, creative people, as a rule, introverts. Introverts are more likely to be gifted than extroverts. Famous introverts in this category are Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, Jane Goodall, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela.
- Extroverts have many friends. Introverts have few close friends. Extroverts tend to have many superficial friends, while introverts have a few close friends.
- Extroverts love to be in crowds and get their energy from other people. Research shows that their brain structure allows them to better perceive sensory information. Their sense of smell, taste, touch, and hearing are usually more intensely developed than those of introverts. Interestingly, a recent study found that extroverts tend to read facial expressions more easily than introverts. Extroverts socialize and spend more more money. Extroverts love constant change and adventure.
- Introverts are creative, diligent, and protective of their personal life from prying eyes. They have a group of close friends, although they also draw their energy from within themselves. Introverts don't really like noisy companies other people, although this has nothing to do with their lack of social skills.
Imagine you are on an airplane and sitting in the middle of three seats. There are two people next to you. The one on the left clearly wants to engage you in conversation, despite the fact that you do not respond to her initiative. By the time the seatbelt light goes off, you already know where she's going, what she'll do when she gets there, what her husband is doing, how her son is doing (badly) and why. (During the conversation, you manage to tell only one thing about yourself - what is your name.) She does not seem to notice your poorly concealed yawn at all. It is safe to assume that this woman is prone to extroversion.
At the same time, the person to your right has interested you in something - there is something unusual in his appearance, or perhaps he is reading an interesting book. You try to start a conversation by asking, “Are you flying on business?” To which he smiles and responds with a curt “yes,” before returning to his reading. This doesn't bother you; you try again: “Do you often go to the coast?” And again you get a polite but brief answer: “No, not really. What about you? He avoids asking questions and going into details, thus shifting all responsibility for maintaining the conversation onto you. He listens to your small talk for a few minutes and makes remarks, and then puts the book down, asks for forgiveness and closes his eyes. Obviously, the introvert wants to tell him to leave him alone.
As you can see, preferences for extraversion or introversion are relatively easy to calculate. But even here you can be mistaken: the person sitting to your right could be an extrovert who lectured and gave consultations all day, and by the evening he simply “burned out.”
In addition to sociability, introverts and extroverts are also distinguished from each other by energy level: extroverts draw strength in communication and become more and more energetic and enthusiastic during the conversation, and introverts communicate drains and devastates, although they may not show that this is the case.
Expressive or reserved? Differences between extroverts and introverts
– Extroverts speak louder than introverts; introverts often feel the desire to “nod” at extroverts, although this desire is not always fulfilled.
– The speed of speech of extroverts is often higher than that of introverts; Introverts usually doubt, think about everything before expressing it.
– Introverts often hold back and do not fully express themselves on any issue, while extroverts, on the contrary, can repeat their point of view several times.
– Extroverts use tools more nonverbal communication- gestures, facial expressions, etc., and introverts often seem more withdrawn and reserved.
Many of us are sure that we know exactly what is the difference between an introvert and an extrovert. We think that it is formulated something like this: extroverts are people who easily communicate with other people, while introverts, on the contrary, are shy and introverted people. This is the default view of many. But, only after familiarizing yourself with the theory a little, you can understand that it is far from the truth. What do the terms extrovert and introvert really mean? We offer a number of interesting facts.
How it all started and why the opinion of many is wrong
If we look far into the past, we will find that the terms introvert and extrovert were first coined by Carl Jung in the early 20th century.
Unfortunately, the meanings of these concepts have become confused, and we have begun to believe that there are only two camps of people: either introverts or extroverts. But in fact, Jung's theory said that these terms are simply extreme values scales. And this means that most people fall somewhere in the middle of this scale.
“There are no pure introverts or extroverts. Such a person would be in a madhouse,” said Carl Jung.
Therefore, if we analyze how we interact, we will never find ourselves at either end of the scale. We'll most likely be somewhere in the middle, like here:
Let's look at some theories about the differences between introverts and extroverts, as well as some modern theories that our genetic structures have much in common, and these areas of development are strong in each of us.
And, unlike the common wrong theory about whether people are shy or sociable, in fact, extroversion and introversion are determined by where we get our energy from. In other words, how we recharge our brains.
Introverts (or those of us with introverted tendencies) gain strength from spending time alone. They expend a lot of energy when they spend time around other people, especially when in large crowds.
Extroverts, on the other hand, get their energy from people. Extroverts lose their energy if they spend a lot of time alone. They recharge from communicating with people.
In the 1960s, psychologist Hans Eysenck suggested that the difference between introverts and extroverts was various levels activity (“excitation reactions”) - that is, how our brain and body respond to stimulation. Hans's theory was that extroverts have low level reactions to the pathogen. This means that extroverts have to work harder to get their brains and bodies into the same “normal” state that introverts can easily achieve. This results in extroverts (or people with extroverted tendencies, they may not be at the top of the scale) constantly seeking novelty and adventure, and craving connection with other people.
For introverts, this type of stimulation is intolerable, since their activity and arousal quotient is much higher and they are easily stimulated. Time spent alone, one-on-one conversations, and planned activities are all very introvert-like because introverts are very responsive to external stimulation.
It's especially interesting if we pay attention to the most common elements of body language and how extroverts and introverts perceive other people's behavior differently. Exercise may make you happier in general, but e.g. group classes They bring joy to extroverts and do not please introverts.
Differences in brain function between introverts and extroverts
IN latest research It turned out that the difference in brain function between introverts and extroverts is in the way we perceive rewards, as well as in the genetic characteristics themselves.
In extroverts, the brain reacts more actively if a risky adventure brings results. On the one hand, there are reasons for this that are inherent in us at the genetic level, but, on the other hand, there is some difference in dopamine structures.
This is what was discovered in an experiment conducted on people in a state of excitement. When the risky activity met their expectations, the group with the highest extraversion traits found that the most prominent response occurred in two areas of the brain during excitement: the amygdala and the pleasure center (nucleus accumbens).
nucleus accumbens The reward center of the brain is part of the dopamine system, which is responsible for how we learn and is widely known to be the motivating factor in seeking rewards and benefits. It is the difference in the dopamine system in extroverts that pushes them to search for new sensations, to take adventurous and risky actions, and that is why extroverts love unexpected situations and surprises more than others.
The amygdala is responsible for the process of emotional stimulation, which in turn provides a rush emotional excitement in extroverts, when they do things that simply take the introvert’s breath away. Research has also found that the difference between extroverts and introverts is how they perceive and process stimulation. That is, the stimulation process itself in our brain is perceived differently, depending on. For extroverts, the process of processing stimuli takes less time. Processing passes through the area where the processes of touch, taste, visual and auditory perception occur. For introverts, stimuli travel a long, complex path to areas of the brain responsible for memory, planning, and problem solving.
Instructions
The differences between introverts and extroverts can be deduced from the names of these types. So, “intro” means “inside”, and “extra” means “outside”. This also characterizes the personality orientation of these people: introverts are characterized by a focus inward, on their experiences and thoughts, while extroverts are characterized by an outward focus, on interaction with other people.
Extroverts vigorously express their emotions, share everything with others, behave demonstrably in terms of gestures and facial expressions, while introverts are usually enclosed in some kind of shell, from where it is not so easy to bring their experiences and emotions to light. Introverts are reasonable, thoughtful, analyze their emotions and are very restrained in their expressions. But at the same time, such a description should be interpreted only with outside it is forbidden. Extroverts, with their demonstrativeness, can be very deep people, and not superficial, as is commonly thought of them.
They also have different perceptions of other people. If extroverts advocate directness in relationships, they themselves do not seek ulterior motives and pitfalls in the behavior of others, then introverts constantly think about what is hidden behind people’s actions, why they act this way and not otherwise, how they feel, etc. In this regard, it is much easier for extroverts to interact and generally live in harmony with others than for introverts.
Extroverts easily understand others, can establish contacts and communicate with almost any person, thanks to which they have wide circle acquaintances For introverts, communication situations often cause problems, and they themselves do not even strive for communication. It is much better for them to spend time not in the company of people, but alone with themselves: they like to read, do creative work, walk, and play sports alone. The same principles are present in their work: extroverts work easier in a team, and introverts work alone. At the same time, extroverts consider a person they just know as a friend, while introverts will call a friend only someone with whom they have developed a sufficient relationship. deep relationships.
Introverts can engage in monotonous activities for quite a long time, while extroverts become bored with monotony. At the same time, introverts also need some rest after some activity, even entertainment, but they are used to resting alone. Extroverts are energetic, active and do not get tired of large crowds of people.
Extroverts are characterized by spontaneous actions, they are easy-going, mobile, and easily adapt to changing conditions. Introverts, on the contrary, get used to and literally grow into conditions; it is difficult for them to adapt; they are used to thinking about each of their actions, and only then doing something. The same applies to speech: they can first think about the answer to a question, and only then pronounce it. This slowness and inhibition gives rise to a certain ridicule of introverts, mainly from extroverts. This happens simply due to a lack of understanding that a person can be different from themselves.
