Shy. Nervous. Anxious. Anti-social. Lonely. These are all terms that people often associate with introversion, but none of them are truly accurate. Introverts are simply overstimulated but their own thoughts and feelings and tend to seek out calming activities and company. By contrast, extroverts are understimulated and seek out lively activities and company. Introversion and extroversion are central personality traits that have a big impact on how we interact with the world around us, and even how we process information.
The best explanation of this that I've found is a TED Talk titled Confessions of a passionate introvert, given by Professor Brian Little.
In this talk he introduces the audience to the concept of optimal arousal and the link between this and personality. As alluded to, introverts fall above the optimal level while extroverts fall below. Introverts will seek out moments of "restoration" while extroverts will try to find any opportunity to make their present more stimulating.
But, like everything in life, this is not absolute or close to the end of the story. According to Carl Jung who first coined the terms, there is a spectrum of Introversion-Ambiversion-Extroversion, and everyone falls somewhere within it. As Professor Little also points out, we are all capable of acting out of character if the situation calls for it, at least for a little while.
Can we train ourselves to change permanently? The answer is no. What we can do is learn to harness our strengths and manage our weaknesses. This is where I can point to another, well-known TED Talk by author Susan Cain titled, The power of introverts.
Cain speaks to the importance of solitude, introspection and introversion, when so often our society is geared towards to opposite. Schools and work places are oriented towards constant collaboration as opposed to quiet individual contribution. We tend to follow the loud and assertive personas rather than giving issues and problems thoughtful consideration.
And now, more than ever thoughtful consideration is what we need.
So what are introverts? Introverts are quiet, reserved individuals with rich internal lives that enjoy quiet activities.
The best explanation of this that I've found is a TED Talk titled Confessions of a passionate introvert, given by Professor Brian Little.
In this talk he introduces the audience to the concept of optimal arousal and the link between this and personality. As alluded to, introverts fall above the optimal level while extroverts fall below. Introverts will seek out moments of "restoration" while extroverts will try to find any opportunity to make their present more stimulating.
But, like everything in life, this is not absolute or close to the end of the story. According to Carl Jung who first coined the terms, there is a spectrum of Introversion-Ambiversion-Extroversion, and everyone falls somewhere within it. As Professor Little also points out, we are all capable of acting out of character if the situation calls for it, at least for a little while.
Can we train ourselves to change permanently? The answer is no. What we can do is learn to harness our strengths and manage our weaknesses. This is where I can point to another, well-known TED Talk by author Susan Cain titled, The power of introverts.
Cain speaks to the importance of solitude, introspection and introversion, when so often our society is geared towards to opposite. Schools and work places are oriented towards constant collaboration as opposed to quiet individual contribution. We tend to follow the loud and assertive personas rather than giving issues and problems thoughtful consideration.
And now, more than ever thoughtful consideration is what we need.
So what are introverts? Introverts are quiet, reserved individuals with rich internal lives that enjoy quiet activities.
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