What is an Introvert?

I write for a company online which has served me well for the past several years.... until recently. One day I received notice that one of the clients had a questionable bank fraud activitiy. In response, the company I write for withdrew the payment I had received from a specific client and cancelled the order. This has been a point of contention with me since I feel as though this company really doesn't have my back like I thought they did. Regardless, I realized that these articles that were cancelled arae now legally back in my hands as far as copyright goes, since I wrote them and the sale did not go through. So, I decided to pubish them here on my personal blog. There will be a total of two or three posts about introverts (something I completely understand).

Here they are:

What is an Introvert?




According to the dictionary, the official definition of an introvert is, “a shy, reticent person”. However, if you tell that to a true introvert, you’re likely to get a better, more detailed, explanation as to what being an introvert really entails, albeit possibly delivered in detailed, written form. That is, of course, if you haven’t already insulted them to the point of causing them to put up a protective wall of silence in response to your using this dictionary definition of a personality trait so much more complex than words like “shy” or “reticent” will ever explain.




The idea of introversion being a personality trait was developed by psychologist, Carl Jung, who termed an introvert as a person who directs their thoughts inward from where they derive their energy. Introversion was further explored by psychologist Hans Eysenck, and later integrated as a specific personality trait represented by the letter I, for Introvert, in contrast to the letter E, which stands for Extrovert, on the Myers Briggs test.




As the saying goes, “Still waters run deep!” And, such is the case with introverts!




Basically, an introvert may appear to be reserved or quiet. But, don’t let the solitary demeanor fool you into thinking they are merely shy or scared to interact with others. There is so much more that lies beneath the surface of an introvert.




Though you probably will never notice it from the outside looking in unless you are inclined to introversion yourself, inside the mind of an introvert is a lot of activity. Most introverted people are comfortable and even prefer being alone with their thoughts where they work more productively and typically think everything through before expressing outward emotion. An introverted person usually enjoys one or two close friends who are trustworthy enough to share deep thoughts with and have little interest in collecting countless acquaintances. Inward thinking people quite often do well in school academics where thinking, logic, and problem solving is an asset.




Are all introverts shy?




No. While it’s true that an introvert can exhibit shyness traits, and many introverts find it difficult to make friends, shyness and introversion are two different things. Shyness indicates a fear of what others think of you. Whereas, introversion is a term that describes how you derive your energy.




Many introverts are also highly sensitive, which is another trait that is stomped underfoot of many extroverts who often pass it off as a bad or weak thing when, in reality, being highly sensitive is essential to having empathy toward the needs and feelings of others.




Introverts are often very spiritual people, have a tendency toward overthinking everything, and typically find that they write so much better than they express their thoughts in words which is partly why most introverts prefer typically long letter writing, or even email or texting to live phone calls.




It’s not that introverts are incapable of mingling or socializing with crowds of partying people, and it’s not that they are self-absorbed, but rather, these outward shallow surface expressions tire and somewhat confuse the otherwise deep, meaningful inward-focused thoughts, often leaving an introvert to feel exhausted or overwhelmed after social events.




It’s also important to understand that there are varying degrees of introversion and extroversion. While, one may be an extreme introvert, another may be a borderline extrovert but still lean mostly toward the introvert side, all sharing a need for solitude thriving on introspection and craving a conversation that has meaning or depth.




In the long run, what is an introvert? Summed up, it is someone whose thoughts turn inward from where they find the energy to press on and be who they are inside. If you are an introvert, though you may often feel isolated and misunderstood, you are not alone. Researchers estimate that between 26 to 50 per cent of people in the world are introverts. If you are fortunate enough to be close friends with an introvert, consider it a compliment because it most likely means they have deemed you trustworthy of being someone with whom they can share their innermost thoughts.