February 14, 2015

I think it’s easy to discount the differences between introverts and extroverts, but the differences are truly night and day. Psychologists have nailed down some of the clear differences that introverts display.

“Shyness is about fear of social judgment,” Said Susan Cain in her 2012 TED Talk, The Power Of Introverts. “Introversion is more about how do you respond to stimulation, including social stimulation. So extroverts really crave large amounts of stimulation, whereas introverts feel at their most alive and their most switched on and their most capable when they are in quieter, more low-key environments.”

For starters, introverts simply shut down when they get their alone time. Introverts have a breaking point when it comes to stimulation. Social interactions are taxing to the overall energy levels of the introvert. Introverts are happy to see the people they love, but when they reach that breaking point, they need their alone time. Don’t take it personally.

Interestingly enough, introverts hate talking on the phone. This is something we have in common. Introverts tend to screen their calls. Introverts also tend to avoid small talk, which is a rather notorious portion of having a phone conversation. Often, introverts will simply call you back when they have the energy to deal with talking to you on the phone.

For an introvert, their moods have nothing to do with their environment. Have you ever found yourself surrounded by angry people and begin feeling angry yourself? Introverts don’t tend to feel that way according to a study published in Frontiers of Human Neuroscience. Introverts don’t experience rushes of dopamine like extraverts do, which makes them generally impervious to their surrounding emotions.

SNIP