Introversion History

Introversion are traits where a person is more mindful of their own thoughts and feelings rather than their surrounding environment. Have you ever met someone that seemed to be more reserved than others? Someone who tends to keep their emotions private? Someone who is more of a social

In her article Shyness: Evolutionary Tactic? author Susan Cain addresses many of the preconceived notions society has against introverted people. Cain argues that society tends to favor the outgoing and extroverted and shames those who prefer to be alone rather than socialize. The author utilizes certain writing strategies as a way to change her audience’s original views surrounding introversion. Cain’s use of comparing and contrasting, specific examples, and strong transitions that bridge various ideas to each other make her argument, that introverts are essential to society, much more persuasive.

Introverts are often mistaken as shy or quiet, mostly because they keep themselves, they see thing in a different light. Introverts and others often view their quietness or the way they like to be alone as “a second-class personality trait, somewhere between a

Since I was young, there was a communication barrier that existed between me and the outside world. My shyness led me to many downfalls on my academic side. Not understanding a topic would mean that I would never be able to clarify any questions that were on my mind. Until around 6th grade, I always considered myself introverted; I had the inability to blend in with strangers, peers and teachers.

An introvert person is usually someone who enjoys solitude rather than spending time with a group of people. Introverts are often known for being able to “recharge” on their own, rather than recharging by socializing. Extroverts usually gain energy from spending time with other people. For many introverts, being in a social surrounding and spending a lot of time around people can be exhausting, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t like people. It means they choose not to be surrounded by others. But why do introverts want to be alone? Is it because they lack social skills or social interest? Or maybe they create a protective wall where they don’t let people in.

I am a strong Introvert and do not like big gatherings, but can deal with them by expending a lot of mental energy. An example of my Introvert status would be trick-or-treating on Halloween. I hated going up and interacting with people to the point I would make my brother handle the interaction and I would just get the candy. If my brother was not going tick-or-treating, then I just stayed at home.

Me being an introvert as well, I can relate, where the absence of confidence has stuck. It seems to be really hard for me to openly share my opinions and my assessments to most topics. "Simon turned away from them and went the just perceptible path led him... Holding his breath he cocked a critical ear at the sounds of the island." (Golding 57) When wanting to be alone, Simon heads to a secret place to take in the silence. When I get frustrated or need calming down, I too find a quiet safe place for me where I feel comfortable to let out all the negative energy. While being in this mind set, there is a great deal of thinking and feeling happening.

There are people who on the outside are not sociable, because these people are shy. However, there is a difference between shyness and introversion. Shy people often avoid many things because they are nervous or they criticize themselves for speaking up. Introverts, however, will not be nervous or criticize themselves. Both shyness and being introverted are acceptable traits. It only becomes a problem when a person has a social anxiety disorder that significantly interferes with a person’s life. We want and need people to be the quiet thinkers who can go off by themselves come up with an idea and bring it back to a

“Introverts can often be very deep and very thoughtful. Even if they are quiet, they can have a lot to contribute,” explained Alcee. “In this day and age where we are all on our phones, back and forth, introverts know how to look inwards and connect. That’s something we are sort of losing as a culture and introverts do that instinctively. For millennials and this generation, that’s an important virtue and skill.”

I cannot count the numerous times when I was playfully mocked for being alone or not talking at a large gathering. There would always be someone who suddenly approaches me, yells “you gotta be more social!”, and drags me to an unfamiliar group of people and forces me to talk to them about something. Each uncomfortable moment like that lowered my self-esteem because I always criticized myself for being a mix of too shy and too introverted. I told myself the same thing others did: I had to be more social.

According to just about any dictionary you can find, we are shy and reticent people, quiet, and lacking in our abilities to communicate with others. However, as a matter of semantics, I disagree with this. For one thing, when the word introvert made it’s debut in the mid-17th century, it simply referred to clergymen engaged in spiritual contemplation, possessing none of the connotations of shyness present today. Furthermore, from the current perspective of an introvert, introversion doesn’t even entail being nervous or timid in the presence of others, so much as being a sort of machine whose batteries run off of solitude; batteries that slowly become exhausted by socialization, no matter how thoroughly enjoyable. Any diffidence, falsely interpreted or real, is an entirely separate matter. The dictionary is

An introvert is a person that gathers their energy from within and requires time alone and would prefer to communicate by ways such as email and by writing and maybe texting they seem to prefer not to talk face to face and are not great public speakers. Introverts are often said to be reserved. They are often said to enjoy the quiet and this is what

I was not always a social and outgoing individual and I considered myself unlucky in life. I never stood out and did not have enough confidence to attempt to

Introverts are people who spend time thinking and reflecting before they act. Their motivation is internal, which might end up closing them off from the world around them. Introverts usually prefer one-to-one relationships, and only express intimacy with a few family members or close friends. Introverts also love doing activities that allow them to be put in an organizational position. Occasionally, introverts will shut down and close off from all of those around them. Personally, I believe that is a completely accurate description of myself. I also plan out my days ahead of time, and I love being able to put things together. While I sometimes I think that it is a negative thing, I do tend to close off from my circle, which happens to be very small. If I do get to meet my goal of being a teacher, my introversion definitely yields to potential for problems. Getting out of my shell would be a challenge, without a doubt. That being said, my introversion is mostly geared towards others my age. I am usually very comfortable around people that are older or younger than I am, which makes me believe I would probably be okay. Other than having to overcome the challenge of opening up, being an introvert does have upsides, such as having an urge to get things done.

According to many psychologists and other social experts, there exist two major social behaviors that are widely adopted globally by a person as they mature into young adulthood: extraversion or introversion. Extroverts are expressive individuals who appear to be energized and enjoy seeking activities that involve socialization with others where as a reserved individual (introvert) prefers solitary pursuits where he or she often partakes in a favorite pastime. In her novel Introvert Power: Why Your Inner Life is Your Hidden Strength, Laurie Helgoe statistically explores the fact that more than one half of the American populace claims to be reticent and encourages those folks to embrace their natural selves (“Book Details” 1). Introverts