EXTROVERTS V/S INTROVERTS
Both extraversion and introversion are now terms that people commonly use to describe others. This has led to stereotypes that force us to construct a general box for a large group of people, who are very different from one another. Extraversion is a very important and apparent personality feature of an individual, but that doesn’t alone define the person. It was Carl Jung- a Swiss psychologist who first came up with the idea of extraversion. He described this personality type as a spectrum or continuum, where one end represents extraversion and the other- introversion. People have both the qualities, but most often they tend to move a little left or right in the spectrum making them more introvert or extrovert. There are also people who are almost at the centre with characters divide in half- they are labeled as ambiverts. But what does it actually mean to be extroverted or introverted? How are they different?
To give a definition to these personality types; Introverts are the ones whose attention and focus are more directed inwards, whereas extroverts tend to focus on the outside world. Some of the defining characters of a classic extrovert include being talkative and friendly, a fondness for open spaces, adaptable, etc. Extroverts enjoy praises but at times they become all too dependent on this as well. They are attention-seeking and rightfully so, as they can perform better in large groups. They have a larger group of friends but the bond they share is normally weak. They can open up to any one but they can get distracted easily as well. These are qualities of a full-fledged extrovert, the intensity of these qualities vary from one person to another. Introverts have qualities that are quite the opposite. They don’t like being praised as they find internal validation more important. They speak less and listen more. As a result, they find it hard to outshine others in a large group but are great at one-on-one interactions. They have a narrow friend zone but the bond is stronger. They can also attend and focus on things without being distracted.
As mentioned before, these aren’t the only characters or traits that an introvert or extrovert possesses. And they can’t be categorised as these personality types alone. But researchers have been able to predict career choices, relationship outcomes, and lifestyle of people based on where they stand in the extraversion scale.
Introverts, as you might have guessed, tend to be more successful in careers that involve academic qualities and attentive nature. On the other hand, extroverts can be better at jobs that require frequent interaction with the public. This doesn’t mean that if you are an extrovert, you can never be a painter or if you are an introvert, you can never be a teacher. It just is less likely (statistics at play). Likewise, extroverts seem to have more active and exciting romantic relationships but introverts have more long-term relationships. Again, this is not a final verdict on who should you marry or who should you date. It just provide us with statistical data.
But, how did these differences come about in the first place? Is it ‘thanks to our parents’, or ‘blame it on the way they raised us’? The classic nature-nurture conundrum. Well, there are some obvious reasons that have been discovered to date. Even though the environmental factors are being investigated, at least at the moment, psychologists believe that our genetic qualities have the upper hand in choosing our position on the extraversion scale. One of the major physiological differences between extraverts and introverts is their sensitivity to particular neurotransmitters. Dopamine is a chemical released in the brain that motivates us to seek external rewards and acetylcholine is also a neurotransmitter that is associated with pleasure but is internally inclined. There may not be any difference in the quantity of these neurotransmitters between the two types. However, extroverts are more active in the presence of dopamine, and introverts tend to prefer acetylcholine. This is just one of the factors that might be responsible for drawing the line between extraversion and introversion.
The question of ‘who is better?’ is actually without meaning, as both have their own ideal environment to excel at, like a shark in the sea and a lion in the forest. However, with the lockdown amidst the global pandemic, I guess introverts are winning the race!
