5 reasons why being an introvert is good

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5 reasons why being an introvert is good
5 reasons why being an introvert is good
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Shy, boring and reserved - they often say about introverted people, since they don't show much of themselves. But this assumption is mostly a misjudgment of cultures where openness and talkativeness are overvalued, and in addition, assertiveness is considered the key to a successful life. We have gathered some arguments that prove that introverted people are not only not antisocial, but also very interesting, intelligent and therefore attractive.

Introversion and extraversion

Carl Gustav Jung's book Psychological Types introduced and widely popularized the concepts of introversion and extraversion as the main factors of personality. According to Jung, introverts are attracted to the inner world of thoughts and feelings, and extraverts to the outer world of people and activities. Introverts focus on the meanings they create about the events around them; and extroverts throw themselves into these events. Introverts are energized when they are alone, and extroverts are depleted when they don't have enough social life.

"Of course, these are not absolute characteristics: according to psychologist Carl Jung, there is no purely introverted or purely extraverted personality, but everyone is somewhere between the two extremes, but the majority of people are in the middle of the spectrum, they are ambiverts," writes Lars Larsen, professor of psychology at Aarhus University on Science Nordic If you haven't taken the Myers–Briggs personality test based on Jung's ideas and used by most universities and giant companies, you can do so here.

Good company and audience

In this world that idealizes extraversion, those who are active, proactive and talkative are considered sociable people, while introverts stand out with their relaxed nature and calmness. They are wrongly labeled as shy, when shyness is a fear of social judgment, which has nothing to do with a reserved nature. Aloof people do not chatter unnecessarily, their voices can be heard mostly when they want to say something really important, but then they immediately arouse the interest of the audience with what they have to say and unintentionally become the center of attention. It is true that they may feel uncomfortable in a large crowd, but in a smaller group they are very much masters of the situation. According to relationship counselor Jordan Gray, in addition, often withdrawing and thinking alone does not mean that they are unfriendly and distant, in fact: regardless of the fact that it may take longer for them to open up to others, they are very kind and devoted.

shutterstock 105373016
shutterstock 105373016

“Instead of superficial acquaintances, they maintain fewer but close and valuable friendships, they care and pay attention to their surroundings with sincere interest. Introverted people do not speak out of turn, they rarely interrupt others - as they usually listen more than they speak - and they do not necessarily listen to others in order to share advice, but in order to understand their interlocutor - and this attitude is not even in a relationship disadvantage, the expert writes on his website.

They dream, therefore they are creative

We have already written about the fact that daydreaming is not a sin, but it is not even a waste of time, in fact, despite appearances, it is a very useful activity. Psychologist Scott Berry Kaufman and his colleagues also agree with Daniel Goleman that wandering goes hand in hand with creativity. Well, introverted people are like that: they are full of fanciful thoughts and during daydreaming they usually come up with some unusual idea, which they gladly and enthusiastically share with others.

According to psychologists Mihály Csíkszentmihályi and Gregory Feist, the most creative representatives of certain fields are often introverted, which is largely due to the fact that one of the most important conditions for creative success is solitude, when a person can reflect, create, ask questions and to carry on monologues to himself. In her book Silence - The Power of Silence in a Loud World, Susan Cain writes that without introverted people there would be no In Search of Lost Time, the theory of relativity, Chopin's Nocturnes, but neither would Google. This kind of desired and productive solitude allows introverts to delve into a subject and quietly become masters of it. Think about it: Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin or Steven Spielberg also - whenever possible - avoided the big company, yet they were not lost people, in fact.

shutterstock 264715838
shutterstock 264715838

Incredibly motivated

And with this, they can also set an example for their environment. In achieving their goals, instead of shallow and superficial incentives (material goods, monetary rewards, recognition, fame), deeper, internal motivations play a role, that is, the driving force behind their actions is usually the joy inherent in the action itself. They know who they are, where they belong and what their business is in the world, which is why they passionately do what they are good at, despite the risks and inconveniences, writes brain researcher Gregory Mitchell on the Mind Development site. Moreover, introverts are excellent at focusing and can immerse themselves in a work process for a long time, and this kind of curiosity, self-motivation and commitment is an undeniably inspiring and attractive quality not only in private life, but also in a busy workplace.

In other words, they are intelligent and efficient

It is part of the aloof but curious nature of introverted people that they like to read aside, discover new connections, and philosophize within themselves. They know well what interesting things to share with whom, so if you start chatting with introverted friends, you can be sure that they will draw your attention to interesting, meaningful and important things during the exchange of ideas.

They may not be the number one team player at work, but that's simply because they perform much better when they can do their work independently and in a relaxed environment. That is why the more freedom and privacy they provide for introverted workers (so that they can be themselves), the more likely they are to come up with unique solution strategies for each problem.

Adam Grant, a lecturer at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, conducted an interesting study on the subject and found that introversion often produces even better results for leaders than communicative orientation. If they have subordinates who are proactive and capable of independent initiative, withdrawn bosses leave more room for them to implement their ideas.

shutterstock 252235783
shutterstock 252235783

Mysterious and good observers

As much as we want to read their thoughts, there is a chance that we will never guess when and what is on the minds of introverted people - and they don't often show their emotions either - but at the same time, it can often seem that they already know what we are thinking. before we say anything. This mystery is fascinating and terrifying at the same time. Despite the fact that socializing is not their nature, introverts are very good at knowing people, and since the world is full of possibilities for them, they often see things that easily escape the attention of others. The reason behind their silence or withdrawn nature is not shyness, they are simply bound to absorb as much information as possible from their environment and quietly search for cause-and-effect relationships, writes Life Hack.

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