On average, introverts and extroverts are the same in terms of intelligence. But statistics show that around 70% of gifted people are introverts. People are considered “gifted” when they exhibit above-average intelligence or a superior talent for something, such as music, art or math.
While introverts make up an estimated 25% to 40% of the population, there are still many misconceptions about this personality type. It is also important to note that being an introvert does not mean that you are socially anxious or shy.
Introversion isn't totally genetic. It gets influenced by your environment at a young age, and our genes allow a certain amount of flexibility in response. This happens through “set points,” which are the upper and lower limits of how much extroversion your brain can handle.
One study found that introverts may actually have better interpersonal skills than extroverts. Since they often spend their time observing others, they are usually better at predicting reactions from others in social situations. This allows them to read others and respond appropriately.
You're the silent type
You'll find plenty of misconceptions about quiet people, e.g. being labeled as introverts, socially awkward and so on. This isn't necessarily true, and while not all quiet people are necessarily smart, highly intelligent people will often refrain from speaking if they are accessing a situation.
Faces that are perceived as highly intelligent are rather prolonged with a broader distance between the eyes, a larger nose, a slight upturn to the corners of the mouth, and a sharper, pointing, less rounded chin.
You're an introvert.
It gets better. As an adult, you now leverage your strength for processing, contemplating and thinking things over, which is a trait of highly intelligent people. In fact, more than 75 percent of people with an IQ above 160 are introverted.
Not only is Einstein one of the most famous scientists in history, but he was also a known introvert. Leaning into his introverted nature, Einstein believed that his creativity and success came from keeping to himself. He said, “The monotony and solitude of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind.”
However, our research at Bandelli & Associates has found that introverts often possess greater levels of Relational Intelligence than extroverts do. Relationally intelligent introverts are often highly self-aware, observant, and are excellent listeners.
Introverts tend to experience more anticipatory anxiety and anxiety disorders than extroverts. Anxiety typically means your stress response is constantly activated, even if there's no clear cause for it.
Independence. Unique and fiercely independent, introverts are more inclined to let their own inner resources guide them than follow the crowd. We do our best work — and are our happiest — when we have the freedom to explore ideas, spend time alone, and be self-directed and independent.
One Harvard study found that introverts' brains work differently, and have thicker gray matter compared to extroverts. In people who are strongly extroverted, gray matter was consistently thinner. Introverts also showed more activity in the frontal lobes, where analysis and rational thought take place.
INFJ is the rarest personality type across the population, occurring in just 2% of the population. It is also the rarest personality type among men. INFJ stands for Introversion, Intuition, Feeling, and Judging. This unique combination is hard to find in most people.
Introverts are more likely to be effective leaders in organizations that encourage workers to contribute ideas. Introverts' listening skills may draw top results from their teams. 7 Introverts also are observant, noticing details and connections others may not—including contributions that other introverts can make.
In 2011, research by psychologists Jennifer Grimes, Jonathan Cheek, and Julie Norem broke introversion into four main types: social introvert, thinking introvert, anxious introvert, and restrained introvert.
Princess Diana was an introvert. She was shy and reserved in public, but she had a warm and loving personality. As she began to get more used to the press and the spotlight, this personality really began to shine through.
Introverts are actually great team leaders, but they are also successful when working independently. Since introverts have often struggled to get their true talents seen and appreciated, they are generally quite respectful of the different working styles and preferences of others. Introverts don't give up easily.
There have been many popular historical leaders who are introverts, including Abraham Lincoln, Eleanor Roosevelt, Albert Einstein, Rosa Parks, and Mahatma Gandhi.
Introverts tend to be more prone to overthinking than extroverts, but it's possible for anyone to fall into this trap. Being an introvert means you have a tendency towards self-reflection that can take its toll if you're not careful.
If you're an introvert, you likely possess emotional intelligence skills that your more gregarious counterparts secretly admire, and rightly so. Introverts are often misread as people who wish they could change. But that's not so!
While autism and introversion share some similarities, it's important to remember that they are two very different things. Not everyone who is introverted is autistic, and not everyone who is autistic is introverted.
Highly intelligent people are usually highly rational, even when they are also emotionally intense. They enjoy finding solutions to big problems and are aware of their deep potentials. However, they are often misunderstood. Being different, they are often scapegoated.
Here's an amazing and even shocking fact— A person can be smart but not intelligent. You can be smart about lots of facts and yet not able to intelligently use those facts. This is the problem with most schooling.