Overall findings show introverts are more vulnerable than extraverts to depression and decreased mental well-being. Introverts are more likely to be compliant and have lower self-esteem than extraverts, and also have less social support than extraverts, which can be detrimental when experiencing depression.
While it's true that both types of personality can experience problems with their mental health, it's widely accepted and proven that introverts are more susceptible to depression than many other personality types.
The truth is pretty simple: Being an introvert is normal and healthy. 30 to 50 percent of the population is introverted. Being an introvert does not mean you're shy or have social anxiety.
While there are always exceptions to the rule, research consistently demonstrates that Introverts are, in general, more anxious than Extraverts. It appears that Introverts' nervous systems are in many respects tuned differently.
Individuals with an introverted personality type are also often known to be perfectionists and very self-critical. Such characteristics can leave individuals feeling unsatisfied with themselves and with their lives. It can also lead to stress, mental and physical exhaustion, as well as mental health issues.
Introverts are looked down upon for lack of good 'communication skills'. Right from an early age, introverts have to compete very hard with peers, who seem to have no problem in public or interpersonal speaking. What seems to be effortless for peers is actually the most difficult task for an introverted child.
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.
Big Crowds
Swarms of strangers can be a fear for many people for various reasons, but it is particularly common for anxious introverts. Introverts gather their energy from being alone, but that doesn't mean the “all alone in a crowd of people” thing always works.
This means that introverts may process more information per second than extroverts, which helps explain why introverts are prone to overthinking.
Extroverts may live longer than introverts – but not during a pandemic. A US study showed that extroverts had a slightly higher mortality rate than introverts during the first Covid-19 wave in the US. It remains to be seen whether this pattern continued into 2021 and 2022.
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.
Because introverts tend to think before speaking or acting, they are less prone to impulsive behavior and the kinds of accidents that can result. A focus on internal rather than external cues may curtail overeating. 5 And being tuned in to the need to recharge, introverts tend to get more sleep than extroverts.
Even though introverted people tend to prefer time alone, they can also experience feelings of loneliness.
The typical introvert is shy, contemplative, and reserved and tends to have difficulty adjusting to social situations. Excessive daydreaming and introspection, careful balancing of considerations before reaching decisions, and withdrawal under stress are also typical of the introverted personality.
Because they are naturally very observant and thoughtful, introverts are also excellent listeners. Great leaders don't just talk, they listen intently — to their employees, consumers, and anyone else around them. They're vocal about their ideas but are also open to feedback and change.
The name sounds like a synonym for weakness. But the truth is, it's more of a superpower. And researchers have found 70% of introverts also are highly sensitive people.
Covert narcissism correlates strongly with introversion, Cheek explained — if you have one, you're more likely to have the other, though there are plenty of introverts who don't also have narcissistic tendencies. “Covert narcissism is sort of a dark side of introversion,” he said.
Yes, emotional trauma can cause a person to become a lot more introverted. Along with something as small as a loud noise more traumatic events can clearly change the way that someone acts.
According to this research, it didn't matter whether the introverts were in a resting state or engaged in a task: They all showed more brain activity than the extroverts. This means that introverts may process more information per second than extroverts, which helps explain why introverts are prone to overthinking.
One reason why introverts make people uncomfortable is because they don't react to anything right away. Instead, they get very quiet and often are completely expressionless. Many people assume it's because introverts aren't interested, don't care, or believe whatever's out there on the table is bad, dumb, or trash.
Introversion and Happiness
While introverts are generally likely to report lower levels of happiness than extroverts, this does not mean that introverts are unhappy. Ultimately, it's important to note the happiness benefits of both introverted and extroverted behavior, no matter where you fall on the spectrum.
Introvert is formed from the prefix intro–, meaning “inwardly” or “within,” and the root vert, meaning “to turn” (as in invert). The concept of introversion and introverts (and other personality types) was popularized by psychologist Carl Jung in the early 1900s.
They are trustworthy.
They “process feelings, not only their own, but others' as well, in an earnest and thorough way,” says Jones. Because of this, they are more understanding and really understand their dates' feelings. Being aware makes introverts synced up with their dates.