Around one-third to one-half of all people in the U.S. are introverts. Though it looks different in everyone, introverts have many of the same patterns of behavior. In general, introverts: Need quiet to concentrate.
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.
“Being 100% extroverted or introverted is pretty rare. Most people are a combination of both personality types. The labels “introvert” and “extrovert” have become a short-hand way to express how people react to the world around them.
Usually shy and quiet, an introvert gets exhausted physically and drained mentally with too much of external interaction. It doesn't even matter if the gathering is formal or informal. It means the same for him, and has a similar effect. There are very peculiar character traits associated with introverts.
Research varies on the proportion of introverts to extroverts in society, with the split ranging from 50:50 to one third introverts to two thirds extroverts. When asked which personality type it was better to be, people will generally cite being an extrovert as better.
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.
If you see yourself as an introvert and think its the worst thing in the world, you are never going to be truly happy with yourself. But if you accept yourself as an introvert and you're happy then there is nothing in your way of you achieving your goals. All in all, there is nothing wrong with being an Introvert.
Yes, being an introvert is OK. It's a natural part of who you are, it comes with a lot of advantages and, yes, sometimes you'll get tired if you're around people too long. But introverts can be fun, interesting, social, and even outgoing when they want to be.
One of the drawbacks of being an introvert is that you probably have a hard time bragging about yourself. Introverts just don't want to come off as arrogant or full of themselves, so they won't bring up certain accomplishments.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
Being an introvert doesn't necessarily mean you're socially awkward, but the two do sometimes overlap. Certainly, as in my case, the fear of feeling anxious and awkward in social settings can cause us to lean into our introversion.
Yet many of us are shy and socially introverted. We feel awkward around unfamiliar people, unsure of what to say, or worried about what others might think of us. This can cause us to avoid social situations, cut ourselves off from others, and gradually become isolated and lonely.
Costa and McCrae's work has found that from about age 18 to 30, people tend to become more neurotic, more introverted, and less open to new experiences; they also tend to become more agreeable and more conscientious. After age 30, these same trends are seen, but the rate of change dips.
Introverts are loyal and devoted friends.
People are attracted to loyal and devoted people. While introverts may not always realize it, this is a trait most people find attractive in them. Their loyalty isn't just attractive to the recipients of that devotion, but to anyone who observes them.
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.
In addition to their superior listening skills, introverts possess what Buelow considers a “superpower”: their observation skills. “We notice things others might not notice because they're talking and processing out loud,” she says.
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.
Being shy and being introverted aren't the same thing, although they may look the same. An introvert enjoys time alone and gets emotionally drained after spending a lot of time with others. A shy person doesn't necessarily want to be alone but is afraid to interact with others.
Whenever we think of introverts, we usually think of someone with a shy nature, who is not quite chatty or talkative. Yet, some introverts seem to be pretty talkative. Still, this kind of introvert needs personal time to recharge their batteries. There are many reasons why introverts are chatty.