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.
It seems Extraverts rule in modern society, but academic studies suggest that anywhere between 30 and 50 percent of the population is Introverted. So even if you feel alone sometimes, you are not. Introversion is as normal and as common as Extraversion.
The truth is that most of us are Ambiverts, which means that we have some features of extroverts and some of introverts. And almost everyone would agree to that. Carl Jung, who came up with these terms, himself said that nobody can be a 100% extrovert or 100% introvert.
But, according to psychiatrist Carl Jung, who introduced the terms into psychology, there's actually no such thing as a pure introvert or extrovert. "Such a person would be in the lunatic asylum," he famously said. Most people are ambiverts, he said: extrovert-introvert hybrids.
According to the MBTI global sample, 56.8 per cent of the world's population is introverted.
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.
1. Sweden. Sweden is often hailed as a great place to live with a high quality of life—and it's also an amazing haven for introverts. Swedish culture is very introverted in nature, and Swedish people tend to find a careful balance between being friendly but not overly outgoing.
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.
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.
Loners seek solitude and prefer introspection to socializing. Introverts usually seek out social instances less than others, and they need some “recharging time” after big social events. Loners can be introverts; however, not every introvert is a loner.
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.
Even though introverts are everywhere, and even though so much information on the personality type is out there, there are people who still look at introverts suspiciously. Being an extreme introvert isn't a weakness or a disorder. Remember that people don't need to accept you.
“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.
Introversion and extraversion are personality traits lying at opposite ends of a spectrum. Some people fit with one extreme or another, but many people fall somewhere in the middle. While societal expectations might make it seems like introversion is rare, it's actually not.
The rarest personality type is the INFJ personality type, known as 'The Counselor'. 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.
Some people who have autism may also be introverts, but the two are not directly linked to go hand in hand. Just like anyone else who has a sort of social anxiety, it may just be the particular or specific person who is the introvert and not necessarily something that they have separated from this.
While extroverted traits like these are part of the ADHD experience for some people, they're not everyone's experience. In fact, many people with ADHD identify with introverted traits. Whether that's needing time alone to recharge, spending lots of time in their own head or feeling overwhelmed by external stimuli.
There's a common misconception that introverts aren't social. In fact, introverts can be just as social as extroverts. The difference between the two is that introverts lose energy when they're around people and recharge by spending time alone, while extroverts gain energy by spending time with other people.
In terms of introversion and extroversion, research suggests that as we age, we become more introverted. This may be due to a variety of factors, such as increased wisdom and self-awareness, which can lead to a greater appreciation for solitude and time alone.
Yes, emotional trauma can cause a person to become a lot more introverted.
Weaknesses: social anxiety, shyness, navigating a predominantly extroverted world.
According to a study published by the Health Psychology journal, introverts are more likely to suffer from sleep deprivation than extroverts are. They are also more likely to have a lot of nightmares or periods of wakefulness. Because of this, introverts are more likely to feel more tired or less alert during the day.