MISCONCEPTION OF INTROVERT

When you hear the word introvert, what comes to your mind? The word ‘quiet’ probably comes to your mind first. But is it true that an introvert is someone soft-spoken, shy, and doesn’t like to socialize? I think that conception is just a stereotype created by society to label introverts. You can not generalize someone based on their personality type—external factors such as environment, family, friends, and much more play a significant role.

In the 1920s, Carl Jung, a psychologist, used the terms “introvert” and “extrovert” (also spelled extravert). These two personality types categorize people based on how they receive or spend their energy. Introverts, according to Jung, turn to their own minds for energy, whereas extroverts seek out other people. An introvert personality type prefers to focus on their inner thoughts and ideas rather than what is going on around them. They prefer to spend their time with one or two people rather than in large groups or crowds. Two introverts living in a completely different environment can result in two types of different introverts. Therefore, introverts’ personality type is not like one-size-fits-all clothes. Some introverts enjoy social interaction, have a lot of confidence, and can even be good leaders. Other introverts prefer to be alone, avoid social interactions, and find it difficult to fit in with a crowd. Some introverts have a mix of traits. Hence we can not generalize all introverts as the same. I have picked several myths about introverts that I find interesting, and here are the top 3 misconceptions about introverts.

Coming at the top is all introvert is shy. This is not true because being “shy” does not have anything to do with being “introvert”, and they are two completely different things. Shy is the feeling of nervousness or discomfort with other people or during social interaction; this is called emotion. Everyone, despite their personality type, has this emotion. Meanwhile, an introvert is a personality type that feels more energized or comfortable doing things independently or in a small group of people. They are not necessarily an individual that is “shy” or “afraid” of social settings. With the right group of people and a supportive environment, introverts can be the life of the party.

Introverts sometimes give this kind of impression because of their type that prefers to spend time alone to recharge. Still, in reality, during social settings, they often want to survey the scene first to figure out where they could fit in and direct their social battery. Because they tend to be in a smaller group, people sometimes find it hard to get to know them, but trust me, when you’re able to gain introverts’ trust, you get a friend of a lifetime. Therefore, to all extroverts, don’t worry. Introverts can manage social situations in their own way, with their own time.

The second misconception is introverts are not team players. People have this illusion that introverts do not work well in group work because of their “introverted” personality type, which means they don’t like talking to people. Now, guys, this is simply just not true. Again, being a good team player does not have anything to do with your personality type. Everyone has their own method of contributing to group work. Being an introvert myself, sometimes I refrain from giving direct input into a discussion because I have to observe my surroundings first and make sure that I’m comfortable enough with my teammates and the environment to speak my mind freely. That way, I can feel assured that my opinion is being valued by my team. Many people tend to be quiet during discussions because they have experienced being ignored in the past, so they feel their opinion does not matter and is not being valued. Therefore, regardless of your personality type, it’s everyone’s responsibility to create an environment where everyone can feel safe stating their opinions.

The third one is introverts can not be a leader. This one is just a sting! Society portrays that a leader should possess the quality of an extrovert which makes the introvert personality type to be looked down upon. However, this is far from the truth. As a matter of fact, Harvard Business School research indicates that introverts can be better leaders than extroverts, particularly when leading proactive employees. I’m sure many of you have heard of introverts such as Jeff Bezos, Tim Cook, and Bill Gates. They have founded and led some of the world’s most successful businesses. It shows that introverts have qualities that make them influential leaders because of their ability to stay focused on long-term goals and acknowledge the employee’s achievements. Still, the best trait of introverts is their ability to listen. While introverts don’t like to speak up as much as extroverts, they excel at the other end of the conversation—listening and processing information. Listening is a vital skill for leaders, especially to take more suggestions from others and implement the best ideas.

Indeed, there is nothing wrong with being an introvert or an extrovert. Everyone is different and should be respected for their distinctions. With that, we can not label a particular personality type into one category as it will lead to misconceptions in society that could hurt introverts’ or extroverts’ feelings. After all, neither personality type is “better” or “correct” than the other. We’re like yin and yang, sunset and sunrise, thought and action, or in other words, we balance each other.

Reference:

Nobel, C. (2010, October 4). Introverts: The Best Leaders for Proactive Employees. HBS Working Knowledge. https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/introverts-the-best-leaders-for-proactive-employeesParpworth-

Reynolds, C. (2021, August 19). 11 Big Misconceptions About Being an Introvert.

Subconscious Servant. https://subconsciousservant.com/introvert-misconceptions/

Reiff Ellis, R. (2019, October 2). How to Tell if You‘re an Introvert. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/balance/introvert-personality-overview 

Vaults, M.

(2020, February 11). Introverts are misunderstood. North Texas Daily.

https://www.ntdaily.com/introverts-are-misunderstood/ 

https://medium.com/@anthonypjshaw/are-you-really-an-introvert-161e09819466

https://quietrev.com/6-illustrations-that-show-what-its-like-in-an-introverts-head/