5 Scientific Reasons Introverts Should be Celebrated, Not Changed
I’m no longer a bitter introvert after reading this one book.
--
I scrolled through the ideal candidate section of yet another job ad:
Outgoing. Team player. No lone wolves allowed.
I got the message. It’s the same one I’ve been hearing my whole life: we don’t want people like you.
Introverts, especially those growing up in boisterous countries like the USA, know our personalities are considered second-rate because they don’t align with the cultural extrovert ideal.
It’s the bane of our existence, and so many of us spend our formative years learning how to appear more extroverted. Talk to some of my friends, and they would be shocked to hear I consider myself an introvert, but my mom can attest I’ve always been “slow to warm up.”
I used to hate that part of myself. I mean, I seriously loathed it. I’ll never forget in the 7th grade when a girl I considered my best friend called me out in front of a group of peers, “If you’re not going to say anything, why are you even here?”
As I retreated to sit on a bench alone, I tortured myself with silent insults: What’s wrong with you? Why can’t you speak up? You’ll never have any friends. You’re such a loser.
To avoid further social rejection, I learned how to play extroverted. I started frequenting parties and joined a sorority. I surrounded myself with shallow acquaintances and even took a job in face-to-face sales (never again!).
I was so busy overcompensating for my weaknesses that I overlooked my strengths. Actually, I thought introversion didn’t have any strengths.
Then I came across this book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, and it changed everything about how I see my personality type. For the first time, I had evidence that introversion isn’t a character flaw but a fundamental element in making me, me.
Just like that, I stopped being a bitter introvert. To all of my fellow introverts, you deserve to be celebrated, not changed. Here are five research-backed reasons why.
1. Introverts Are Creative Visionaries.
Introverts are well-represented among the most creative members of society. An early personality study conducted at the University of California, Berkeley, found that the most creative people tended to be introverts.
We can see the influence of the creative introvert throughout history and today, with names like Albert Einstein, Bill Gates, Isaac Newton, JK Rowling, Elon Musk, and Frederic Chopin all being introverted.
As you can see, introverts make their mark on the creative world through quiet persistence, a strength that doesn’t beg for the spotlight but strives to make an impact. To “think different.”
Just listen to the advice of Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak from his memoir:
“Work alone. You’re going to be best able to design revolutionary products and features if you’re working on your own. Not on a committee. Not on a team.”
2. Introverts Thrive Alone.
No one can say this is a weakness after the last few years. While introverts need social interaction just like all people, we thrive better in solitary environments when compared to our extroverted counterparts.
This can sometimes be a disadvantage when introverts are forced to exist in overstimulating, competitive environments. However, when introverts are placed in the right environment, one that allows for solo work, we flourish.
But why does the ability to thrive alone even matter? Research supports that solo work is a solid predictor of high achievement.
In a study on talented violinists, Psychologist Anders Ericsson noticed that the best performers spent more time practicing alone. He found the same is true for grandmaster chess players, college students, and elite athletes.
The ability to engage in deliberate practice, which can only be done alone, has been identified as a secret ingredient to exceptional achievement.
Two minds may be better than one in some cases, but one focused mind can certainly go the distance.
3. Introverts Are Less Vulnerable to “The Buzz.”
Can you feel the buzz? Extroverts definitely can.
On the other hand, introverts appear to be less driven by reward-seeking because we don’t feel the buzz — a dopamine-triggered high — as easily as extroverts. This may sound like a bad thing, and at times it may make life a little less dynamic, but it also keeps us out of many self-made messes.
Psychology professor Richard Howard explains,
“Everyone assumes that it’s good to accentuate positive emotions, but that isn’t correct. A lot of antisocial and self defeating behavior results from people who amplify positive emotions.”
Buzz can be blissful, but it can also cloud our judgment, leading to situations in which a person accelerates when they should be breaking — think gambling, reckless driving, and committing affairs.
Introverts, typically less driven by pleasure-seeking, are more likely to listen to the warning signs most extroverts ignore. It turns out uncertainty and doubt aren’t always bad things and can assist us in making decisions that avoid disasters.
4. Introverts Are Better at Delaying Gratification.
The ability to delay gratification means you can say no to a smaller reward now in exchange for a larger prize later — for example, you turn down a $20 Amazon gift card today for a $50 one rewarded a few weeks from now.
Research suggests high pleasure-seekers — frequently extroverts — have a more challenging time waiting for rewards than introverts do. The ability to delay gratification can be a significant advantage for introverts, considering this life skill has been hailed as one of the greatest predictors of long-term success.
Of course, extroverts can also learn to delay gratification, but it appears that introverts may have an inherent advantage in this area.
5. Introverts Are Flow Masters.
Everyone talks about the power of flow — the highly productive state in which hours pass like minutes — and while extroverts can experience flow as well, introverts seem to be guided by it. It appears that introverts aren’t as motivated as extroverts by external rewards such as status and money, so the question is:
What makes introverts love their work?
The answer seems to be flow. To achieve flow, you must limit your distractions which is much easier to accomplish when alone. Since introverts enjoy spending more time immersed in individual work, it may be easier for introverts to access the sharp focus required to enter a flow state.
Flow can serve as an advantage not only for productivity but for finding pleasure through your work, not for the external rewards it may bring you, but for the sake of doing it.
Extroverts bring a lot to the table, but so do introverts when people stop talking long enough to listen. While looking for this article’s featured image, I searched “introvert” and was immediately disappointed, yet not surprised, by what I found: photos of miserable people sitting alone, some in literal cages, with either a phone or a booze in hand.
Unfortunately, the world may sometimes see us like this, but introverts, we know that’s not who we are. We’re creators, innovators, entrepreneurs, and thought pioneers. We’re social — yes, we like people too — and we’re solitary — that’s where we do our deep work.
Our skills may differ from extroverts, but that doesn’t mean they’re any less valuable. We live with a sort of quiet fortitude, a strength that changes the world without even begging for the credit.
For these reasons and more, introverts deserve to be celebrated, not changed. I am proud to be an introvert. Now that you see your strengths, I hope you are too.
More Medium? Get unlimited access here. Your monthly membership fee directly supports me and all of the other writers you enjoy. Thank you!
