Table of contents:
- What are introverts?
- The characteristics of an introvert
- 1. Energy can get drained when spending time with people
- 2. Enjoy spending time alone
- 3. Friends are few, but quality
- 4. Easier to be distracted
- 5. Be more aware of himself
- 6. Learning by observation
- How do you diagnose an introverted personality?
- Myths that often circulate about introverted personalities
- 1. It is difficult for introverts to be leaders
- 2. The introvert personality can be healed or changed
- 3. Introverts are arrogant and antisocial
- How do you deal with this type of personality?
- 1. Understand what is meant byintroversion
- 2. Do not force him to change his personality
- 3. Help people with this personality feel comfortable
Besides extroverts, introverts are one of the personality types. Those who belong to the personalityintroversionis a person who tends to focus on thoughts, feelings, and moods that come from within oneself, aka internal. This is different from extroverts who prefer to seek stimulation feelings that come from outside themselves. Come on, find out more about introverted personalities!
What are introverts?
Introverts are a personality type that is often mistaken for shyness. In fact, introverts and shy are not the same. A person who is shy tends to feel worried or uncomfortable in certain social situations, especially if he has to interact with people he doesn't know.
In fact, shyness is a mental disorder that is classified as social anxiety disorder even though each one is classified as mild. Meanwhile, an introvert prefers to be alone to gather his energy. However, introverts actually have no problem in social situations.
Introverts are a personality type that is the opposite of extroverts. However, in fact, everyone has an introvert and extrovert element within each other. The difference is, there are those who are more dominated by introvert personalities, and vice versa, some are more dominated by extroverted characteristics.
Knowing whether you are introverted or extroverted is arguably quite important. The reason is, in addition to getting to know yourself better, you can be more effective at getting and focusing energy in the right way.
The characteristics of an introvert
To find out if you are an introvert, understand some of the following characteristics.
1. Energy can get drained when spending time with people
Introverts have no problem interacting in social situations. It's just that, if you spend too long with other people, your energy will be drained easily. Especially if he has to interact with many people at one time.
This is certainly different from extroverts who actually get energy when they meet many people. Therefore, to restore their energy, introverts will spend time alone after meeting lots of people.
2. Enjoy spending time alone
Maybe some people think that being alone means having an unpleasant personality. For example, gloomy, often sad, and so on. In fact, for introverts, happiness is found when they can spend time alone.
If you are an introvert, spending time doing things you enjoy on your own is the most enjoyable time. It can also help you "recharge" positive energy. However, that doesn't mean introverts will be alone 24 hours a day.
As an introvert, you also enjoy spending time interacting with the people closest to you, such as friends and family.
3. Friends are few, but quality
People often mistake introverts that they don't like to hang out so they don't have close friends. Of course, that assumption is not true, because when it has a personalityintroversion,You still like interacting with other people and have close friends.
Even so, you may not have as many friends as extroverts. However, the friendships that introverts have are very high quality. The reason is, even though they only have one or two close friends, people with this personality will maintain and care for their friendship well.
4. Easier to be distracted
Since introverts prefer to spend time alone, people with this personality often find it overwhelming to be around crowds and meet lots of people. Not surprisingly, they are often easily distracted.
This makes it very difficult to focus and concentrate when you have to do something. Therefore, if you feel you have to focus, people with this personality are happier if they can be in a quiet and calm place without distractions.
5. Be more aware of himself
Given that introverts get more energy when they are alone, they have a tendency to be more aware of or self-aware. The reason is, introverts often delve into their thoughts and feelings, so they can learn more about various things related to themselves.
For example, introverts love to try different hobbies to find out which one they prefer. In addition, they also like to think about the life that is and will be lived. There are also those who enjoy reading books and watching films that are related or feel close to self-reflection.
6. Learning by observation
If extroverts prefer to learn by doing hands-on, introverts prefer to make observations first. Therefore, before doing something, they tend to learn first before practicing it directly.
In fact, they often see other people doing it over and over again until they feel confident they can imitate or do it themselves. When it comes to exercising, introverts prefer to do it in a place that most people don't know about.
How do you diagnose an introverted personality?
As mentioned, each person actually has elements of an introvert and an extrovert personality. It's just that, there are those who are more dominating, so an introvert is someone who is more dominated by elements of the personality introversion.
Then, how do you know or diagnose these characters? There are several personality tests that can be taken to measure which elements are more dominant in a person. Some of them are:
- Myers-Brigss Type Indicator (MBTI).
- Keirsey Temperament Sorter.
- Personality Style Indicator.
- Five Factor Model Personality Inventory.
Even so, professional experts believe that a person has a personality that is dominated by introverts or extroverts through direct observation of each individual. The reason is, the personality elements that are more prominent than a person are usually very context-dependent.
The problem is, there are still many personality tests that do not consider environmental factors, stress levels, and various other factors that can help the results of the assessment on personality tests be more accurate.
Myths that often circulate about introverted personalities
Introvert and extrovert personalities are often hot topics of conversation. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for various myths to circulate about introverts that are actually not proven, for example:
1. It is difficult for introverts to be leaders
Many think that it is difficult for people with introverted personalities to become leaders. In fact, this has not been proven to be true, because a study published in the Academy of Management in 2012 stated that introverts and extroverts can both make good leaders.
Extroverts can become good leaders by exploring the potential of more passive team members. Meanwhile, introverts can make good leaders by listening to input from each team member to get the best results.
Social skills and personalityintroversionactually they are not related to each other Especially in terms of leadership, because an introvert can contribute to success with his thoroughness and regularity.
Yes, usually, introverts tend to be more thorough and regular in doing research, reading, planning things, and other jobs that really require concentration and calm.
2. The introvert personality can be healed or changed
A person who has an introverted personality is often considered to have a mental disorder so that not a few consider it a negative thing. In fact, there is nothing wrong with this personality.
Yes, introversion is not a mental disorder or a disease. Introversion is simply a personality type which is opposite of extroversion or an extrovert personality. However, people with extrovert personalities often cannot understand the characteristics of introverts.
It's no wonder that all of your behavior as an introvert may often be misunderstood. This can make it difficult for introverts to be at school or at work. The reason is, they are often criticized to be more active, talk more, or hang out with their peers more often.
The problem is, introverts are not the same thing as shy or anti-social. People with this personality are oversensitive to dopamine. This means that when he receives too many external stimuli, such as socializing with many people at the same time, his physical and mental energy will be drained.
3. Introverts are arrogant and antisocial
This is an untrue statement. You need to know that introverts don't feel compelled to talk if they don't have to. Sometimes, people with this personality prefer to pay attention to those around them or be lost in their own thoughts.
It's just that other people don't understand personality introversion interpret this attitude as an arrogant attitude. In fact, according to introverts, the act of observing and paying attention to these people is fun.
Introverts tend to choose to interact face-to-face with only one person at a time. Rather than being arrogant or cold, introverts generally like other people, but value time together, and value quality over quantity of relationships.
How do you deal with this type of personality?
If you know someone with this personality, you may be confused about how to act or respond so as not to cause misunderstandings. Don't worry, there are a few tips you can try to interact with introverts, such as the following.
1. Understand what is meant byintroversion
The first thing you can do is to have a deeper understanding of this personality type. This way, you can find out the possibilities that could occur, including the challenges that may arise at a later date when it comes to interacting with people with personalitiesintroversion.
The problem is, if you don't understand how a person with this personality behaves, goes about his day, and what habits he might adopt, you may think that the person is experiencing depression.
In fact, this is only the character of the personality and the way to understand it is different. Therefore, you should not be too quick to jump to conclusions. What you need to understand is introversion is a personality type and not a disease that needs special attention.
2. Do not force him to change his personality
Often confused with shy and aloof people, introverts are sometimes seen as people who have mental health problems. If a person with this personality chooses to stay alone in the room or is more comfortable with what he is doing, allow him to do it.
Why is that? The reason is, people with this personality actually feel most comfortable with themselves when they can do various activities on their own. Don't forget, introverts need time alone to digest the new events they are experiencing.
Also avoid coercing people with personality introversion to change personality by socializing, especially if in a new environment. Let him observe for a moment before joining in and interacting with new people.
3. Help people with this personality feel comfortable
If you have family members with personalitiesintroversionor close to someone who has this personality, try to help him feel more comfortable. For example, if you divide up chores at home, give him tasks that allow him to work individually, such as washing dishes or mowing the lawn.
In addition, although people with this personality do not necessarily dislike socializing, they do tire more easily if they have to interact with many people. Therefore, give him time to rest and be alone in the room if you know that he has just "spent" his energy in social activities.
Give him space and time to recharge in his solitude. By understanding their needs and conditions, introverts will feel more valued and understood.