Do you consider yourself an extravert or an introvert? Apparently, this has become a hot topic lately thanks to Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. I don’t tend to read books in the self-help or psychology genre, but I am on the waiting list at my library. Another book I have put on hold is, The Highly Sensitive Person: How To Thrive When The World Overwhelms You, by Elaine Aron.
The subject of personality is one that interests me. I am both an introvert and I am highly sensitive (I have taken the online tests to prove it – see links below); both traits that I believe can be misunderstood. The first thing to understand about both of these characteristics is that they have nothing to do with shyness (a fear of social judgment). I am not shy. I think that might be the biggest misunderstanding there is. They also have nothing to do with one’s emotional stability. So what are they, and are they related?
Cain simply defines introversion as the way you respond to stimulation, including social stimulation. Aron defines being highly sensitive as an awareness of subtleties in one’s surroundings, and being more easily overwhelmed when in a highly stimulating environment. At first glance, they do seem to have some common ground, because both have to do with the way we respond to the world around us, given these definitions.
Upon reading up on these two subjects via these two authors, I found that Aron believes Cain has really written about highly sensitive social introverts, and did a good job of it. However, Aron says that about 30% of highly sensitive people are extraverts. I’m not certain, but I got the impression that Aron thinks Cain was writing more about being highly sensitive than about introversion, per se.
The concepts of extraversion and introversion were made popular by Carl Jung, who defined introversion as being oriented toward one’s inner life and extraversion as being oriented toward one’s external life. The difference has to do with what stimulates our brains and what energizes us. For example, some of us would rather sit in a quiet room and read; others would rather be out there socializing with a group of people.
You probably already know if you are an introvert or an extravert. Maybe you already know if you are highly sensitive. Are you interested in taking a couple of tests to see if you are a highly sensitive person; or an introvert versus extravert? Follow these links. It isn’t scientific!
Highly Sensitive: http://www.hsperson.com/pages/test.htm
Introvert or extravert: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/quiet-the-power-introverts/201103/quiz-are-you-introvert-or-extrovert-and-why-it-matters
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I will review the books after I get a chance to read them. In the meantime, I am going to do a little brain research.
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© Robin Tjernagel
Crime and Literature
Real Life and Life Imagined
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Crime and Literature 
There’s another book, The Introvert Advantage, I read several years ago. It helped me (an innie and highly sensitive too!) to understand that I wasn’t a social outcast! 😉 I might just have to check these two books out – I thrive on the ‘self-help’ variety (probably a bit too much!).
Since I have decided to jump into the self-help genre for this topic, I am definitely interested in reading the book you have suggested. I would like to see what the author has to say compared to Cain’s book.
“Innies” are definitely not social outcasts 🙂
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you and your family have a great 4th of July!
These must be updated versions of the tests you mentioned that have been used for several years. I wasn’t aware of “highly sensitive” personalities, or at least, not called that.
I became aware of the highly sensitive temperment from my son, who learned about it around the time he was graduating college. When I heard Cain’s definition for introvert, it sounded a lot like what my son told me about being highly sensative. They are two different personality traits. Not everyone who is an introvert is highly sensitive, although about 70% of highly sensitive people tend to be introverts. Have a great 4th of July, Patti!
This is a book I’m curious to read, having heard a good deal about it. (I tend not to like labels, though I understand why we need them. I’m probably and extroverted introvert… which may make sense to some and leave others scratching their heads.)
I think introverts were thought of as inferior for a long time. At least that’s not the case any longer…
Most of us fall more heavily toward being either introvert or extravert, but nobody is all one trait or the other. According to Carl Jung, that would make a person insane. And Cain says that people can be both; a temperment known as ambivert (she says it is a real word).
I think the point of understanding what you are can help someone in choices he/she makes for education, career, and even how he/she spends time recreationally. Labels can be damaging, especially to children who cannot grasp the full meaning of them, and become weighted down by what they think is being said about them.
I agree that being an introvert was considered somehow inferior to our extravert friends for a long time, so I appreciate that Cain’s book (not the first of its kind) has gained the attention it has.
Time to go get my coffee! Have a great 4th of July 🙂
I’d say your right on about labels. Ive seen adults and youth use them (medical type labels) as excuse for unchecked behavior rather than as a means to understand themselves and to help others understand them, as well.
I’d be inclined to say that kind of vert you are depends on the situation, comfort level, familiarity, etc with folks or topic of conversation, etc. Some people have a hard time getting in the door, but once they’re in…they’re on.
The person who met them at the door might label them different than the person who interacted with them a bit later.
I don’t know if the kind of vert you are is dependent upon the situation. I do think you are accurate when you that some people warm up to a new situation once they are in it for a while; therefore, people might perceive them differently depending on when they meet them. I have read (very limited reading) that you can make efforts to change your personality (and maybe your vertedness is a part of that), but my understanding of vertedness is that it has to do with what energizes you and what drains you of energy. It isn’t really about shyness and overcoming socially uncomfortable situations, although introverts are more likely to hang back and observe others, whereas the extraverts want to be part of the action.
I Just bought this book last week. Perhaps for a bit of self validation. I know I’m an introvert and more sensitive than I’d like to be, but it’s exacerbated coming from a family of extroverts. How does that happen? I’ll be delving into these pages right along with you…
I can’t imagine being the only introvert in a bunch of extraverts. Sounds like it might be exhausting!
A little self validation … I can appreciate that 🙂
You put your finger on it Robin – in one word. Exhausting. That’s precisely how I feel after a big get together. A room full of people is energizing to some. Me? Not so much.