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The Introvert Personality

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Definition of Introvert

Introversion is the tendency to focus one's attention towards the inner, mental world rather than external, physical "reality".

Introversion is a natural characteristic occurring in about 25% of the population according to psychotherapist Dr Marti Olsen Laney in her excellent book The Introvert Advantage. Dr Laney offers a further definition of introversion, ie that introverts are those who draw energy from the inner world of ideas and emotions as opposed to extroverts who thrive on external experience and interaction.

Introversion is not something we have or not, rather we all occupy a specific point on an introvert extrovert continuum.

Dr Laney suggests introversion may be rooted in physiology with the parasympathetic (slowing down) brain system being dominant over its sympathetic (speeding up or fight-or-flight) counterpart. She suggests that incoming signals take a longer route through the brains of introverts than of extroverts. That may be so, but like the case of chicken and egg it might be argued which comes first, character or physiology.

Know thyself: are you an introvert?

We are each born with unique characteristics. In order to play our particular traits to their best advantage it is necessary to become acquainted with precisely what we are, our drives, inhibitions etc. Self-knowledge comes primarily from introspection, a surprisingly difficult process that requires discipline to overcome our mind's inherent reticence.

If you prefer sitting quietly to socializing, if you prefer fewer, deeper relationships to numerous casual, shallow friendships, chances are you are an introvert.

Self-observation and introspection may be supplemented with the use of various "personality tests", a number of which are freely available online, eg:

HUMANMETRICS an online test based on Jung - Myers-Briggs typology.

similarminds.com offers a range of personality tests and tools.

AdvisorTeam Psychological Personality Tests Online for organizational development, career planning, persona.

Tests based on Jung's personality types, eg the Myers-Briggs, will reveal where you lie on introvert extrovert continuum.

Accept no single test as definitive. Instead, take several and compare their findings with what you already know about yourself. Tests may highlight certain aspects of yourself that you were not consciously aware of but in seeing them made explicit you might acknowledge them.

Through the process of introspection, testing and comparing the outcomes with self-knowledge and experience we arrive at a pretty good idea of our particular character and its strengths and weaknesses. Whatever our peculiarities we are now empowered to begin making the best of them.

© abracad 2006

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