Introvert v.s. Extrovert
I would
consider myself a pretty extroverted person. I don’t have trouble speaking to
new people I meet and I love being around lots of people. However, I wasn’t
always like this. When I was younger, I always considered myself to be
introverted. I had a very small group of friends and I never approached others
first. As I went through middle school, I made new friends that were extremely
outgoing, and their personalities rubbed off on me.
Once I went
through my “change” from an introvert to an extrovert, I would always be so
thankful that I wasn’t an introvert anymore. After I became an extrovert, I
made a lot of new friends and I was much more comfortable in social settings in
general. I thought of my new self as a much better version, and as a result I
viewed being introverted as a weakness or somehow inferior to being
extroverted. I soon realized that I had a very big misunderstanding of what it
meant to be either of those personality types. I considered loud, outgoing
people as extroverted and quiet, shy people as introverted. In reality, being
an extrovert means that you get more energy when you’re around other people,
and being an introvert means you get more energy when you’re alone.
This
completely changed my perspective. Being introverted is most definitely not a
weakness, but a strength. While extroverts gain energy from other people,
introverts can gain energy from just being by themselves. This is a level of
independence that I wish I had. I have an endless supply of energy when I’m
around large groups of people, but when I’m alone, I quickly become tired and
bored. Recently, I’ve been thinking about how different my life would be if it
were the opposite. I feel like I would know a lot more about myself and would
have more time to enjoy my hobbies because I would have the energy to invest
time in things I would do in my time alone. I think there are benefits to all
personality types, whether it be an extreme extrovert, an extreme introvert, or
anything in between.
I definitely see you as an extrovert. I don't think I've ever seen a quiet Minji in a large group of friends. This idea of energy is very new to me and I never learned about it before. I used to believe that extroverts were loud and outgoing while introverts were quiet and shy, which isn't always true. Looking at myself, I don't really know which one I would be. I honestly think it depends on my mood.
ReplyDeleteThis post is really nice. I think a lot of times people conflate "outgoing" and "extrovert" when a lot of times outgoing people may be using bluster to conceal being a little anxious. I am not really sure which I identify with, as I enjoy being around small groups and working constructively, but parties and large gatherings drain me.
ReplyDeleteI like how you explained both sides relating to you, while also giving perspective. I feel I have never be an introvert so it is interesting that you personalty kind of changed due to the people that you would hang out with. Interesting blog post!
ReplyDeleteI relate to this blogpost a lot. I always hate being alone because I get so tired and I don't feel like doing anything. But when I'm with other people, even if we're just sitting in silence and doing work, I still get a lot done just because I'm in the presence of other people. I even Facetime my friends when we have to study for test because if I don't, I literally don't have any motivation to study.
ReplyDeleteCool post, Minji! I'm actually the opposite--when I was a grade school kiddo, I always wanted to be the center of attention and I hated being alone (which wasn't fun since I didn't have any siblings or friends who lived nearby). In middle school, though, it was a much different environment (8 different classes with maybe 150 different students vs. 20 of the same students in all classes), so I wasn't able to be as talkative and flashy as I had been. I've slowly progressed since then into being quite introverted. Sure, I enjoy some conversation, but it can be a struggle sometimes to figure out what I should say. I much prefer being alone, since that's the time when I can think to myself.
ReplyDeleteI personally find myself stuck in the middle; sometimes I need my quiet moments and sometimes I want to be in a large crowd -- an ambivert. Yet, I find myself under the impression that I'm an extreme extrovert...
ReplyDeleteThe introvert vs. extrovert has been a heated debate for the longest time. Considering how our human instincts stress the importance of socializing, it's easy to believe introverts are somehow "weaker." Your reflection on the two sides is very refreshing. You say you wish for the independence an introvert has, however, I don't think that's a trait you can't train yourself to achieve. Do you conclude yourself to be on the extreme extroverted side of the spectrum?
This is so interesting! I find the concept of introvert vs extrovert kind of complicated, as it's a spectrum and people can fluctuate within the range of "outgoingness" - but your new perspective of gaining energy in different environments makes so much sense to me. I find myself to be quite similar to you, gaining lots of energy when I'm around others, especially people who also are upbeat. But also I think I learn most from people who aren't the ones you'd find reaching out to others immediately, and observing that level of independence you mentioned is always fascinating to me.
ReplyDeleteCool post! I've also done some research on the mental changes between introverts and extroverts, and besides what you said about people gaining energy from different situations, there's also another factor: how responsive you are to stimuli.
ReplyDeleteStimuli are good, obviously, they wake up your brain. The difference between introverts and extroverts is that extroverts don't register them as much. For example, an extrovert goes to a big party with music and flashing lights, and can totally process all of those stimuli while still having enough brain left over to interact with their friends, whereas an introvert at the same party experiences all of those stimuli WAY more intensely. So much of their brain is occupied just processing everything going on around them that they don't have any spare brainpower to actually engage with anybody at the party. That's why some people shut down in social situations and others don't.
Who knows if this is true though, I read it in a random book.