What is an Introvert?
Introversion is a base personality trait that sits on the opposite end of the personality continuum as extroversion. Introverts include people who prefer solitude over social activities and regain their energy from spending time alone. Although some people are extremely introverted or extroverted, it is not possible for a person to be completely either. Everyone has certain aspects of their personality that falls on different places between the introvert-extrovert scale. Some people even land in the middle, and are known as ambiverts.
Introversion should not be confused with shyness, however, as shyness is actually the fear of social judgement. It is possible to be a shy introvert, or even a shy extrovert, but not all introverts fear social judgement. Some introverts may even seem very extroverted, but in fact still need time alone to "recharge".
But what happens inside the mind to cause such drastic differences in people like this? Well, it has been discovered that the neocortex of a person's brain, which lets people think before acting, cannot function without a proper amount of arousal. Introverts are at too high a level of arousal, meaning they often feel overstimulated and their brain is always overthinking, while extroverts are at too low a level of arousal, meaning they often feel under stimulated and bored. Others, ambiverts, are at the optimal level of arousal. Because of this, introverts need to find ways to relax themselves in order to function effectively and extroverts need to find ways to stimulate themselves to do the same.
Chemically, scientists think that the causes of introverted and extroverted behavior are dopamine and acetylcholine sensitivity in the brain. Dopamine is a chemical that is released into the brain when a person takes new risks, but introverts are very sensitive to dopamine. Because of this sensitivity, introverts become overstimulated when they meet new people or when they are in social circumstances too long. When an introvert focuses their mind, though, that is when acetylcholine is released, making them feel more relaxed. Extroverts find concentration too slow and boring, and so need dopamine to feel more relaxed. This is how introverts and extroverts stimulate or under stimulate themselves.
Introversion should not be confused with shyness, however, as shyness is actually the fear of social judgement. It is possible to be a shy introvert, or even a shy extrovert, but not all introverts fear social judgement. Some introverts may even seem very extroverted, but in fact still need time alone to "recharge".
But what happens inside the mind to cause such drastic differences in people like this? Well, it has been discovered that the neocortex of a person's brain, which lets people think before acting, cannot function without a proper amount of arousal. Introverts are at too high a level of arousal, meaning they often feel overstimulated and their brain is always overthinking, while extroverts are at too low a level of arousal, meaning they often feel under stimulated and bored. Others, ambiverts, are at the optimal level of arousal. Because of this, introverts need to find ways to relax themselves in order to function effectively and extroverts need to find ways to stimulate themselves to do the same.
Chemically, scientists think that the causes of introverted and extroverted behavior are dopamine and acetylcholine sensitivity in the brain. Dopamine is a chemical that is released into the brain when a person takes new risks, but introverts are very sensitive to dopamine. Because of this sensitivity, introverts become overstimulated when they meet new people or when they are in social circumstances too long. When an introvert focuses their mind, though, that is when acetylcholine is released, making them feel more relaxed. Extroverts find concentration too slow and boring, and so need dopamine to feel more relaxed. This is how introverts and extroverts stimulate or under stimulate themselves.