Being An Introvert As A Super Power

An extrovert is a person who thrives in an environment that has lots of stimulation. The more stimulation there is, that inspires and excites the extrovert. That kind of environment makes extroverts feel more alive. Introvert is the opposite. Introvert wants and need less stimulation. Introvert thrives in an environment, where there are fewer distractions, and less noise. That is when the introvert thrives and feels alive and gets excited.

Often mixed, introverted-ness and shyness are not the same. Being an introvert is a physical reaction, a need to withdraw when there are too many social stimulations. A shy person would like to be more social and join the crowd, but they are too nervous to do that. Shyness is more about being afraid of being judged by others. A shy person often would like to be more social, but the awareness of others and awareness of self prevents that. There also might be some negative comparisons to others. In the company of people who they trust, a shy person opens up, just like an extrovert.

There have been studies made about the differences in brain activity between the extroverts and the introverts. The cerebral cortex is more active with introverts than with extroverts. The cerebral cortex in the brain is the charge of things like language, speech, thoughts, memory, awareness, and the ability to concentrate. Introverts are usually quick to learn new things, and good at problem-solving and in academic subjects. According to research, 60 % of talented children are introverts, and over 75 % of people who have IQs over 160, are introverts. Introverts have higher levels of acetylcholine in their brains. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter, which affects learning, focus, and memory. Some famous introverts were Gandhi, Albert Einstein Barack Obama, and Audrey Hepburn.

Friendship is like any other relationship. Introverts understand that friendships are valuable and they value their friendships very highly. You can count on your introverted friend. They make an effort to see and meet you and spend quality time with you. Introverts are loyalists. It might take some time to get to know an introvert, but it pays back because then you have a friend perhaps for a lifetime. When an introvert opens up to you, you have gained their trust. Introvert is not someone who suddenly switches friends, they tend to be very loyal.

Perhaps the best self-care for the introvert is a state where the introvert feels most comfortable and there are times when an introvert can sort of expand and leave their comfort zone when it is about the things that are meaningful for them, but expanding the limits can also create stress, which is why self-care is important. Once there was an introverted professor, who kept lectures and helped their students, but at the end of the day, they were exhausted because of all the socializing. They needed a lot more time to recharge themselves after the busy days in the school environment. For an introvert, it is important to make sure that there are not too many stimulations in the work environment and if one has to expand their limits, there should be enough time to recover. The amount of stimulation is especially important to keep in mind if you are an introvert who is also highly sensitive.

Being an introvert isn’t about introverts not getting along with people, it is about that an introvert gets more easily exhausted, after social interactions. That is one of those big misconceptions about introverts, and that is something I wish people would pay more attention to. I hope that this can help some of you, to gain more self-awareness. I think that this is something people should discuss already in schools and education. How much the different social relationships affect our well-being? How one person can thrive working in a fast-paced environment, and how another person in the same job, in the same work environment finds it overwhelming and it leads to burnout.