Introvert: "I think I was never the person who went out and had a lot of friends—I typically have a couple of close friends, and I rarely hang out in big groups. I was also always kind of a shy kid."
Extrovert: "I’m a very social person, and I get a lot of energy from interacting with people."
Who discovered Introverts and Extroverts?
-Psychologist Carl Jung
For a bit of back story, the terms 'introvert' and 'extrovert' were first coined by psychologist Carl Jung in the early 1900s, but it was psychologist Hans Eysenck who further elaborated on them in the 1950s and '60s.
The PET scans revealed that introverts have more activity in the frontal lobes of the brain and anterior, or front, thalamus. These areas are activated when a person's brain takes on internal processing such as remembering, problem-solving, and planning.
According to studies by psychologist Hans Eysenck, introverts require less stimulation from the world in order to be awake and alert than extroverts do. This means introverts are more easily over-stimulated. The flip side of introverts' sensitivity to dopamine is that they need less of it to feel happy.
Extroverts exhibit more activity in the anterior cingulate gyrus, temporal lobes and posterior thalamus. These areas are typically thought to be more involved in sensory processing such as listening, watching or driving.
“Did the extrovert and introvert learn different things from the time of quarantine? Did the extrovert use the time for reflection? Did the introvert see that being around people is kind of nice? I think we can be changed by this experience for the good.” “An introvert may realize, ‘Oh, I actually started missing being around people,’ and an extrovert may recognize the kind of liked having some downtime.” Characteristics of introverts and extroverts
Why Introverts and Extroverts Are Different: The Science
Dopamine Pathway
Since extroverts rely more on dopamine, when information passes through their brains, it goes through a pathway called the dopamine pathway. This pathway passes through the areas in the brain which regulate taste, touch, sight, and sound.
Acetylcholine Pathway The information received by introverts’ brains travels through a much longer pathway called the acetylcholine pathway. This means that information has to travel through many different areas such as the right front insular, which controls empathy, and Broca’s area, which produces words and speech. It also travels through the right and left frontal lobes, which have many functions including judgment and spontaneity, and the hippocampus, which controls memory. Since this path is so long, introverts tend to overthink things more than extroverts do. Nervous system differences Both introverts and extroverts use both sides of their nervous systems at different times, just like they use both neurotransmitters. But—no big shocker here—extroverts tend to favor the opposite side of the nervous system: the sympathetic side, known as the “full-throttle” or “fight, flight, or freeze” system.
What Impacts Mental Health for Introverts vs Extroverts? Because of the major differences in disposition between extroverts and introverts, each has different basic mental health needs. An introvert cannot thrive without alone time just as an extrovert needs to be around people to feel their best. Individuals with an introverted personality type are also often known to be perfectionists and very self-critical. Such characteristics can leave individuals feeling unsatisfied with themselves and with their lives. It can also lead to stress, mental and physical exhaustion, as well as mental health issues. Extraversion is one of the Big Five dimensions, reflecting the shared variance of more specific traits, such as gregariousness, assertiveness, enthusiasm, talkativeness, activity level, and excitement-seeking.
Things Introverts Want You to Know
1.They're Not Angry or Depressed
2.Quiet Doesn't Mean Shy
3.Introverts Aren't Weird
4.They Aren't Rude
5.Introverts Don't Hate People
Things extroverts Want You to Know 1.They Aren’t Clingy, They Just Hate Being Alone 2.They Don’t Always Want to Talk 3.They Need Time By Themselves 4.Shy Extroverts Do Exist 5.Extroverts Need To Think Out Loud
In the conclusion, we need to stop looking at introverts and extroverts as “one versus the other”, and start seeing their unique qualities. If you don’t identify as an “introvert” or “extrovert,” you might be an “ambivert.” An ambivert is moderately comfortable with groups and social interaction, but also relishes time alone, away from a crowd.
Telling an introvert to go to a party is like telling a saint to go to Hell
I don’t hate people, I just feel better when they aren’t around – Charles Bukowski
Manas is always here to help you, don’t hesitate to call us in need of counseling.
Sruthi Varshini
Post Graduate MANAS Intern
