Introversion is objectively unhealthy?

[3blackrings]

Where did this come from?

Based on the actual evidence, I have to conclude that many aspects traditionally associated with introversion are in fact serious psychological dysfunctions. For example, being private can mean being afraid to show others who you really are (often because you don'teven know who you are). How anyone could spin that as a positive is testimony to the marketing greed of personality test companies or good intentioned people pleasing of the Accommodating disposition.

Walking into a roomful of people, breathing all the smells and Pheromones, etc. etc. etc., combined with visual and auditory stimuli is a definite cause and effect scenario. Classical Psychology doesn't seem to want to allow for this as an affecting factor and so it's all in the mind.

Does this mean then, the dichotomy, blabbing everything about yourself to everyone is the healthiest way to be? No. A healthy balance is needed. I am choosey about who I open up to. I've learned I can be hurt and this is me protecting myself. I put much effort into my Psyche and it matter's to me to not go through unnecessary inner strife over countless masses misunderstanding me.

Gimme' a break. People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. You worship Academia, they worship money. Both can blur the truth.

Helping to explain one more leg of the human condition doesn't mean Classical Psych is wrong, just not the whole picture. I think it has alot to do with why different people come out of the same situation differently.

 

[Lerxst]

So let me guess, this was written by an extrovert? Reminds me of a "health" test I took recently that also factored in the amount of friends and social activities you engage in towards the overall result. Like smoking a pack of cigarettes a day and not "going out" both have the same effect?

I'm perfectly happy having only 1 or 2 friends.

I don't like going to parties.

I don't like or suffer from mentally induced, verbal diarrhea.

I know exactly who I am and what I stand for.

Anyone who doesn't realize that you can be a perfectly well-balanced, self confident introvert is probably the type of person that would think two people blabbering on to one another without one stopping to actually listen to the other is the recipe for a good, normal conversation. See that, I can generalize too!

 

[muir]

I think that we're all being encouraged to be extroverts because this suits a consumer culture where we are supposed to spend all our time out, consuming and doing mindless activities without ever taking time to contemplate anything. 'Just do it' as Nike says!

Introverts are humanities deep thinkers and we like to take time to ponder things; as a result we probably make the most breakthroughs, innovations and inventions, while extroverts are great at greasing the social wheels

I think rather than saying introversion is good/bad and extrovertism is good/bad it might be healthier to recognise that both are a part of human society and that both have roles to play in enriching that society

The only reason introverts are now being demonised are the reasons i stated above. If you look at the role call of famous INFJ's it reads like a who's who of leaders of peoples movements!

So it stands to reason that power elites will always be threatened by the highly perceptive INFJ's who can see through their schemes so they will always seek to discredit INFJ's and make them look bad.

This is true of introverts in general who are perhaps more likely to stop and question things than extroverts who are generally bigger risk takers. Both however are needed in the human dynamic (we need some drive but we need to assess the risks as well).

Concerning social life: For an introvert a good social life might include more one on one time with people rather than an extrovert who wants to bounce around parties. As long as each is happy doing what they're doing....what's the problem?

The same forces are at work creating a 'battle of the sexes' between the genders....but in my opinion the genders are supposed to compliment each other not compete with each other.....this should be true of introverts and extroverts as well and the best teams of people will be the ones who are made up of both and can adapt to situations more effectively by playing to the different strengths of the team members

 

[5r6jhd]

The writer of the article is clearly confusing introversion with depression. Depressed extraverts can often appear to be introverted on the scales. Obviousl depressed introverts will score extremely introverted on the scales.

The dude needs a basic psychology lesson. Take type and preference out of it and focus on the actual dysfunction.

If I forced myself to be an extravert I'd END UP with the so called "dysfunctions" this guy is talking about!!

 

[nharkey]

Hmm. Kind of a long exhausting argument. I would expect that at the extreme, introverts are more tense and anxious, but at the other extreme extraverts are very impulsive, restless, and likely to show questionable judgement. In the middle, where most of us live, it is more a matter of lifestyle preferences. But--there you are, just another opinion. I am thinking that better evidence would be to know what the correlation is on a test like the Big Five, between Introversion and Neuroticism. That would be useful to know but I don't have the answer.

 

[skippy64]

I think what others are saying is right. Too much of one side or the other is unhealthy (not just introversion). But to single out introverts and say they have a dysfunction is not right. In a way we all have a dysfunction. If you want to call it that

 

[Nixie]

Tiffany swears we are an extrovert....

 

[LGLPbeliever]

Freud said basically the same thing. And then Carl Jung came in and saved the day! Kinda funny seeing as Freud was very manipulative. Also, I think it makes sense to accredit some introvert's woes to the fact that America and the majority of the world shows extroversion to be better in every way. So some introverts are forced to think they have to be more gregarious. I find that too much talking gets in the way, especially at work... I mean, how hard is it to make a decision? Do people really have to take ten minutes to sit through and discuss a trivial matter? Most times it sounds like they're repeating the same thing with slightly different words.