Back then in secondary school, particularly during my junior secondary, sitting in the midst of girls was way to difficult for me than slugging down a glass full of goko cleanser.
I can remember when our form-master will sit me inbetween my fellow female classmates, that made me feel milk-livered. And to worsen the situation, the girls would adjust their bodies closer to mine, probably trying to know what I would do.
Sometimes, they would come closer to the extent that their milky-way galaxy will struck my innocent shoulders, oh boy, was it fun? Ugh, that's not the reason why I'm writing this anyways.
Those days I usually felt timid when I'm with girls, and my form master said I was an introvert.
That was the first time I heard that word, and it was directed at me.
Personality is more than just how we act around others. There are deeply ingrained elements to who we are that impact every single aspect of our lives. Nowhere is this more true than when looking at the differences between extroverts and introverts
Let us talk a bit about introversion. If you're the type that feels regenerated when alone, you tend to feel more secured, livelier and happier when you are confined in a solitary space, then probably you're an introvert.
On the other hand, there are people who cannot 'survive' without being in the midst of others. Their energy is regenerated often when they are with crowds. This is the reason why they are inclined to having much friends. Those in this category are extroverted.
For introverts, they're refilled and regenerated mostly when alone,
For extroverts, they're refilled and regenerated when they are at the culmination of any social activity.
This does not mean that introverts are anti-social, it's just that they only need a little of it to be OK, too much gets them overstimulated.
And the only way to reduce that overstimulation is by secluding themselves in one corner, (not actually the one corner you're thinking, you see your life).
At this, they'll feel better.
Let's look at this scenario,
Two friends go for a weekend party, one is enjoying the party at its fullest.
You see him sacrificing every dance 💃 move he had learnt on Wednesday, enjoying the blast of the speakers and the DJ spinning, shouts from the crowd and all that.
While the other, an introvert finds all these too much for him. He finds them fun for a short period of time, and then it becomes weird to him soon after. The next thing he does is to either go home or take a seat and sip something.
Also, Jennifer Grannerman, in her blog post titled Why Introverts and Extroverts are Different gave a germane scenario, you can check it out here https://www.quietrev.com/why-introverts-and-extroverts-are-different-the-science/
Science has another dimension as to what constitutes the difference between the two personality traits.
The major game changer is dopamine, a chemical that is situated in the brain which is responsible for pleasure and rewards.
Research has shown that introverts are more sensitive to dopamine than extroverts. Too much of it makes them become overstimulated. Want to know more about dopamine and introvertion, click the link 👉
https://introvertdear.com/news/introverts-and-extroverts-brains-really-are-different-according-to-science/
On the other hand, extroverts are less sensitive to dopamine, therefore need more of it to become happier. And the major way of getting this dopamine is by engaging in more social activities because this helps in its secretion.
A little dopamine is okay for introverts, while extroverts need more and more to get satisfied.
And the major way to get this is by indulging to the fullest, in any social activity.
The more they indulge in social acts, the more the brain secretes dopamine, an the more it's been secreted, the more they need more of it. So it goes on and on.
Another misconception I will like us to correct is this, that one is introverted doesn't mean that one is shy.
The major cause of shyness is anxiety, while introversion is a personality trait which also has a scientific backup.
According to healthline.com the major cause of shyness is fear. They go on to say that Shyness is a feeling of fear or discomfort caused by other people, especially in new situations or among strangers. Shyness is an unpleasant feeling of self-consciousness—a fear of what other people are thinking. https://www.healthline.com/symptom/shyness
When someone is shy, s(he) has a low self-esteem at that moment, this makes him become anxious and increases his fear.
He becomes afraid of something, which most of the times hovers around what people will say about him or her, statements like I don't think I'm good for this lingers in his mind.
This is another problem altogether and has nothing to do with personality. Anybody can be shy, whether an extrovert or introvert.
An introverted person might not talk not because he is shy, but because he just doesn't want to talk, probably he has nothing to say.
Maybe, this was what my form-master had thought about me, he misunderstood my shyness for introversion. Anyways, I'm still the quiet type.
Is it possible for one to have both personality traits? I'll like you to share your thoughts about this.