BBC
Most people identify themselves as one or the other without a second thought. An introverted person may wish to spend their down time in the quiet solitude of their own company; a more extroverted individual might think this sounds like hell.
For three episodes of One to One, Russell Kane explores what exactly the terms ‘introvert’ and ‘extrovert’ mean. In the first episode, he speaks to psychotherapist and writer Mark Vernon about the origins of these terms. We find out whether you can truly be an extrovert or introvert, and if there are benefits to identifying as one over the other.
The Jung Ones
Carl Jung, the Swiss psychiatrist, popularised the terms introversion and extroversion (or ‘extraversion’ as he spelt it). The basic premise is that introverted people seek energy internally, whereas the extroverted source energy from those around them.
Psychotherapist and writer Mark Vernon, however, thinks Jung would be ‘horrified’ by the way in which these terms have been adopted today. Many of us describe ourselves firmly as one or the other, ‘extrovert’ or ‘introvert’ and see these as key parts of our identity. Jung’s definitions weren’t nearly as polarised.
Mark explains that in Jung’s view we needed both to reach outwards and inwards to be ‘full people’.
Far from being ‘who we are’, Jung saw introversion and extroversion as types of consciousness, and we can experience these differently in different situations.
Either introversion or extroversion may dominate our behaviour, but we can still experience and benefit from the other, which is lurking somewhere deep within us.
By tapping into both sources of ‘energy’, we can really expand our experience of life.
What’s lurking in the shadows?
Jung makes reference to what he calls the ‘shadow’. Though it sounds rather ominous, it is simply a metaphor for the side of our personality which we supposedly suppress because it doesn’t reflect the way we present to the world. A gregarious party animal, for instance, might find that spending some time in alone isn’t as unbearable as they feared – it may be an effective way of recharging.
Is life easier for extroverts?
Seeing introversion and extroversion in a binary way may lead us to make decisions based on the personality type we identify with.
For instance, a study has found that ‘introverts’ (as labelled by a personality test) felt they would not succeed in, or enjoy, leadership roles. This may dissuade them from putting themselves forward for such positions altogether.
By contrast, extroverted people, who present themselves as confident, assured and domineering, are conventionally perceived to be better suited to these high-powered roles. ‘Extroverts’ are therefore likely to earn more than ‘introverts’.
The benefits of introversion
As we have seen, people are not wholly one personality type, and those with introverted tendencies may benefit professionally from behaving in an extroverted way at times. Research has shown that those with introverted traits tend to overestimate the negative feelings they will experience from acting in an extroverted way, discouraging them from doing so. The study demonstrated that these concerns were unfounded, and when introverted people explored a different side of their personality, they actually enjoyed acting in an extroverted way (just as much as those with an extroverted disposition!).
This seems to reflect Jung’s theory that we can benefit from engaging with their ‘shadow’ (in this case extroversion). As Mark says, if we increasingly tap into these counterintuitive ways of being, “gradually it fills out and stops becoming a shadow, and becomes part of ourselves.”
Fake it till you make it
Qualities associated with introversion can also be beneficial to leadership situations. Research shows that while extroverted leaders achieve better results when working with a passive team, more proactive teams respond better to introverted leaders.
Adopting the extroverted quality of confidence will help introverted people to believe in, and enact, their leadership skills. Once they’ve reached these positions of power, introverted leaders can then benefit from behaviour that comes more naturally to them, such as good listening and thinking skills.
The problem with personality types?
In One to One, Mark Vernon explains to Russell Kane that it isn’t especially helpful to define people by personality types. It has increasingly been found that our personalities are changeable over time, even as adults.
Language is an important factor at play here: describing ourselves or others using a noun, such as ‘introvert’ or ‘extrovert’ implies that that is what we are, and with this comes connotations of permanence.
An adjective, such as ‘introverted’ or ‘extroverted’ may be more helpful here.
We humans are more malleable than we think, and our love of a label may prohibit us from seeing that we can change and grow. Introverted or extroverted? Why not both?