Are you really an introvert? Before we get started, let's discuss what introversion really is, and learn how to think about your own personality type and preferences. I'm going to kick off this course with a brief tale of how I came to learn about introversion. I had recently quit my job as a busy little London web design agency, because I couldn't hack it anymore. I knew it was something to do with the environment. Because when I worked alone from home, I was fine.
I could work all day. But in the open plan, usually quite noisy environment of the office, I'd be exhausted by noon. I chose this up to my own lack of grit or resilience, and figured I'd be better off trying the freelance approach. At least that way I could work from home and get more done. However, I soon discovered there was more to freelancing than just having a nice website. I had to market myself.
I had to network Had to reach out to clients and well hustle. It wasn't until I was moaning about this to a friend that I realized why I was struggling. He told me you're an introvert. I was borderline offended. I protested. We I'm not shy.
I'm talking to you right now on I, in my mind, an introvert with somebody shy, reticent, called an awkward. I'm still awkward, but I'm not shy. I was a shy child, so I know the difference. My friend went on to explain that that shyness and introversion are two different traits. an introvert is somebody who gets the energy from spending time alone. They prefer deep one to one conversations, and are usually better at writing their thoughts down than expressing them verbally.
Under this definition, I could definitely fit the bill. It also made sense as to why I say struggled so much at my former work environment, and why I was the most energetic and productive when I worked alone. In addition, I realized that the marketing podcasts I'd been listening to, that were helpful in many ways weren't coming from the mouth of introverts, sorry of extroverts, mostly. So no wonder I was struggling to implement their gregarious suggestions. Even though Susan Cain has done a lot for introverts with her TED talk and book quiet. There are still many who hold on to these unhelpful misconceptions about introversion.
Like I said, we're not all shy, summer, but so are some extroverts. shyness is a trait we can learn to change. So we aren't so held back by our social anxiety. introversion is much more to do with how our brain processes the environment, and takes in information. There was a study that compared the brain scans of people who rank themselves high on introversion and on people who ranked high on extraversion. It showed that introverts had higher activity on the area of the brain associated with thinking and language, suggesting that introverts aren't more in their heads than extroverts.
This is also why many introverts lament being held back by their busy overthinking mind, and why we're usually better off when given time to think our thoughts through before expressing them. So are you really an introvert? If you haven't taken a test and there are plenty of online tests out there for free, and I do recommend taking one. Often people get results that suggest they're on the fence or an ambivert. And this is perfectly normal. I've become a better extroverted the more I've learned about my introvert nature.
As I've become aware of my own energy needs, how to set boundaries and how to be selective about the work I do. I have more energy Go around. I can extrovert if the situation demands it. When answering these personality type tests, the best tips I have for a useful result are think about how you behave most of the time. Ignore the exceptions to the rules. Don't answer how you wish to be.
Be honest with her about how you really do act and reflect on the questions as well as the results. What objections concerns or ideas pop into your mind as you go through them. Often, this can tell us just as much if not more than the label we're given. The Myers Briggs Type Indicator is the personality type test or inventory that I recommend because I find the functions or preferences that it describes most interesting. I'm also a big fan of the Swiss psychoanalyst Carl young, whose work the was the original inspiration for the Test. Some questions to ask yourself include, do you spend?
Do you prefer to spend time in the outer world of people and things, extraversion, or in the inner world of ideas and images, introversion? Do you feel more comfortable in groups and enjoy working in them extra burden, or feel more comfortable being alone and enjoy things you can do on your own interface? Do you sometimes jump too quickly to an activity and don't allow enough time to think it over extraversion or spend too much time reflecting and don't move into action quickly enough. introversion introversion and extraversion is only the first of four different preferences this test for and while I won't get into the others today, I do recommend learning a bit more about them. If you're curious. I'll link to some of my favorite resources in the resources section.
The Big Five is another useful test that describes introversion, but in different terms. With the Big Five, the trait of extraversion or introversion, relates to how people respond to the dopamine, chemical and reward. Those high in extraversion responded very positively to activities that give us an increased dopamine response, which tends to come from interaction with other people. introversion here is defined as a preference for quiet, being reserved and more cautious about your environment. But it actually has nothing to do with introspection and creativity, which are more likely related to another newer chemical brain system which seeks information based reward. And this newer brain system is the one that that makes us uniquely human and gives us the drive for gaining new information and pursuing our curiosity.
Introverts are more likely to To see this information based reward, gaining information and pursuing our curiosity over the older reward system based on status. shyness is a different trait altogether happens to be the trait neuroticism, which the Big Five also describes. In addition, shyness, which may confuse you with introversion or may confuse people with introversion actually comes from neuroticism. Like I said, this is a totally different trait described by the Big Five model. extroverts can also be high on trait neuroticism, and therefore more socially anxious, despite being more driven towards social rewards than introverts. I'm going to rate I'm going to read off just a handful of the items that have been found to capture the main aspects of introversion and extraversion on the spectrum of personality.
So rate each item from one, it doesn't apply to you at all to five. It really applies. I'm hard to get to know. I keep others at a distance. I reveal a little about myself. I rarely get caught up in excitement.
I'm not a very enthusiastic person. I like the talent for influencing people. I hold back on my opinions. If you scored more than 17, you're likely an introvert according to the Big Five model. Personally, I don't see a lot of correlation between the Myers Briggs definition of introversion, which I actually find a lot more empowering and accurate in describing the introverts. I know, you might find that you come out as relatively high on extraversion on this big five model, even if you come out as an introvert using the Myers Briggs model.
This reason I prefer the Myers Briggs test. The definition that I settled on, and one that is more helpful in my own exploration of personality is understanding introvert in an extrovert In terms of not what activities we enjoy or dislike, but with what frequency we enjoy them. sociability, stimulation and excitement aren't thoroughly enjoyed by extroverts. It's more that introverts enjoy them in less frequency and or with less intensity. The difference then, is the frequency that somebody shows introverted or extroverted patriots. So in this sense, there is no such thing as an introvert.
Just those who think, feel and behave in introverted ways most of the time. These descriptions of introvert and extrovert simply describe how you respond to the environment. That's all personality is a tendency or increased likelihood of a certain response to a certain stimulation. So to introvert is a tendency of or increased likelihood of a certain response to a certain situation or stimulation. introversion is not fixed or 100% predictable. Simply being aware of your tendencies can change your response.
Like I mentioned earlier, I've seen my behaviors change, the more I understand about myself. The rest of the section aims to clarify your understanding of your own preferences and tendencies. And as a result, have more autonomy over your responses to your environment, and be able to craft a marketing strategy that works for you on your terms. I've linked to some of my favorite personality type tests in the resources. So before moving on, I recommend taking at least one of these tests to find out where you are on the introvert spectrum.