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No I am Not an Extrovert

But thank you for your unsolicited opinion

Kolina Cicero
3 min readMar 29, 2019

Introversion is hopelessly misunderstood.

Contrary to popular belief, introversion and extroversion aren’t about being shy versus being outgoing. These personality traits are about where you get your energy.

Sure, introverts can be more reserved and extroverts more bubbly, but those are not defining factors of the traits.

Gizmodo digs into the science of introversion and extroversion, terms Carl Jung coined in the 1920s:

“Extroverted people are energized by social interactions, whereas those same engagements are energetically taxing for introverts. So after attending a party or other social gathering, introverts need time alone to ‘recharge.’”

This means it is entirely possible for an introvert to enjoy social gatherings as much as, or even more than, an extrovert does. It’s just that after the occasion, the former needs to recharge, whereas the social gathering is fuel for the latter.

Possessing personality does not make you an extrovert, and neither does enjoying conversations with people. This distinction is so simple. What is less simple is trying to understand why so few people get it right. When did the definition of extrovert come to mean “outgoing” or “sociable?” It must…

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