Introvert PersonalityShy, reserved,

Introvert Personality
Shy, reserved, self-conscious, deliberate ... these are some of the most prominent traits that are generally associated with introvert personality.



Extroversion and introversion are two most common personality traits in the world. In fact, introversion-extroversion scale is one of the four main personality scales in Myers-Briggs personality test. While extroversion deals with the outer world, introversion is restricted to ones own thoughts and feelings. Though introverts are a bit reserved kind of people, it would be wrong to associate their behavior with shyness. Such misconceptions about introvert personality create a wrong image about them, as a result of which they are often considered inferior to extroverts.

Introvert

In psychology, introversion is defined as "the state of, or tendency towards being wholly or predominantly concerned with and interest in one's own mental life." Similarly, an introvert is defined as "a person who tends to shrink from social contacts to become preoccupied with his own thoughts." In simple words, an introvert is a person who tends to focus primarily on his own mind, feelings, and affairs.

Personality Traits

If you are at a party and you notice an individual who is not quite comfortable with the boisterous atmosphere of the party, there are significant chances that he is an introvert. These people tend to get energized in solitude and hence, they are seldom seen socializing. Introverts are self-conscious people, who are always concerned about what other people are thinking about them. They seldom participate in group activities, and their hobbies and interests are most often confined to activities which only involves them. They are much more interested in reading, writing, drawing, etc. Sports or outings do not feature in their list of interests. They are not quite comfortable in crowded places, nor do they like unexpected visitors.

Though they don't express their feeling, introverts are quite thoughtful in nature. The fact that they prefer to think before talking helps them to amass vast knowledge without putting it on display. They are witty indeed, but they do find it difficult to tell jokes to a group of people. They get conscious wondering how others will react to it. Introverts can be highly passionate, but their passion seldom turns to aggression. They are patient enough to devote their attention to a particular subject for long duration, without getting disturbed by any sort of distraction or boredom.

Is Being Introvert a Personality Disorder?

Many people consider introversion a disorder, which is not true. In psychology, there is a concept referred to as avoidant personality disorder which shares some similar traits. However, that doesn't justify the use of introversion and avoidant personality disorder synonymously. Both the concepts have quite a few differences. Unlike people with avoidant personality disorder, introverts don't suffer from anxiety attacks when it becomes necessary to maintain social contacts. However, some psychologists do suggest that being introvert to an extent wherein it interferes with your day-to-day activities can be referred to as a personality disorder.

An individual is less likely to display all the personality traits discussed above. It is not surprising to find several points of difference between two introverts. Similarly, an individual might display the traits of introversion in a lesser degree when around family members than what he would when with friends. In the end, one needs to understand that almost all of us have the traits of both personality types―extroversion and introversion―with either type being more dominant than the other.