Successful Introvert in Extroverted World Complete guide for introverts who want to make friends, be social, and build leadership abilities and developing powerful skills

By Brian Gibson

We often seem to be living in an extrovert world—it is the route to attention. We teach our children to speak up, not be shy and encourage them to be bold. Even our parents would tell us that "the squeaky wheel gets the oil!" The media tells us that the person willing to be the loudest will win the reality show, get the recording contract, get hits on YouTube… Growing up, we were encouraged to find our voice, choose a research area, and set the framework for a lifetime profession.

Many claims that Americans live in an "extroverted society" that rewards extroverted behavior and rejects introversion. This is because the United States is currently a culture of personality, whereas other cultures are cultures of character. Being an introvert in an extrovert's world is doable—maybe even pleasant. And maybe the world does not truly belong to one or the other, but the symbiosis between the two. The most important point to remember is that both types are equally important in their worth and contributions to society. Introverts should not be viewed as the "underdog" or disadvantaged because they are less outgoing or verbal. We have all heard of famous introverts such as Bill Gates, Steven Spielberg, J. K. Rowling, Albert Einstein, Jane Austen, Thomas Jefferson, and Mahatma Gandhi, individuals who, through their quiet ways, have made a tremendous impact on human culture.

In this book, you will learn all about introverted and extroverted personalities, the right way to communicate, and the solutions to success today.

• Language: English
• Publisher: vincenzo nappi
• Release date: Nov 26, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215264904

Book preview

Chapter One

Introduction

The human race has defined itself via character traits since the dawn of time, from the four humors of ancient Greece to Carl Jung's personality theory. As we have labeled our characteristics, biases have emerged. There is a definite bias towards extroversion in the present-day United States of America. Extroverts dominate our media. They filter through our social media newsfeeds, shout from our television screens, and occupy our crowded subways with their intentional and coincidental performances.

Educational facilities and work environments seek out and encourage outgoing, charismatic individuals. As a society, we have been told that leaders are gregarious and must enjoy being in the spotlight. Classes and self-help books are pushed upon those who fail to fit the extroverted ideal. Quiet children bring notes home to worried parents and, in some cases, are forced to endure therapy meant to fix their introversion. Negative labels abound. Those who fail to meet the extroverted ideal are labeled as arrogant, cold, socially awkward, and shy. Yet forty percent of the United States population identifies as introverted. Indeed, introversion can be linked back to Biblical times. Until relatively recently, introversion was the ideal men aspired to fulfill, and in many Eastern cultures, the ideal remains. Yet, within the United States, that forty percent are often made to feel ostracized or damaged while their extroverted peers are praised and promoted. Despite introversion being an innate character trait, many people feel it should be changed. Many introverts are bombarded by the extrovert ideal. Despite the belief that introversion can be changed, studies have proven that the trait is at least partly genetic. Extroversion is literally in our DNA, according to some psychologists. The trait is less prevalent in Asia and Africa than in Europe and America, whose populations are largely descended from global migrants. According to these researchers, it makes sense that world travelers were more extroverted than those who stayed at home and that they passed on their traits to their children and their children's children.

As logically discussed in the above excerpt, extroversion has been passed through the generations. Similarly, introversion has also been shared through the generations. One theory suggests that introversion has to do with the wiring within the brain. Specifically, the blood flows differently within the brains of introverts and extroverts. The path of blood within an introverted brain is longer and focused on the parasympathetic system, whereas extroverts have longer blood flow patterns that focus on the sympathetic system. The parasympathetic nervous system is the nervous system branch responsible for homeostasis. The sympathetic system, the focus of an extrovert's blood flow, is known for the fight or flight response.

In contrast, introverts' brains are wired to respond to stress by returning to equilibrium. Another piece of evidence suggests that introversion is a genetic trait linked to the Dopamine D4 receptor, or D4DR, gene, which affects the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine is believed to be responsible for the reward and pleasure centers of the brain. A sensitivity, or lack thereof, to Dopamine is believed to be responsible for an individual's placement on the scale of introversion and extroversion. An individual with a shortened D4DR gene, otherwise known as an introvert, is much more sensitive to the brain's feel-good chemical. This sensitivity to dopamine means that introverts need zone out to protect themselves from overstimulation. Whereas extroverts, who lack this sensitivity, often need to chase after rewards to trigger dopamine within the