what does being an introvert really mean?

Welcome to The Introverted Path!

In today’s email:

• History & definitions of the term ‘introvert’

• Culture of Character vs Culture of Personality

• Links to other content I enjoyed this week

Let’s dive in 🤙 

History of the term introvert

I thought it would be good to explore the historical background of what an introvert is. After all, how did we even come to define the terms ‘introvert’ and ‘extrovert’?

The terms themselves are actually quite new - psychologist Carl Jung first used the word introvert around the year 1918. But if you look across Google for definitions, you will find wildly different answers.

The Oxford dictionary actually defines it below as:

“A shy, reticent person.”

That seems like a gross oversimplification to me. Shy ≠ introverted.

Shyness involves a fear of negative evaluation by others. People who want to socialize, but have a fear in doing so. The extreme version of this is social anxiety.

Introverts don’t fear socialization, but we can easily get over-stimulated and prefer more low key environments. We can go to big gatherings and socialize, but it wears us out. It isn’t something we typically seek out.

Let’s use an example: public speaking.

I generally don’t have a problem speaking in front of large groups. That may surprise people given I consider myself an introvert. Again - I don’t go seeking it out, and I’m likely chillin on the couch the rest of the night afterwards, but I don’t have a problem doing it.

Now on the other hand, someone who considers themselves shy would likely rather do anything else in the world if it meant they didn’t have to speak in front of a large group.

Okay, cool. Now we understand the difference between shyness and introversion. But what’s a good definition for introvert?

I prefer the definition created by Introvert, Dear which is a popular blog for introverts. They define an introvert as:

“Someone who prefers calm, minimally stimulating environments. Introverts tend to feel drained after socializing and regain their energy by spending time alone.”

That feels much more accurate to me. Like a lot of things, no one definition will fit everyone. Introversion is a spectrum where some people lean heavily towards one end or the other.

I’ve been reading “Quiet – The Power Of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking” by Susan Cain and came across something that I thought was super interesting…

Culture of Character vs Culture of Personality

The 19th century can be described as the Culture of Character. Self-help guides during that time focused on attributes such as:

• Citizenship

• Duty

• Work

• Honor

• Reputation

• Morals

What do you think about that list? To me, those are all things worth striving for in an individual. The focus was less on how one behaved in public and more on how one behaved in private.

And this makes sense - during the 19th century America was mainly an agricultural society. With the rise of big business and people flocking to cities, society became much more urbanized. The focus shifted towards outward personality.

In 1840 only 8% of Americans lived in cities. By 1920 more than a third lived in cities. This led to people not just working with friends or people they knew since childhood, but with strangers. Success or promotions were now based more on extroverted ideals.

The 20th century can then be described as the Culture of Personality. Self-help guides during this time focused on attributes such as:

• Magnetic

• Fascinating

• Attractive

• Glowing

• Dominant

• Energetic

Notice the stark differences between the Culture of Character and the Culture of Personality? As a society, we started to view the extroverted ideal as being necessary for success. Everyone was led to believe they needed to be a salesmen of sorts.

My Thoughts 💭 

There’s no denying those attributes associated with the Culture of Personality are positive - if anyone used any of those words to describe you, it would be taken as a compliment.

I find it interesting that for most of history up to the 20th century, we focused more on attributes at the individual level. Wouldn’t you also appreciate someone saying you had a high level of honor or good morals?

During the 20th century, the world has shifted to focusing more on extroverted ideals. But I do think this is changing. With shifts in the way we work and socialize, the need to be seen as energetic or dominant is becoming less important. There are more ways than ever to express yourself. This can be through writing, music, social media, etc.

I can’t help but think returning more focus to the attributes associated with the Culture of Character would be good for our society. We all see people doing things in order to get attention, or basing their actions off what they think other people want. In a world of constant dopamine hits, the extroverted ideal reigns supreme.

I would challenge you to think about how you can improve on some of those attributes associated with the Culture of Character. What really matters to you? How do you want to be viewed by your friends and family? What words do you hope they use when describing you to others?

Links that I enjoyed this week 💥 

• Susan Cain on the Tim Ferriss Show: Transforming Pain, Building Your Emotional Resilience (link)

• This guy spent $10,000 on Amazon and outlined all of the products that changed his life (link)

• 21-year old student pilot loses her front nose gear on her 3rd ever solo flight. Support comes in over the radio to keep her calm and help her land 🥹 (link)

That’s it for today - hope you enjoyed this weeks newsletter!

Next week’s preview: How to recharge your work and social batteries 🔋 

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Best,

BG