Why is being an introvert seemingly thought of as being a negative quality in pe

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   thunkfulthinkerposted 9 years ago

   Why is being an introvert seemingly thought of as being a negative quality in people?
   
   I base this on my personal experience in school and life. I think that being an extrovert is thought to being critical to success, which is why it was taught indirectly nearly exclusively.

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   temptor94posted 9 years ago

   People tend to think that extroverts are like open books and hence easily understood, while introverts are complicated as they don't express their inner selves easily. It's the inability to judge introverts that cause people to be wary of them.
   I am also an introvert and the most frequent first impression that people form about me is arrogant, even though I am not. It's probably because humans feel the psychological need to get attention from people around, and they feel inferior when they encounter an aloof person.
   Extrovert-ism being critical for success is a false belief that has been fed to us by society. There are plenty of famous people who are/were complete introverts - Einstein, Abraham Lincoln, Bill Gates.
   Introverts are not always awkward loners with no friends and social skills, many are just self-sufficient in their emotional needs and do not require constant approval from people around them. Too bad if people are not bright enough to understand that.

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      thunkfulthinkerposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Couldn't have said it better myself!

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   Link10103posted 9 years ago

   If someone considers being introverted a negative quality, I cant help but call them ignorant.

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   Sri Tposted 9 years ago

   It takes friends and associates to become successful. You have to reach out to new people constantly in business. Depending on the size of the business, publicity and fame may be required to reach larger markets. Obviously an extrovert can better handle that kind of ongoing pressure. An introvert can do it, but they have to move out of their comfort zone. It's harder to succeed without a lot of contact with people.

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   M. T. Dremerposted 9 years ago

   I actually just read a book about this called "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking". One of the things that it points out is that not all cultures feel introversion is a negative quality. One country actually discouraged their students from speaking up in class because it was disrespectful. Therefore introverts were more popular and went on to be more successful.
   
   In fact, it seems like a more modern concept, localized primarily in the U.S., that extroversion is regarded as the ideal. The idea of making connections and being outwardly confident needs to be tempered by people who stop and think about the world around them. Otherwise we get stock market crashes because extroverts were too confident in risky ideas. It's all about striking a balance. 
   
   But, I think the book is incredibly valuable, not because it says one side is right or wrong, but because it teaches introverts not to be ashamed of what they are (entirely normal people with an invaluable way of seeing the world).

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      thunkfulthinkerposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I need to get that book. I have been meaning to get it for some time now.

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   gmwilliamsposted 9 years ago

   Extroversion is valued, if not exalted in our society. Extroverts are seen as warm, personable, even intelligent while introversion is demonized.  Introverts are  misunderstood,even underestimated. read more

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