World Introvert Day: What introversion actually means!

IllustrationUday MohiteWhy are you so quiet If introverts got 10 bucks for every time someone asked them that they would have enough to go on a world trip Because thats how they are They dont ask others Why are you so noisy No Because its rude The challenge of being an introvert in a loud world where your mettle is defined and decided by how much you speak is indescribable People have actually asked on Google Is it a bad thing to be an introvert and How to stop being an introvert and thats heartbreaking Introversion is not being shy timid meek or weak its having a brain wired differently that functions differently that processes everything around it differently And different can be normal too if you let itExpert explanationDr Sagar Mundada psychiatrist practising at Bhabha HospitalIntroverts shouldnt be confused with the asocial They choose to speak when required their default mode being keeping to oneself We dont expect a tiger to hunt in a pack nor a wolf to not hunt in one these are natural variations in nature and the same holds true when it comes to different personality typesDr Avinash Desousa consulting psychiatristIntroverts may find it difficult to express themselves to others verbally and may be ridiculed for their slowness to socialise But they are far more levelheaded and its because they may take it slow when it comes to taking crucial decisions they are better in decisionmaking jobs because they are less impulsive and more rational that extrovertsWorlds inwardAmbiverts The inbetweens experiencing both worlds with the right balance as found and explained by psychologist Adam Grant and others Grant characterises ambiverts as being ambivalent about social situations sometimes enjoying the company of others but also enjoying being alone at timesHSPs Highly Sensitive Persons These people have psychologists Dr Elaine Aron and husband Arthur Aron to thank who have helped to make people aware and understand the science behind what you might call too sensitive The scientific term is sensoryprocessing sensitivity simply put HSPs have hypersensitivity to external stimuli a greater depth of cognitive processing and high emotional reactivityEmpaths This lot comprises those who put themselves in others shoes quite literally They have the ability to feel what someone else is feeling sense the energies shakti or prAumlAcircu00c2u0081na that people around them emit and even absorb them in other words they internalise others emotions whether good or bad and are said to be extremely sensitive to others On the flipside this ability can also leave them drained and wrung out and they can have trouble differentiating between their pain and that of othersMisconceptionsShraddha sawant graphic artistPeople think I am a snob The general perception I have realised is that because I talk less I must be stuckup and consider people to be beneath me which obviously isnt true And this makes my social and professional interactions tougher because I know what people are likely to think I push myself to be chatty which by nature I am not and the effort takes a lot out of meEliza D journalistI am in a profession that doesnt allow much scope for introversion but I manage to strike a balance The thing though is people dont understand how much I love silence they take it to mean that something must be wrong whereas I am merely in my own world perfectly content and comfortable with the quiet I dont think theres always the need to fill it silenceBrain scanAmong the things that differentiates introverts from extroverts is how they respond to the neurotransmitter dopamine the chemical that gets one excited to go after rewards money promotion social status sex love etc The dopamine system becomes more active in extroverts to pursue rewards while in introverts its much less when it comes to such pursuit giving the impression that they are less enthusiastic or not as driven Extroverts also have more dopamine activation when they connect with other humans In other words introverts dont require as much social interaction in order to feel good as extroverts do Also research has found thicker prefrontal cortices in introverts as compared to extroverts which is associated with deeper thought and planning suggesting that introverts are less impulsive than extrovertsA few textbooksQuiet The Power of Introverts in a World That Cant Stop Talking by Susan CainThe Introvert Advantage by Marti Olsen LaneyThe Secret Lives of Introverts by Jenn GrannemanIntrovert Power by Laurie HelgoeAnd for some fun Introvert Doodles by Maureen Marzi WilsonLog on for some helpgtgt Introvertdearcomgtgt Quietrevcomgtgt Introvertlifecomgtgt Thecreativeintrovertcom1921Year Carl Jung introduced us to introverts and extroverts in his text Psychological TypesInputsRupsa ChakrabortyCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news current affairs from Mumbai local news crime news and breaking headlines hereDownload the new midday Android and iOS apps to get updates on all the latest 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