“I’m an introvert… I love being by myself, love being outdoors, love taking a long walk with my dogs and looking at the trees, flowers, the sky.”

– Audrey Hepburn

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There’s a lot of talk these days about introversion. Which makes me so incredibly excited!

I myself am an introvert and sometimes, it can be a tough pill to swallow. Especially since we live in a mostly extroverted world. 

From an early age, we’re taught to be highly sociable, put ourselves out there, and win the approval of others. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this because that’s just the world we live in, and we humans are social creatures. 

But for someone who is naturally introverted and needs to recharge in isolation, it can be incredibly painful to demand that they be outgoing every second of every day.

In fact, it’s just downright insulting.

It’s the complete opposite of their true selves and you will inevitably encounter friction from an introvert each and every time.

Forcing an introvert to be an extrovert is not the right way to go about it. You’re basically saying “Hey! There’s something wrong with the essence of who you are, and you should be this way instead.”

This not only causes the person to feel shame about who they are, but it strips them of their very identity.

The same would be true if an extrovert was forced to be an introvert. It’s just who they are, and they shouldn’t be chastised for it. It’s far easier for extroverts to get by in our society simply because extroverts are more widely accepted. They are viewed as the go-getters, the life of the party, or the approachable ones.

The truth of the matter is we all have both extroverted and introverted qualities within us. It’s just one of the two is usually more present than the other. There are even some people who are considered ambiverts, where they have a more equal balance of both extroversion and introversion.

But today, we’re going to focus on what introversion is and how you can identify whether you’re an introvert or not.

You will likely start noticing it in other introverts as well. Knowing the personality type of other people helps us build stronger relationships in all areas of our lives simply because it helps us communicate and understand one another better.

Continue scrolling to learn all about introversion.

What is Introversion?

Introversion is a personality trait in which someone needs to be alone to recharge from their day, someone who prefers less stimulating environments, and also enjoys spending time with one or two people versus larger groups.

Additionally, introverts often reflect on their inner thoughts and feelings rather than projecting them externally.

It’s also likely you’ll find an introvert engaging in activities that stimulate their mind. They may also enjoy being in nature by taking a walk or tending to a garden. You may even find them getting lost in a book, listening to, or composing music, and creating art.

Introverts love to spend their time deep in thought. And any activity to get them there is definitely appealing.

Common Traits of an Introvert

While we all are complex individuals, there are common traits that tend to show up amongst all introverts. Some of those traits are:

• Introverts prefer to work alone and work well independently.
• Small talk is difficult for an introvert, and they often find it boring. Instead, introverts prefer deep and meaningful conversations.
• They feel drained after being in an over-stimulating environment.
• It’s easier for introverts to write out their thoughts and feelings than it is to talk about them.
• Introverts are reflective and take their time working through decisions and problems.
• They don’t like to draw attention to themselves.
• Introverts often daydream.
• They enjoy solitude and don’t mind being alone. In fact, it’s preferred.
• Introverts favor a small friend circle over a larger one.
• They’re great listeners and tend to think before they speak.
• Introverts tend to be more quiet and reserved.

This isn’t an exhaustive list of traits for introverts, but rather a list of some of the most common qualities that you may encounter or experience for yourself.

Differences of an Extrovert and an Introvert

As previously mentioned, we all have some extroverted and introverted traits within us. But more than likely, one personality type is more present in us over the other.

So, what makes an extrovert different from an introvert? 

Some of the differences are obvious, but some are subtle. And they may not all show up as strongly for you as they may for others. Check out the table below to view some of the most distinct differences between introverts and extroverts.

After viewing the above table, can you point out some qualities in you that are more introverted or extroverted? I bet you can!

Once I started researching introversion more and more, it was obvious right away that I was a true introvert at heart. It took me a while to accept it as I kept getting the feeling that introverts are weird. But I have since learned to embrace my introversion.

How Can I Tell If I Am an Introvert?

If you’ve made it this far, it’s likely you’ve noticed that you are either more of an introvert or extrovert. But instead of wondering, there is a way to get a more definitive answer.

Take a personality test! There are loads of them available on the Internet, some free and some at a cost.

I admit, I like to take my personality test every other year or so to see if my personality remains the same. And so far, it has. Below are a couple of personality tests that I recommend, both of which are FREE!

Truity

If you have a tight budget, I personally recommend trying a free personality test designed by Truity.

There are several different personality tests available on Truity, but I personally like to start off with the 16 Types Personality Test. This test is based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and took me less than 10 minutes to complete.

My results were shown immediately!

With Truity, you have the option of creating an account and getting your results emailed to you. That way you can save them for future reference.

And if you want to see a detailed report of your individual results, you can easily purchase your full report at the end of every test. This report includes valuable insights into your personality. 

Insights such as: the benefits and challenges of your personality, why you think and act the way you do, as well as how your personality affects your relationships, career, and every aspect of your life.

16Personalities 

Another great site to access a free personality test is 16Personalities. This test is also based on the MBTI, but includes other approaches as well.

There are absolutely no strings attached and you don’t even have to register to take the test if you don’t want to. You do have the option of providing your email address if you want to receive your test results via email. 

I was able to take the test in less than 10 minutes and view my results right away!

My personality type under the MBTI is known as an INFJ – Introversion (I), Intuition (N), Feeling (F), and Judging (J). And if you’re really interested, you can view even more details about my personality by clicking here.

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It’s always fun to learn more about yourself, but the thing I love the most about personality tests is they can help you communicate and create better relationships with others.

Whether that’s at home with your family or your colleagues at work. By knowing your own or someone else’s personality, you are sure to exist or work better together.

In Conclusion

I hope you learned more today about introversion than you knew when you began.

While there is so much more to introversion than this summary, the goal with this post is to provide a simple guide on what introversion is and how you can easily spot it within yourself and others.

If you’re just now discovering that you’re an introvert for the first time, it can be quite exciting! So welcome to the club!

And if you’re anything like me, you likely will be Googling introversion in the days to come. It can be fun to discover new things about yourself. It’s like finding that missing piece of the puzzle that you couldn’t quite put your finger on!

Sometimes, being an introvert can even make you feel like an imposter in this extroverted world.

But just by taking the time to understand my personality, I garnered confidence and self-acceptance that I never knew I needed. I highly encourage learning more about yourself and your introversion. It may very well change your entire outlook on life and how you see yourself and others. 

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Are you an introvert or do you have someone in your life that is? How has understanding your introversion helped you? Leave a comment below to share your thoughts.

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