Extroversion And Introversion: Two Ends Of The Spectrum

Personalities vary. There are no two persons on the planet who are exactly alike in terms of their feelings expression and behavior. This statement holds true even when it comes to identical twins who by definition possess the very same DNA. From the moment they leave the womb they experience environments that are at least slightly different. Some even experience this difference before birth with one twin receiving more nutrients than the other and therefore being born larger and stronger. Still, with all of this in mind the most distinct difference that most people observe has to do with introversion and extroversion. This particular concept lies at the heart of this essay and will be discussed in detail as follows.

Introversion in lay terms

Most likely you have encountered someone before who seems reserved and unwilling to mingle when placed in social situations where strangers are present. They may not exactly be shy but being in crowds is uncomfortable. For such people, being at the center of attention feels mentally exhausting and they do everything in their power to avoid that position. These people are known as introverts. They may have rich imaginative lives and be very creative but feel most comfortable expressing that creativity away from the spotlight. For those who feel drawn to the stage, they often adopt another persona for their performances and only show their true selves to trusted friends and loved ones.

Extroversion in lay terms

On the other end of this spectrum, you will definitely have encountered at least a few people who are quite the opposite of what we just discussed above. They are often the ones who approach strangers first at social gatherings and love being the center of attention. For the, discomfort comes from being all alone or worse yet, being in a crowd and being ignored. These people are known as extroverts and they will go out of their way to participate in social activities that help strengthen the bonds between them and the pack to which they believe they belong.

While most places on Earth have a mixture of introverts and extroverts, there are actually societal traits that make people more likely to favor one personality trait over another. There is a much greater respect for extroversion in western societies which tend to be more individualistic. In eastern societies that are more focused on the welfare of the group many cultural constructs support introversion.