The Introverted Me Instagram account has been around since March 2019, and it has amassed an impressive 114K followers. Despite the fact that you might not encounter many introverts in your daily life, there are plenty out there! In fact, Verywell Mind estimates that introverts make up between 25% and 40% of the population. Just because extroverts are often louder and more strongly represented in the media doesn’t mean that introverts aren’t mighty too!
I love spending time with my friends, but after an evening out, I will happily spend the next day not speaking to anyone. I need time to recharge my social battery, decompress and work up the strength to socialize again in the future. Being around other people can be exhausting, even if I had a great time, and I’m glad to know that there are plenty of other introverts out there who can relate (even if I won’t see them out and about in public).
For a previous Bored Panda article, we were able to get in touch with Peter Vogt of Introvert Insights to hear his thoughts on what being introverted means to him. “It’s easiest to understand introverts and introversion by contrasting them against extroverts and extroversion,” he noted.
“Introversion and extroversion lie on opposite ends of a continuum, so there’s really no such thing as ‘an ' introvert or ‘an’ extrovert. In other words, you’re not either a 100% introvert or a 100% extrovert. We are all a mix of both traits,” Peter explained. “There are degrees of introversion and extroversion, and even those degrees fluctuate a bit in one particular person.”
“There are two basic differences between introverts and extroverts: Introverts are energized (and re-energized, when they’re tired) by solitude and alone time—time away from people. Whereas extroverts are energized (and re-energized, when they’re tired) by being with people,” Peter shared with Bored Panda.
“Introverts prefer a lower-key, quieter environment that isn’t full of external stimulation—like lots of noise, for example, and lots of things happening that we pick up with our senses. Whereas extroverts prefer a more action-oriented environment that does feed the five senses,” he continued.
“In a nutshell: Introverts just prefer a quieter, lower-key life where they can focus on just a few things—or one thing—at a time, in depth. Extroverts prefer a more action-oriented, senses-pleasing life where they can be involved in lots of different things. One is not better than the other, by the way! They’re just different from each other.”
When it comes to the best parts of being introverted, Peter shared, “For me, the best part is knowing I’m capable of doing things on my own when I want or need to. Many introverts (me included) have an independent streak. Like any trait, this can be a blessing and a curse, depending on the situation and on whom you ask! But I treasure the fact that I can be my own entertainment and company. And it’s not ‘work’ or a hardship for me; it’s a joy.”
“I also enjoy digging into things deeply, which is another classic introvert trait. It helps me have deep conversations with people, learn about new subjects in great depth, and more,” Peter added.
The expert was also happy to dispel some common myths people tend to hold about introverts. “People—many extroverts especially, but many introverts themselves as well—think that if you’re an introvert, there is something fundamentally wrong with you,” he explained. “In Western society especially, extroverts and extroversion are put on a pedestal of sorts. Being an extrovert is the ‘right’ thing to be. The gold standard.”
