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Introvert Personality Traits

Abhijit Naik
Shy, reserved, self-conscious, deliberate ... these are some of the most prominent traits that are generally associated with introvert personality.
Extroversion and introversion are 2 common personality traits in the world. Introversion-extroversion scale is one of the four main scales in Myers-Briggs personality test. Extroversion deals with the outer world, introversion is restricted to ones own thoughts and feelings.
Though introverts are a bit reserved kind of people, it would be wrong to associate their behavior with shyness. Such misconceptions about introvert personality create a wrong image about them, as a result of which they are often considered inferior to extroverts.

Introvert

In psychology, introversion is defined as "the state of, or tendency towards being wholly or predominantly concerned with and interest in one's own mental life." An introvert is defined as "a person who tends to shrink from social contacts to become preoccupied with his own thoughts." It means he focuses primarily on his own mind, feelings, and affairs.

Personality Traits

If a person is not enjoying the cheerful atmosphere of a party then that can be an introvert. They tend to get energized in solitude and they are seldom seen socializing. They are self-conscious, always concerned about what others thinking about them.
They seldom participate in group activities, and their hobbies and interests are most often confined to activities which only involves them. They are much more interested in reading, writing, drawing, etc. Sports or outings do not feature in their list of interests.
They are not quite comfortable in crowded places, nor do they like unexpected visitors. Though they don't express their feelings, introverts are quite thoughtful in nature.
They prefer to think before talking and it helps them amass vast knowledge without putting it on display. They are witty, but they do find it difficult to tell jokes to a group of people. They get conscious wondering how others will react to it.
Introverts can be highly passionate, but their passion seldom turns to aggression. They are patient enough to devote their attention to a particular subject for long duration, without getting disturbed by any sort of distraction or boredom.

Is Being Introvert a Personality Disorder?

Many people consider it as a disorder, which is not true. In psychology, avoidant personality disorder shares some similar traits. But, that doesn't justify the use of these two synonymously. Both have a few differences.
Unlike people with avoidant personality disorder, introverts don't suffer from anxiety attacks when it becomes necessary to maintain social contacts. However, some psychologists do suggest that being introvert to an extent wherein it interferes with your day-to-day activities can be referred to as a personality disorder.
An individual is less likely to display all the personality traits discussed here. It is not surprising to find several points of difference between two introverts. Similarly, an individual might display the traits of introversion in a lesser degree when around family members than what he would when with friends.
In the end, one needs to understand that almost all of us have the traits of both personality types―extroversion and introversion―with either type being more dominant than the other.