Introvert or Extrovert…. Or Both?

I recently read an article in one of my psychology magazines whose title immediately captured my attention - Are You a Wild Introvert? The author, Scott Barry Kaufman, Ph.D., posed an interesting contemplation, as he expressed an idea on a type of introversion that I hadn’t come across before, and I really liked what he had to say. I liked it for several reasons.

Seeing these words together, “wild introvert,” made my soul sing. Two words that don’t usually go together or are even thought of together by most people, I would imagine. I believe that there are so many misconceptions or stereotypes about both types of personality, introversion and extroversion, but as a self-identified introvert, the ones about introversion hit me the hardest. You likely know the ones I mean-

“Shy, Quiet, Timid, Wallflower, Passive, Anxious, Loner, Nerdy, Bookworm, People-Pleaser” etc., etc.

Yes, I can admit to some of these attributes at times, but certainly not all, and not all of the time. But due to the generalizations or assumptions made by society, along with my own conclusions, I accepted a long time ago that I was an “introvert” by nature. My Myers-Briggs Type Indicator has remained an INFJ (or sometimes INFP depending upon the day) for those of you who may know what that means. This isn’t the first time a concept such as this has been introduced. The word “ambivert” refers to a person who has features of both an introvert and an extrovert in their personality, but I prefer how Dr. Kaufman describes it. ☺️

Dr. Kaufman talks about the role of dopamine in one’s personality, in the sense that extroverts naturally have more of this neurotransmitter in their system, but that it doesn’t mean that it’s nonexistent in introverts. Dopamine is connected with pleasure, motivation, and reward. Depending upon one’s dopamine pathway, one will get energized by different motivating factors, i.e., hence some of the differences we see in different personalities.

He poses some questions to ask to help determine if one could be a “wild introvert,” such as:

-Are you curious about many things?

-Are you interested in abstract ideas?

-Do you have a vivid imagination?

-Do you love spending time reflecting on things?

-Do you love going on adventures, but like them to be safe, and desire deep reflection and rest afterwards?

-Do you seem to others boring and vanilla on the outside, but on the inside, a rich, vibrant world beyond mild exists?

-Do you have a love for learning new things, but struggle with networking events where you’re forced to meet a lot of new people?

I answered yes to all of these. 😄

But here, I’d like to add to the conversation if I may….

Might a “wild introvert” be the same as a “tamed extrovert?”

My personality confuses people.

I enjoy being alone, a lot,

But I’m very outgoing & social.

My environment dictates how I behave.

Sometimes I’m loud, sometimes I’m quiet.

I read the energy and adjust.

There are times when I want to turn up and then there are moments where I want to read a good book, or process thoughts, alone.

s. mcnutt

What spurred my thinking about this was inspired by the Hermetic Principles. Based on the teachings and ancient wisdom of the spiritual Egyptian mystic called Hermes, the Hermetic Principles describe seven principles of Universal Law, or how the Universe operates. These teachings are interwoven within and across various religions and schools of thought, such as “As above, So Below,” and “Cause and Effect.” Another one of these seven Universal Principles is called “Polarity” - opposites are identical in nature, but different in degree.

Let me repeat - “Opposites are identical in nature, but different in degree”….Opposites are the same.

The North and South poles are on opposite ends of the Earth, but their characteristics are the same. And as they say, there are no two snowflakes alike, yet they’re made of the same substance-water.

The word “spectrum” has received a lot of attention in recent years. We hear it often as it is associated with the clinical diagnosis of A.S.D. or Autism Spectrum Disorder. For better or worse, people often jokingly refer to one another as “being on the spectrum,” speaking to unique quirks of an individual.

Aren’t we all on the spectrum of some sort? And if so, we’re on the same pole, the same thread, unified-not that different at all-as suggested by the Polarity theory.

“We are all leaves on different branches of the same tree.”
-Laura Lynne Jackson

Taking this to a deeper spiritual level, I propose and support the concept that we are more similar than dissimilar. All seeming opposites are both one and different, all equal with valid perspectives. If we could understand this, perhaps harmony would be more possible. Everything and everyone, whatever or whoever, is a part of the One. I like to believe that we are all on the same spiritual path-the difference is we are just at different points on that path.

We’re all headed home.

Accept who you are, you’re perfect as is!

At this juncture in my life, I’ve pretty much accepted my quirks and all, and am still working (will forever be) with the internal parts that make up my unique self. And that is the key - acceptance. Don’t try to fit in to be someone that you’re not or cave to societal pressures according to society’s standards. You’re here to be YOU.

Dr. Kaufman asks if introverts can be happy in a world that won’t stop talking, and he answers with an emphatic “Yes, they can!” For anyone who relates to falling on the introverted side of things, I highly recommend Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, by Susan Cain, a number one bestseller that revolutionized the perception of introverts. I will be forever grateful for this book.

So….

Maybe it’s time to embrace your wild introverted self….or your tamed extroverted self 😁

Til next we meet in the forest…

Love,

Amanda ❤️