One of the things I love about Twitter is that sometimes people post links to really interesting articles (or funny photos of cats/puppies/babies, which are good too). A couple weeks back, @YukonGraham posted a link to a Psychology Today article called "Revenge of the Introvert," by Laurie Helgoe, and I've been thinking about said article ever since. The basic gist of it is, about half the people in the world are introverts, and half are extroverts, and the two halves experience socializing in different ways. Introverts (who are not necessarily shy), enjoy socializing one-on-one or in smaller groups, and need time to reflect and process information. Large, loud gatherings can be overstimulating for the introvert, who values quiet solitude at least part of the time in order to think about things and decide how he or she feels. The extrovert, by contrast, thrives in the busy social world of large parties, clubs, and the like. For the extrovert, too much time alone can be boring rather than rewarding.
Of course, most people fall along a scale, sometimes feeling more introverted, and sometimes more extroverted. But I think that most people fall more to one side than the other, and if they had to pick, they would readily know in which category they best fit.
I'm an introvert. Solidly so. But for a long time I was also painfully shy. I spent six years working through social anxiety, wishing that I could do the things my friends so easily enjoyed—going to parties, dancing, talking to people with ease, all with a minimal amount of awkwardness. And after those six years of hard work and therapy and medication, of triumph and tears, I finally reached the point where going out to a pub, or meeting new people, or even speaking in front of people wasn't a big deal anymore. And after all that effort, I made an important discovery about myself—I really do prefer my own company a lot of the time. I mean, I love hanging out with my husband, my friends, my family. But large groups, lots of noise—I don't really care for that.
One of the main arguments of the article is that, actually, it's okay to be an introvert. Even though our culture (in the USA and in the UK) values extroversion, some people (more people than I think we tend to realize) are natural introverts, and can't be converted into extroverts (it's stressful and tiring, Helgoe argues, for introverts to behave in an extroverted manner). Nor should they be. It's fine to be who you are, even if that runs contrary to who society wants you to be.
All this leads me back to writing. Are the majority of writers introverts, I wonder? My natural answer is "yes," but of course I would think so, being one myself. But there seem to be logical arguments in favor of this theory. First off, introverts tend toward reflection, which of course is an important part of writing—thinking about life experiences, trying to figure out your own character and that of others, putting together pieces to find meaning. Next, introverts find solitude rewarding, and what is more solitary than writing? And finally, introverts living in cultures that value extroversion experience conflict, and what lies at the heart of all great stories? You guessed it, conflict.
Of course, that's not to say that there are no extroverted writers. Of course there are. Extroverts may have different experiences of the world than do introverts, and their capacity for socializing on a larger scale means that they may also attain different insights and conclusions about life. All important things for the world of literature.
But this leads me to wonder, as well: do introverts and extroverts write different types of stories? Do extroverted writers write more action-oriented scenes? More fast-paced thrillers? Do introverts pay more attention to character, penning more thoughtful, psychological pieces? Or might it be the opposite, with introverts experimenting with more action, and extroverts taking a stab at reflective characters? After all, the "other" is always more mysterious and exciting than the familiar, isn't it?
And finally I arrive at my question. Do you consider yourself an introvert, an extrovert, or something in between? Do you think that writers in general tend to be introverts, and do you think introversion or extroversion affects the type of material a writer creates? Let me know in the comments.
Source article: Helgoe, Laurie. "Revenge of the Introvert." Psychology Today 1 Sep. 2010. 20 Oct. 2011. <http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201008/revenge-the-introvert>
From my experience as a teacher I can fully agree with you about people swaying to one side or the other.
ReplyDeleteI've actually noticed that the introverted ones will tend to write more. I think that's possibly because they are less concerned with getting their work out to the larger audience in the short term. Also, they stay focused on their topic, tending to reflect more and pour over it in a more long term process.
Extroverts are ready to finish, put it out there, and get their feedback. It's not an issue of shyness necessarily, but I think more reaction. The extroverts need their stuff to be read more regularly and the introverts often couldn't possibly care less.
Just my observations, but they have become important in class dynamics - knowing when to push a student to do more, to complete something, to edit and revise, or to just stand back and let them run with it.
I definitely identify with your introverted students, Jeff. One of the reasons I like writing is that it gives me a chance to express myself much better than I can verbally. I like being able to think about the words and get them just right before others see them.
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