Introverts and Extroverts Personality Essay Example

Humans are social animals. If left in isolation, then we exhibit negative effects including depression and anxiety. So how do introverts do it? Introverts, unlike extroverts, thrive in a quiet environment and require larger breaks between social interactions. As an introvert, I find it difficult to warm up to people, to participate in discussions with people I am not familiar with, and I have more anxiety in group settings. When starting a new class with strangers, I usually take a few classes or even a few weeks before I feel completely comfortable with talking in class. I pay close attention to the general mood of my classmates and see if other people have started speaking more and contributing to the discussion. However, participation is part of my overall class grade for all my classes, putting me and my fellow introverted classmates at a disadvantage when it comes to achieving higher grades. In America, grades and GPA do matter for scholarships, graduate schools, and potentially job opportunities. Extroverts, on the other hand, thrive in social environments and often will have an easier time making the participation part of the grade. Western culture is built for extroverts. In order to be considered as living the good life in Western culture, one must either pretend or be an extrovert. The ideal life in the capitalist western world is a wealthy one and it is one that extroverts are uniquely adapted to; the good life is a more hedonistic life- to be in pursuit of happiness, instant pleasures, and delayed satisfaction.

Extroverts have attributes that are more socially desirable in the individualistic Western cultures including being “more outgoing, bold, assertive, active, and cheerful” (Lawn). These attributes lead to better performance in interviews which can lead to higher paying jobs. Extroverts are considered personable meaning that they are more well liked and will be better at networking. Networking is a critical component of climbing the corporate ladder and finding better paying jobs. “Many people pretend to be extroverts,” because American society has a value system called the “Extrovert Ideal- the omnipresent belief that the ideal self if gregarious, alpha, and comfortable in the spotlight,” (Cain 4). In America, introversion is treated as a second-class personality trait. It is considered undesirable in interviews leading to fewer opportunities in the work industry. Pretending to be an extrovert is draining and can lead to mental and even physical illnesses including depression, chronic fatigue, and even a worse immune system (Zhou). America is “among the most extroverted nations” with only one out of every two or three people being an introvert (Cain 4). Living in America as an introvert, I am exposed to largely extroverts in social media who paint their lives as perfect. A large amount of the people I am exposed to are either extroverts or pretending to be extroverts, meaning that introverts are a minority in America. In a world that is built for extroverts, introverts are at a serious disadvantage for living a good life in accordance with western ideals for a good life. 

In Western cultures, the good life for someone is that they are well-educated, wealthy, have a healthy family, have a large social circle, are in good health themselves, and contribute to society. “Talkative people are ranked as smarter, better looking, more interesting, and more desirable to have as friends” allowing the presenting extroverts to build larger friend groups which is part of the ideal life in Western cultures (Cain 4). Building large social circles aides in networking and improving upon social skills. However, maintaining large social circles is exhausting for introverts and leads to neglecting members of the social circle and the individual’s needs. “Extroversion was associated with happiness,” (Hills) in a study done amongst English adults even among the introverts in the study. “Extraversion is primarily a measure of sociability, and social relationships are a self-evident source of happiness” (Hills). Having many social relationships and having more of these sources of happiness comes with potential risks for introverts. Once an introvert crosses the peak number of manageable relationships, they either neglect some relationships or begin to neglect themselves. Introverts need more time to recharge from social situations than extroverts and in a society that views that time as being unproductive, introversion is once again, considered an undesirable trait. Introverts also have a hard time adjusting to new social environments which can lead to a depression (Zhou). Therefore, introverts are at a disadvantage for being considered healthy. With health, maintaining relationships, and networking at a disadvantaged level, introverts must work harder to be at the same level of their extroverted counterparts.

Extroversion is large aspect of education as a child and as part of many adults’ work lives. Classrooms in elementary schools often have desks arranged in pods or groups to encourage team learning. “Research suggests that the vast majority of teachers believe that the ideal student is an extrovert,” (Cain 6) which would imply that teachers encourage and reward extroverted behaviors. Encouraging extroverted behaviors in children fosters the idea that extroversion is something to strive towards and leads to children, seeking rewards and encouragement, pretending to be extroverts. As time goes, the pretending gets better, and more exhausting, while the benefits of doing so grow. Work environments often have adults working in teams and in order to advance their careers, they are “expected to promote [themselves] unabashedly” (Cain 6). Introverts who find it uncomfortable to be unabashedly confident in themselves, are put at a disadvantage as they are not able to market themselves as desirably as their extroverted competitors. 

Living as part of the Western world’s ideal life is one of the ways people can live the good life. It is hedonistic in nature and is the very foundation of capitalism. The pursuit of individual happiness, the pursuit of moments of selfish joy and pleasure, is the way capitalism has inserted itself into our lives. Each item consumers buy, is bought on the promise of the instantaneous happiness or satisfaction it brings the consumer. “More goods and services, we are told, even those we think we want, destroy our emotional and psychological wellbeing, and the freedom to strive for those goods and services corrupts human nature, leaving us desperately competitive and always grasping for more than our neighbor” (Anderson 47). Always vying to have the best or be the best, is the basis for Western society. As a whole, the Western people are in a constant state of attempting to one up another. Commercials for clothing, such as Old Navy, feature a young smiling actor surrounded by a large group of friends. On one hand there is the practical explanation that many people are needed to show off the newest collection. On the other hand, the subtle promise is that by wearing these clothes, the consumer will become the popular person, that these clothes are the secret to being the best. That is absolutely a stretch and an impossible promise, but it is an almost hidden message. The hedonistic nature of capitalism is corrupting and is built to make the rich richer. 

To me, living the good life is a feeling one gets. It is the nervous pooling in one’s stomach as someone is opening up a gift, it is the blooming warmth of thanks, it is the feeling of safety and security one gets when one is surrounded by friends and family. To me, living the good life, is getting to experience these emotions and moments. Living the good life does not have to be based on the capitalistic ideal. Extroverts have a much larger tolerance for being around people, friends, and family so they have more opportunities to experience the feeling selfless happiness. Extroverts also have an easier time developing their social skills which are needed for friendship quality and happiness (Demir). Although introverts have strong friendships with the few they consider close friends, extroverts simply have more opportunities to form these bonds and tend to find it easier to form new bonds. 

A large part of the Western world’s ideal life is built on the ideal personality as an extrovert. Since extroverts are at such an advantage in America, the ideal life has shifted to be more compatible with extroverts. Interviewers and friends are looking for extroverts to fill missing roles. In order to compete in a world designed for extroverts, introverts have to decide between their mental health or their chance at success. Capitalism only serves to reinforce the idea that extroverts have the highest chance at success and living the good life. However, introverts still can live the good life, they just need to work harder for it.