Are introverts inferior beings?

Question

Don't get me wrong. It's not my question. It's a question that society poses implicitly.

People are often critical of introverts and question their lifestyle.

Answer 1

Hi Maddy, I want to start by offering some definitions of "Introverts".



1. A shy person who tends not to socialize much

2. Psychology somebody who tends to be more interested in his or her own feelings and thoughts than in other people and the outside world

3. Psychology to direct your mind inward and examine or dwell on your own thoughts, feelings, and motives

Now, society has taken this word out of context and turned it into something negitive. I am not saying that everybody has done this, but there is a perverse sense of perception of a person who is an Introvert is lacking in some way.

Verata is somewhat correct in her opinon that Introverts are actually extroverts who are lacking in self esteem and confidence. However, this is not the sum total description or even the overall actual state of a person who tends to be an Introvert. I am both an Introvert and an Extrovert. I tend to look deeply to my inner self, and also look at life around me and try to asertain the meaning of how people behave as they do, and why society in general is the way it is. Also, why other societies can be so different, and yet the people are basically simular in what they wish for in life, which is happiness, health, and prosperity.

Introverts tend to be thinkers. Thinkers can accomplish a great deal more than those who simply live life in the moment and allow fleeting pleasure to dictate their choices. I am not saying that those who tend to be Extroverts are in any manner less than Introverts, they are just different. I also don't think any person is all one or the other, but rather a combination of some degree of both. Men tend to be more extroverted than women. Men tend to not enjoy looking deeply into their inner self, their feelings. This is due to the fact of how we raise boys verses girls. We expect boys to be outgoing, physical in nature and even aggressive, while we expect girls to be quieter, more thoughtful of others, and giving of themselves. In order for girls to do this they have to be in touch with not only thier own inner selves, but the inner selves of others. The main area boys are taught to look into others inner selves is to find weaknesses they can exploit in competiveness. In looking for weaknesses, often emotions are the first item exploited and as such becomes a negitive quality to have easily seen by others. When boys begin to understand true competiveness means exploiting the inner emotions of others, they gain the belief or at least the semblence of belief that emotions are something to be avoided and hidden, otherwise somebody will use them against them.

Our culture creates Introverted girls and Extroverted boys. However, as we grow, we will often learn we must somehow pull back out that which we burried in our younger years. Girls have to learn to be more outgoing, more exuberant, in order to attract male attention and often even on the job, to be recognized as an employee. Boys as they grow realize they must somehow pull out emotions in order to provide some degree of emoitonal attachment with women, to make that connection, or they are unable to be successful in this area.

So, we have a period where those with the highest level of emotional developement, those who have not had tremendously horrendous childhoods, who have the greatest acheivement in merging the two together and becoming succesful in all aspects of life.

Those who were injured during childhood have a much more difficult time achieving a remerging of those items most discouraged during childhood. Lack of self esteem and confidence will interfer in their ability to learn or develope those skills which are so critical to success. It is in the late teen years and early twenties that males and females are learning and/or developing those skills. As girls mature they begin to become more competive and in doing so slowly achieve some of what males grew up as ingrained, and the opposite is true for males. Males have a more difficult time though, and often won't actually get in touch with their emotions until they are in thier late thirties or fourties.

I honestly believe we are slowly beginning to allow boys and gilrs to develope both sets of skills during childhood. As boys are allowed to cry, to express emotion, they achieve a much greater level of ability to use their emoitons in positive manners, yet still are able to be competitive. Girls are more encouraged at younger ages to be competitive and this enables them to develope a much higher level of self esteem and confidence in area once denied them. Sports are a boon for both males and females. Especially team sports, where the players have to learn to work together to accoomplish the goals of the team. These are just a few examples of how we raise Introverts and Extraverts.

One other point here is in how intelligent a person is. The higher the level of intelligence, the easier it is to incorperate both qualities. There are pluses and minuses to intelligence though too. Those who are very low in intelligence tend to be happier overall than those who have high levels of intelligence. This is due to how life is so narrow for those who are not very smart. They simply don't worry about the things those with high intelligence worry about as they just don't get it. The lower the intelligence the happier a person can be!

I know this for a fact because my step daugher who is now thirty five is one of the most happy individuals I know. She is borderline retarded and simply has a very small world she inhabits. That small world is full for her, yet it lacks a great deal of worry as she simply does not know anything about mass poverty, racism, hatred, bigotry, religious intolerance, etc. All of the troubles those of us who have high intelligence can see and understand just don't exist for her. Because her world is so small, her needs are also small and easily met. When a persons needs are consistantly met, they are happy. Her expectations from life are small too, so her disapointments are rare. Not to say she does not have her challenges, she does, but she has overcome them and triumped, due to all of the extra help and resources available to her due to her "handicap" that others do not receive. She has a layer of protection and therefore a lack of worry over life. She is Extroverted, due to much work and effort of her own and of mine as well. I did all of the worrying for her, and she reaped the benifits. She didn't understand all of the legal and personal battles I fought so she could live a life free from people who would take advantage of her and hold her back from living an independant life.

Some people look upon those with lower intelligence as the unfortunate, yet those who are actually around such people realize the truth of the term, "special"! They are special simply because God granted them a reprive from all of the worry we intelligent folks have to deal with on a daily basis! She is indeed "special" and her life is blessed. She is extreamly in touch with her emoitons, yet she has limited areas to place them, so she is not affected by items others are. For example: she is not the best looking person around, yet she believes she is beautiful and therefor she is. It is as simple as that. She conducts herself as if she were the most beautiful and desireable woman in the world and in her opinion she is, and isn't that the only opinon which really matters? Because her intelligence is so lacking she is unable to pick up on social cues those with intelligence easily see and so they go right over her head. She doesn't see folks giving her odd looks, or any negitive cue. She is oblivious to them, and so they do not affect her. She is amazingly confident and has achieved much for her level of intelligence. She had a lot of help, but in her mind she did it all by herself, as she is unable to recognize all the items others did to prepare the way. Do you see what I mean? Isn't that a blessing? Who is happier, her, or I? Who is happier, the one with the less worry, who is unable to stress, or the one who worries, stresses and does all the most difficult tasks? lol

Sometimes I envy her her place in the world. However, I still would not give up who I am and change places with her as I am able to achieve levels of growth she will never be able to achieve. I can gain wisdom and compassion she has no concept even exist. I willingly pay the price of a somewhat higher level of intelligence, in order to gain the benifits of it. Yes, life would be much simpler and easier, especially if I had somebody like me to clear the path for me! Ha-ha! She is now off on her own and has forgotten I exist, (practically anyway, at least that is how it feels. lol ) while I still worry for her and think of her on a daily basis! lol She has her own apartment, she drives her own car which she saved for and I got the loan, she has a boyfriend she lives with, a job she loves, she travels severl times a year, is a black belt in karate, and extreamly happy in her life. She has accomplished every single goal she set for herself, with a lot of help of course, but that does not negate her efforts and stamina to keep going when things got tough. I am very proud of her accomplishments, especially as she was so backwards when she came to live with me fourteen years ago.

Gosh, I am off onto another subject again! Drat, I should delete all of that, but what the heck, I will leave it anyway. Ha-ha!

So, while society does tend to put a negitive on Introverts, this is done in ignorance and fear of the unknown. People tend to like the elusion of "knowing" who people are, what they are thinking, etc. Introverts are obviously not easy to "know" in that fashion, and so people wish to down grade them to a negitive. I do think some Introverts would gain a great deal if they were able to be more open and forthcoming with who they are and what they think, but who am I to tell another how they should or shouldn't live their lives if they are not harming anybody? It is not my place to do so.

I think most of us are more comfortable with people who are Extroverts, simply because we are given the elusion they are who they seem to be. It IS an elusion too. Most people wear masks and Extroverts often more so than any other. So, who is really who they appear more, Introverts or Extroverts? I think Introverts are, and if a person takes the time to really get to know one they will find a great mind, and possibly a great friend.

Maddy, once again you ask a question which is seemingly so simple, yet so complex. Your questions are really interesting because they make one stop and think. That is if one will actually take the time to do so! lol I suppose that is the Introvert part of me speaking! Ha-ha! ;-)

You have a great day Maddy, and a wonderful weekend.

Answer 2

Interesting question... Well, being a little introverted myself, I think that both extroverts and introverts both have negative qualities, as well as good ones. An introvert may be more inclined to study a situation, while an extrovert may act out on an impulse. But that impulse may pay off, and the introvert may be missing out.
So the answer to your question: sometimes.

Answer 3

Absolutely not.

As a matter of fact, probably quite the opposite!

Introverts are probably (generally speaking) superior beings because they are more likely to develop insight and self-knowledge.

They just don't broadcast their wisdom (or ignorance as the case may be) to the world the way extroverts do.
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Answer 4

I think introverts are extroverts without confidence, so they are not necessarily inferior, just fundamentally lacking. Jesus said sing a song or an instrument (he gave a lot choices like a lyre, and a flute, and a drum, even a trumpet!). So in conclusion, God doesn't want you to be shy, it is against his nature. So you should try to be more outgoing and extroverted.

Answer 5

certainly not.