Coined by Carl Jung in the early 20th century, the terms “introversion” and “extroversion” have gained widespread popularity thanks to the prevalence of human personality theories in online circles.
Questionnaires such as the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator or Raymond Cattell’s 16 personality factors make use of the concepts, making them well-known among those who seek to better understand themselves and their behavior. Nowadays, most people savvy enough to enjoy personality questionnaires will identify themselves as “introverts” or “extroverts.”
Determining the exact distribution of introverts and extroverts worldwide is nothing short of impossible. However, certain studies speculate that introverts make up for anything between one-third and one half of the world’s population, leaving their numbers rather even.
And yet, despite being relatively common, introversion is still commonly misunderstood by the general public, including introverts themselves.
But current scientific studies do not share these proclivities. Instead, multiple independent researchers have discovered a few essential elements needed to understand the biology, science, and psychology behind introversion and extroversion.
As it turns out, introversion is more complicated than just not enjoying loud parties. Continue reading
