Introvert Superpower #5: Independence
One more post in a series on introvert strengths, this time considering introverts’ advantage when it comes to self-reliance and resisting being influenced by others.
Odds are that you’ve been at some sort of meeting where an enthusiastic consensus formed, only to have one person speak up to disagree late in the discussion. Most probably, that person was an introvert. Let’s look at the evidence that introverts are more predisposed to autonomy than extroverts and the reasons underlying the superpower of independence.
First, introverts are less disposed to line up our behavior with what others are doing than are extroverts. Studies show that extroverts conform more than introverts do. At least partly, this is because they care more what others think of them. Another contributing factor goes back to the definition of extroversion/introversion by psychologist Carl Jung: extroverts are just more attuned to what’s going on around them than introverts are. After all, the social world energizes them, while for introverts the more energizing element is their own mind.
Researchers also say that introverts are less immediately responsive in social situations than extroverts. While extroverts tend to react right away to situations, we introverts are more likely to hang back, think things over and then respond. That delay, plus our tendency to think before speaking and our habit of looking within ourselves, gives us an extra couple of beats to consider how we really feel about the issue at stake, apart from what others are saying. In a memorable phrase, this difference is often summed up as “Extroverts are geared to respond, while introverts are geared to inspect.”
In addition, psychologists have learned that social rewards like feelings of solidarity and interpersonal warmth motivate introverts less than they do extroverts. That means that in a situation where most people are leaning one way, extroverts feel more of a buzz from being in the majority than introverts who happen to be leaning that way also. It follows that introverts would feel less discomfort from being the dissenting voice than extroverts would.
Other aspects of independence
Apart from our ability to ignore social pressure, introverts demonstrate independence when we choose our priorities based on our own ideas and preferences rather than following others’ expectations. Studies show that introverts pay more attention to intrinsic motivation than to external rewards. For instance, in learning a language, introverts often feel energized and satisfied by the learning process itself, while extroverts tend to gravitate to learning systems that include scores, points, ranks and so on.
And finally there’s the well-known introvert preference for leaving groups in order to recharge. That’s independence in the sense of going one’s own way rather than sticking around with others at the expense of one’s well-being. Because introverts not only tolerate solitude well but also tend to need a certain amount of it, we have a greater ability to get things done when alone. You certainly wouldn’t want to hire an extrovert to be the sole gardener on your estate, for instance, while the opportunity to work on their own all day might be heaven to an introvert.
Related posts
Introvert Superpower #1: Creativity
Introvert Superpower #2: Listening