When Introverts are Stigmatized, Who Benefits?
Let’s lean back for a long view of who gains what, when introverts are regarded as deficient beings.
Unquestionably, introverts have long had a one-down status in our society in education, in the workplace and in many formal or informal social settings. But until the sentence “Stigma is an exercise of power” jumped out at me from a recent New York Times article about blaming and shaming in public health discussions, I hadn’t stopped to ask the thousand-year-old question: Cui bono? Who benefits – and how – when introverts are ignored, disparaged or barraged with relentless pressure to reshape themselves as ersatz extroverts?
According to sociologists, I learned from that article, stigma can be a mechanism of social control that a dominant group uses to corral and disparage those in the out-group. Think of the treatment of smokers, of people who tip the scales too far, and of those who shout to themselves on the streets. By isolating and excluding those stigmatized, the stigmatizers not only get to feel better about themselves. They also gain a greater share of social status, wealth and power.
The stigmatizers can relax in their supposed superiority, while those stigmatized need to learn how to cope with their lesser standing. Over and above that, some institutions and economic sectors receive hidden benefits when they go along with this good guys/bad guys system.
With respect to introverts and extroverts, here are a few points about who wins from this dynamic.
At Work
By using an open floor plan with barely divided cubicles or completely undivided office space (which introverts hate), companies save money on square footage, walls, soundproofing and more. When they implement a no-private-space “hot seat” system – where no one has assigned office space and staff snag whatever is unoccupied that day – they save on furniture and supplies as well as square footage.
When meetings run by considering just whoever speaks up – and especially those who speak up the most often and loudest – companies appear efficient, saving time.
When companies hire through conversational interviews, in which fluent talkers and charismatic fakers more easily shine, they again save time. Carefully assessing skills through task testing and questioning references, benefitting introverts, would take longer.
Companies that require carpooling and shared hotel rooms when employees must travel make it hard for introverts to get the quiet downtime they need to recharge. This policy, like those above, reinforces the dominance of extroverts and saves money.
Expectations around emotional labor such as mandatory cheerfulness, out-of-office socializing and team-building exercises likewise disadvantage introverts, and make it easier for managers to streamline their evaluations, also saving time. The same goes for expectations around employees’ self-promotion, which pressure introverts to not only do their job but also spend effort to make their achievements visible. This likewise saves managers time when they have to assess workers’ performance and consider promotions.
In Society
The billion-dollar coaching industry, which teaches people how to perform smooth talking, expressive communication, on-the-spot responses and enthusiastic networking, exists in part to remedy introverts’ supposed shortcomings.
Media platforms make more money when they convince people that they need to keep up with what’s happening with their friends and let everyone know what they are up to themselves. Some introverts I know well don’t have any social media presence whatsoever, and many others feel reluctant or conflicted about participating in that system.
Have you noticed that the wedding industry makes big bucks when families compete to show off to one another while celebrating a marriage? Whereas extroverts tend to enjoy being the center of attention, a survey of more than 3,000 couples that eloped showed that a desire for privacy and intimacy – a hallmark of introverts – was the second most common reason for resisting the hoopla of a traditional wedding.
And think about the vested interest tech companies have in making you feel embarrassed that your devices are outmoded, even if they still function fine. Such companies make more money when, like extroverts, you care a lot about the opinions of others.
At School
Many grading systems explicitly reward those who participate early and often in class discussions and put those who’d rather listen and reflect later when they’re alone (the introverts) on the defensive. Teachers and school systems save time when they can evaluate everyone by one set of standards that may not fit all. Note too that the extrovert-advantage standards help prepare students for extrovert-advantage workplaces.
Individually
Instead of a world doing its best to treat individuals with the kind of respect that uniquely suits them, systems tilt one way. Introverts are the ones who must adjust to extroverts being touted as the normal way to be. When did you last hear someone being criticized as needing to learn to spend quiet time alone? The cost of human variation gets borne for the most part by those deemed different, not by society.
In some respects, that regimentation has improved. More people understand now when you say, “That doesn’t work for me. I’m an introvert.” And some institutions, like Walmart and Target with their sensory-friendly hours, have taken baby steps toward conditions conducive to the comfort of those who differ from the norm.
But the exercise of writing this post has certainly gotten me thinking.