WEBVTT - 276. The psychology of introversion vs. extroversion 0:00:00.120 --> 0:00:03.680 Hello everybody, Welcome back to the show. Welcome back to 0:00:03.760 --> 0:00:07.800 the podcast, new listeners, old listeners. Wherever you are in 0:00:07.840 --> 0:00:10.200 the world, it is so great to have you here, 0:00:10.280 --> 0:00:13.840 back for another episode as we, of course break down 0:00:14.000 --> 0:00:18.680 the psychology of our twenties. Before we get into this episode, 0:00:18.800 --> 0:00:21.720 little disclaimer if you couldn't already tell from my voice, 0:00:22.360 --> 0:00:27.120 I am indeed a little bit sick with some mystery 0:00:27.640 --> 0:00:30.200 bug mystery illness, but of course the show must go on. 0:00:30.960 --> 0:00:33.800 I'm in Wyoming at the moment, in the US, visiting 0:00:34.280 --> 0:00:38.440 some friends, and as an Ossie gal, the cold weather 0:00:39.080 --> 0:00:42.440 does not agree with me one bit, and I seriously 0:00:42.440 --> 0:00:47.000 feel like I landed spent like two hours in Wyoming 0:00:47.040 --> 0:00:49.960 and my body was like, we don't like this. Let's 0:00:49.960 --> 0:00:53.680 bring up any dormous, dormant viruses that you may have 0:00:54.040 --> 0:00:56.960 and bring them all to the surface. So if you 0:00:57.080 --> 0:01:01.880 can please bear with me while I manage this cold virus, 0:01:01.880 --> 0:01:04.600 whatever it is, I would really really appreciate it, because 0:01:04.680 --> 0:01:06.600 I'm just really glad to share this episode with you. 0:01:06.800 --> 0:01:08.280 It's one that I have wanted to do for a 0:01:08.360 --> 0:01:09.920 long time. I feel like I say that a lot, 0:01:10.000 --> 0:01:12.280 but it's because I always have these ideas on the 0:01:12.319 --> 0:01:15.760 back burner today, I'm really happy to have you here 0:01:15.920 --> 0:01:19.600 for a very in depth Dare I say, fun and 0:01:19.720 --> 0:01:25.280 fascinating episode on the difference between introverts and extroverts? Or 0:01:25.319 --> 0:01:28.720 should I maybe say what you think the differences are 0:01:29.319 --> 0:01:32.640 but which we may have been misled to believe by 0:01:32.680 --> 0:01:40.319 the oversimplification of human personality. Extraversion and introversion seem to 0:01:40.360 --> 0:01:44.319 be this weird thing that divides society. Who are the 0:01:44.360 --> 0:01:48.440 social butterflies, who are the hermits? But it is so 0:01:48.600 --> 0:01:52.600 much more complex and nuanced than that. You know, I 0:01:52.680 --> 0:01:56.240 consider myself an extrovert, but I don't really party. I 0:01:56.360 --> 0:02:00.480 cancel plans probably way more than I should. I feel 0:02:00.560 --> 0:02:04.120 tired a lot, So maybe I'm an introvert. You know. 0:02:04.160 --> 0:02:07.480 There's all these like different ways of seeing it, and 0:02:07.520 --> 0:02:11.040 I really want to explore what it actually means. And 0:02:11.080 --> 0:02:15.200 you know, I also have friends who are most certainly introverts, 0:02:15.280 --> 0:02:18.240 who really need a lot of alone time, but you know, 0:02:18.280 --> 0:02:20.240 for the two hours that they're at the party like 0:02:20.360 --> 0:02:23.560 they are the life of the party. Basically, what I'm 0:02:23.600 --> 0:02:26.760 trying to say is that it's complicated, and what I 0:02:26.800 --> 0:02:29.840 really want to do is break down the origin of 0:02:29.880 --> 0:02:34.720 this concept, like historically in the psychology community, what the 0:02:34.800 --> 0:02:39.240 research really tells us about each personality type and why 0:02:39.280 --> 0:02:42.400 that simple version that we probably all know is is incorrect. 0:02:42.840 --> 0:02:45.040 We're going to start at the very beginning and then 0:02:45.120 --> 0:02:50.400 explore how levels of extraversion and introversion have maybe even 0:02:50.520 --> 0:02:54.880 changed in recent years. More specifically, how it differs within 0:02:54.960 --> 0:02:59.519 individuals based on factors like gender and culture. I also 0:02:59.600 --> 0:03:04.560 want to discuss the myth to do with so called ambiverts. 0:03:04.800 --> 0:03:07.520 Why do you feel that you might not be either 0:03:07.560 --> 0:03:13.320 an introvert or extrovert? And is the term ambivert appropriate? 0:03:13.800 --> 0:03:17.800 But ultimately what is it that makes us more like 0:03:17.960 --> 0:03:22.040 one than the other scientifically? And I also want to 0:03:22.040 --> 0:03:25.919 finish out the conversation by talking about how we can 0:03:25.960 --> 0:03:31.400 accept the introverted or extroverted part of ourselves, especially in 0:03:31.440 --> 0:03:33.959 a world, you know, in a career, in a friendship, 0:03:34.000 --> 0:03:37.960 maybe even an environment where certain parts of being an 0:03:37.960 --> 0:03:43.240 introvert or being an extrovert don't feel accepted. So there 0:03:43.280 --> 0:03:46.480 is a lot to cover. If you are like me 0:03:46.680 --> 0:03:51.520 and really fascinated by, you know, just personality in general, 0:03:51.920 --> 0:03:53.920 this is definitely the episode to open your eyes and 0:03:53.960 --> 0:03:56.680 give you some cool facts that you may not have known. 0:03:57.160 --> 0:04:00.000 I hope you're ready. I am definitely ready. Without further 0:04:00.000 --> 0:04:03.240 I'm going to give you a short break from my 0:04:03.400 --> 0:04:06.880 sick voice and get into the episode, get into the 0:04:06.960 --> 0:04:14.120 psychological differences and perhaps similarities between introverts and extroverts. Let's 0:04:14.120 --> 0:04:20.880 get into it. I want to get straight into it 0:04:20.920 --> 0:04:25.320 and talk about the major differences between introverts and extroverts, 0:04:25.839 --> 0:04:29.520 some of which we're probably already familiar with, some others 0:04:29.560 --> 0:04:32.200 of which you may not have heard of. But before that, 0:04:32.279 --> 0:04:35.360 we do need to know where this idea came from. 0:04:35.839 --> 0:04:40.120 I feel like these terms introvert extrovert have become parts 0:04:40.160 --> 0:04:44.400 of our shared language now, like they're parts of the psychobabble. 0:04:44.839 --> 0:04:47.960 We throw them into conversations left, right and center. But 0:04:48.000 --> 0:04:50.200 I do think it's really important to also know how 0:04:50.240 --> 0:04:52.880 they came to be. It's an important piece, you know, 0:04:52.920 --> 0:04:56.800 even if trivia, if nothing else. So, the person you 0:04:56.920 --> 0:04:59.520 really want to know about in order to explain these 0:04:59.600 --> 0:05:05.279 concepts is kyl Jung. He is a legendary Swiss psychoanalyst 0:05:05.320 --> 0:05:09.640 and psychiatrist. He is He's famous. He can be credited 0:05:09.680 --> 0:05:12.960 with more concepts than I think I could even count 0:05:13.120 --> 0:05:16.520 and extraversion, and introvert is just one of them. He 0:05:16.680 --> 0:05:22.240 basically saw these as central traits to each of our personalities. 0:05:22.920 --> 0:05:27.240 And you know, something that we could use to categorize 0:05:27.279 --> 0:05:32.080 people in society and categorize their personalities. You were either 0:05:32.360 --> 0:05:39.120 high in introversion or high in extroversion. Something that a 0:05:39.200 --> 0:05:42.200 lot of us actually get wrong, though, is that you 0:05:42.320 --> 0:05:46.920 have to be one or the other explicitly at all times. 0:05:47.600 --> 0:05:51.160 Not true. According to Yung, we actually all have an 0:05:51.279 --> 0:05:57.880 extroverted and introverted side. One is just more dominant more 0:05:57.960 --> 0:06:01.840 of the time. And to be honest, you know, I 0:06:01.880 --> 0:06:07.039 have never actually met somebody who is entirely one hundred 0:06:07.040 --> 0:06:13.280 percent introverted or entirely extroverted. You know, maybe the only example, 0:06:13.400 --> 0:06:15.400 Like I was thinking about this and I was like, no, 0:06:15.520 --> 0:06:18.599 there must be someone. The only example I can think 0:06:18.640 --> 0:06:22.200 of is like that philosopher who lived on an island 0:06:22.200 --> 0:06:25.120 by himself for twenty years. I've completely forgotten his name. 0:06:25.520 --> 0:06:27.440 If you know who it is, leave a comment, because 0:06:27.440 --> 0:06:30.359 it's it's going to annoy me. But you know, perhaps 0:06:30.360 --> 0:06:33.640 the only people who we could accredit as being one 0:06:33.760 --> 0:06:37.240 hundred percent one over the other people who are so 0:06:37.400 --> 0:06:42.160 called hermits people who are socially reclusive. But again that 0:06:42.320 --> 0:06:46.800 is very very rare. And you know, it's not the 0:06:46.839 --> 0:06:50.680 case that you can only receive energy from ourselves or 0:06:50.720 --> 0:06:55.560 you can only receive energy from others. Humans require different 0:06:55.880 --> 0:07:00.200 different things, different sources of fuel, different sources of motivation 0:07:00.320 --> 0:07:06.040 and energy. This here is actually the most important distinction 0:07:06.680 --> 0:07:10.960 between an extrovert and an introvert. It rests on how 0:07:11.000 --> 0:07:15.400 we each prefer to gain energy or recharge. Do we 0:07:15.480 --> 0:07:19.800 seek inspiration and stimulation from within ourselves or out in 0:07:19.840 --> 0:07:22.600 the world. It's a spectrum that we all sit on, 0:07:23.080 --> 0:07:26.480 and where we sit can actually change day to day, 0:07:26.920 --> 0:07:28.800 but we do tend to lean more one way than 0:07:28.800 --> 0:07:32.440 the other. Now, people who sit right in the middle, 0:07:33.200 --> 0:07:37.920 they're known as ambiverts. They have a perfect balance, some 0:07:37.960 --> 0:07:43.640 would say, of extroverted and introverted traits or desires. It's 0:07:43.720 --> 0:07:48.240 actually important to note that this idea of an ambivert 0:07:48.840 --> 0:07:53.200 is actually a modern addition to the original theory. So 0:07:53.320 --> 0:07:57.720 jung He himself did not introduce that term. He didn't 0:07:57.720 --> 0:08:01.320 believe that ambiverts existed, so of course he wouldn't have 0:08:01.360 --> 0:08:04.280 given it a name. He really did say, you are 0:08:04.800 --> 0:08:07.400 you have both, but one is dominant. Therefore, no one 0:08:07.480 --> 0:08:13.000 is an ambivert, because that would suggest a complete balance, 0:08:13.320 --> 0:08:19.200 a perfect unison or blend of them both. Anyways, basically, 0:08:19.480 --> 0:08:23.000 what makes you an introvert versus an extrovert depends on 0:08:23.040 --> 0:08:27.920 where you primarily seek gratification or stimulation. So a primarily 0:08:28.040 --> 0:08:33.400 extroverted person seeks it from human interaction. Hence this idea 0:08:33.440 --> 0:08:37.480 that they're quite talkative, they're social butterflies, they have many friends, 0:08:37.520 --> 0:08:42.440 they make plans, they're enthusiastic. They really thrive from the 0:08:42.559 --> 0:08:46.320 energy of others or in a group. In contrast, people 0:08:46.360 --> 0:08:53.600 we would consider introverts derive gratification and peace from solo activities, 0:08:53.679 --> 0:08:58.720 from that alone time that they crave so much. They're 0:08:58.720 --> 0:09:04.560 a bit more reserved, quiet, passive. Maybe if you're an introvert, 0:09:04.600 --> 0:09:07.520 you may also find that if you have been around 0:09:07.520 --> 0:09:09.960 people for too long, for too many days in a row, 0:09:10.400 --> 0:09:13.320 you do get a bit irritated. You can't focus, You 0:09:13.400 --> 0:09:15.760 want to just kind of fade into the background, and 0:09:15.840 --> 0:09:19.320 you can't wait to get back to your room, get 0:09:19.360 --> 0:09:22.120 back to your space, get back to a place where 0:09:22.120 --> 0:09:25.199 you can just be in your own company. In comparison, 0:09:25.360 --> 0:09:28.680 like an extrovert may never want the party to stop. 0:09:28.760 --> 0:09:30.400 Like they're the ones who are like, okay, like we 0:09:30.480 --> 0:09:33.520 finished the main event, come hang out at my place, 0:09:33.600 --> 0:09:35.640 like let's go watch a movie, Let's go out for 0:09:35.679 --> 0:09:41.199 another drink. They're people who really need multiple social touch 0:09:41.240 --> 0:09:44.960 points throughout the day. So they need to see someone 0:09:45.040 --> 0:09:46.880 in the morning, they need to have a call of 0:09:46.960 --> 0:09:50.160 someone in the evening, and you know, they like to 0:09:50.200 --> 0:09:53.400 have a full social calendar, and they will find that 0:09:53.480 --> 0:09:58.079 they feel less satisfied, less purposeful, less creative, less fulfilled 0:09:58.679 --> 0:10:02.760 when they go to many days without seeing people or 0:10:02.840 --> 0:10:08.120 really like having nourishing conversations or interactions. Some introverts, though, 0:10:08.120 --> 0:10:10.960 do have like I don't know what the term is, 0:10:10.960 --> 0:10:14.080 but like introverted pals, let's call them that, people who 0:10:14.080 --> 0:10:18.040 they can be around constantly and not feel the need 0:10:18.600 --> 0:10:22.000 to have a break from in order to restore their energy. 0:10:22.280 --> 0:10:25.280 Normally it's another introvert, right, It's someone who you can 0:10:25.320 --> 0:10:27.800 do what we call parallel time with, where you're like 0:10:27.880 --> 0:10:30.520 both sitting in the same room, but you're doing different things, 0:10:30.840 --> 0:10:35.400 but you enjoy like the physical presence. That's a little caveat, 0:10:35.760 --> 0:10:40.240 a little small addition to the introverted nature. Some psychologists 0:10:40.240 --> 0:10:44.640 have suggested that introverts are people whose energy it tends 0:10:44.640 --> 0:10:51.560 to expand through reflection and dwindled during interaction. But active 0:10:52.200 --> 0:10:56.280 interaction so they can be around other people if it 0:10:56.400 --> 0:10:59.240 is not something that is going to cost them all 0:10:59.240 --> 0:11:02.400 their mental recas sources. They can be silent, they can 0:11:02.440 --> 0:11:08.440 be thinking, they can be introspecting. Now, introversion is not 0:11:08.600 --> 0:11:12.880 the same thing as being anti social or shy, or 0:11:12.920 --> 0:11:17.840 even having social anxiety. It's a common misconception, but extroverts 0:11:17.840 --> 0:11:20.840 can be just as shy and just as socially anxious 0:11:21.280 --> 0:11:24.720 as your everyday introvert. I am somebody again who is 0:11:24.760 --> 0:11:28.080 incredibly extroverted. In fact, you know, I was reminded of 0:11:28.120 --> 0:11:30.440 that fact very recently. Like I spent a few days 0:11:30.440 --> 0:11:33.920 in a row without seeing anyone, and I did feel low. 0:11:34.400 --> 0:11:38.920 I felt a significant dip in my mood. But I 0:11:39.040 --> 0:11:42.920 also have my fair share of moments of feeling awkward, 0:11:44.160 --> 0:11:47.480 of feeling like I shouldn't go to this thing, I 0:11:47.480 --> 0:11:51.360 don't know anyone. I am not confident all the time. 0:11:51.440 --> 0:11:57.240 Because extraversion and social ability or perceived social acceptance are 0:11:57.280 --> 0:12:01.240 not the same thing. This is a whole other facet 0:12:01.320 --> 0:12:04.800 of personality. If we look at it another way, an 0:12:04.840 --> 0:12:08.679 introvert can be the most confident, self assured person, you know, 0:12:08.840 --> 0:12:11.960 counter to what people may think. They just need more 0:12:11.960 --> 0:12:14.760 space in their day for themselves. But you could put 0:12:14.760 --> 0:12:17.320 them in front of a big crowd, in a big 0:12:17.360 --> 0:12:21.240 group and they would still feel at ease. It's just 0:12:21.320 --> 0:12:26.040 that it's not their preferred way to seek validation, gratification 0:12:26.760 --> 0:12:32.720 and energy. Again, it's two different dimensions. So continuing on 0:12:32.800 --> 0:12:36.480 with this history lesson. After cal Jung first introduced this 0:12:36.600 --> 0:12:40.120 idea and a piece of writing almost one hundred years ago, 0:12:40.840 --> 0:12:44.200 it was then adopted by many others in the field. 0:12:44.280 --> 0:12:48.439 Many other psychologists and psychiatrists were like, huh, he might 0:12:48.480 --> 0:12:52.000 be right, and they wrote papers finding things that were 0:12:52.080 --> 0:12:54.560 very very similar to what he was noting that we 0:12:54.640 --> 0:12:59.439 could identify people in this way, and so extraversion slash 0:12:59.559 --> 0:13:03.080 introvert became what we now know as one of the 0:13:03.160 --> 0:13:08.240 defining personality traits that we use today famously. It is 0:13:08.320 --> 0:13:12.440 now part of what we call the Big Five. Now 0:13:12.480 --> 0:13:16.080 we've spoken about the Big five many times before, and 0:13:16.120 --> 0:13:18.560 if you're a psychology student, I'm sure you have heard 0:13:18.559 --> 0:13:23.320 of this before many many times. So apologies for being boring, 0:13:23.520 --> 0:13:27.000 but let's just consider this a refresher if you're new 0:13:27.040 --> 0:13:30.439 to the idea. The Big five is basically the attempt 0:13:30.520 --> 0:13:34.719 of psychologists to categorize us as humans by categorizing our personalities. 0:13:35.280 --> 0:13:38.720 It's basically the closest thing that we have to a 0:13:38.760 --> 0:13:44.920 formula for describing someone based on five core traits and 0:13:44.960 --> 0:13:48.320 where they sit on this spectrum of these traits. So 0:13:49.080 --> 0:13:54.520 consider like five scales, and you can sit, you know, 0:13:54.640 --> 0:13:58.080 in different positions on each of those scales, and where 0:13:58.080 --> 0:14:00.679 you sit on those different positions will end up giving 0:14:00.679 --> 0:14:04.560 you your personality type. If you've ever done, you know, 0:14:04.760 --> 0:14:07.319 the Mayas Briggs test, like you will be very very 0:14:07.320 --> 0:14:09.920 familiar with this. Let's talk about the traits though. The 0:14:09.960 --> 0:14:13.600 first one is openness to experiences. So you can either 0:14:13.640 --> 0:14:19.800 be someone who is very curious, very creative, is really 0:14:19.840 --> 0:14:26.520 accepting if new things, is really hungering for new sensations, 0:14:26.760 --> 0:14:31.840 maybe takes risks, is happy with the discomfort of experiencing 0:14:31.880 --> 0:14:34.560 something new. Or you can be someone who is quite 0:14:34.680 --> 0:14:37.640 happy in the normalcy and happy in the comfort of 0:14:37.640 --> 0:14:42.760 their routine. Next, we have conscientiousness. This is organization, how 0:14:42.840 --> 0:14:46.520 efficient you are your general sense of responsibility. You can 0:14:46.560 --> 0:14:49.120 be someone who we would call quite type A who 0:14:49.200 --> 0:14:54.560 was very efficient, very organized, very productive. Or you can 0:14:54.600 --> 0:14:57.320 be someone who kind of you know, operates more by 0:14:57.440 --> 0:14:59.760 like the seat of their pants is a little bit 0:14:59.760 --> 0:15:03.200 more on the go. Then we have extraversion, which we've 0:15:03.200 --> 0:15:05.440 already talked about. One side of the scale was extraversion, 0:15:05.480 --> 0:15:08.520 the other one is introversion. Are you social, are are 0:15:08.560 --> 0:15:12.880 you assertive? Or are you more reserved? You gain energy 0:15:12.960 --> 0:15:18.720 from reflection. Then we have agreeableness. This is compassion, respectfulness, 0:15:19.120 --> 0:15:22.880 trust in others, basically your ability to get along. We 0:15:22.920 --> 0:15:26.320 all know there are people who like they just start fires, 0:15:26.800 --> 0:15:29.640 they just create conflict. And then there's another set of 0:15:29.680 --> 0:15:33.000 people who are very I don't know what the word is, 0:15:33.040 --> 0:15:37.560 but they're just very easy to be around. They don't 0:15:37.600 --> 0:15:40.400 really want to disagree. It's not that they don't have opinions, 0:15:40.440 --> 0:15:42.840 but they'd know the time and place, like they're just 0:15:42.880 --> 0:15:47.160 an everybody person. Then finally we have neuroticism. So this 0:15:47.320 --> 0:15:50.520 is probably the biggest area where we would talk about 0:15:50.520 --> 0:15:54.080 mental health. It's a very slim part of it, but 0:15:54.240 --> 0:15:59.240 do you lean towards being quite anxious and depressed or yeah, 0:15:59.320 --> 0:16:01.560 quite neurotic is the term they used to use for it, 0:16:02.080 --> 0:16:05.600 or use someone who is not really afflicted by those things. 0:16:06.160 --> 0:16:09.800 So individual personalities are thought to feature each of these, 0:16:10.280 --> 0:16:12.920 like all of us sit somewhere on this scale. You 0:16:12.960 --> 0:16:15.960 can't be like zero in any of these, Like you 0:16:16.040 --> 0:16:20.800 sit somewhere. So you can rate high in extraversion but 0:16:20.920 --> 0:16:24.360 low in openness to new experiences, so you like the 0:16:24.400 --> 0:16:26.560 people you like, but you find it hard to open 0:16:26.640 --> 0:16:29.640 up to new friends. You may also be low in extraversion, 0:16:29.760 --> 0:16:33.680 so you're an introvert, but high in agreeableness and lower neuroticism, 0:16:33.840 --> 0:16:36.480 so you come off as really friendly and open, but 0:16:36.520 --> 0:16:39.200 that doesn't necessarily mean that you want to be around 0:16:39.240 --> 0:16:42.000 people all the time. Basically, what I want you to 0:16:42.040 --> 0:16:45.800 conclude from the Big five is that personality is bigger 0:16:45.840 --> 0:16:50.280 than introversion versus extraversion, and it's also most certainly bigger 0:16:50.280 --> 0:16:52.840 than the Big Five. The Big five is a great 0:16:52.920 --> 0:16:56.400 structure to explain how someone might react in a certain situation, 0:16:56.960 --> 0:16:59.560 why they are the way they are, But it doesn't 0:16:59.640 --> 0:17:04.680 include fo things like interests, specific hobbies, passions, our self concept, 0:17:05.240 --> 0:17:08.800 our self concept, how we think about ourselves. That's actually 0:17:08.840 --> 0:17:11.119 a big flaw that people find with the Big Five. 0:17:11.680 --> 0:17:14.680 It's that it doesn't really explain this. It doesn't explain, 0:17:15.160 --> 0:17:19.680 you know, our perspective on ourselves. It just explains how 0:17:19.720 --> 0:17:24.120 we may appear to others. But personality, you know, it 0:17:24.200 --> 0:17:28.320 is also a requirement to describe personality that we reflect 0:17:28.359 --> 0:17:33.040 on our own emotional patterns, our certain abilities, our behaviors, 0:17:33.119 --> 0:17:36.280 our likes, our dislikes, like, the list goes on. And 0:17:36.280 --> 0:17:39.840 that's why I really warn people against thinking about themselves 0:17:39.920 --> 0:17:44.600 as either entirely introverted or entirely extroverted, and more than that, 0:17:44.720 --> 0:17:49.520 wrongly assuming that it defines who you are in its entirety, 0:17:49.640 --> 0:17:54.240 because I promise it doesn't. It's just one component. So 0:17:54.400 --> 0:17:56.920 moving on from that, I want to answer a specific 0:17:57.200 --> 0:18:01.680 question now that we have largely ignored for the first 0:18:01.800 --> 0:18:08.280 part of this episode, what actually makes someone introverted versus extroverted? Like? 0:18:08.720 --> 0:18:11.159 Is it something that we just pop out of the 0:18:11.200 --> 0:18:14.359 womb being like? Is it like a weird Harry Potter 0:18:14.960 --> 0:18:19.399 sorting hat? What makes us who we are? So there 0:18:19.440 --> 0:18:23.120 are a few explanations, of course, it's never straightforward in psychology. 0:18:23.680 --> 0:18:27.359 The first is that it's largely but not entirely inherited, 0:18:28.119 --> 0:18:31.240 So there's a huge genetic component and we can see 0:18:31.240 --> 0:18:34.639 that in twin studies. In one series of twin studies 0:18:35.000 --> 0:18:39.080 conducted in twenty twenty, researchers looked at more than six 0:18:39.160 --> 0:18:44.879 hundred different genes and found that blueprint genetic blueprint contributed 0:18:44.920 --> 0:18:48.800 somewhere between thirty to sixty percent to whether you were 0:18:49.119 --> 0:18:53.440 extroverted or introverted. So basically, if you had an extroverted 0:18:53.520 --> 0:18:58.040 parent or you had an extroverted twin, there was around 0:18:58.200 --> 0:19:01.600 a thirty to sixty percent chance that you would also 0:19:01.720 --> 0:19:07.680 be extroverted, not introverted. So that is like heritability. What's 0:19:07.720 --> 0:19:11.480 the likelihood that if we took a million people, how 0:19:11.480 --> 0:19:14.320 many of them in the same circumstances would end up 0:19:14.320 --> 0:19:16.399 as extroverts, how many of them would go the other 0:19:16.440 --> 0:19:20.240 way and as introverts. Honestly, you know, if it's at 0:19:20.240 --> 0:19:23.480 the low end of like thirty percent, that's actually pretty 0:19:23.520 --> 0:19:27.520 minimal in my eyes, But you know, it's bigger than nothing, 0:19:27.680 --> 0:19:30.320 and it still does point to the fact that who 0:19:30.320 --> 0:19:34.320 your parents are really does influence who you will be. 0:19:35.119 --> 0:19:39.880 So the reason that genetics has an influence is because 0:19:40.080 --> 0:19:44.479 of how genetics can influence how certain systems in our 0:19:44.560 --> 0:19:47.640 brain work. So we all know that when we get 0:19:47.680 --> 0:19:51.520 a genetic blueprint. That genetic blueprint influences a lot of things. 0:19:51.680 --> 0:19:55.879 One of the things that influences is cerebral or brain development, 0:19:56.400 --> 0:19:59.600 and that's what makes the next two theories important. A 0:19:59.600 --> 0:20:01.920 big thing. The theory is that whether you are an 0:20:01.960 --> 0:20:06.080 extrovert or an introvert comes down to arousal. And we're 0:20:06.119 --> 0:20:10.680 not talking about sexual arousal, but the extent to which 0:20:10.760 --> 0:20:15.880 our bodies and our minds are alert and ready to stimulation. 0:20:16.640 --> 0:20:20.080 So this explanation was first proposed way back in the 0:20:20.160 --> 0:20:24.679 nineteen sixties, and basically it suggested that the brains of 0:20:24.800 --> 0:20:30.480 extroverts are chronically under aroused, leading them to seek out 0:20:30.520 --> 0:20:37.440 stimulation from the environment. Extroverts need to basically work harder 0:20:38.000 --> 0:20:41.040 to get themselves up to the level that others find 0:20:41.359 --> 0:20:47.960 normal and pleasant. Hence why they really like novel social experiences, 0:20:48.400 --> 0:20:51.120 They like being around people. They may even be more 0:20:51.160 --> 0:20:56.679 boisterous and risk taking. In contrast, introverts already have a 0:20:56.840 --> 0:21:02.800 naturally lower threshold. It takes less for them to feel 0:21:03.480 --> 0:21:06.679 kind of over stimulated. You know, a really good book, 0:21:06.920 --> 0:21:11.040 a movie night that provides just as much stimulation and 0:21:11.200 --> 0:21:14.760 fun to them as a club. Because they don't need 0:21:14.800 --> 0:21:18.600 as much to bring about enjoyment, and too much stimulation 0:21:18.800 --> 0:21:23.399 actually makes them quite overwhelmed, whereas for extroverts sometimes the 0:21:23.480 --> 0:21:27.600 limit doesn't exist. So really, what this all comes down 0:21:27.640 --> 0:21:31.680 to this is a suggestion is our brains and their 0:21:31.720 --> 0:21:40.240 inner workings, specifically the activity of neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, adrenaline, 0:21:40.280 --> 0:21:45.840 or noropdephrin. Now, this theory of arousal was presented almost 0:21:45.880 --> 0:21:49.720 sixty years ago, and since then we have obviously become 0:21:49.920 --> 0:21:54.320 a lot more advanced in our scientific technologies, so we've 0:21:54.359 --> 0:21:56.399 been able to test what was once a bit of 0:21:56.400 --> 0:21:59.720 a wild guess. Turns out it was a pretty good guess. 0:22:00.080 --> 0:22:03.159 In two thousand and five, researchers from the University of 0:22:03.200 --> 0:22:07.240 Amsterdam set out to test this theory specifically by looking 0:22:07.240 --> 0:22:11.200 at whether extraversion versus introversion is really determined by how 0:22:11.520 --> 0:22:14.679 active our dopamine systems are. Now a lot of us 0:22:14.720 --> 0:22:17.840 think if dopamine as the happy chemical. That's true, but 0:22:17.920 --> 0:22:23.399 it's also responsible for motivation, learning, concentration, social ability, so 0:22:23.640 --> 0:22:25.840 it's going to play a role in this personality trait. 0:22:26.440 --> 0:22:30.600 They got a huge sample of people and they grouped 0:22:30.640 --> 0:22:34.040 them based on a simple personality test, and then they 0:22:34.080 --> 0:22:37.360 got them to participate in a game of sorts where 0:22:37.400 --> 0:22:39.840 they had to place bets and they had to be 0:22:39.920 --> 0:22:42.600 it was in like a social environment, and they were 0:22:42.680 --> 0:22:47.280 either rewarded for their gamble or not. Here's what they saw. 0:22:47.920 --> 0:22:51.480 The reward centers of the brain displayed a lot more 0:22:51.520 --> 0:22:56.600 activity when the individual was an extrovert. They also paid 0:22:56.640 --> 0:22:59.920 attention to the game for longer, They seemed more key 0:23:00.240 --> 0:23:03.480 to keep engaging in the game, maybe because of that 0:23:03.560 --> 0:23:07.680 social element, but all of this this equal experience. They 0:23:07.720 --> 0:23:13.119 were receiving a more positive, more rewarding reaction from it. 0:23:13.720 --> 0:23:16.199 The introverts, on the other hand, or who who the 0:23:16.280 --> 0:23:21.160 scientists imagined were introverts based on this personality test, they 0:23:21.280 --> 0:23:25.439 displayed a whole lot less activity in those same areas, 0:23:25.480 --> 0:23:28.919 suggesting that extroverts are the way they are because they 0:23:29.119 --> 0:23:34.720 just have a heightened sensitivity to reward highly reactive dopamine systems, 0:23:35.040 --> 0:23:38.800 and they already receive a baseline of reward just from 0:23:38.840 --> 0:23:42.960 being around people that introverts don't get. So it makes 0:23:43.000 --> 0:23:46.920 sense that these people would be happier in big social 0:23:47.080 --> 0:23:53.200 situations or taking social risks or even personal risks because 0:23:53.200 --> 0:23:56.800 of what happens deep in their brains. That's one side 0:23:56.800 --> 0:23:59.920 of the coin, but it also comes down to environments, 0:24:00.000 --> 0:24:04.800 specifically culture, socialization, how we were raised, and that's one 0:24:04.920 --> 0:24:07.439 further piece of the puzzle that we were going to 0:24:07.520 --> 0:24:16.240 explore after this short break. Looking at the origin behind 0:24:16.359 --> 0:24:23.040 introversion and extraversion specifically, Like the biological underpinnings is one thing, 0:24:23.320 --> 0:24:26.680 but humans I don't think can be reduced to chemical 0:24:26.720 --> 0:24:29.919 messages in their brain. I think doing so this is 0:24:29.920 --> 0:24:33.000 a really important part of the picture, and that part 0:24:33.119 --> 0:24:37.879 we miss comes down to social influence and environment. It 0:24:38.000 --> 0:24:41.120 seems that where you were born and where you grow 0:24:41.200 --> 0:24:47.360 up will also determine whether you are more extroverted versus introverted. 0:24:48.080 --> 0:24:51.199 If you grew up within a culture that values outward 0:24:51.320 --> 0:24:56.160 social engagement and being outgoing and loud and very forward, 0:24:56.880 --> 0:25:00.480 extraversion rates will seemingly be higher because more more people 0:25:00.640 --> 0:25:03.880 learn that this is what's kind of expected of them. 0:25:04.359 --> 0:25:07.400 They're also kind of raised to adapt to these environments. 0:25:07.840 --> 0:25:11.119 They mimic the behaviors of those around them, so they 0:25:11.160 --> 0:25:14.280 may appear to be more extroverted when we compare that 0:25:14.400 --> 0:25:20.280 to quite reflective, peaceful societies where children are taught and 0:25:20.400 --> 0:25:24.240 raised to be quiet, to be reserved, to be introspective, 0:25:24.920 --> 0:25:28.159 We're definitely going to see a difference in overall rates. 0:25:28.840 --> 0:25:33.480 Consider the difference, for example, between individuals from a country 0:25:33.840 --> 0:25:40.119 like Japan versus the United States. Obviously, not everyone within 0:25:40.200 --> 0:25:44.000 those countries are going to be the same. You know, 0:25:44.160 --> 0:25:47.960 no one group is completely homogeneous. But if we took 0:25:48.160 --> 0:25:51.639 the median of each I would expect the US to 0:25:51.680 --> 0:25:56.760 be higher in extraversion and the Japanese people hire in introversion. 0:25:57.680 --> 0:26:01.399 So the research shows that levels of exsion seem to 0:26:01.440 --> 0:26:05.480 be divided by whether a country or a culture is 0:26:05.560 --> 0:26:12.400 actually individualistic or collectivist. So individualistic cultures like the United States, 0:26:12.920 --> 0:26:19.040 they prioritize individual expression and outward displays of confidence that's 0:26:19.119 --> 0:26:23.240 linked to extraversion. Collectivist cultures, on the other hand, they 0:26:23.320 --> 0:26:28.119 value harmony, They value group cohesion that might lead to 0:26:28.240 --> 0:26:33.320 more introverted behaviors. You know, I would love to see, like, 0:26:33.480 --> 0:26:37.200 at what point being removed from that culture in place 0:26:37.240 --> 0:26:40.040 in the other one would maybe change who you are. 0:26:40.600 --> 0:26:43.040 Like if you grew up in the United States until 0:26:43.080 --> 0:26:45.639 you were six, and then you moved to a place 0:26:45.720 --> 0:26:48.399 like Japan, would that change who you are or like, 0:26:48.600 --> 0:26:50.920 would it have to be when you were three? Could 0:26:50.960 --> 0:26:54.520 it be you know, as late as fifteen. It would 0:26:54.560 --> 0:26:57.800 just be very very cool, Like whether it would be 0:26:57.800 --> 0:26:59.560