Most of us believe our personality is the reason for our introversion. And part of it may be. However, a recent study proves that the brain of an introvert works differently from an extrovert’s.
This means no matter who our parents were or what our environment was like growing up, we were born hard-wired as an introvert. Let’s look at the details of the study to learn more.
The study included many different people from all ages, cultures, and walks of life. They were shown images of objects and people’s faces as their brain waves were monitored by an EEG.
Scientists found that introvert’s and extrovert’s brains reacted differently to the two different types of pictures.
Specifically, what the scientists were looking for in the brain was the P300 wave, which is caused when we experience a sudden modification in our environment. The researchers discovered that extroverts started P300 brain activity when they saw a picture of a person’s face, while introverts showed this brain activity when they say pictures of objects.
Now, this study does not give extroverts more ammunition to say introverts don’t like people or are snobs. But what it does tell us is that introverts give more emphasis to objects than they do to people.
On the other hand, extroverts give more attention to people than to objects. And this makes sense if you think about what drives each of these two different types of people.
Introverts are energized by spending time in solitary pursuits, figuring things out, but extroverts are energized by being around people.
Introverts, of course, care deeply about their loved ones, but they don’t need to have a steady stream of stimulation by people or events like extroverts do. And introverts can also enjoy being around people, especially around a small group of intimates.
However, they don’t need this interaction as frequently as extroverts do. We are all social creatures – introverts just do socialize differently than extroverts.
How does knowing about this study help you? Well, if you are like most introverts, you have at least one extrovert in your life who is always pressuring you to get out of your shell and out of the house. They may tease you about being a shy homebody and incessantly invite you to join the fun at social events.
Now you can explain that your brain simply works differently than theirs and that you don’t enjoy the constant stimulation of other people’s company as they do.
