What Makes Someone an Introvert: Definition, Personality Traits, and Self-Care Tips

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Conventional wisdom says that if you’re quiet and shy, you might be an introvert. In this view, everyone else is an extrovert (also spelled extravert in psychology circles) — an introvert’s outgoing, social counterpart. But is the introvert label pop psychology or hard science? And what does it mean for your health and well-being if you truly are one? Here’s what an introvert is, what the science has to say about personality types, how being an introvert may impact your well-being, and how introverts can support their unique emotional health needs.
What Is an Introvert? Definition In the early 1920s, the psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Carl Jung, MD, coined the term “introvert” to describe someone “governed by subjective factors,” according to his treatise Psychological Types . By Dr. Jung’s thinking, introverts were the flip side of extroverts, who were more outwardly inclined. “Now we have a slightly different way of thinking about what introversion is,” says Colin DeYoung, PhD , a researcher who studies personality and is an associate professor of psychology at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. Introverts are still cast as the opposite of extroverts, but what that means has evolved with the evidence, says Dr. DeYoung. Rather than being about a location of focus (inward versus outward), leading theories talk about something closer to an energetic style, namely how vigorously people react to and pursue rewards, he says. Introverts are on the low end: They’re relatively quiet, reserved, and not looking for excitement, he adds. Here’s how this updated theory plays out in the famous difference between how social extroverts and introverts can be. Picture a party. Extroverts look at a room full of people and see interesting, rewarding possibilities, says DeYoung. Introverts in that same room won’t see it like that. To introverts, a room full of people is exhausting, he says. Introverts anticipate the effort that’s required to engage and just don’t have the sense that it’s going to lead to positive emotions and enjoyment in the way extroverts do, says DeYoung. But it’s a myth that introverts don’t enjoy socializing at all, says Janaya Sadler, LCSW , the owner of Urban Health Counseling in Raleigh, North Carolina, who supports her clients’ mental health through a personality-driven framework. Like everyone, introverts enjoy time with friends and loved ones, she notes. It’s just that afterward, exhaustion is real, and introverts need time to decompress or recharge . You can trace the evolution of introversion in the definition from the American Psychological Association (APA) , which gives a nod to Jung’s “orientation toward the internal private world” and the more modern take that “introverts are withdrawn, retiring, reserved, quiet, and deliberate; they may tend to mute or guard expression of positive affect, adopt more skeptical views or positions, and prefer to work independently.”
What Does the Science Say About the Introvert Personality Type? The Science Introvert Type vs. Trait While it can be helpful shorthand to say you’re an introvert or extrovert, contemporary personality psychologists don’t believe that people completely fall into one category or the other, says Manon van Scheppingen, PhD , an assistant professor of developmental psychology at Tilburg University in the Netherlands who studies personality development. Instead, she says, we all land somewhere on a continuum. Some people might be very extroverted and some might be very introverted, but most exist somewhere in the middle, she notes. Labeling people as strictly introverts or extroverts never worked very well, scientifically speaking. As early as 1926, when researchers looked at surveys measuring introversion and extroversion, study results suggested that introverts and extroverts aren’t really different types but rather two extremes of a single trait called extroversion. As an alias for the low end of extroversion, the idea of introversion is alive and well in contemporary personality science. The Big Five personality model (which includes extroversion, plus neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness) is one of the most popular models among modern personality researchers, says Dr. van Scheppingen. Unlike personality type theory, trait theories seem to hold up to scientific study. In one study, researchers surveyed people from 50 cultures around the world. Results published in the Journal of Personality and Society Psychology suggest that extroversion and other traits are apt ways to describe how people tend to think and act around the world. What Causes Introversion Today researchers think that how introverted you are is likely rooted in the brain, hormones, neurotransmitters, and other biological factors, says Gabriel Olaru, PhD , an assistant professor of developmental psychology at Tilburg University in the Netherlands who studies personality and well-being. This idea is echoed in Current Opinions in Behavioral Sciences . There are a few active theories about how this might work, including scientific theories about the so-called reward hormone dopamine, but there’s no clear agreement yet, he says. Still, even if the details aren’t settled, when researchers compare the personalities of identical twins with fraternal twins, results consistently point to some sort of genetic link to personality, says van Scheppingen. Identical twins not separated at birth (who share both upbringing and genetics) tend to have more similar personalities than fraternal twins not separated at birth (who share upbringing but only half of their genetics), as mentioned in related research . It’s important to point out that this line of research suggests that roughly half of differences in personality are passed down in families, leaving plenty of room for other factors (like your experiences and circumstances) to influence yours. Is It Okay to Call Yourself an Introvert? Does the science on personality types mean you shouldn’t say you’re an introvert? Dr. Olaru doesn’t think so. In fact, he self-identifies as an introvert. When you’re talking about personality, it’s very hard not to use labels, he says. Even if introversion and extroversion are technically a single spectrum, it’s often simply more practical to say you’re an introvert than to say you score low on extroversion, he finds.
How to Tell if You’re an Introvert Personality Traits Introversion isn’t just one thing, and introverts might differ from one another in important ways, which can make it difficult to tell if you’re an introvert or not. Per the APA definition, you might be an introvert if you tend to be reserved and withdrawn. Here are other clues you might be an introvert, according to Olaru: Are self-reliant Are independent Are focused and not prone to distraction Hold back, letting others express themselves rather than jumping in first Let others to take charge Are even-keeled or calm Think before you talk Prefer a few deep friendships over having many friends Are not as motivated by external rewards Are comfortable in quiet contexts Are risk averse Are quiet Aren’t assertive Feel shy Don’t tend to engage in conversations with strangers Aren’t enthusiastic Feel fatigued after social interactions Prefer socializing in small groups or one-on-one Still can’t tell if you’re an introvert? Odds are that, like most people, it’s because you’re actually somewhere in the middle of the extroversion spectrum, says DeYoung. For the majority, it’s typical to relate to some signs of introversion and some of extroversion without being at either extreme, he explains.
How Being an Introvert Affects Your Health and Well-Being Health Effects First, the bad news: Introverts may be less satisfied with their lives than extroverts, research suggests. One study published in March 2023 in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (PDF), which van Scheppingen and Olaru co-authored, found a small but strong link (20 percent) between extroversion and life satisfaction, meaning that introversion is connected to lower life satisfaction. But this doesn’t mean introverts are doomed. For one, how introverted or extroverted you are doesn’t explain everything about how happy you’ll be with your life, van Scheppingen says. “There’s a lot of room for individual differences,” she notes. Now on to the better news: On average, introverts seem to be just as physically healthy as extroverts, says Olaru. When you zoom in, you can see that introversion carries unique risks and benefits, he says. But when you zoom out, the negatives and positives effectively cancel each other out, meaning there’s no clear verdict one way or the other, says Olaru. Here are some of the key findings: Introverts may be less content with their relationships. When asked “How satisfied are you with your social contacts?” introverts may be more likely to say not at all, according to Olaru and van Scheppingen’s study. These and other findings suggest that introverts may have smaller social networks and less social support than their extroverted counterparts, which could lead indirectly to lower well-being, explains van Scheppingen. Introverts may be better able to handle isolation. On the flip side, introverts may be more equipped to deal with disruptions to social routines. During the lockdowns early on in the COVID-19 pandemic , researchers found that extroverted people had a larger increase in loneliness than introverted people, according to results published online in September 2021 in Social Psychology and Personality Science . Introverts may be less happy but not necessarily more sad. Introverts, by definition, experience less of that bubbly cheerfulness that extroverts are known for. “That doesn’t doesn’t necessarily lead to you feeling more negative,” clarifies Olaru. It just means you experience positive emotions less often and may be more reserved, which isn’t inherently bad for your well-being, he says. Introverts are not necessarily socially anxious. It’s a myth that all introverts have social anxiety, says Sadler. Social anxiety disorder is a mental health issue that both introverts and extroverts can experience, she says. Introverts are less prone to taking health risks. Being introverted means you may be more likely to protect your wellness by steering clear of smoking , substance use , and other health risks, says Olaru. Related research on teen tobacco use and research on college-aged drinking backs this up.
Self-Care Tips for Introverts Self-Care Tips If you’re an introvert, tending your well-being means accepting who you are and making changes when necessary, says Olaru. Here are ideas for how to do that. Take solo time to recharge. Social situations can be draining, so be sure to take quiet time afterward to refill your cup, advises Sadler. Great options include meditating , deep breathing , and doing something just for you, she says. Find a group of other introverts. It may seem counterintuitive, but social connection is important for introverts, and it’s easy to overlook. “We all need social interaction and to build lasting friendships,” notes Sadler, who founded Introverted Girlfriends for just this reason. When you connect with other introverts, you’ll automatically find people who like to hang out the same way you do, prioritizing intimate, meaningful relationships . Honor your strengths. There’s a lot to celebrate when it comes to being an introvert, says Sadler. Introverts tend to be creative, great listeners, deep thinkers, and detail oriented, she says. Lean into these strengths; they’re your superpowers. Learn skills you feel like you’re missing. Introverts shouldn’t feel like they need to change who they are, says Olaru, but we can all build new habits to support our well-being. If you’re an introvert who’s unhappy with your relationships, he says, you can take concrete steps to feel more connected, like adding regular phone check-ins with friends or scheduling social meetings. Likewise, if you wish you were more assertive at work, you can attend assertiveness training to learn how to adjust your behaviors. Accept who you are. We live in an extroverted world, notes Sadler. Taking care of yourself means honoring that you might do things differently than your peers, friends, and family members and that’s okay. “Do not try to be what you’re not,” she advises.

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