North Texas Daily

Why do people believe that introverts are stuck up, snooty and selfish? How do some extroverts place a label on introverts? Why are introverts always misunderstood, misrepresented and stereotyped?

Each introverted individual is not shy, antisocial nor possess negative personalities. Everyone is different and should be respected for their distinctions. However, all introverts are placed into one large group of negative judgements. This is not fair for any introvert and are usually judged by some extroverts based on the socially constructed stereotypes and myths.

Introverts cannot be placed into one category. Some introverts enjoy social interaction, possess an abundance of confidence and even make great leaders. Other introverts enjoy being by themselves, refrain from social interactions and sometimes struggle to fit in with a crowd. Some introverts contain a combination of various aspects.

Therefore, each introvert falls on a certain point of a spectrum. However, some extroverts are not aware nor would like to acknowledge that each introverted individual is different. Introverts are misunderstood due to the negative stereotypes along with unawareness of the introversion spectrum and the pressure of society to abide by extroverted characteristics.

Stereotypes kill opportunities to learn about individuals. They create boundaries and false assumptions, pushing the influence of misunderstanding. Being an introvert, I will sometimes refrain from immediately providing my input into class discussions. I have to observe the interactions amongst other students and feel comfortable before I engage in a conversation.

Due to my method, I have been immediately judged by some of my extroverted peers. They believe that I will not contribute to the discussion until I prove them wrong. This shows that some of my extroverted peers quickly generated boundaries and assumptions, leading to misjudgments.

Even though I am an introvert, I will engage in social interaction once I push myself to fulfill this task. There are different levels to introversion that are placed on a spectrum. The spectrum shows middle grounds between extroversion and introversion. Therefore, multiple individuals have characteristics that do not solely fall into one category.

Some extroverted individuals are not aware of the spectrum. However, the representation counters some extroverts’ judgements and false assumptions since each individual possesses different qualities along the spectrum. This is especially true since each individual has different personalities, values and upbringings.

Some extroverts do not realize that all introverts are not the same. This is partially due to the societal pressure that introverts are to act similar to extroverts. Yes, it is beneficial to encourage discussions and social interactions. The problem is when high expectations and pressures are forced upon introverts.

For some introverts, they have the ability to push themselves out of their comfort zones. For others, the task is not as easy. Time, patience, understanding and encouragement helps introverts to step out of their comfort zone. With these qualities, extroverts will have the knowledge and proper understanding of introverts.

Some people argue that introverts need to adapt to the extrovert society. Others argue that some extroverts do not have enough observation to formulate positive conclusions about introverts. However, the pressures of society do not allow introverts to be themselves, which is crude and unfair given the fact that being true to oneself is valuable. Furthermore, limited observations of introverts should not immediately lead to negative conclusions.

The main solution for extroverts, who create false assumptions and misjudge introverts, is to be reflective and acknowledge the fact that everyone is different. It is imperative for those extroverts to understand that each individual has a different method of approaching situations, choices and social interactions. There is not one definite version. Also, is it important for extroverts to acknowledge that not all introverts are on the same end of the spectrum.

If these particular extroverts have the will to acknowledge that each introvert is different and not pass hasty judgement, there will be less misunderstandings.

Featured Illustration: Jae-Eun Suh