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In our culture, the terms "introvert" and "extravert" are as common as "male" and "female." Though these categories are stuck in our language, they're outdated and incorrect. The introversion "trait" is derived from the fact that people often spend time reflecting internally, perceiving, feeling, remembering, analyzing, imagining and planning. These essential thought processes take place inside, without any external evidence. The extraversion "trait" is related to the fact that people take action. They may reflect internally for a while, but eventually they say things and do things. They express themselves with what we call "behavior." According to current brain research, it's normal, typical and necessary for a person to get involved in both action and reflection at some point during any given day. Every person "spends time in his own head," even very outgoing people. In addition, every person interacts with others, communicating and physically doing things, even shy people. When someone favors action more than reflection, or visa-versa, it can be a noticeable personality trait. Some people tend to lead with behavior and verbally express their thoughts as they have them. Others tend to think before they act and spend more time doing internal work. Some people have an equal tendency towards both reflection and action. Therefore, referring to people as extraverts or introverts is a misleading oversimplification. As someone who has studied the brain and personality, I dislike these terms. They put people in a box, as in "an introvert is someone who...." Often the extravert is often but inappropriately seen as the healthier type--a friendly, outgoing individual, while the introvert is considered by many to be a kind of a loner, perhaps socially handicapped in some way. I believe that all this typing and stereotyping is not only inaccurate, it's potentially harmful, and I encourage you not to relate to it . If you think, "I'm an introvert," you overlook the part of you that's outgoing, expressive and action-oriented. Or if you think of yourself as an "extravert," you discount the vital internal, reflective aspects of yourself. These terms can cause you to unnecessarily and unrealistically limit your self-image, which impacts on your self-esteem, a foundation ingredient to your success. This is why the MindFrames personality assessment (see Initforlife.com) doesn't report types; instead, it describes the extent to which an individual uses the full spectrum of human capabilities. I encourage you to acknowledge and affirm all your strengths. Honor the full range of your humanity.
Article Source: http://www.articledestination.com
Dennis E. Coates is CEO of Performance Support Systems, author of MindFrames, a brain-based personality assessment system (www.initforlife.com) and co-founder of the Train-to-Ingrain alliance (www.train-to-ingrain.com, info@train-to-ingrain.com, 800-488-6463), which delivers a reinforcement-centered approach to learning and development that achieves permanent, measurable improvements in workplace behavior and positive impacts on business results.
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