Do you consider yourself to be an introvert or perhaps you know somebody who is introverted? It is a very unique lifestyle and one that is often misunderstood. On the surface, it is true that introverts seem to avoid any contact with other people and will often go out of their way to achieve that goal. When you really look below the surface, however, you realize that there is more than meets the eye. That is what Carl King is trying to let people know.
King considers the labeling of someone as an introvert to be a shallow assessment. He is a filmmaker and composer, but he is also a self-proclaimed introvert. He realizes that there is more complexity than what most people realize. When this list of 10 common myths about introverts went viral, it really took him by surprise. He writes blog posts all of the time and never expected that this particular one would be quite so popular.
Of course, as is the case with any type of viral post, some people are praising it for its honesty and others are calling BS. One thing is certain about the subject, however, and that’s the fact that it gets people talking, even those who are introverted. In the end, Carl was only writing about his own experiences and he wanted to help people to identify with how he felt. This single post had racked up over 2 million views on his website and it is still going.
The post was written after King found a book called, The Introvert Advantage: How to Thrive in an Extrovert World. He said: “It felt like someone had written an encyclopedia entry on a rare race of people to which I belong. Not only had it explained many of my eccentricities, it helped me to redefine my entire life in a new and productive context.”
He also admitted that it hit him very hard. He felt it was important to read because he was under pressure to be an extrovert, even though on the inside, he was very introverted.
“It was easy to blame myself because all the people around me in Los Angeles wanted non-stop stimulation and partying, always going out, or always having people over. I felt like they were always thinking, ‘What’s wrong with Carl?’ The truth is, I love socializing. But when I’ve had enough, I should feel OK going home.”
One of the more interesting sections of the book that was discussed is where the human brain was mapped out and neurotransmitters were discussed. It seems as if those neurotransmitters take different paths in an introvert compared to an extrovert.
“If the science behind the book is correct, it turns out that Introverts are people who are over-sensitive to Dopamine, so too much external stimulation overdoses and exhausts them. Conversely, Extroverts can’t get enough Dopamine, and they require Adrenaline for their brains to create it. Extroverts also have a shorter pathway and less blood-flow to the brain. The messages of an Extroverts nervous system mostly bypass the Broca’s area in the frontal lobe, which is where a large portion of contemplation takes place.”
Apparently, only about 25% of the population are introverts. Some are even introverts to an extreme degree. As a result, there are some significant misunderstandings, including the following:
Some People Absolutely Love This List:
Other People Disagree:
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