10 Things About Introversion That Most People Misunderstand

What does it actually mean to be an introvert?

A woman with long brown hair is standing by a window, holding a white mug with both hands. She is looking directly at the camera with a relaxed, neutral expression. The background is softly lit by natural light.

There are so many different traits that have been attached to introversion, and misunderstandings are rife. Here are 10 things that are true about introversion that a lot of people get wrong.

1. Introverts DO enjoy spending time with other people, but only when certain conditions are met.

Three elderly men sitting outdoors, smiling and talking. The man in the middle, wearing a burgundy shirt, is facing forward. The other two men, in light shirts, are looking at him. They appear to be enjoying a friendly conversation against a green background.

The whole aversion to too much social interaction does kind of confirm that an introvert is particularly happy when spending time by themselves.

This doesn’t mean they are always found engaged in solitary activities, but it suggests that they prefer them…to an extent.

They can enjoy spending time with others, but typically for shorter periods of time, in small groups, or when discussing deep, existential topics.

2. Introverts are NOT shy.

A young man with short brown hair stands against a light wooden background. He wears a light blue button-up shirt with sleeves rolled up and blue jeans. His hands are in his pockets, and he has a slight smile on his face with a relaxed posture.

Shyness is often thought of as interchangeable with introversion, but where introverts shun social situations to prevent overload, shy people do so because of a fear or anxiety they have about the negative judgment cast on them by others.

It is true that introverts are more likely than extroverts to be shy, but it cannot be said that all introverts are shy.

So there is a correlation, but no causation.

3. Introverts are NOT antisocial.

A man with short gray hair is sitting on a couch. He is wearing a denim button-up shirt and smiling slightly. The background is plain and neutral in color.

Just because they sometimes find group activities more stressful, it doesn’t follow that all introverts are maladjusted, antisocial hermits.

It is just that introverts enjoy a different kind of socializing to extroverts; they aren’t so much into large gatherings full of unknown people, and are more likely to arrange intimate events in a quieter location like their house or a cozy corner of a coffee shop.

4. Introverts are daydreamers.

A man with dark hair, wearing a light blue shirt, is lying back on a white pillow with his hands behind his head. He is looking upward with a relaxed and content expression. The background is blurred, emphasizing the man's face and upper body.

Thanks to the rewards they receive when looking inwards rather than outwards, they are very likely to enjoy getting lost in their heads.

Again, it’s not to say that extroverts don’t ever daydream, but you will catch an introvert at it far more frequently.

5. Introverts hate small talk, but they can do it.

Three women sit around a small round table with a bottle of wine and a plate of grapes on it. The woman on the right is drinking from a wine glass, while the other two chat and smile. Candles and dried flowers adorn the rustic setting near a large window.

A little bit of small talk is fairly typical even for introverts, but they like to quickly dispense with pleasantries and get into a serious conversation.

They don’t find it nearly as rewarding to indulge in gossip or the biographical accounts of your life; they just don’t find it as interesting.

6. Introverts have analytical minds.

A man with short, curly hair wearing a gray t-shirt is lying on a gray couch, looking thoughtful with his hands clasped in front of his face. He appears to be deep in thought. The background features wooden furniture and a decorative item on a shelf.

The thickness of certain areas of gray matter discussed above suggests that introverts like to think carefully about things.

Another way to put this is that they like to analyze a topic, issue, or challenge from every conceivable angle over and over before deciding on the best course of action.

They tend not to act spontaneously but prefer to contemplate their options before making their move.

7. Introverts are overthinkers.

A woman with wavy blonde hair is sitting on a gray couch in a brightly lit living room. She is wearing a light purple knit sweater and holding a remote control. Behind her, there is a desk with a stack of books and a laptop, and a modern painting on the wall.

The same thing that makes them analytical also makes them prone to bouts of overthinking.

An introvert’s mind may dwell on a certain train of thought for many hours, to the point where it actually becomes a problem in itself.

For the most part, looking inwards like this gives them some reward from the chemical acetylcholine, but even its effect wanes eventually.

8. Introverts prefer written communication over verbal.

A woman with long brown hair wearing a green shirt rests her chin on her hand, gazing intently at something off-screen. The background is softly blurred, suggesting an indoor setting.

Yes, it is very often the case that introverts will prefer to send an email, text, or even a good old fashioned letter rather than pick up the phone or meet with someone in person.

This allows them to avoid social interaction and remain cocooned in the bubble their minds create.

9. Introverts are NOT highly sensitive to the people and energy around them.

A woman smiling warmly, sitting at a table in a cozy room with light-colored furniture. She is reaching out with her hand on the shoulder of another person, who is partially visible in the foreground.

While it is true that many empaths and highly sensitive people are introverts, the converse is not necessarily true.

It is quite possible for an introvert to have low levels of empathy and low sensitivity to their surroundings.

The confusion occurs because introverts find large social gatherings rather stressful.

However, this is not because they are sensing the emotions of other people, but because, as we have seen, they become overstimulated by the dopamine hit in such situations.

10. Introverts do like having friends, but they prefer to keep a small, close group of them.

Three people are standing outside and smiling. The person on the left is wearing a red plaid shirt, the person in the middle is wearing sunglasses and a dark jacket, and the person on the right is wearing glasses, a light blue shirt, and a green top. The background is slightly blurred.

Because of their penchant for more intimate gatherings, introverts will tend to have fewer friends in total.

They simply don’t care to keep casual acquaintances because these are less conducive to the type of activity that introverts enjoy.

Having to maintain lots of more distant relationships would eat up the alone time that introverts are so fond of, so they keep friendship group tight and few.

Now, the true and false statements above aren’t intended to apply to every introvert all of the time, but rather look at how the vast majority of introverts act and think.

There will always be exceptions to any rule and it is no different here.