Humans are evolutionarily integrated with the concept of society. Our thought process, behaviour and worldviews are results of our social surroundings to a great extent. As per neuroscience, our neural alignment starts shaping even from the very early days of our childhood. It is said that a child’s worldview starts developing from the age of three or four. Clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson says that a child should always be felt well received and highly desired in a social environment. How a child is going to behave in a social environment as an adult later in his life depends a lot on what types of experience he had with the society in his early days of childhood . Introvertness is just an outcome of the social impacts, similar in the case of extrovertness too. But these personality traits impact a lot in shaping our journey later on.
Indian society is a very complex system. Stories, traditions, cultures and rituals dominate the Indian social ecosystem. These elements though seem to help structuring the social environment in constructive ways , but in many situations, these elements act as a reason for negative impacts on the child. In most cases, the bullshit ‘social norms’ act as a villain in someone's life who wants to do something offbeat. The scene is changing though which is definitely an optimistic sign. The new generation is more inclined towards growth, self development and logical thought process. The future is going to be more dependent on digital presence than physical which is indeed a great sign towards creating an equal level playing field irrespective of different personality traits. Introvertness and extrovertness come as secondary, the only thing that matters is how much value you can create and how much impact you can generate.
*Does personality trait not matter at all? Not exactly.
Introvertness affects our growth journey in both positive and negative ways.
Being introverted is quite normal just like being an extrovert. It's just a type of personality. But because of many outcomes that appear as a result of introvertness that affect our journey of growth to a high extent, personality traits turn out as an important factor in our growth journey.
1. Creativity:
Introverts are always said to be more creative. Psychology also agrees. Creativity demands imagination, visualisation and the ability to view in a unique way . An introvert is always lost in his thoughts. There is a different universe running inside his mind. Humans’ creativity is a result of observation, unique thought process and unique perspectives. An introvert is blessed with all of these.
2. Communication:
The worst thing about being an introvert is the communication skill. Communication skill is a must needed skill to survive in the 21st century. Introverts get setbacks regarding this. Interpersonal skills, social skills and public speaking skills are highly important for survival in the 21st century. An introvert person lacks in all of these. But skills can be learned and it's all about the matter of practice. The more you practice, the more you will be good at it. Your introvertness shouldn't be a stopping signal in your growth journey.
3. Observation:
Observation is a skill of the future. An introverted person is blessed with this skill. Being good at observation can save you from a lot of challenging situations, help in your journey of growth and increase your analysing capacity. A good observer is better at decision making, reading situations and analysing events. Introvertness in your personality trait here acts as a blessing.
4. Social situations:
Introverts always find themselves awkward in social situations. They need time to adjust with the surroundings. They are never the first mover and small talks never excite them. This is a big reason why introverts have very few people in their circle. They can sense the genuineness and will never allow any fake one to enter in their circle.
5. Writing:
Writing is a very unique skill and trust me very few are blessed with this. Writing demands deep thinking capability, analysing and a high level of articulation skill. And who wins here?; wanna guess! Yes, you are correct. The introverts. Introverts are very good at writing, of course not all of them. But comparatively better than the extroverts. So, don't blame your introvertness from now. Try hard and achieve your goals.
6. On a human level:
Introverts are amazing human beings. Of Course they take a lot of time to be friendly with you. But , once you become friends with them, you will be introduced to a different universe in the mindspace. They are some of the most genuine, cool and talented people you will ever meet in your life.
Conclusion:
Introverted and extroverted are just two of the personality traits we humans possess. The world is moving rapidly towards digital presence, automation and remote working. Most of the present lucrative jobs are going to disappear in the coming years. Definitely new jobs will emerge but soft skills, creativity and other interpersonal skills are going to be the most required criteria for such jobs. It doesn't matter whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, you must upgrade yourselves with these skills otherwise you will be left behind in the revolution of AI. Your introvertness should not be a restricting factor in your journey of growth.