The Introvert Disadvantage

I've seen books like the introvert advantage, ones like "the happy introvert" (the quotes are not because that's the book title because it isn't), ones about how to be successful in business, love, networking, and life.

I've also read this article in Psychology today, 'the revenge of the introvert' but really the article doesn't state how the introvert is 'taking revenge' as the title led me to believe. It just gave proven facts from studies and information about introverts and extroverts which translated in my biased mind and probably the biased minds of others similarly, the advantage of extroverts. That title sounds a lot like the title 'revenge of the right brain', and while that online article may be true, it'll take several years until it's really true.

Anyhow, if the question is is it better to be an introvert, and the objective is being successful and happy in life, then the answer is no.

I don't think those books can be right and I don't think the authors genuinely believe in it. Although it is clever actually, as introverts would be the ones to seek help to do what comes naturally to their counterparts, and they would the ones too, who would sit down and read a book about it.

It's quite obvious how extroverts have the advantage in many dimensions, even the one about intro or extroversion. Because while introverts may feel the pull of wanting to be extroverted, extroverts don't seem to want to be introverted. And introverts, if they try to act extroverted, they lose brainpower when extroverts deprived of social-ness get bored, but the point is that there are more situations in life where being extroverted would come in handy.

The tangible data has led me to wonder if extroverts or 'those people', really are oblivious.
Right now, I don't think so. I used to, but then I realized people can be smarter than you take them for. Extroverts may know but just choose to ignore, or maybe being ignorant is easy when you interact with people so often. Successful (and positive) distraction.

Mark Twain said “The man who is a pessimist before forty-eight knows too much; if he is an optimist after it he knows too little." It doesn't take a genius to see the link to knowing (awareness, smartness) and negative thinking. Take into account that introverts are more likely to be depressed and that they process more information in any given situation. The connection is clear.

What's also an introvert disadvantage is the meaning paradox. Introvert brains are "less dependant on external stimuli and rewards to feel good", so they "are not driven to seek big hits of positive emotional arousal—they'd rather find meaning than bliss—making them relatively immune to the search for happiness" (words inside quotes are from that article, revenge of the introvert).
And there's no meaning to life, but it's possible to be happy. Extroverts seem so happy.

Personally, I've given up searching for meaning or happiness and think life would be so much easier in so many ways if I were extroverted like I used to be. It seems sometimes like introverts are missing out on so much.


There is more to the introvert/extrovert discussion at Revenge of the the introverts.