The Sound of Silence
I had an interesting conversation with my husband this morning on the way to the gym. I was telling him about an article I read yesterday discussing introversion and extroversion which stated that there are actually more introverts than extroverts in the US – witty guy that he is, he responded with “and that’s as it should be”. He’s primarily extroverted, so my natural response to this was “huh?” His response: “Think how noisy the world would be otherwise!”
So this got me thinking about the article and its assertions – I did a little research to verify that introvert population percentage, which I had always heard was lower. Google searches yield numbers ranging from 25% to 30% of the population being introverts, whereas the article states that: Research analyzing the results from a national representative sample of 3,009 people who have taken the Myers Briggs test shows that introverts actually outnumber extroverts, 50.8% to 49.3%. More men (54.1%) than women (47.5%) are introverted.
I just confirmed that 50.8% of the population is indeed introverted, per Myers Briggs tests – here is the table the author used:
The Sixteen Types
U.S. Population Breakdown
The table organizing the sixteen types was created by Isabel Myers (an INFP).
ISTJ 11.6%
ISFJ 13.8%
INFJ 1.5%
INTJ 2.1%
ISTP 5.4%
ISFP 8.8%
INFP 4.3%
INTP 3.3%
ESTP 4.3%
ESFP 8.5%
ENFP 8.1%
ENTP 3.2%
ESTJ 8.7%
ESFJ 12 .3%
ENFJ 2.4%
ENTJ 1.8%
Estimated percentages of the 16 types in the American population using inferential statistics. The figures above are from a random sampling of 3009 people culled from a total pool of 16,000 using the 1998 MBTI Form M. The individuals whose form results were used in this random sampling were not provided with the data to verify or question their accuracy. But these numbers do provide a working base on which to build further understanding and development of the model as extrapolated to larger populations.
It came from this page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myers-Briggs_Type_Indicator#Lifestyle:_Judgment_.28J.29_.2F_Perception_.28P.29 Of course, this discrepancy makes me wonder whether introverted people (as measured by this test) self-report themselves as extroverts for some reason…
In this same article, the writer references author Wendy Gelberg, herself a self-described introvert, who makes an observation about society that states: “We tend to feel that extroversion is the gold standard, that it’s more ‘normal,’ “she says. “But that’s because it’s all we see, on TV and elsewhere. After all, a television show about someone just sitting quietly or reading a book wouldn’t draw many viewers. And then, as introverts, we don’t get together and share our experiences, so we assume we’re all alone.”
Further research yielded this gem, a 2003 Atlantic article: http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200303/rauch. It starts like this:
“Do you know someone who needs hours alone every day? Who loves quiet conversations about feelings or ideas, and can give a dynamite presentation to a big audience, but seems awkward in groups and maladroit at small talk? Who has to be dragged to parties and then needs the rest of the day to recuperate? Who growls or scowls or grunts or winces when accosted with pleasantries by people who are just trying to be nice?
“If so, do you tell this person he is “too serious,” or ask if he is okay? Regard him as aloof, arrogant, rude? Redouble your efforts to draw him out?
“If you answered yes to these questions, chances are that you have an introvert on your hands—and that you aren’t caring for him properly. Science has learned a good deal in recent years about the habits and requirements of introverts. It has even learned, by means of brain scans, that introverts process information differently from other people (I am not making this up). If you are behind the curve on this important matter, be reassured that you are not alone. Introverts may be common, but they are also among the most misunderstood and aggrieved groups in America, possibly the world.
“I know. My name is Jonathan, and I am an introvert.”
This article has drawn more traffic than any other article on the Atlantic’s website. Who knew that there was such interest in this topic?
There is also a follow up interview with the author, which you’ll find here: http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200602u/introverts. He believes that the digital economy has had a leveling effect, which allows introverts to create, and at the same time, to keep to themselves: “I do think that there’s been, in the last ten years or so, a major economic resurgence for introversion—the “geek” economy. The prototypical geek is really good at thinking, has superb powers of concentration (which tends to be an introvert trait), and works very well independently. They’re often pretty awesomely brilliant people, and they’re fairly defiant about being geeks. They’ve turned this word “geek” into a term that’s almost romantic in some ways, and through the Silicon economy, they’ve been massively innovative and economically important. A lot of them are running circles around the extroverts who are selling shoes. So I think part of what’s happened lately is that the digital economy is giving introverts a new place in the sun.”
This testing and classification is, of course, all based on Jung’s Psychological Types, which has both its proponents (Myers Briggs) and its detractors (http://skepdic.com/myersb.html ). I know that personally, I enjoy a mix of outward and inward facing action; I believe that they feed each other and help keep us balanced. I have, however, known people from whom extracting conversation was excruciating, and people who chatter endlessly, never appreciating the sound of silence – I am sure these extremes exist. I am less sure of the validity of conveniently putting people into “type” boxes as a shorthand to understanding their respective complexities…
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