Have you ever felt as though the term “introvert” was too broad? After all, some people who are introverts love parties, provided that they are smaller and more intimate, while other introverts hate any type of social gathering. And some introverts are painfully shy, while other introverts are not shy at all… they simply enjoy good doses of alone time.
Psychologist Jonathan Cheek noticed that there many different types of introverts out there, so he decided that more specific categorization was needed. After plenty of research, he came up with four distinct types of introverts. Which one are you?
1. The Social Introvert
This type of introvert loves parties and social gatherings, but they prefer small, intimate groups. They also need time to “unwind” after social events. However, they are not typically anxious or shy.
2. The Restrained Introvert
This type of introvert is a deep thinker. They are quiet and often misunderstood as being cold or withdrawn, when in reality, they are just formulating their thoughts and replies very carefully. They tend to move slowly and take their time, whether it involves a conversation or a project for work.
3. The Anxious Introvert
This introvert struggles greatly with self-consciousness. They often beat themselves for their “awkward” social interactions and replay conversations back in their head, wishing they had said something different. Social occasions cause them a great deal of stress and panic.
4. The Thinking Introvert
This type of introvert enjoys alone time, but not because they are anxious. Instead, they tend to be deeply creative and hence crave alone time in order to work on their various projects. They have a rich internal world that can be difficult to leave behind, hence the reason why they do not want to attend parties or socialize very often.
What do you think of these four different types? Do you think they are accurate? Which one are you?
