America is a noisy culture, unlike, say, Finland, which values silence. Individualism, dominant in the U.S. and Germany, promotes the direct, fast-paced style of communication associated with extraversion. Collectivistic societies, such as those in East Asia, value privacy and restraint, qualities more characteristic of introverts.
Laurie HelgoeWhatever kind of introvert you are, some people will find you 'too much' in some ways and 'not enough' in others.
Laurie HelgoeExtroverts want us to have fun, because they assume we want what they want. And sometimes we do. But "fun" itself is a "bright" word, the kind of word that comes with flashing lights and an exclamation point! One of Merriam-Webster's definitions of "fun" is "violent or excited activity or argument." The very word makes me want to sit in a dimly lit room with lots of pillows-by myself.
Laurie HelgoeWhen an introvert is quiet, don't assume he is depressed, snobbish or socially deficient.
Laurie HelgoeAsking others for input puts you in the driver's seat, and may feel less awkward than having to watch yourself on video.
Laurie HelgoeSome findings reveal extroverts as more adept at reading nonverbal cues, and attribute this to the extrovert's greater interest and experience with social interactions. Another line of research using subliminal images of facial emotion found introverts to be more sensitive to the differences, and hypothesized that this may be why introverts regulate the amount of incoming social information.
Laurie Helgoe