Study: Introverts happier when acting like extroverts.

Are You an Introvert or an Extrovert?

If you’re more excited by the idea of a holiday party than a quiet evening reading, you may be an extrovert. If it’s the other way around, you may be an introvert.

While those labels can be overly simplistic—most people lie somewhere on a spectrum between the two—they’re still useful in understanding ourselves and those around us.

Understanding the Traits of Introverts and Extroverts

Extroverted traits typically include being outgoing and enthusiastic, impulsive, and talkative. Introverted traits, on the other hand, usually include being introspective, a good listener, and more reserved.

Extroverts seek the stimulation of socially energized environments, while introverts tend to prefer small groups, one-on-one interactions, and plenty of alone time.

Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, who first described traits of extroversion and introversion in the 1920s, observed that extroverts are energized through social interaction, while introverts recharge best in quiet solitude.

The Cultural Bias Towards Extroverts

While both personality types have strengths and weaknesses, American culture tends to celebrate and reward extroverted behavior. This translates seamlessly into the business world, where speaking up and standing out is more likely to lead to a promotion than quietly but competently getting your work done.

Susan Cain, in her bestselling book “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking,” details the strong cultural bias towards extroverts and describes what is lost, both individually and collectively, when introverts are undervalued. Namely, creativity and innovation—which are often best nourished in quiet, solitary environments.

Acting Extroverted

Introverts and extroverts can learn and benefit from each other. Studies have consistently shown that extroverts report higher levels of satisfaction, or happiness, than introverts. But whatever the reasons, repeated studies have come to an interesting conclusion that can give introverts another tool in their armory of life skills—simply acting more extroverted can make you happier.

One study, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology in 2020, examined whether participants could actually alter the extent to which they behave in ways that are extroverted or introverted and how those changes in behavior impact well-being. Study participants were asked to behave in an introverted manner for a week, and then in an extroverted manner the following week. At the end of the study, both extroverted and introverted participants reported greater levels of ‘positive affect’ when intentionally acting more extroverted.

But there is a caveat to this ‘tool’—while acting ‘out of character’ for short durations may be beneficial, too much time spent essentially putting on a performance can wear an introvert out. In that case, seeking out regular “restorative niches”—or the place you go to reconnect with your ‘true self,’ is essential.

As Shakespeare tells us in Hamlet, “This above all: to thine own self be true.” As a society, we may have embraced this message, but for introverts, stepping out of our comfort zones at times, to speak up and engage more socially, may also offer surprising benefits.

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