Revenge of the Introvert

October 24, 2010
My husband asked me to read an article about the difference between introverts and extroverts. http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201008/revenge-the-introvert A friend of his (an introvert) had brought it to his attention knowing he would relate. I read enthusiastically, always on the hunt for ways to better understand by better half. Wow- talk about opposites attracting. Extremely introverted people may seem to lack social skills and extreme extroverts can be at a complete loss with introspection, but most folks fall somewhere in a less drastic place on the spectrum. Nevertheless (is that really a word?), the number of people on either side is around 50%. As an extrovert I have always felt slightly superior to introverts and this article helped me to understand why. American culture glorifies the extrovert and marginalizes those who prefer an evening at home with close friends to a party. This article helped me to realize that half ofthe students in my class prefer to work independently, want time to formulate answers before sharing in a group and gain energy by spending time on their own. I owe it to them to take this in to account when I design instruction and assessments. And I owe it to my husband to schedule time to be a homebody!