Types of introverted people: these are their defining characteristics.

There are those who have such an active mental life that they get lost in their thoughts.

There are many myths about introverted people. This is, among other things, because in Western countries introversion is less well regarded than its opposite pole, extraversion, and that is why it is not talked about openly and honestly. In other words, those who claim to be introverted are relatively rare.

Thus, truly introverted people may not be recognized as such, or in some cases may be taken for shy people. The lack of knowledge on this subject causes numerous prejudices to arise about this population group and their preferences and points of view to be misinterpreted. And, if we add to this the fact that it is possible to distinguish between types of introverts and introverted peoplethe matter becomes even more complicated.

What is introversion?

Although introversion is often associated with shyness, they are not exactly the same. Shyness is based on fear and anticipatory anxiety. and anticipatory anxiety, and what produces this fear is the possibility of being in the spotlight of someone relevant, or of a group of people. However, introversion is not based on fear, nor are its effects restricted to personal relationships.

In fact, introverted people are characterized by the fact that they are almost always focused on their inner worldthat is to say, in their daydreams, memories and fantasies. This tendency to base psychological activity on solitary activities or activities that can be carried out in the absence of other people has led to the confusion between this type of person and shy people to arise almost irremediably.

However, it must be stressed that introversion is only a concept to label a particular behavior pattern, and does not point to its causes. For example, one can be introverted because from the beginning one has loved the habit of fantasizing and reflecting, or one can reach this state because of shyness and social isolation, since there is no alternative but to withdraw into oneself.

Types of introverted people

To add richness to the debate about what introversion really is, psychologist Jonathan Cheek proposed a model of classification of types of introverted people to be able to distinguish between various typologies. They are the following.

1. Mental introvert

The mental introvert is characterized by having a great capacity to thread their thoughts together, jumping from one subject to another with great fluidity. If we could visualize his mind, it would be a very large space full of all kinds of elements and details with which it is possible to get creative.

Thus, this type of introvert has a predisposition to spend time a predisposition to spend time engrossed in his or her thoughts, since he or she has a mental universe in his or her mind.They have a mental universe in which it is possible to imagine anything.

2. Social introvert

The social introvert is socially introverted mainly because of either great hostility on the part of others or a feeling of insecurity about oneself. In either case the result is the same: a certain degree of social isolation, defense of a relatively large living space (the space around us that must be without anyone else for us to feel comfortable in many contexts.

Thus, this is one of the types of introverted people in which what is really sought is solitude (social status) and not the possibility of reflecting on creating fantasies.

3. Reserved introvert

The reserved introvert is characterized by being cold and distant, not because he/she has a very rich mental world, nor because he/she feels vulnerable in social relationships. In this case, introversion comes as a need to adopt a distant and analytical position in certain situations. in certain situations.

4. Anxious introvert

This is the type of introversion that can cause more frequencies more easily. Why? Because it is linked to stress and anxiety problems. In this case, these are individuals who are afraid of what might happen if they come into contact with many other people, decide to isolate themselves and rarely leave the house..

On the other hand, the social circle of this type of person tends to be composed of very good friends. However, in front of other people, the attempts to avoid dialogue or interaction make the person be seen as very socially unskilled, so the fear of giving an image ends up creating it, in the style of the self-fulfilling prophecy.