Unraveling the Introvert Code: Understanding the Genetic and Environmental Influences
“The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself.” — Michel de Montaigne
Unfortunately, Introverts are the peoples who know this GREATEST THING in excellence but society point them dull, depressive and dependents.
Psychology defines introversion as a straightforward personality type, but because of our society’s bizarre reactions and lack of acceptance, it has developed into a significant issue on par with racism, feminism, inequality, etc. This article explains in depth why it is important to talk about introversion and why it is important to recognize that in our society, introverts are maligned and held responsible, which places them under tremendous emotional stress.
RAINBOW ROOSTER : A WONDERFUL FICTION
Psychological theories provide numerous bases and criteria for categorizing various personalities. Biochemical, genetic, environmental, social, and neural elements decide, develop, and gradually build up a personality that is unique in its nature and distinct from every other human on the world. That personality, which represents anger, courtesy, love, intelligence, passion, judgement, and choice, is a complicated subject. Unfortunately, two by two does not equal four, nor does aggression and intelligence equal a leadership mentality. He has the potential to be a lethal and difficult criminal. So it is actually about how all of the variables described above put their effort and personality creation.
One of the very main type of personality which is under hot discussion and need to be aware of is introvert personality. Intro (inner/ inside) and version ( the point of view / account of matter) is defined as the quality of being inclined towards internal thoughts, emotions and sensitivity. In common words we call that person as “anti-social”, “rude and proud to be alone”and “silent” one. It is needed for this extrovert planet to understand that being an introvert means having a different body chemistry and different brain response to chemicals called as neurotransmitters and this response has genetic roots;
So how can you tend someone to be socialize with every wanderer, stranger, relative, colleague when his genes say no. It is just like that if you have straight hairs, you cannot grow them curly by rolling their roots even. They will come out straight from hair follicles.
Following qualities which are considered taboo, unusual, un mannered and even bad are normal behavior of introverts.
1. They hesitate from social gatherings.
2. They have slower pace of doing work.
3. They do not participate in group talk
4. They do very short conversion on call but more in texting.
5. They are uncomfortable in group task.
6. They like quiet place and space.
7. They feel exhausted after being in a crowd.
8. They seem to be critical and perfectionists.
Genetic Basis of Being An Introvert
D4DR is the gene that encodes dopamine receptors in our body (brain specifically). Dopamine is a hormone and receptors are tiny proteins on the surface of our cells to receive and bind those hormones. Extroverts and introverts have different versions of D4DR due to which receptors are less sensitive to dopamine in extroverts and more sensitive in introverts. Due to this high sensitivity, introverts do not prefer to use much of dopamine instead they use acetylcholine, another neurotransmitter (Balder, 2007). Recent study also suggested that ABO gene, that determine our blood group is actually linked ( linked means that both genes are near on chromosome ) with Dopamine Beta hydroxylase (DBH), the gene which converts dopamine to norepinephrine and it is noted that different blood groups have different dopamine to norepinephrine ratio (Hobgood, 2021). This means that DBH works with dopamine in a person with Blood group AB that that of B. So how a person can be socialized by your “efforts”, “criticism”, “backtalks” and “gatherings” if his/ her DNA works in an opposite way. He is not shy or less confident, he have different D4DR and different ABO linkage.
If you have understood the things till now, the next matter is that you cannot change genetics, the DNA threads in the nuclei of trillion cells of body but environment can be changed. At this stage we should know that introverts are of different types and these types might be present together in one person. Knowing these types clearly means that we can accurately access one’s personality. In this way we can provide them a healthy environment to exist in the world which is dominated by extroverts.
Types Of Introverts
1. Social Introverts: These introverts show extrovert type behavior and socializing with a very close group of friends. They still need a major amount of time only for themselves.
2. Thinking Introverts: Although all introverts are invest major time in thinking but some on them has a dominant “thinking personality”. They have cognitive behavior and investigating nature. They spend time in reading, researching and learning.
3. Anxious Introverts: They got repelled away from people. They are quiet and stressed in presence of people. They feel anxiety in interaction. (It should be keep in mind that an introvert could be social (with his close group pf friends) as well as anxious (with all other gatherings).
4. Restrained Introverts : They prefer to get information from their own thoughts. They are “hard” introverts stick to there own internal ideas and principles.
If you are an introvert, you may be thinking that you are anxious as well as social one. If you are an extrovert, you must understand that your introvert friend, colleague or member of family can be a bunch of all four types.
How Environment Shapes introverts ?
Social Gatherings: Introverts usually, don’t unlike social gathering but they want peace, quietness, less talk and less time. Hustle and bustle, noise and extensive talk is draining for them physically and mentally. Their threshold level to be social is much lower than extroverts. So the question arises that can this threshold level be increased? If yes than how?. We will address this topic later in this essay.
Work place quietness : Introverts can only work alone and quiet. They work up to the mark in such environment. As the magnitude of noise increases around them, their performance decreases. An introvert performance and peace are directly proportional to each other. If you are a Boss in a company, office or firm, please consider your introvert employees. Understand that they can be uncomfortable in your teamwork and gatherings. You may ask them individually, alone and you can assign them single-person tasks. It does not means that they are special people or hardly performing workers (remember the chemistry and genetics of Dopamine ?), they will perform better, earlier and flexibly than extroverts. Again, another question arises that can you change the scenario or requirement of an introvert working place or it is hard or fast? So we will surely going to discuss that how an introvert can be comfortable in extrovert environment.
Friendly/ Unbiased/ Non-Judging Gathering or workplace can make Introvert comfortable in an extrovert environment.
I. Their personal space and ideas must be respected.
II. They should have good listeners.
III. When people start normalizing their hesitance and less talk, they start to be bold and more talkative. This practice is needed to be done in gathering, institutes and workplaces.
IV. It should be consider that introverts are not sensitive to rewards as much but they are highly sensitive to punishment (which can crash their all confidence and leads them towards depression and anxiety
If Introverts get an unfriendly/ non-peaceful environment it can leads them towards:
a) Depression
b) Anxiety
c) Panic Attacks
d) Stress
e) Suicidal Thoughts or attempts
f) Relationship breakdowns
g) Social Isolation
h) Leaving Job
While we live in a world where it is a well established fact that introverts are more prone to mental health issues, but still it is not understood or established that introverts live in an extrovert world. It is like a dove living in territory of parrots.
RAINBOW ROOSTER : A WONDERFUL FICTION
The article is written for the purpose to rethink our social structure and attitude and make this world introvert friendly.
