Aspire Magazine: Inspiration for a Woman's Soul.(TM) Oct/Nov 2017 Aspire Mag Full Issue: Feminine Wisdo | Page 55

And the introvert does have fun for a while. He drinks a beer and catches up with a friend he hadn’t seen since college. He even dances when the band plays his favorite song. But it doesn’t last. Soon, the introvert grows tired. Not just “I could use a quick catnap” tired, but really tired. His brain has turned to mush. He has trouble spitting out sentences. His whole body feels physically fatigued. We all act introverted at times and extroverted at others; according to Carl Jung, the founder of analytical psychology, there is no such thing as a “pure” introvert or extrovert. We all fall somewhere on the sliding scale of introversion/ extroversion. The introvert sees the situation differently. He hangs back for a moment, looking around, taking everything in. Then, he walks quietly up to his group of friends and waits for one of them to acknowledge him before he speaks. He feels a bit overwhelmed, drowning in all the noise and activity, but he tells himself to relax — this is supposed to be fun. He’s getting an introvert hangover. He glances over at the extrovert, who is doing shots with a pair of cute blondes he apparently just met. The extrovert doesn’t show any signs of slowing down — in fact, he looks even more energized than when they arrived. there is no such thing as a “pure” introvert or extrovert. We all fall somewhere on the sliding scale of introversion/extroversion. Introverts and Extroverts Are Wired Differently And, socializing is actually draining for everyone eventually, according to a recent study. Researchers found that three hours after socializing, participants reported higher levels of fatigue. Surprisingly, these effects were found to be true for both introverts and extroverts. This makes sense, because socializing expends energy — you have to talk, listen, and process what’s being said, among other things. Of course, this “introvert and extrovert in a bar” example is a generalization. Not every extrovert spends the weekend partying in bars, and sometimes introverts live it up, too. We all act introverted at times and extroverted at others; according to Carl Jung, the founder of analytical psychology, Nevertheless, there are some very real differences between introverts and extroverts, and these differences come down to how they respond to rewards. Rewards are things like getting the phone number of an attractive stranger, getting promoted at work, or even eating a delicious meal. Why do introverts get more drained by socializing than extroverts? 55