Today I saw this post from someone who claims to be a coach on mindset and performance.
I saw it in my Twitter feed because someone I follow re-tweeted it.
According to this so-called coach,
These are not personality types. – Flirty – Anxious – Depressed – Introverted – Confrontational These are justifications for an unhealthy & toxic lifestyle. You’re mostly hurting yourself with these labels.
by some coach on Mindset & Performance on Twitter
I asked,
And how does introversion lead to an unhealthy and toxic life?
@EvelynYap
He replied,
Research has long proven this. Isolation is unhealthy. We are designed to be surrounded by people, social interactions. It’s against our nature to prefer loneliness. That desire comes from inner conflict, not from preference of genetics.
by that same coach on Mindset & Performance on Twitter
To which I responded,
Introversion is not being isolated. I’m an introvert. I know as human beings we are social creatures. I understand people need people. I go out & make an effort to be with others. Being introverted is something that you are, not something that you do.
@EvelynYap
To which he had no more response.
Below is a screenshot of that Twitter exchange:
So… this “coach” thinks introversion is a defect or mental issue that leads to an “unhealthy and toxic lifestyle” and thinks that
introversion = isolation and loneliness
Wow.
It’s like those so-called research people who concluded that those who prefer black coffee ☕ have a tendency* for psychopathy. Genius… Not! 🙄
But what is introversion really?
the quality of being shy and reticent; the tendency to be concerned with one’s own thoughts and feelings rather than with external things
Oxford https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/introversion
Psychologist Carl Jung was the first person to describe these two personality extremes back in the 1960s. He wrote that introverts and extraverts could be separated based on how they regain energy … Introverts, his basic definition said, prefer minimally stimulating environments, and they need time alone to recharge. Extroverts refuel by being with others.
Healthline https://www.healthline.com/health/what-is-an-introvert#2
Personally, my simple definition for it is what Jung said — that introverts need time alone to recharge, whilst extroverts are refueled by being with others.
I need quiet time.
Nothing wrong with that.
I’ve always had jobs meant for extroverts. And I’ve been able to function in those jobs. It can be exhausting, and that is why when I’m off duty I tend to keep to myself. Going out for drinks or to socialize at the end of the work day isn’t my thing. Not normally, at least.
Being an introvert isn’t the same as being anti-social, being lonely, or wanting isolation.
Perhaps the “coach” equates being introverted with being depressed.
Depression is a separate thing.
And just because someone is an extrovert, doesn’t mean that they’re healthier and that they never have negative thoughts or bad feelings.
On a lighter note…
I do believe us introverts are coping better with the isolation during this COVID-19 quarantine.
It’s not fun, of course.
But we do alright.
We’re not bouncing off the walls or about to break any windows. 😎
Introversion is not a health problem! 🧐
Be very careful when choosing your “coach”.
If his name or Twitter username rhymes with or sounds anything like “blah man”, run away and find another.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you. 🙃
