Introvert: The friendly takeover

Do you think before you speak, or speak before you think? Does it make you uncomfortable when sales clerks approach you, or is that just another reason why you enjoy shopping? Do you do your most creative work alone or in groups? These days, “outgoing and flexible” seem to be the most in-demand characteristics in the labor market. Social skills have come to be valued more than professional expertise, and the squeaky wheel tends to get the grease. We live in an age when reserved, thoughtful, and quiet characteristics have come to be classified as mental disorders, and introversion is often mistaken for shyness, arrogance, or antisocial behavior. However, these stereotypes stray far from the truth. Whether a particular person is an introvert or an extravert is a biologically hardwired aspect of his or her personality. Scientists have known of and studied this fact for more than a century, and new discoveries are still made in this field every day. Linus Jonkman takes his readers on a fascinating journey through the world of an introvert. He relates his own experiences of being an introvert as well as those of other people, and explains the differences and similarities between extraverts and introverts. Much of the friction we experience in our professional and private lives is caused by conflicts between these two basic orientations. Recently, our understanding of introversion has improved vastly, but we’re still waiting to see job listings specifically seeking people with introverted traits. In a world that keeps moving faster and faster, and where the noise get louder each passing day, introversion can actually be an advantage, and a blessing to those who possess it. “... liberating ... Through personal anecdotes and barbed humor, Jonkman reveals the psychology of introverts, and shows us how they are often misunderstood by extraverts.” Svenska Dagbladet