Are you really an introvert or an extrovert, or have those labels become more limiting than helpful? Kate Orson explores the surprising origins of these popular personality types, why she believes Christians should approach them with caution, and how Scripture offers a more freeing way to understand ourselves.
We hear a lot these days about introverts and extroverts: labels that appear to define who we are and our needs for socialising and downtime. But despite the popularity of these terms, I use the concepts with caution since I realised their root source. Here’s why.
The idea of extroversion and introversion originated in the work of Carl Jung. Jung was a close collaborator of Sigmund Freud until they had a falling out due to philosophical differences. Freud was a staunch atheist who believed the religious impulse was a result of neuroticism, whereas Jung became fascinated by the concept of a spiritual realm that went beyond the individual. Through Jung’s process of ‘active imagination’, he claimed to make contact with different ‘spirit entities’, and one named ‘Philemon’ became his spiritual guru.
Jung’s work was fundamentally anti-Christian, as evil is redefined as a ’shadow side’—something that must be incorporated and integrated within the individual. He was fascinated by the Chinese philosophy of Taoism. In Taoism, chi is believed to be a spiritual energy that lives inside everyone, something that needs to be cultivated and kept in balance through meditation or spiritual exercise techniques such as Tai Chi or Qigong. It is also known as prana in Hinduism and in New Age teachings influenced by Hinduism. Cultivating this spiritual energy is a doorway that opens us up to demonic influences from outside the realm of God.
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In the idea of introverts and extroverts, we see a need to balance energy through solitude or socialising, depending on our temperament.
In the idea of introverts and extroverts, we see a need to balance energy through solitude or socialising, depending on our temperament. Like all false philosophies, there is some truth in it. Science supports the idea that individuals tend towards introversion or extroversion. Studies have found that introverts have a higher level of internal stimulation in their brains. This means that going into a highly stimulating social environment can easily result in overstimulation, so they need time to rest in a quiet place. Extroverts, on the other hand, have brains that are naturally under-aroused. They need the external stimulation of people and busy places to increase their brain activity. With too much solitude, they feel drained and bored.
However, very few people are straightforward introverts or extroverts. Around 66 per cent of people sit somewhere in the middle and would be defined as ambiverts. Another complication is that a tendency towards extreme introversion or extreme extroversion is not always just about genetics; it can also be related to the environment in which someone grows up. Studies have found that both ends of the spectrum can be coping mechanisms for traumatic experiences.
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Understanding our needs for socialising and downtime can be helpful, but labelling ourselves too strongly can be harmful. If you define yourself as an introvert and always seek solitude, it might keep you in your comfort zone, causing you to miss out on the fullness of life. If you define yourself as an extrovert, you might seek social interaction as a buffer to avoid spending quiet time exploring difficult feelings that you shouldn’t ignore.
From a Christian perspective, these labels might also limit our faith. If we think, “I can’t have quiet time with God; I’m too much of an extrovert,” or, “I can’t share the gospel with a stranger; I’m an introvert,” we may end up placing limits where God does not.
From a Christian perspective, these labels might also limit our faith. If we think, “I can’t have quiet time with God; I’m too much of an extrovert,” or, “I can’t share the gospel with a stranger; I’m an introvert,” we may end up placing limits where God does not. In a 2016 paper published in the Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, Atkins et al. reviewed the evidence on how labels can become limiting. They found that if a person defines themselves as an introvert, they may have more difficulty recognising or remembering their extroverted behaviour. For example, they may vividly recall the moment they felt uncomfortable in a crowd but forget the enjoyable evening they spent with a group of friends. Their label is literally changing their perception of who they are in a way that does not accurately reflect reality.
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When we look to Jesus, we see that he engaged in both ‘extroverted’ and ‘introverted’ behaviours. He drew crowds to hear his teaching and dined in large gatherings. Yet he also withdrew from the crowds to spend quiet time with God. It would seem odd to define Christ as either introverted or extroverted, so as we seek to become more like him, perhaps we can let go of the labels too.
Whether we need socialising or downtime on any given day might depend less on who we are (after all, we are a new creation in Christ!) and more on the kind of day or week we’ve had and our personal circumstances. Rather than defining ourselves as introverts or extroverts, I think a better reframe is to celebrate that God gives us different kinds of gifts. You may be a prayer warrior who loves spending time alone, interceding for your brothers and sisters. Or you might have a gift for hospitality and love hosting gatherings in your home.
The framework of gifts allows for the fact that God can give us new gifts at any given moment. He might give an ‘introverted’ individual a gift for evangelism or call an extrovert into a season of prayer and fasting. God has limitless, infinite power that goes beyond any worldly label. When we celebrate that, we are set free.
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