Make Your Point > Archived Issues > INTROVERSION
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pronounce
INTROVERSION:
Say it "IN truh VERZ yun."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
I'm a whole-souled introvert.
Today my little introverted heart is excited because we're focusing on that word, introversion, which, naturally, I've used before in previous issues oodles and oodles of times.
See if you can use the snippets below to recall the words with the blanks:
1. "If you adore loud parties and find them exhilarating, you might be an extrovert--but to an introvert, they're en_____ing."
That is, the parties are draining: they take away your mental strength.
2. "We're introverts: we duck phone calls and qu___ when someone hands us the microphone."
That is, when someone hands us the mic, we get terrified and might literally flinch, shake, or draw back. (Hint: like "duck," the verb we're looking for is also a kind of bird.)
3. "The easy way she made conversation b__ied her introversion."
That is, the easy way she made conversation seemed to show that she's an extrovert, but actually, the opposite is true and she's an introvert. The verb with blanks means "showed or implied the wrong or opposite thing."
Every introvert is different, of course. But what we've seen so far is that we introverts might dislike loud parties, phone calls, conversation for conversation's sake, and being handed the mic. We like you, really. We like you very much. We do want to hang out. But please, not at a party. Send a text. Allow the silence. Keep the mic.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
The word "introversion" has Latin roots that mean "a turning inward" or "a turning within."
In English, since 1671 or so, to "introvert" has meant to turn your thoughts inward: to focus on things inside yourself, not outside.
The word, and the idea, grew popular around 1915, when the psychologist Carl Jung wrote that some people fall into different types: introversion (the inward-looking personality that focuses on the self) and extraversion, also spelled "extroversion" (the outward-looking personality that focuses on other people and things).
That's just my summary, though, of what Jung wrote. He actually called the two types "functional nervous diseases." Today we just think of them as personality types. Here are his exact words:
"...Two psychological types are pointed out as unmistakably different. Their psychology is characterized by diametrical opposites. I called the hysterical type the extroversion type and the psychasthénie type the introversion type."
(Hear that, extraverts? Y'all are hysterical. Just kidding. I love you. You save me from having to do the talking.)
Alright, so, the definition of "introversion" is very, very, open for discussion. And open to argument and interpretation. But here's my definition. Introversion is the habit or quality of enjoying alone-time and/or focusing on your own inner world instead of the outside world of other people.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Noun, the uncountable kind: "He's known for his introversion;" "I blame it on my introversion."
Other forms:
"Introverts" are the people.
You can call people and things "introverted," the common adjective.
There are two other adjectives: "introvertive" and "introversive." I don't think you'll see them too often.
how to use it:
Here in this issue, the way that I define and discuss the word "introversion" will never please everyone. It's too flexible a concept, and too rich a source of open discussion.
Entire books have been written about it. One of them is particularly good, in my view: Susan Cain's Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking.
Still, I can offer some guidance on how to use the word.
It's a semi-common one, and formal in tone. Despite its historical association with mental illness, "introversion" today enjoys a more positive tone overall. Most writers seem to treat it as a positive or neutral trait, not a personality flaw or a problem to solve.
Often, we talk about someone's introversion: "my introversion," "his relentless introversion," "Taylor's natural introversion."
Or, we talk about introversion as a general trait or concept: "She's so social, but she still shows signs of introversion;" "I tend toward introversion, preferring quiet times with a few friends (Washington Post)."
examples:
"Every day [as a journalist], I had to speak to strangers, often asking them extremely personal and probing questions – an odd career choice for an introvert, perhaps, but I am very interested in other people's lives. "
— Sirin Kale, The Guardian, 11 March 2019
"Even with all of the Internet memes celebrating introversion... we still live in a culture that champions outgoing leadership, vocal collaboration and visible performance."
— James Paterson, Washington Post, 15 May 2017
has this page helped you understand "introversion"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "introversion" without saying "an inward focus" or "a tendency to live in your own little world."
try it out:
It's always iffy when we try to dichotomize people: to split them into two black-and-white categories, like "introverts" and "extraverts." People are too complex. It may be better to think of introversion as a sliding scale rather than a "you either have it or you don't" kind of thing.
If introversion is a scale from zero to a hundred, where do you fall on it, and why? Does it depend on the situation?
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game for March is "Yup, that's a real word."
Check out the definition of a silly-sounding word--yes, a real one, from the Oxford English Dictionary--and see if you can come up with the word itself. To see the answer, scroll all the way down.
Here's an example: "This three-syllable noun ending in the -ship suffix (as in 'friendship' and 'fellowship') means 'skill in traversing snow.'" The answer is "snowmanship." (Yup, that’s a real word!)
Try this one today:
This three-syllable obsolete verb means "to make dull, clumsy, awkward, or uncultivated." However, you could use it mean "to completely wreck your makeup by applying it heavy-handedly." Or, "to dress up in a red nose and a rainbow wig."
review this word:
A. a dislike for solitude and a preference for socialization
B. a dislike for selfishness and a preference for serving others
C. a dislike for rudimentary concepts and a preference for advanced, complex ones
2.
Fergie hints at her introversion when she sings "_____."
A. It's been a long road and the industry is cold
B. The love bug comes right back up and bites me
C. I need some shelter of my own protection, to be with myself
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
I'm a whole-souled introvert.
The word "introversion" has Latin roots that mean "a turning inward" or "a turning within."
Part of speech:
Here in this issue, the way that I define and discuss the word "introversion" will never please everyone. It's too flexible a concept, and too rich a source of open discussion.
"Every day [as a journalist], I had to speak to strangers, often asking them extremely personal and probing questions – an odd career choice for an introvert, perhaps, but I am very interested in other people's lives. "
Explain the meaning of "introversion" without saying "an inward focus" or "a tendency to live in your own little world."
It's always iffy when we try to dichotomize people: to split them into two black-and-white categories, like "introverts" and "extraverts." People are too complex. It may be better to think of introversion as a sliding scale rather than a "you either have it or you don't" kind of thing.
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
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