Introvert or Extrovert? You are neither

Are you an introvert? Maybe you regret being anxious around people and envy extroverts’ ease and enjoyment of social interactions. You take comfort in the fact that you think and feel things deeply, not on a superficial level like extroverts.

Maybe you wish you were different. Or maybe you made your peace with it. Either way, you have to accept the fixed reality of your personality, right?

Wrong. You are not fixed. Your personality is not set in stone.

If it were, then you would be little more than a biological automata. A robot operating based on the algorithm of your fixed personality. It would mean you don’t have any free will. And it would mean you cannot adapt to new situations.

Yet humans conquered the planet precisely because we can adapt to any and all situations on Earth. If your great-ancestor 100,000 years ago was no more than a biological automata, you would not be enjoying a latte while lounging on a chair in a temperature controlled room reading this on your sci-fi device.

The fixed personality myth is very old. It is the basis of the zodiac, of the Greek four humors, of the temperaments (which were still taught when I went to psy university!), palm reading, and many others.

It is false because personality is not fixed. Personality is fluid. You operate in the world according to your model of the world. WIthin this model, your personality is no more than your image of yourself.

Your model unconsciously changes to always optimize for your survival. And your personality with it. But you can also change it. You can consciously tell yourself a story about yourself that changes your personality. From an introvert to an extrovert.

Don’t be fooled into thinking you are a rock. Flow free