Are extroverts happier than introverts, as some research suggests: or is there more to the story?
The (New) Science of Introversion
*Are extroverts truly happier than introverts, as some research suggests - or is the story much more nuanced than that?
*What are the key pathways to happiness for introverts?
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Recently, I was chatting with the great psychologist (and friend of The Quiet Life), Scott Barry Kaufman. (SBK also has a wonderful newsletter called Beautiful Minds, which I highly recommend.)
SBK mentioned that he’s been following the science of introversion, and that it confirms many of the points I made in QUIET. As you know if you read the book, when I wrote it, I combed through the scientific literature to make sure my arguments were as well-documented as possible.
But, there were some areas — especially in what SBK calls “the science of well-being” — where my conclusions were different from the literature that was available at the time.
I’m happy to say that in many ways, the science has now caught up.
The studies back then suggested that extroverts were naturally happier.
But, as you’ll see, the truth is much more nuanced than that. And if you (or a beloved) is introverted, the good news is that there are many well-established pathways to a happy, productive and all-in-all pretty great life.
I’ll let SBK explain what those pathways are — and the science behind them — in this excerpt: