introversion and american culture

In the periodical, Psychology Today, Laurie Helgoe's article, Revenge of the Introvert, argues that in American/Western cultures being an introvert can cause mental duress as well as confusion in relation to society as a whole. Helgoe believes that being an introvert in American society can be dangerous to mental health, due to American culture's "emphasis on happiness". Through out American culture, the search for happiness permeates all aspects of society. However, "introverts today face one overarching challenge-not to feel like misfits in their own culture". Due to introverts desire for solitude it is easily confused with shyness, which in American culture can convey a weakness. While Helgoe neglects to cite her sources, she states that "introverts make up 50 percent of the U.S. population". So the obvious question becomes: where are they? and why doesn't American culture reflect their societal perceptions?

Helgoe's analysis of the difference between introverts and extraverts proved very interesting. While our textbook states the "definition" of these personality traits, it has so far neglected to consider the ramifications of social influences. Helgoe states "introverts are not driven to seek big hits of positive emotional arousal-they'd rather find meaning than bliss" which makes them "relatively immune to the search of happiness that permeates contemporary American culture." She also considers the societal impact comparing US and Turkish results from the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality test. She cites Caldwell-Harris' and Ayçiçegi's report: "the findings support what the researches call the personality-culture clash hypothesis: 'psychological adjustment depends on the degree of match between personality and the values of surrounding society".

As an introvert myself, I've struggled with social engagement in large settings. I always prefer to have one-on-one conversations rather than striking up conversations at parties, events, etc. While reading this article I was shocked by the percentage of introverts in the US population. How could 50 percent of the population be introverted and yet at social events there be so many extraverts?

While I have first-hand knowledge of this, I have to question the societal influence aspect of her argument. Yes, culture and society have an extremely influential impact on our personalities and interactions, however, America is not one culture. America, colloquially described as the cultural melting pot, seems to have been ladled into different groups (if you'll excuse the metaphor). America is no longer one culture with the one common desire, just look at the past 50 years of history (the Presidential election seems like a pretty good indicator of division amongst cultural beliefs). America has numerous cultures, some allow the MTV show "Jersey Shore" to get to a third season, while other's watch "General Hospital" for thirty years.

While I agree with most of Helgoe's article, I believe she has neglected to include the Internet's influence. The internet, as Marshall McLuhan has stated, has helped create a "global village". I would not argue that personal one-on-one conversation is less substantial than interaction via internet. However, I do believe the internet might be able to shed light on a correlation between the increase in introverts in society and the rise of non-face-to-face interaction.