Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Think carefully, because you may have the wrong definitions of these words.
Most people understand these concepts in terms of reductionist binaries, i.e, social versus antisocial, loud versus soft, leader versus follower, good versus bad. The problem is that this view is frankly wrong, and, what’s worse, it is one of the primary facets of education.
The introvert-extrovert spectrum is about stimulation. The question isn’t about being shy or social; the question is, when do you feel most complete and capable? Introverts prefer less stimulation because they function best at this level, and I would argue that undervaluing the power of introverts is costing everyone.
On the first day, professors pass out syllabi that break down how a class is graded. Every course in which I am enrolled has class participation as at least 10 percent of the final grade, and some go as high as 20 percent. The preference for extroverted tendencies doesn’t stop there. I recently completed the interview process for the Student Activities Association, and every challenge presented in the final interview was group work.
What does this extroverted preference mean? I suppose most harmfully, it means we lose the thoughtful, insightful nature of the introvert. We lose the knowledge that solitude is not a bad thing; all of the world’s major religions have heroes that travel into the wilderness and bring wisdom back to the community. Jesus, Moses, Mohammed and Buddha all fall into this category.
In a quest to be inclusive, to make sure minorities count, we have inadvertently sidelined the smallest minority on the planet: the individual.
As it turns out, groups degrade individuality. Though that may seem fairly intuitive, please understand the extent to which we change in a group. We instinctively mirror the body language, beliefs and actions of a group. We suppress thoughts of “I” in favor of “We” in order to fit in and make the group run more smoothly. This behavior is only dangerous if you are literally always in a group. When we go from apartments full of roommates to classes bursting with discussion to parties filled with people to social media sites drowning in users, we start to develop problems.
Speaking from personal experience, I can say that a massive push toward class participation and group work often shuts out the genuinely creative ideas. Extroverts, quite unwittingly, can get so excited or passionate about a topic or idea that they effectively dominate or drown out everyone else.
I have also seen group discussions stumble over a minor detail that is ultimately unimportant. We’ve all watched group mentality take over, sides develop and a productive conversation decompose into an absurd debate of the insignificant.
In case you have not guessed as much, I am an introvert. Some of my happiest moments in life have been reading quietly outside, and there is nothing wrong with that. I genuinely believe that demanding constant group work does more harm than good. I believe that it stymies the creativity and individualism that the world desperately needs.
Theodor Guisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, created most of his books in a small, secluded office space where he worked alone, and he was afraid to interact with the children who loved his writings because he didn’t want to disappoint them by not having the jolly, larger-than-life character of his books. And I defy you to show me works more seemingly extroverted than those of Dr. Seuss.
My call to action is nothing more than please stop the obsessive push for group work. Yes, allow collaboration. Yes, allow students to create effective teams. Yes, let discussion take place. But please do not undervalue or dismiss the power of working alone. It just might be the biggest mistake you make.
Ethan Davis is a junior philosophy and English double major from Laurel.
