genetic introversion

LazyHermitCrab

Well-known member
Not sure if it's genetic to be introverted but I was listening to my parents talk

m-I think I got up too late or something. I don't want to go out today.
d-how about dinner though?
m-mm okay how about we pick something up?
d-eh we could just take a walk around the neighborhood
m-okay
d-yeah if you don't sleep right... that's what happens
m-we already have your family party to go to (it's like in a month)
d-ugh yes are you gonna get a new offit?
m-yeah ill get to it... first I gotta finish this coffee (3pm)

x.x
 

Lost Girl

Well-known member
I'm not sure where I read it, (perhaps it was in Quiet by Susan Cain... I cant be sure) where experiments were conducted with infants regarding sensitivity. With a large amount of accuracy the experimenters were able to determine who would be introverted and who would not (they checked back in on them years later), by how stimulated the infant would get in certain scenarios... Loud noises, toys, people, etc - infants who weren't really bothered by a whole lot going on we're deemed extroverts, and infants that seemed over-stimulated and had higher reactions to an excess of stimuli were deemed introverts.


As for my own experience, my dad is introverted (as am I). My oldest daughter is extraverted (like her father - also the same mbti I might add - ESFP). I noticed that my youngest daughter was very sensitive to an excess of stimuli from a very young age... she was just months old when it was clear to me that she was an introvert, and now at the age of 3, its clear to everyone (I've even had to explain introversion to some family members so they could try to understand her, as opposed to listening to them say "Oh... She needs to get over this shyness...") I've always believed that who we are and who we become is both a combination of nature and nurture; as for introversion and extroversion however, I'm convinced that it is largely genetically determined.
 
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planemo

Well-known member
If introversion is in the genes then I'm definitely like my mother. she's the quiet, sensitive type. my father is the complete opposite. he basically never stops talking, and i'm not exaggerating. he is always talking and enjoys making chit chat with just about anyone he meets. he knows just about everyone in our community, and well, basically no one even knows i exist. most people can't believe i'm his son when they find out, since we're so different.

in saying that though my father isn't a happy go lucky guy. he's very anxious and almost never takes any risks. he's super overprotective and has severe anxiety problems as well.
 

LazyHermitCrab

Well-known member
I'm not sure where I read it, (perhaps it was in Quiet by Susan Cain... I cant be sure) where experiments were conducted with infants regarding sensitivity. With a large amount of accuracy the experimenters were able to determine who would be introverted and who would not (they checked back in on them years later), by how stimulated the infant would get in certain scenarios... Loud noises, toys, people, etc - infants who weren't really bothered by a whole lot going on we're deemed extroverts, and infants that seemed over-stimulated and had higher reactions to an excess of stimuli were deemed introverts.


As for my own experience, my dad is introverted (as am I). My oldest daughter is extraverted (like her father - also the same mbti I might add - ESFP). I noticed that my youngest daughter was very sensitive to an excess of stimuli from a very young age... she was just months old when it was clear to me that she was an introvert, and now at the age of 3, its clear to everyone (I've even had to explain introversion to some family members so they could try to understand her, as opposed to listening to them say "Oh... She needs to get over this shyness...") I've always believed that who we are and who we become is both a combination of nature and nurture; as for introversion and extroversion however, I'm convinced that it is largely genetically determined.

oh I'm not sure what it's called but I def saw that too :)
 

LazyHermitCrab

Well-known member
If introversion is in the genes then I'm definitely like my mother. she's the quiet, sensitive type. my father is the complete opposite. he basically never stops talking, and i'm not exaggerating. he is always talking and enjoys making chit chat with just about anyone he meets. he knows just about everyone in our community, and well, basically no one even knows i exist. most people can't believe i'm his son when they find out, since we're so different.

in saying that though my father isn't a happy go lucky guy. he's very anxious and almost never takes any risks. he's super overprotective and has severe anxiety problems as well.

I think it's kind of cool when people are a lot diff then there parents. My parents are loud when they go out though and not me. That just proves that introversion and anxiety are separate. :)
 

darrens

Active member
I don't buy into the gentetic link personally, i think its a learnt behaviour usually coming from one parent in my case my father.
Often one is extrovert in the couple in my case my mother,and one is introverted im sure it's possible some gene's are more predisposed to it but if both parents were extroverts to an adopted child with a genetic link i doubt the child would have social phobia.
Because i think its most likely a learnt behaviour and its very hard to mask from a child if your social phobic , as a child will notice any slight change in your behaviour from when your at home to when u go outside.
 

awkwardamanda

Well-known member
It's probably somewhat genetic. My mom is introverted but not as much as I am. Her sister and I have a lot in common. She has always said that I should have been her daughter, although she has no kids, and well, I don't want kids. She is very introverted, as am I. She doesn't get out much at all. She often has some excuse not to attend family parties. People complain about it, but I get it. We're not close (for obvious reasons) but I understand the way she is.

I've heard that introverts and extraverts have differences in their brains, although I don't know what those differences are. It wouldn't surprise me if that's due to genetics.
 
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