Do you believe that introverts would be happier if they could only
become more extraverted? Are there unmistakable benefits associated with
extraversion
involved in being outgoing, sociable, cheerful, and likely to relate
well to others? Are these the qualities that introverts secretly wished
they possessed? Perhaps you tend toward the introverted yourself and
prefer to retreat to the background. Whether it’s a social gathering, a
work event, or a volunteer meeting, you’re just as happy to let other
people shine their lights while you stay in the shadows. However, your
partner or best friends
keep urging you to become more outgoing. They insist that you’d have
more fun and be more successful socially if you, as the song goes, “put
on a happy face.” It’s not that you’re unhappy, but your quiet behavior
leads them to think you are. You wish they’d refer to the song lyrics
“don’t go changing” instead.
Previous research on the happiness of introverts suggests that living in a
