Today, Explained The rise of the introverts
84 snips
Dec 7, 2025 
Shannon Sowers-Avala, a psychology professor at the University of Kentucky, explores introversion and extroversion as a spectrum, highlighting that personality can change with intent. She introduces the Big Five personality traits, dispelling myths about personality tests. Olga Khazan shares her year-long quest to become more sociable, detailing her experiences with improv and social interactions that shifted her traits. They emphasize the strengths of both introverts and extroverts and the importance of integrating introspective and social skills.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Personality Is A Continuum
- Personality traits lie on continua rather than in discrete boxes.
- Shannon Sowers-Avala says extroversion versus introversion reflects degrees of stimulation and energy from social situations.
Introvert Qualities Are Gaining Value
- Society historically rewards extroversion, but perceptions are shifting.
- Shannon Sowers-Avala says there's a renaissance recognizing introverts' strengths in creativity and leadership.
Extroversion Has Multiple Facets
- Extroversion splits into subfacets like social dominance and social vitality.
- Shannon Sowers-Avala notes dominance can increase with age while social enthusiasm often decreases.
