我們真的給內向的人難堪嗎？

Do we really give introverts a hard time?

27 March 2012 Last updated at 07:01 GMT

Source: By Vanessa BarfordBBC News Magazine

In a group situation, it's not necessarily the talkers who have the best ideas

在團體裡 較會發言者理念不見得最好

It is often assumed extroverts do best in life, but according to a new best-selling book, introverts are just as high achievers. It claims there is a bias towards extroverts in Western society. So do we discriminate against introverts?

人們常常想當然爾地認為個性外向的人能處理好生命中的事務，但根據新的暢銷書，性格內向的人，也可成為高成就者。它聲稱是西方社會對性格外向的人有偏見。我們對性格內向的人也是如此看待嗎?

Barack Obama, JK Rowling and Steve Wozniak.

奧巴馬，羅琳和史蒂夫·沃茲尼亞克。

They might not immediately stand out as introverts, but according to Susan Cain, American author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts In a World That Can't Stop Talking, they are.

That is because she says, contrary to popular opinion, introverts are not necessarily shy or anti-social, they just prefer environments that are not over-stimulating and get their energy from quiet time and reflection.

他們可能不會立即站出來支持性格內向的人，但據蘇珊·凱恩，美國作家：內斂人物的力量: 讓這世界停止喋喋不休。

她說這是因為，與流行的觀點相反，內向的人不一定害羞或反社會的，他們只是喜歡，不是過度刺激的環境，並在定謐的時刻反映他們的能量。

Conversely, extroverts need to be around other people to recharge their batteries.

But Cain argues that although a third of the population are introverts, most institutions, from schools to workplaces, are geared towards extroverts.

相反，性格外向需要向周圍其他人補充能量。

但Cain辯論，雖然有三分之一的人口是性格內向的人，大多數機構，從學校到工作場所，外向的人傾向適應的較好。

Extroversion and introversion

外向性＆內向性

Extroverts are typically seen as outgoing, confident and happy to join in conversation

Introverts are thought of as quiet and inwardly thoughtful

外向的人在談話中通常被視為直率，自信和快樂

內向的人則被認為安靜和內心多慮

One school of thought, first popularised by Carl Jung, and later adopted by the authors of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality tests, says everyone falls into one camp or another

A second school of thought argues there is a scale of extroversion

"Whether it is job adverts using words such as 'upbeat, people person and team players', practices like open-plan offices or brainstorming, the overall ability to put yourself out there is the great value of the age.

一種學派的中心思想，首先由榮格使其普及化，後來採用邁爾斯 - 布里格斯類型指標人格測驗，該作者說每個人都屬於一個或某個陣營

第二種學派的思想，辯稱外向有分等級

“無論是招聘人才廣告使用文字如復甦，善於跟人打交道者，團隊隊員，像開放式辦公室或集思廣益的做法，如使用的話，能把自己的整體能力提昇畫時代的偉大價值。

"But research shows there is no correlation between the most talkative person in the room and the best ideas," she says.

The self-identified introvert says there is a similar pattern in schools, where speaking up in class, group work and "show and tells" is emphasised.

“但是，研究表明，在房間裡最健談的人和有最好的想法之間是沒有關聯的，”她說。

內向性自我認同顯示在學校有相同部分，在班級發表意見，團體運作和”展示與訴說”，是被強調的。

She also cites studies which suggest that the majority of teachers think the ideal student is an extrovert, and more extroverts are groomed for leadership positions in the workplace.

他也引用研究報告說，在學校過半數的老師認為有想法的學生大部分是外向的，有更多人在工作場所為了領導職務而裝成外向者。

Mark Dykeman says he learnt how to act like an extrovert in meetings

Mark Dykeman說，他學會了如何在會議中表現外向

Cain says this "culture of personality", which admires charisma, changed from a "culture of character", which valued moral rectitude, when society moved from agriculture to big business.

But she says it is now time to rehabilitate the introvert.

該隱說，當社會從農業轉向大企業。

這種欽佩非凡魅力的“個性文化”，是從“性格文化” 改變的，重視道德公正價值，但她說，現在是時候讓”內向性格”復興。

"Introverts can often be undervalued or misunderstood. But they have a fantastic ability to focus and concentrate, they are persistent - all these things can be a great asset," she says.

“內向的人經常被低估或誤解，但他們有集中注意力這迷人般的能力，他們是堅持不懈的 - 所有這些特質都可以成為偉大的資產，”她說。“

Mark Dykeman, 42, an IT business analyst from Canada, agrees there are plus points to being an introvert, but says it can be difficult.

"At university there was a lot of encouragement and pressure to socialise with other people. I was OK with that for short periods of time, but after a certain point it became very tiring.

Mark  Dykeman，42歲，來自加拿大的IT業務分析師，同意內向有加分作用，但表示，這可能很難。

“在大學裡是鼓勵和有促使與其他人交往的壓力。我可以在很短的時間適應，但在相當程突顯之後，它變得非常累人。

"It wasn't until I was in the workforce and I had training that I started to understand the difference between introverts and extroverts. It opened my eyes to how I'd been thinking about certain situations, and gave me a bit of comfort," he says.

“直到我在勞動市場和經過訓練後，我開始明白，內向和外向之間的差異。他幫助我打開視野思考各種有關情況，並讓我感到舒適 “他說。

Dykeman says he found it difficult to voice an option in meetings earlier on in his career, but soon realised he needed to speak up and make points.

dykeman說，在他的職業生涯裡，他發現在會議裡很難大聲疾呼自己的選擇，但很快就意識到，他需要發言並切中要點。

"I learnt how to act like an extrovert. I think a lot of people learn the rules of the game learn to function.

"It can be a bit harder, but everyone can contribute. I'd suggest anyone that does feel uncomfortable in public settings educates themselves on introversion," he says.

“我學會了如何像一位外向的人，我覺得很多人都如此學習這遊戲規則來學習增進功能。

“這可能有點困難，但每個人都可以作出貢獻。我建議任何人在公共場合覺得不舒服設置訓練他們本身的內向，”他說。

Susan Cain tags JK Rowling and Barack Obama as introverts

Felicity Lee, a chartered occupational psychologist, says it is perfectly possible for introverts to try to act like an extrovert, but it will be more tiring for them.

She agrees that a bias towards extroversion exists in the workplace and wider society.

But she says just because someone is an extrovert, it does not necessarily mean they do extroversion well.

Susan Cain 將羅琳和奧巴馬標籤為內向的人

Felicity Lee一位專業的職業心理學家說，內向性的人嘗試表現像外向的人，這是完全可能的，但這會讓他們更累人。

她同意，對外向型的偏見，在工作場所和更廣泛的社會是存在。

但她說，只是因為有人是外向性的，但它並不一定意味著他們將外向的人的角色做的很好。

"Someone can be an extrovert or an introvert and very self-aware and socially skilled. Or they can be very unaware. Extroversion has nothing to do with emotional intelligence, or competence," she says.

Lee also points out that there is evidence to suggest that whatever the psychological nuances, most people just want to be an extrovert.

“有人可以是一個外向或內向性的人，且非常有自我意識和社會技能。或者他們可以非常不具警覺。外向性與情緒智商或能力無關，”她說。

李還指出，有證據表明，無論心理上有何細微差別，大多數人只是想成為一個外向性的人。

"In the 1990s, when the Myers-Briggs personality type test went through validation with UK and Europe distributors, 92% of people said it was better to be extrovert, even though only half of the population is extrovert in the type version," she says.

“在20世紀90年代，當邁爾斯·布里格斯性格類型測試通過了英國和歐洲的總代理驗證，92％的人說，最好是當一個外向型的人，即使只有一半的人在這個測驗是屬於外向型”，她說。

Anecdotally, when you go back to the school playground, children would probably say it is better to be an extrovert - to be social and have friends, she adds.

有趣的是，當你回到學校的操場上，孩子們可能會說，最好是能當一個外向的人 – 這樣能更具社交和結交朋友，她補充道。

Cain's 'introverts'

Barack Obama - "Obama's not a shy introvert, but he is one. In his book, Dreams From My Father, he identifies himself with a lonely old man who lives in his building," says Susan Cain. "Introversion has been one of his assets. He plans his campaigns intricately and gives very cerebral speeches."

Cain 的 “內向性”

奧巴馬- “奧巴馬不是一個害羞內向的人，在他的著作，我父親的夢想，他定義他自己是一個住在一棟建築物裡的孤獨老人，” Susan Cain說。“內向一直是他的資產之一。他計劃他錯綜複雜的戰役，並給予理智的發言。”

Steven Wozniak - "We often associate Steve Jobs with the Apple computer because of his dazzling statements, but Wozniak invented the HP thinking by himself. He still advises people to work in solitude," Cain says.

JK Rowling - "The Harry Potter author has described herself as an introvert, particularly when she refers to her childhood," she adds.

JK Rowling “我們往往將Steve Jobs與蘋果電腦聯想，因為他的令人眼花繚亂的發表會，但Steven Wozniak自己發明了HP的思想，他還建議人們在隱居時工作，” Cain說。

JK Rowling “ 哈利·波特”的作者曾形容自己的性格內向，特別是當她童年的時候，“她補充道。

Jo Silvester, a professor of organisational psychology at Cass Business School, says it is easy to see why such desirability exists.

She says most organisations looking to recruit would steer towards extroverts, on the assumption that they make better leaders.

But Silvester says some industries do not necessarily attract the types of personalities people might think.

Jo Silvester，卡斯商學院組織心理學教授說，很容易看到為什麼有如此可取之處存在。

她說，大多數擬招聘的組織招募成員都傾向引領外向的人，是假設他們能做更好的領導人。

但Silvester說，有些行業不一定吸引會思考而有個性的人。

"Politicians for example are a lot more introverted. In politics it doesn't pay to show all of your cards too quickly, and introverts are more willing to stand back and listen and take extra time to come up with a conclusion.

“例如政治家很多是比較內向的。在政治上，它並不需要太快去兌現競選支票，性格內向的人更願意站在後面，聆聽取和額外採取時間來得出結論。

"People would probably assume sales requires extroversion, because they deal with a lot of people all of the time. But if somebody is selling to research chemists, they might need to be more introverted, as people tend to get on best with people like themselves," she says.

“人們可能會假定業務人員需要外向性，因為他們運用所有時間處理很多人的事，但如果有人賣的是化學家的研究，他們可能需要比較內向性，因為人們往往從與自己一樣的人裡得到最好，“她說。

Many people prefer a "doer" to someone who likes to contemplate

許多人寧願喜歡一個實作者而非一個“思想家”

However, Richard Dodd, at the British Retail Consortium, says the notion of dividing people up into extroverts and introverts is over-simplistic as there are many more variables in people's characters.

He thinks people naturally tend to gravitate towards jobs that suit their personal qualities and make the best use of their abilities.

然而，理查德·多德，在英國零售協會表示，分為外向和內向的人的概念是過於簡單，因為人們的性格有很多的變數在。

他認為，人們自然傾向於對滿足他們個人素質的工作所吸引，發揮他們最好的能力。

But he says most successful teams and workplaces have a mixture of individuals with a range of characteristics and qualities.

但是他說，最成功的團隊和工作場所，有一系列的特點和素質的個性混合物。

"There is a place for selling yourself and making sure your achievements are recognised in most jobs, which might be easier for some personality types than others," he says.

“有一個地方可讓你推銷自己，並確保你的成就在大多數的工作領域被識別，這可能是比其他一些人格類型更容易確認，”他說。

"But I think in successful organisations the approach to management and appraisal is to be able to get beyond the superficial impression, and to make sure people's contributions are identified and recognised - regardless of whether people are shouting from the rooftops."

“但我認為在成功的組織，管理和評價的方法是能夠獲得超越膚淺的印象，並確保人民的貢獻是確實並被承認 – 而不論人們是如何從屋頂上咆踍”。


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