"Shyness seems to be confused with introversion and social anxiety. I consider myself introverted and anxious, but not shy. Does it matter, or is it just different words for the same thing?" Via Twitter
Being called shy is rarely a compliment, and increasingly these days the same applies to being an "introvert". But is it actually a problem, and what does it mean?
Introversion and extroversion are two terms from psychology whose meanings have been lost as they've entered everyday language. People might be surprised to hear that the terms were invented by Carl Jung, a contemporary of Freud's, and one of the famous names in the history of psychology.
Jung initially used them to describe an aspect of personality. But rather than referring to loud social people, or quiet bookish types, they describes whether people tend to be externally focussed, on other people and social interaction; or more internally focussed on their own mental world.
Extroverts need interaction to relax, and introverts prefer to unwind with their own company. It doesn't really say anything about people's abilities to be social, nor does it describe problems, just natural human differences.
