"But most are not interested in facing the forced small talk, the big parties, the noisy open offices and all the demands of extroverts who think more is more and introverts should try harder.... Many people believe introverts are cold, shy or socially anxious — but those stereotypes are misleading. They love people, but in small doses.... There’s some brain science to explain the behavior: Extroverts are less sensitive to dopamine, the 'feel-good' chemical that affects the brain’s pleasure center, and require more stimulation to be happy and energized. For introverts, a little dopamine goes a long way, and too much of anything can be exhausting. When restrictions were imposed last year, 'I had extrovert friends who were just losing their minds'.... But introverts were finally getting the uninterrupted time they craved.... Many professionals are questioning the value of returning to the 9-to-5 office — introverts because they prefer to work alone, extroverts because their lives would be simpler. Is getting dressed, enduring a commute and sitting at a desk really necessary?... Now introverts have colleagues — including plenty of extroverts — advocating to work from home part or full time. What happens next might depend on who’s in power. Extroverted bosses like the hustle and bustle of a traditional office. Introverted bosses may be more open to a hybrid workplace...."
From "Meet the introverts who are dreading a return to normal" (WaPo).
Here's a perfect little TikTok I happened upon yesterday. It expresses some of what you see in that article:
@mallorydlc has wfh changed you? #wfh #homeoffice #thoughts
♬ Sweden - FamilyJules
FROM THE EMAIL: kylos writes:
Regarding the typical division of people into introverts and extroverts, I find it to be overly simplified.
When it comes to the office in particular, I don’t think preference for being in the office divides neatly according to “vertedness”.
I am by no means extroverted, enjoying quiet environments. Perhaps some would call me an introvert, but I usually perceive self-described introverts as somewhat misanthropic, so I don’t tend to like that label. I do enjoy being around people but can quickly tire of too much activity.
Anyway, all that to say I hate remote work. It definitely has pluses: no commute (but see below), I can work on my porch or with the windows open, I’m able to take care of personal things as needed, my wife and daughter are nearby, etc.
But I deeply miss personally interacting with coworkers. Zoom is not a suitable replacement for face to face conversation or simply bumping into someone in the hall. I am much more distracted and far less productive at home. I don’t get my personal time during my commute to listen to podcasts or be with my thoughts. My personal routines have suffered. By being unable to separate work and home, neither aspect of my life gets the focus it needs.
Several other coworkers who I would probably describe as introverted also have high dissatisfaction with remote work.
On the flip side, another coworker who is one of the most outgoing people I’ve met and who can’t stay focused at the office, who constantly has her ears up for any stray conversation to join seems to be thriving at home. Perhaps she’d prefer to be in the office, but her focus is much improved, she takes a lot of initiative in solving problems and seems to be much more productive overall. I can’t speak for her happiness, but she seems to do very well in the current environment.
So while I don’t particularly like the categories of introverted and extroverted, I definitely also don’t see them as neatly aligning with favoring remote work or the office.
Yes, and by the way, I don't think there is enough evidence in the TikTok video to conclude that the woman is an introvert. She speaks of aesthetic things and wanting her life to feel more unified, but we can't really tell how she relates to other people.
You're second-to-last paragraph is a good idea for an mainstream media article. I've seen a lot about how introverts are benefiting from the lockdown, and it's presumed that it's harder for extroverts.
ALSO: Julie writes:
I really loved the TikTok video of the woman who "can't go back" to a traditional office environment, particularly when she describes working from home with "I don't have to split myself, or my day, in half".
I, and the folks that work with me, completely agree, which is why we've decided to stay fully remote. The pros certainly outweigh the cons for my team. Plus it's nice not to have to pay office space rent.
Though in watching the TikTok video I realize how much I miss the unexpected delights of experiencing someone else's work space. In watching mallorydlc's TikTok I've just experienced a little pang of sadness from missing other people's coffee mugs! In thinking back over the last 10 years and multiple workplaces, I think I can still describe many of my colleagues' water bottles or coffee mugs. And now these things that were virtual appendages to people only make rare appearances on video calls. They are no longer a part of my understanding of workmates. Is it an odd thing to miss? I don't know.
I also miss the hallway friendships developed with folks in other businesses in the same building. I'll never know if candy bar guy ended up marrying that one woman who used to visit him for lunch sometimes, or if large button-downed shirt guy achieved his target weight, or if sales guy still sings loudly out of his office for his own personal classic rock Friday . You don't know what you have until you lose it.
It's probably a good sign that you see and value the good in both situations.
AND: Tim emails:
I’m a classic introvert. One thing this discussion suffers from is lack of a clear definition of what an introvert/extrovert is. The definition I’ve found most useful is, the introvert recharges their emotional energy by being alone, the extrovert by being with other people. The introvert can fully enjoy social situations, but they need periodic alone-time. The extrovert can enjoy solitude, but they need periodic socializing.
Kylos may not like the term “introvert,” but she fits my definition perfectly.
(I don't know whether kylos is male or female.)
She’s just like me, and I can’t wait go go back to the office for all the same reasons. Plus one more—these introvert/extrovert articles seem to assume introverts should love working from home for the endless alone-time, but (apart from the fact that introverts don’t crave endless alone time) if you don’t live alone, the opposite is true. I’m never alone because everybody’s always home. I go a little nuts sometimes without that desperately needed “me time.”
Meanwhile, my classic extrovert wife loves working from home and will resist going back for all the reasons cited in that tiktok by the person we’re supposed to assume is an introvert.
ALSO: Wendy emails:
I am amused by your introvert post, I am an introvert and have been saying since April of last year that quarantine is not an introvert's dream. Specifically not my dream it is actually a nightmare, my space where I recharge was no longer available. It could have been fantastic for me and I am sure it was fantastic for some introverts, just not all introverts.
In total, I have nine posts on my blog titled 'Introvert' and back in February, I wrote a bit about why I was looking to get back to normal. Since posting that, my kids have been in school 5 days a week, and my husband is still in the basement. I can live with that because I alluded to in my blog he doesn't have the same drain on me as my kids. I love them all but I do need a break, and he is pretty self sufficient, I don't need to keep him on track with his work, he can get his own food etc. I don't need to listen in to see if I need to intervene in a childhood argument.
Despite our society trying to put everyone on in our own box and at the same time encouraging us to yell how unique we are it is still so obvious that really we want people to remember we are the same. Did some extroverts adapt and like quarantine sure, same can be said for introverts, but introverts are not a block much like no demographic is a block. If this happened while my kids were teenagers or out of the house I think it would have been easier for me because their demands while different would have been easier to deal with.
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