Great news for anyone who would rather curl up with a book than be a social butterfly: Researchers have found that naturally shy people have increased reward activity in their brains. And there’s more, shy gals. You’re also predisposed to being a better friend and boss one of these days. #Win.
Shyness is a complex social phenomenon—and while it may overlap with its kissing cousin, introversion, the two traits arise from different origins. Being an introvert means you thrive in lower stimulation settings, but people who are shy may struggle with social adventurousness because they’re concerned about being judged. What folks with these two personality facets do have in common, however, is the fact that they fall outside the definition of ‘extrovert ideal’—a notion that suggests being outgoing is better than keeping your cards a little closer to the chest.
The truth is that it’s not always better to be the life of the party, and here’s why: The more you keep to yourself, the more time you take to process information and derive pleasure from what you experience. That allows your brain to jump around from one thought or activity to another and explore on its own, ultimately leading to a more highly developed reward center (ergo, increased happiness levels).
People who keep to themselves are also less reliant on external sources of stimulation because they’re content on their own—and they are better at engaging one-on-one than their less-shy counterparts. This translates into being a better bud and even great partner! That’s Another point for team introvert. So the moral of this story? Let your shy flag fly!
