Image source, edited with canva
You know this is a clickbait, right? LOL!
I can imagine every reader clicking on this post eager to know why this gentle, introverted writer (for those who know me) would declare to the Hive community and inevitably the world that she's aroused! (Is that even something one says out loud?) Well, don't let your thoughts go awry…. It will all become clear in a bit.
I am an introvert and I have friends and family who are extroverts. I'd always wondered if there was any explanation for this. Yes, I am aware of Hippocrates' popular theory of the four personalities - sanguine, choleric, melancholic and phlegmatic. Somehow, it was insufficient for me. I needed to know how our brains worked and determined our personalities.
Last night as I was surfing the internet, I came across this enlightening article that I felt had solved two pending issues for me. First, I'd finally found the information I'd been looking for. Second, I have been thinking of what to write on for the #pob-wotw contest and seeing this article made me exclaim eureka!
What drew my attention to the article was the phrase "The Arousal Theory". (Caution - This should not be confused with sexual arousal.)
This theory was formulated by Hans Eysenck, a German-British psychologist whose notable works are on intelligence and personality. The Arousal Theory deals with the natural stimulation of a human's sense organs to a point of perception. This sort of stimulation involves our alertness, behaviour, the way we process information, attention etc. This stimulation which could be high or low encompasses our whole body and inevitably determines our personality.
Just as we are different on the outside, our natural levels of arousal are different and they stem from the brain. Some individuals have low levels of arousal while some others high levels of arousal.
The Arousal Theory is a scientific and psychological explanation for extroversion and introversion personalities according to Hans Eysenck. People with a high natural level of arousal tend to seek calm, relaxed atmosphere and activities so as to lower their high natural level of arousal to an optimal level.
These are the introverts. They prefer to be alone, or around less people or just stay quiet.
On the other hand, we have people with a low natural level of arousal who pursue busy, active and adventurous activities to increase their brain arousal to an optimal level.
These are the extroverts. Being active and always on the move is a natural state for them. They prefer to be around people and are usually the life of the party.
I hope this bit of information helps whenever we ponder on our personalities and reasons for our behaviours.
Thank you for visiting my blog.
This article is my entry to the Proof of Brain Word Of The Week contest - EUREKA. You are invited to participate.
