Introverted person. Character traits. Psychology of children

• September 12, 2018
• Psychological terms
• Raisa Bogacheva

What do you call a person who doesn't like talking to people? These are introverts. They are withdrawn and closed, therefore, not inclined to communicate with other people, and it is very difficult for them to establish contacts with others. Such people almost always have thoughts that others negatively discuss their every action. In fact, it is very difficult to start a conversation based on this if the only thing in your head is how the interlocutor can criticize and evaluate you. More details about what people who don’t like to communicate are called later in the article.

Appearance Features

A closed person in most cases is distinguished by thinness rather than fullness and density. His face is elongated, his head is often ovoid in shape, his nose is straight, his profile is “angular” (observed due to some shortening of the chin). The relationship between a long face, a thin figure and introversion is quite high. However, such a combination does not always indicate closedness. Overweight people also belong to the category of schizoids, but much less frequently.

Films about misanthropes

You can also see the life of misanthropes in cinema. There are many different films and TV series where there is a person who hates people. We suggest considering a few of them:

1. "How to marry a bachelor"
   . The story is about two lonely people who, from the first meeting, began to hate each other, but they also hate other people.
2. "Sherlock"
   . One of the most famous literary misanthropes is Sherlock Holmes. He dislikes people, although he strives to help them.
3. "Dr. House"
   . The popular series tells the story of a doctor who doesn't hold back when dealing with other people.
4. "Fight club"
   . The film is about two lonely heroes who are members of a club where people fight to get rid of accumulated negativity.

Basic values, interests

The inner world is the main wealth of introverts. The character traits of schizoids are such that they are constantly immersed in themselves. The opposite is hyperthymic, open to everything that happens around them. Closed people value their inner world very much, but they often do not care about the external world, since it seems rougher and more primitive than their own fantasies, dreams, and thoughts.

The eminent German psychologist and physician Kretschmer compared introverts to Roman villas, whose facades are very simple, the windows are closed, and rich feasts take place inside. Thanks to this colorful metaphor, he emphasized that the difference between the dull appearance of representatives of this character and their inner world is extremely great. In contrast to hyperthymia, an uncommunicative person is characterized by restraint and secrecy. It is impossible to tell from him what “feasts” are taking place in his soul.

Famous misanthropes

Many people will be surprised to learn that a large number of famous personalities hate people. We invite you to find out who these famous misanthropes are:

• Hitler;
• Nietzsche;
• Chaikovsky;
• Boyarsky;
• Bill Murray;
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

Communication

A closed person in a group generally stays aloof and prefers to remain silent. His contacts are usually limited to a small circle of friends and relatives. Such people are reluctant to talk about themselves, and you can often hear that information has to be literally “pulled out of them with pincers.”

It is not surprising that schizoid people have difficulty communicating. The secrecy is explained by the reluctance to share one’s own experiences. Introverts do not feel the need to contact the outside world, because they are quite comfortable alone with themselves. As one poet put it, they seek to “wrap themselves in the silk of their soul.” On the other hand, communication really poses a particular difficulty for them, since schizoids feel awkward and inept in the process of communication.

Kretschmer cited another vivid metaphor, where he compared a closed individual with a ciliate, cautiously approaching an unfamiliar object and observing it from behind half-lowered cilia, hesitantly extending its tentacles, and then immediately withdrawing them.

Despite the natural desire to isolate themselves, a shy person sometimes suffers from a lack of communication. This is especially common in childhood and adolescence.

Misanthrope - signs

There are certain characteristics by which you can understand how to recognize a misanthrope in a crowd:

1. A person avoids society, and this applies both to not attending various events and to withdrawing into oneself.
2. Distrust of people, even in minor matters.
3. Contempt for people who do not stand out and follow the crowd.
4. Having the opinion that “I am superior to others,” which manifests itself in the humiliation of humanity.
5. Particularly close attention to the choice of people for a close circle of friends.
6. When figuring out who a misanthrope is, we note that such people prefer to stay away.

Emotional background

The experiences of closed people are unique and sometimes seem paradoxical to others. On the one hand, introverts are distinguished by restraint and coldness, on the other hand, they are vulnerable and emotional. Schizoids show an acute reaction to everything that affects their own values. Often this is a spiritual response to injustice, rudeness, disorder.

Currently, the so-called emotional intelligence is being actively discussed. One of its signs is understanding the feelings and moods of others. This is a trait that many introverts cannot boast of. Closed people, of course, suspect that certain feelings are raging within you, but they must be informed about this. They rely on what is said, while not paying attention to intonation and facial expression.

Is it good to be a misanthrope?

In the modern world there is a lot of betrayal, anger and negativity, so sometimes it’s even safe to be a misanthrope. When describing what a misanthrope means, it is worth noting the fact that most of these people have above-average intelligence because they are engaged in self-development so as not to be a gray mass. In addition, they are responsible workers, but only if they work alone or with people who have passed their face control.

Features of lifestyle, attitudes, activities

The inner world of introverts is orderly, and they expect the same from the outer world. Their way of thinking and internal organization are reflected in all their actions. For example, they find it easy to accept rules and follow them. They achieve success in the professional field where they are prescribed to act in a certain way. Any deviation from the norm causes irritation in introverts.

At the same time, serious contradictions often arise at work. The desire of a schizoid to always follow instructions can result in accusations of formalism. At the same time, the above qualities of introverts are simply irreplaceable, for example, in military affairs or in financial management.

The psychology of behavior of a person who is closed in on himself turns an argument with him into an unbearable process. And all because the introvert is captive to plans, schemes, forms, words. This is reflected in the fact that mental constructs and theories are more convincing and valuable to him than specific life facts. For this reason, schizoids often find themselves in opposition, preferring not to mix with fashion, the opinions of others, or mass movements. Keeping their distance is not difficult for them. Introverts are often surrounded by an atmosphere of mystery; they are considered originals with a touch of aristocracy.

The character of a misanthrope

To better understand such people, you should understand their qualities:

1. A misanthrope is an individualist whose self-love often goes beyond what is permitted.
2. The misanthrope is in protest against society. It is almost impossible to impose on him someone else’s opinion that does not correspond to his ideas. The misanthrope will boldly show his dissatisfaction, even if he has to go against the crowd.
3. Misanthropy implies a distrustful attitude towards most of the norms by which society lives. Such people can boldly, even with a hint of sarcasm, ridicule the principles by which millions live.
4. In most cases, misanthropes are pessimists. They often don't even try to hide their boredom when interacting with people.
5. Many misanthropes love themselves, which cannot be considered a negative trait.
6. Representatives of misanthropes do not exhibit extreme aggression, that is, they will not get into a fight if they simply dislike a person.

Psychology of schizoid children

These inhospitable and gloomy representatives of the younger generation react very weakly or not at all to criticism from adults. They prefer to avoid large companies and noisy games. Due to a lack of interest, problems with academic performance may occur. At the same time, the withdrawn child behaves in such a way as if he is constantly waiting for some kind of trick from those around him. As a rule, children of the schizoid type are distinguished by a strong attachment to their mother and have a hard time being separated from her, even for a short time. This is explained by the manifestation of fear of being forgotten and abandoned.

Some people mistakenly draw an analogy between withdrawn and shy children. At the same time, the former do not want to communicate with others, while the latter, on the contrary, need communication, but do not know how to make contact.

Misanthrope - who is this?

This term is understood as an unsociable person who avoids society and despises others for not showing their individuality. A misanthrope is a person who reacts extremely negatively to the manifestation of weaknesses, vices, stupidity, and so on. He is very careful in choosing people in his close circle of friends. The misanthrope does not control the political correctness of his own statements, is cynical and often disrespectful.

Describing who a misanthrope is, we note that such a person is not inclined to help others, since he is sure that everyone should be responsible for themselves. Many are sure that such a person is callous and cold, but in reality this is not the case. The misanthrope needs friendships and romantic relationships, he wants love and warmth. He just sets the bar very high when choosing the people he lets close to him.

The opposite of a misanthrope

This category of people also has a contrast, for example, a person who despises society has a positive reflection - a philanthropist. In a broad sense, this is a person who sincerely loves others. It is important for him to help those in need, participate in charity and various social projects. The main goal of philanthropists is to make the world a better place by eradicating negativity and evil.

Where it all begins

The psychology of children of the schizoid type is formed under the influence of many factors. Let's look at them in more detail:

— Subtlety of mental organization and other psychological characteristics of the child. Closedness is especially characteristic of melancholic and phlegmatic people. When communicating with their child, parents should take into account that a positive result can be achieved with a sensitive and attentive attitude. You should not rudely invade his inner world in the hope of re-education. Otherwise, the child will completely withdraw into himself and close himself off.

— Isolation can be caused by conflicts with friends, illness, misunderstanding of peers. In this case, it is important for adults to find out the true reason for the closedness and gently help the child get out of the situation.

— Introverts often grow up in families where one child is raised. In the absence of experience communicating with a sister or brother, forced to play independently, they receive incorrect communicative attitudes, therefore, their ability to communicate develops poorly. In this case, parents are recommended to facilitate the child’s contact with friends.

- Lack of attention. When adults try to free themselves from the child, he begins to turn to them less and less often with his “trivial” problems and questions. As a result, over time, children and parents simply have nothing to talk about; they have no common ground. It is important to take into account that the psychology of behavior of a person who is withdrawn into himself is not formed in one day. Therefore, it is quite natural that parents, for example, after work, devote time to some of their own affairs. Concern about a situation should be shown when it is repeated systematically. It is important to be interested in your child’s problems and listen to him.

- Containment of desires, emotions. Even an adult needs to “let off steam” and share his own experiences. And for a child this desire is even stronger, since every day is filled with discoveries for him. If children understand that their parents are not trying to listen to them, then the process of restraining emotions begins to gain momentum. Such a restriction affects not only the general development of the child, but also his physical health.

- Dissatisfaction with the child’s behavior. The problem of communication in psychology is considered in the aspect of constant censure. At the same time, emotional contact between parents and child disappears. Adults strive to ensure that the child is properly dressed and shod, but pay much less attention to his inner world. The causes of the problem can be very different, and at first glance they are not entirely serious. For example, a child is not the gender you would like, or a child interferes with career advancement. As a result, an inattentive attitude results in aggression, timidity, isolation, and touchiness.

How can a misanthrope survive?

Every day a person has to come into contact with different people. For a misanthrope, this is a test that brings negative feelings. In this case, tips on how to behave better will be useful:

1. Anyone who hates people should have less contact with them, for example, you can find a job remotely. Thanks to this, you will be able to at least avoid traveling on public transport and communicating with colleagues in the office.
2. The misanthrope society simply loves animals, which help them relax and get rid of stress. In addition, cats, dogs and other pets compensate for the lack of communication with people.
3. It’s worth finding a hobby that will help you relax at home and get positive emotions.
4. Alienation from people implies drawing up your own special schedule, for example, it is better to go to stores late in the evening, when most are already at home watching TV.

Work for a misanthrope

To the delight of people who do not like to contact others, remote work is common in the modern world, so the vacancies are many and varied. What could be cooler for a misanthrope than refusing to go to the office, ride public transport and live communication with colleagues. Popular professions for misanthropes:

• copywriter/writer;
• marketer;
• programmer/tester;
• designer;
• sociologist;
• extra;
• accountant.