It would be an exaggeration to say that all introverts like writing – but if given a choice, a lot of them would choose writing an article over giving a speech to a group of people as a preferable means of imparting information. So yes, introverts do have a special relationship with writing – even if they are not huge fans of writing in particular, they have all reasons to love academic writing. Here are some of them.
1. Introverts are Aimed at Reflection
Unlike extroverts, introverts prefer to explore their inner depths instead of receiving direct experiences. They are better at exploring the subject alone, in private, then bumping their ideas off other people. Academic writing offers an excellent opportunity to do it – simply because delving in the subject is exactly what it requires from students.
2. Academic Writing Serves as a Way to Express Oneself
Modern world in general and the world of education in particular today is almost completely extrovert-oriented. The ideas of active learning, collaboration, sharing, group activities and suchlike are all the major buzzwords of today’s education. Students are supposed to learn in active cooperation with tutors and each other – which means that introverts turn into fishes out of water. They are not just disinclined to talk and collaborate – they are outright annoyed and exhausted by this constant commotion.
In such a situation writing turns into a way to express yourself and participate in education process in a way that is closer to introverts than discussions, group projects and suchlike.
3. More Time to Write
It is, of course wrong to say that if you are an introvert you don’t have a life anyway and may just as well spend some time writing. No, it simply means that introverted individuals are more inclined to spend time alone; and the time they spend alone doesn’t wear them out, like extraverts. In other words, for them separating themselves from other people and writing down their individual thoughts without any external distraction is more natural than for extraverts.
4. Creativity Boost
No, we don’t mean that extraverts are less creative. What we mean is that even when dealing with an unfamiliar, boring or very complicated topic, a writing introvert is still in his/her element – i.e., quiet, careful reflection. When getting into such a situation an extravert usually gets restless, his/her thoughts start to ramble, and he/she has a very hard time doing any work at all. An introvert, of course, also doesn’t enjoy writing about something that has no interest for him/her personally; but given enough time and possibilities to delve into one’s own mind and other sources, something can always be arranged.
When all is said and done, academic writing seems to be specifically designed for introverted individuals. One can even go as far as to say that education in general is divided into two parts: one oriented at extraverts (classroom work, group project, discussions and so on) and another – at introverts, namely, academic writing.
