Introversion is literally “directed inside”. The person is wholly concerned with his mental life. Introverts tend to be sensitive, inclined to self-analysis and self-criticism. They don't act spontaneously; they are not outgoing and don't express their emotions easily. An introvert is usually deep in his thoughts and fantasies and often prefers contemplation to contacts with other people.
Extroversion is literally “directed outside”. An extroverted person is the one whose main interests lie in the outside, the objective world, which has the highest value for him. An extroverted person prefers social and practical aspects of life in contrast to introverted withdrawal into the world of one’s own imagination and introspection.
However, these terms were criticized even during Jung’s lifetime. The main argument was that Jung’s definition was too extensive and comprehensive.
It happens very often that it is quite difficult to determine if the person is an extrovert or introvert. Let’s take the following example:
Here is a handsome well-build man with sparkling clever eyes. Livable, friendly and sincere, he is kind to children, speaks the same language to women. At the same time he can sit somewhere in solitude reading a book or listening to music, but the best for him is to spend some time by himself looking at the night sky. So, he can be both an introvert or an extrovert. How can it be?
Vector Systems Psychology provides us with the most accurate way of understanding the nature of such person. In the above mentioned case the guy bears the anal, dermal and muscular lower vectors and the audial and visual upper vectors. In his there are both introverted and extroverted vectors. Outgoing, joyful, seeking external and internal beauty, always observing and perceiving the outside world, empathetic and loving other people - this is the extroverted visual vector. Submerged into himself and in the mental processes deep inside, indifferent to all external world and trying to find the meaning of life – this is the introverted audial vector. One person can have both these vectors and they don't contradict each other.
We can observe a pure extrovert or a pure introvert when a living matter capsule (a person) only possesses extroverted or introverted vectors.
For example, a person who has only the anal and audial vectors. In an unrealized state he would sit at home reading science fiction all his life. In case he is realized, for example like , he would be completely focused on science and wouldn't have a slightest interest in his surroundings. However, in this case unlike the ever reading unrealized audial person, Perelman is able to make great discoveries which serve all humanity.
The woman is an example of a pure extrovert (as well as the dermal-visual man). She has light step, she is always in motion, her big expressive eyes are sometimes filled with boundless love and sometimes with sadness and empathy. Having the largest amplitude of emotions, she is genuinely interested in life and very sociable.
Vector Systems Psychology distinguishes four extroverted vectors and four introverted vectors. All together they form four complete quartiles which have their outer and inner parts (like everything in the world).
The time quartile. The outer part is the urethral vector (extroverted). The inner part is the anal vector (introverted).
The space quartile. The outer part is the dermal vector (extroverted). The inner part is the muscular vector (introverted).
The information quartile. The outer part is the visual vector (extroverted). The inner part is the audial vector (introverted).
The energy quartile. The outer part is the oral vector (extroverted). The inner part is the olfactory vector (introverted).
Jung was partially right about the opposition of extroversion and introversion. If we think of external manifestation of different vectors, for example, if a person is outgoing or not, if he or she prefers companies or solitude and so on, these features indeed contrast to each other. However, if we look at it from the point of view of Vector Systems psychology and understand the role of each vector, it becomes clear that they (these features) create wholeness and complement each other in every quartile and all together.
The training on the Vector Systems psychology will provide you with deeper understanding of extroversion and introversion and their manifestation in one person.
By Mariya Gribova – specialist in international rights and relations.
Translated by Gulnaz Ishbuldina
The article is based on the training given for Vector Systems psychology presented by Yuri Burlan.
