Happy people have a more positive attitude toward others both those that they know and those they don’t know. Happy people judge friends, families and spouses more favourably and are less jealous of other people competing for their partners affections. Happy individuals have outgoing extroverted personalities. They are warm, gregarious, interested in new things, affiliative, lively, active and energetic. Of the personality traits affiliation (the inclination to relate to other people – warm, cheerful pleasant, sociable, understanding, contented and affectionate. In the hierarchy of needs outlined by Abraham Maslow, the need for affiliation (or “belongingness”) appears midway between the most basic physical needs and the highest-level need for self-actualisation.) had the highest correlation to happiness. In fact positive affect seems to be the glue that holds the various aspects of extroversion (ascendance, sociability, affiliation) together. Positive affect seems to be related to feeling sociable.
Extroversion and introversion are generally understood as a single continuum. So if you are high on one then you are low on the other. While extreme introverts and extroverts are a reality, most people fluctuate between the two poles throughout their lives.
Introversion is not the same as shyness. Introverts choose solitary activities over social ones by preference, whereas shy people avoid social encounters out of fear.
Extroversion is the act, state, or habit of being predominantly concerned with and obtaining gratification from what is outside the self. Extroverts tend to enjoy human interactions and to be sociable, enthusiastic, talkative, assertive and interested in seeking out excitement. They take pleasure in activities that involve large social gatherings, such as parties, community activities, public demonstrations, and business or political groups. Politics, teaching, sales, managing, and brokering are fields that favour extroversion. An extroverted person is likely to enjoy time spent with people and find less reward in time spent alone. They tend to be energised when around other people, and they are more prone to boredom when they are by themselves.
Introversion is the state of or tendency toward being wholly or predominantly concerned with and interested in one’s own mental life. Introverts tend to be more reserved, less outgoing and less assertive in social situations but are also marked by a richer inner world. They are not necessarily loners but they tend to have smaller circles of friends and are less likely to thrive on making new social contacts. They are less likely to seek stimulation from others because their own thoughts and imagination are stimulating enough. They often take pleasure in solitary activities such as reading, writing, drawing, playing musical instruments or using computers. An introvert is likely to enjoy time spent alone and find less reward in time spent with large groups of people, though they tend to enjoy interactions with close friends. They prefer to concentrate on a single activity at a time and like to observe situations before they participate. Introverts can be overwhelmed by too much stimulation from social gatherings and engagement. The introvert tends to think thoroughly before verbalising their thoughts.
(part of this information was taken of a virtual magazine named *sharing*)
