关于性格内向者的十大误解:我们不是不爱说话

I was lucky enough to discover a book called, The Introvert Advantage (How To Thrive in an Extrovert World), by Marti Laney, Psy.D. I feel like someone has written an encyclopedia entry on a rare race of people to which I belong. Not only has it explained many of my eccentricities, it helps me to redefine my entire life in a new and positive context.
我非常幸运的发现了这本《内向者优势——如何在外向的世界中获得成功》的好书，我感觉就好像是有人专门为我们这个罕见的小群体写了一部百科全书一样，它不仅对我的很多怪癖做了解释，还帮助我从一个崭新且积极的角度重新定义了我的整个人生。

A section of Laney’s book maps out the human brain and explains how neuro-transmitters follow different dominant paths in the nervous systems of Introverts and Extroverts. If the science behind the book is correct, it turns out that Introverts are people who are over-sensitive to Dopamine, so too much external stimulation overdoses and exhausts them. Conversely, Extroverts can’t get enough Dopamine, and they require Adrenaline for their brains to create it. Extroverts also have a shorter pathway and less blood-flow to the brain. The messages of an Extrovert’s nervous system mostly bypass the Broca’s area in the frontal lobe, which is where a large portion of contemplation takes place.
Laney 的书中有个章节对人的大脑进行了分析，并解释了神经元是如何在内向者和外向者的神经系统中跟随不同的控制通路进行传递。如果这本书基于的科学理论是正确的，那就证明了内向者是一群对多巴胺过度敏感的群体，太多的外部刺激过量的消耗了它们。相反的，外向者没有足够的多巴胺，他们需要依靠大脑的肾上腺去创造它们，外向者通常有更短的神经通路，他们的大脑血流量也相对更少，外向者神经系统中的信息大部分都是通过位于前额叶的布罗卡氏区（Broca’s area）传递的，而这里正是我们的大部分思考发生的地方。

Unfortunately, according to the book, only about 25% of people are Introverts. There are even fewer that are as extreme as I am. This leads to a lot of misunderstandings, since society doesn’t have very much experience with my people. (I love being able to say that.) So here are a few common misconceptions about Introverts (I put this list together myself, some of them are things I actually believed):
不幸的是，根据这本书，只有大约 25% 的人是内向的，而像我这样极端的就更是少上加少了，这导致了许多的误解，因为社会对我们这类人缺乏足够的了解（我很高兴我能够这样说）。所以下面我列出了一些对内向者的常见的误解（这是我自己的清单，我对其中一些深信不疑）：

Myth #1 – Introverts don’t like to talk.
误解1： 内向者不喜欢说话

This is not true. Introverts just don’t talk unless they have something to say. They hate small talk. Get an introvert talking about something they are interested in, and they won’t shut up for days.
并不是这样，内向者不说话只是因为他们觉得没什么好说，他们讨厌闲谈扯淡，如果你让一个内向者讲他感兴趣的事情，他可能连着几天几夜都讲不完。

Myth #2 – Introverts are shy.
误解2： 内向者都很害羞

Shyness has nothing to do with being an Introvert. Introverts are not necessarily afraid of people. What they need is a reason to interact. They don’t interact for the sake of interacting. If you want to talk to an Introvert, just start talking. Don’t worry about being polite.
内向者没什么好害羞的，他们也不是害怕陌生人，他们只是需要一个理由去交际，他们不会为了交际而交际，如果你想和一个内向者交流，那就直接聊吧，不用担心礼貌问题。

Myth #3 – Introverts are rude.
误解3：内向者都很无礼

Introverts often don’t see a reason for beating around the bush with social pleasantries. They want everyone to just be real and honest. Unfortunately, this is not acceptable in most settings, so Introverts can feel a lot of pressure to fit in, which they find exhausting.
内向者通常觉得遵从社交礼仪，拐弯抹角的说话没有一点必要，他们希望每个人都是真实且真诚的，但不幸的是，大多数情况下事情并不是这样，这让内向者感到很大的压力，他们很难融入其中，并为此感到沮丧。

Myth #4 – Introverts don’t like people.
误解4： 内向者不合群

On the contrary, Introverts intensely value the few friends they have. They can count their close friends on one hand. If you are lucky enough for an introvert to consider you a friend, you probably have a loyal ally for life. Once you have earned their respect as being a person of substance, you’re in.
恰好相反，内向者会非常认真的对待他们为数不多的朋友，他们最亲密的朋友或许用一只手就可以统计过来，但如果你有幸被一个性格内向者当做朋友，那你就有了一个终生的盟友，一旦你作为一个人类存在赢得了他们的尊敬，你就入选了。

Myth #5 – Introverts don’t like to go out in public.
误解5：内向者不喜欢去公共场合

Nonsense. Introverts just don’t like to go out in public FOR AS LONG. They also like to avoid the complications that are involved in public activities. They take in data and experiences very quickly, and as a result, don’t need to be there for long to “get it.” They’re ready to go home, recharge, and process it all. In fact, recharging is absolutely crucial for Introverts.
胡扯，内向者只是尽可能的避免去公共场所，他们同样也会尽量避免卷入复杂的公共活动，因为他们可以在极短的时间内获取需要的数据和经验，所以，他们喜欢在一个地方待很久去“得到某样东西”，他们总是准备着回家，调整，然后处理一切，实际上，调整绝对是内向者的关键所在。