We know two personality types well: there is the introvert who recharges his batteries in solitude and being there extrovert person which instead draws energy from the crowd. But there is another way, namely a new way of life that does not limit itself to balancing these two extremes, but goes beyond both. It’s about “backwards”, a name coined by American psychiatrist Rami Kaminski in his book “Not introverts and extroverts” (Corbaccio editore), which describes different models of behavior.
An introvert is a person who they do not feel the need to merge their identity with that of a group. They don’t feel that way “sacred bond” which drives most people to join teams, clubs, political parties or other forms of collectivity. For them, initiation ceremonies, oaths and symbols of belonging are just “words”, without any real emotional resonance. This detachment is not caused by problems of emotional connection, but is a characteristic feature of their nature.”We are all born autotroverts, before childhood cultural conditioning strengthens our affiliations with various identities and groups,” explains Kaminski in New Scientist.
Living in a society that values belonging may seem difficult for an autotrovert, but Kaminski says this trait offers two big advantages: originality and emotional independence. Not subject to the group’s implicit rules or influenced by mass thinking, autotroverts they are free to think and create in their own unique way. Their ability to differentiate themselves “inner gravity” from the drive of group consensus allowing them to generate innovative ideas, uncontaminated by “herd thinkingThey can adapt easily to changing situations, without fear of subverting collective ideas about what is “right” or “good.” Emotional independence is another direct consequence of this trait. Don’t have a group that is afraid of being rejected, Otroverts don’t seek external approval. Their self-esteem does not depend on the approval of others. This frees them from the need to convince others of their values and enables them to build deep and sincere bonds, not based on group interests or affiliations, but on true closeness to individuals.
History is full of independent thinkers who were not emotionally dependent on any group and therefore were able to see the bigotry of the collective mind long before most people. Let’s think, for example, about George OrwellThat. Perhaps we can learn from autotroverts that, while there are many reasons to praise community, we should also be aware of its dark side: tribalism.
