 Hey, Psych2Goers, welcome back to another brand new video. Are you an introvert? You may have heard of all the admirable traits they're described with, such as being creative, intelligent, and being independent souls with a loving and gentle heart. But despite these number of good traits, not all is good for an introvert. There's also the opposite side of the coin that often gets dismissed by others, but is this much a part of an introvert's identity? The dark side, if you will, accounts for these undesirable traits that tend to materialize when an introvert is under stress and needs to go in self-protection mode. Do you think you'll be guilty of any of these habits? Before we begin, we want to remind you that if you're an introvert and you relate to any of these signs, please don't take this feedback as an attack on your character. This video is meant to be a self-improvement guide for those of you who have been feeling a little stuck, or those who want to learn more about themselves. With that said, here are some of the darker traits of introverts. Number one, bad attitude towards teamwork. Do you hate working in a team? Perhaps you secretly think the work you produce by yourself is better than what a group of people produces. The dark side of an introvert is thinking that working as a team will only lead to drama, conflicts, and arguments. Being in a group setting can feel draining, so you might find yourself always going solo, but it doesn't always have to be that way. In the end, teamwork can be more powerful and lead to greater results when everyone is compatible with each other and can communicate in a healthy way. Number two, overthinking. Have you ever spent hours mulling over something that happened in the past? Like for hours on end. Overthinking is a scientifically backed up curse for introverts. According to researchers, introverts have higher levels of electrical activity in their brains, both at rest and when doing a stimulating activity. Overthinking also isn't only limited to the analytical side of the brain, but it can also affect your emotional state and make you feel emotions much more deeply. So the next time you catch yourself feeling overwhelmed because you're overthinking something, you may want to try taking some deep breaths, taking a walk or even crying to help calm your overthinking mind. Number three, self-depreciation. Are you really hard on yourself? Research has shown that introverts are actually more self-critical compared to others. Being self-critical is like planting and watering a bad seed in your mind. You end up fixating on the negative and neglecting all the other positive traits that form your identity. In the end, it may only cause your self-esteem and self-confidence to worsen. So if you catch yourself saying something really negative to yourself, try to challenge those thoughts and question whether it's something accurate or just a way to put yourself down. Number four, bottling up emotions. Was there a time in your life where you felt wronged by someone but kept silent the whole time? It's no secret that introverts prefer staying quiet. Confrontations can be a scary thing after all, but the negative aspect of this habit is that sometimes you end up bottling up all of your feelings until it becomes too overwhelming. During these cases, it's important that you have an outlet to address how you really feel. Whether it's writing in a journal, talking to a friend, or opening up to a therapist, expressing how you feel can help bring you to a calmer and more peaceful state of mind afterward. Number five, pessimism. Do you tend to look at the negative side of things? Personality research shows that extroverts show higher levels of optimism than introverts. While this may come across as a bad thing for introverts, it's important to note that extroverts are more prone to be optimistic about unwise ideas like continuing to smoke with the hope of quitting, even if realistically they won't. In contrast, introverts tend to be more grounded and realistic, but this can sometimes border to a despairing type of negativity, if left unchecked. This is why it's so important to strike a balance between being positive and being realistic. Number six, loss of identity. Have you ever felt like you're absorbing the personalities of the people around you? Many introverts are also highly sensitive people. Some may even be empaths. This can lead them to absorb the emotions and feelings of the people they're around, even if they don't notice it themselves. Although it may seem harmless, introverts can end up overwhelming themselves and losing their own sense of identity and how they feel. Therefore, you want to establish some boundaries in your relationships to help keep you grounded in yourself and your beliefs. And number seven, cutting off contact. Have you ever ghosted someone before? Intentionally cutting contact with someone is an avoidance technique. It shows a complete lack of concern for the other person and can cause great emotional harm to them. While introverts may not do so on purpose, their tendency to self-isolate can be misinterpreted by others in a lot of ways. It may even spiral into the end of some friendships because the other party thought you ghosted them. So as much as you enjoy spending time by yourself, it's always a good idea to check up on your friends ever so often to make sure you haven't left them hanging. Remember that these traits only describe a single dimension of introverts. Everyone has their own set of flaws and also the agency to improve themselves. So are you guilty of any of the traits we've mentioned? I am. Let us know in the comments below. If you found this video helpful, be sure to like and share this video with those who might benefit from it. And don't forget to hit the notification bell icon and get notified whenever Psych2Go posts a new video. The references and studies used in this video are added in the description below. Thanks for watching and we'll see you in the next video.