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Long live the introverts!According to Liesbeth Smits, author of %u2018I just have to see if I can%u2019, introversion is probably 45% congenital. It is assumed that 30% ofpeople are introverted. That%u2019s 3,4 million Belgians!A few famous examples: Jim Carrey, Beethoven, Mozart, Abraham Lincoln, FranklinD. Roosevelt.According to Melissa Dahl there are 4 types of introverted people: the social, thinking, fearful and restrained, based on theSTAR model of psychologist Jonathan Cheek. This arose from the observation that many introverts defined the quality introvert verydifferently than him and most of his academic colleagues.Recognizable? You don%u2019t have to pick 1 type. You%u2019re probably a mix of all types. Not a single introvert feels the need to be with otherpeople. But they all have a different reason for it and especially they feel totally different about it.The social introvert simply doesn%u2019t feel like making contacts. This type will rather bond with few contacts than having shallowrelationships with a lot of friends. Typically they like to be on their own. Thus being the ideal type to work as a freelancer and/or onlineentrepreneur.The thinking thinks a lot about the world and about himself. Has a rich imagination and loves daydreaming. People with a high level ofintrovert thinking, don%u2019t share the aversion towards social events that people usually associate with introversion. Instead, they%u2019reintrospective, thoughtful and highly self-reflecting. Good ideas are like wine for your company. Let it ripen long enough to serve at theright time. But don%u2019t wait too long, an idea can start to taste bad%u2026just like wine.The fearful: unlike social introverts, fearful introverts can seek loneliness because they feel uncomfortable and painfully self-awarearound other people because they have little faith in their own social skills. But often their fears don%u2019t fade when they%u2019re alone. Thiskind of introversion is defined by the tendency to ruminate, to constantly turn over in their minds the things that might be, or could be,or are already terribly wrong. This type of introvert is searching for certainties, ways to finally do nothing. On top of it he/she is veryhard on him/herself. That%u2019s why it%u2019s so important that this type builds confidence by placing anchor points and celebrating (small)successes in the company & in daily life.The restrained or reserved: Subdued introverts sometimes seem to work at a slower pace and prefer to think before speaking oracting. It may also take a while for them to get started %u2013 for example, they cannot wake up and take immediate action. HarukiMurakami%u2019s book %u201cWhen I talk about Running%u201d contains a passage that, in my opinion, perfectly illustrates the restrained introvertedpeople. When he talks about how it costs his muscles a while to warm up when he starts running. %u201cWhen I put on my jogging shoes inthe morning and hit the road, my feet are so heavy that it feels as if I never can get them moving,%u201d. He says this is the way his mindworks: slowly get going. This type of introvert is an added value for every company. Because they usually know a lot and are a barrelfull of ideas and experiences. The best ideas take shape through their thinking power.Moreover, 70% of highly sensitive people are introverted. The term highly sensitive is best described as persons with a more sensitivenervous system so that stimuli are more intensively absorbed and perceived. For example, sensitive people smell, taste, hear or sensemore intense. Highly sensitive people often are more easily moved by music, emotions%u2026 What others don't dwell on, touches themmuch deeper.I AM. MAGAZINE - 12I AM. MAGAZINE - DESIGN YOUR (BUSINESS)LIFE NOW