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Solitary Nocturnal Introverts Are Redefining Our Understanding of Happiness
I thought I was introverted until I learned about this group.
I know that many of you seeing this are also introverts. Reading is a hobby that selects for our crowd. And perhaps like me, you noticed early on in life the flickers of introversion, despite the exuberant socializing that most children are drawn to.
Just like our other personality traits, introversion exists on a spectrum — and there’s a distant tier, an outer Pluto of our group. Within it, people go about their lives in the wee hours of the night, in near-absolute seclusion. And it is this group that’s challenging assumptions psychologists have about happiness.
What is a solitary introvert?
It’s 10 PM on a Tuesday. Amy is finishing her breakfast, and heading to Walmart to pick up groceries. The roads are vacant and what would ordinarily be a fifteen-minute drive, takes only five.
Amy walks down the empty aisles, taking her time, not noticing the contrast between this life and the absurd crowds that fill these same aisles during the day. She’s willfully chosen a call center job in off hours so she can live outside the normal bounds of activity.
