EAI & Time

According to Pierce J. Howard, PhD, extroverted brains (estimated by some as 14-15 percent of the general population) use physically active strategies with more people, thriving on stimulation and activity. Without it, they tend either to get into trouble as they search for something to do or fall asleep until something stimulating comes by. Introverted brains (also estimated to be 14-15 percent of the general population) use more sedentary strategies with fewer people. They tend to become stressed and even ill with too much stimulation and need protection. The remaining 68-70 percent of the population represent the ambiverted brains who try to find a happy medium. They tend to gravitate toward environments with moderate amounts of stimulation. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that in some surveys extroverted brains tended to experience the most stress during lockdown; introverted brains the least stress, all things being equal; and ambiverts moderate amounts of stress based on what was happening in their environment.