From observation, most programmers are highly introverts. However, a recent self-evaluation survey of 457 developers by Evans Data Corporation (EDC) reveals that a larger proportion thinks they are extroverts with 50% believing they are moderately extroverted.
A precise measurement method will be observation rather than self-evaluation.
Evans Data Survey
Before we proceed, let me pick your brain here..
- Do you really think programming makes one an introvert?
- Or introverts are naturally drawn to programming and coding-related jobs?
All these will be discussed in this article and we’ll see if a true correlation exists between programming and introversion.
Without further ado, let’s get started.
Brief Overview of Introverts
There is a common misconception about introverts.
People tend to believe that introverts are shy, reclusive, social misfits and often dislike social gatherings.
An author, Marti Olsen Laney in her book: The Introvert Advantage, opines that Introverts are people who are energized by the internal world – by ideas, impressions, and emotions.
She added that people who tend to be more introverted focus inward to gain energy, and people who tend towards extroversion focus outward to gain energy.
This is in line with the statement made by a leadership coach, Stephanie Thoma, in her book “Confident Introverts”. She added: an introvert gets their energy from solitude.
5 Reasons why Programmers are considered Introverts
Let’s look at common traits of programmers that make them easily classified as introverts.
Again, the points mentioned below does not apply entirely to all programmers.
Personally, I don’t possess these introversion traits but we can still see these traits among a lot of programmers across the globe.
#1. Most Programmers dislike Social Gatherings
Most programmers see social gatherings and social events as a waste of time.
Back in my university days, my tech colleagues and I do plan weekend hangouts once a month just to catch fun and try new things.
If I’m to plan the event, I’ll start by making it clear to a specific category not to come along with their laptops.
It’s common to see developers tagging along to events with their PC.
You often see them drifting to the quiet side of the gathering to check codebase, push a few commits, staring at their personal uncompleted project, especially during short in-event breaks.
As creative thinkers, they always try to keep themselves in a quiet place and enjoy staying alone.
#2. Just like Introverts, Programmers do need large uninterrupted time periods when working on projects
Programming requires deep focus and concentration and this makes programmers work for a lengthy period of time.
They sit for hours working and staring at their computer.
Their breaks are often used to think about the next step as their calculative brains keep working round the clock.
#3. They are Creative and Imaginative
Programming as a professional field involves a great deal of creativity and imagination.
Every product designed to make work interaction easier for humans all start with a single idea.
And with programming languages, software developers and programmers breathe life onto these ideas.
In one of our recent article titled “Are Programmers Artists?”, we agreed that programmers are considered artists because programming requires a great deal of imagination.
An artist starts with a blank canvas and end up with a nice artwork through gradual refinement.
Similarly, a programmer starts with a blank IDE, and with amassed skills, iteration, research and code optimization, they create a functional product.
The same applies to introverts, they are laced with an active imagination roped around a busy mind. There’s a constant hum of activities in their minds which often needs a creative outlet.
Some of the world’s top inventors like Bill Gates, Albert Einstein and several others are introverts and they prefer solitude to focus on their crafts.
While it’s true that introverts are often very creative, this doesn’t mean that they are automatically more innovative than extroverts.
#4. Programmers are Curious Individuals
One major trait of good programmers is their ability to conduct in-depth research and this is often fuelled by one’s curiosity.
Like Introverts, Programmers don’t just digest information at the surface level, rather they would like to discover the root cause as they believe there’s a reason for everything.
This level of curiosity can be attributed to the nature of their job.
In our article: “How many hours should I code a day”?, we highlighted the dilemma of the 10,000 Hour Mastery Rule that says: the key to achieving world-class expertise in any skill, is to a large extent, a matter of practicing the correct way, for a total of around 10,000 hours.
However, we discovered that most senior developers with 20 years of experience and over 10,0000 work hours still find themselves learning and adjusting to new technologies.
Curiosity fuels research and continuous learning which are required by programmers to remain abreast in a world of ever-changing technologies.
#5. Programmers are often absorbed in thoughts and they pay attention to details
Are you aware that most programmers are overthinkers?
Most times it can get so intense to a point where it affects one’s creativity.
Warren Wan referred to this as Code Paralysis: a situation of impaired productivity due to overthinking in the context of software development.
The ability to create mind-blowing stuff with just lines of code seems like super powers as they are often struct into deep thought at the flash of an idea or when trying to resolve bug issues.
And just like introverts, they pay keen attention to details.
Correlation Between Programming and Introversion
No doubt, there’s a solid correlation between programming and introversion.
However, correlation don’t mean causation.
Do Programming makes one Introverted?
Introversion is a behavioral trait. It has nothing to do with you being a programmer.
Extroverts and socially active people won’t become introverted because they got into programming.
Yes, it requires time and dedication but it doesn’t mean it can alter one’s behavioral perspective.
Is Coding Good for Introverts?
The common traits of introverts – deep focus, dedication, creativity and clear thinking make them excel in programming and any coding-related job.
However, without extroverted non-coding skills like communication, teamwork, and collaboration, programmers and software engineers can never attain the professional standards often needed for large and complex projects.
Again, anybody can be a good programmer irrespective of whether they are introvert or extroverts.
In essence, extroversion and introversion have no relation to one’s intelligence.
Why do Introverts Prefer Programming as Career Choice?
Introverts are more inclined to choose programming as their profession because it needs more solo work and relatively less peer interaction when compared to fields like management, sales, consulting marketing, etc.
Programming doesn’t make one introverted rather introverts choose programming as their career choice.
Conclusion
Just like we have introverted programmers, we also have extroverted programmers.
Being a good programmer is not benched marked on whether one is an introvert or extrovert.
But rather one’s ability to grasp the basic underlying knowledge, dedication, willingness to learn and consistency over a given period of time.
And that’s a wrap.
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Happy Coding!
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