There are definite advantages to being an introvert. Flickr/Glug Events This answer by Jordan Gray originally appeared on Quora as an answer to the question: What are the inherent benefits of being an introvert?

Absolutely there are. Especially in intimate/social relationships...

1. Rapport building

Introverts are master rapport builders in all kinds of relationships. It is an unfortunately common misperception that introverts don’t like being around people. This is simply not true.

Introverts actually have a greater need for intimacy and depth in their relationships than their extroverted counterparts. They would much rather have a smaller social circle with greater understanding and connection with each person, than having a large group of acquaintances that they have less emotional intimacy with. Surface level communication frustrates introverts and gives them a feeling of ‘What’s the point of just chatting? We aren’t having a real conversation.”

This propensity towards deep rapport building helps introverts massively in the dating scene. Women need trust and comfort to build an emotional connection with the person that they’re interested in… and introverts deliver this in spades.

Studies have shown that introverts outperform extroverts in high-ticket sales positions because they are wired to be able to nurture longer lasting relationships with more depth and patience. It is this exact trait that allows introverts to gain quick and thorough connection with people that they have just met.

Introverts are also more prone to talking about certain ‘heavier’ topics such as sexuality, values, morals, and religion that many extroverts don’t get the chance to discuss because they are too often stuck in their surface-level world of small talk. The fact that introverts aren’t afraid to discuss such topics makes relationships with card-carrying introverts a true gift.

2. Ability to listen

Few things turn women off more than going on a date with a guy that can only talk about themselves. Introverts are world-class listeners. They communicate with their conversational partners like laser beams – seeing into the soul of the speaker with intuition and clarity.

Extroverted conversations have the partners stepping on each other’s toes with their words … rapid fire question and response, rambling stories, and quickly changed conversational topics. Watch a small group of introverts communicating with each other and every one is heard equally and people are very rarely interrupted in the slightest.

3. Thoughtfulness and caring

Introverts are more introspective and self-aware than most extroverts. It is often said that the world is made up of people who think, and people who do (introverts and extroverts respectively). The world needs action takers and people who are more thoughtful … it keeps the world in balance. To draw an analogy, think of how one shoots an arrow from a bow.

If the world were only made up of introverts, the arrow would be cocked and ready to be fired, but the shooter would always be recalibrating and aiming the arrow before it ever took flight. If the world were only extroverts, the arrows would be flying every which way but never hit any targets. It would be absolute chaos. Thus, the world needs those who can aim, and those who can let go.

You’ve likely heard the phrase “it’s the thought that counts”. Introverts are keenly self-aware and, due to their sensitivity to their environments, are more likely to store information about their significant other (whether on a first date or fiftieth), and therefore make their partner feel more cared for.

4. Self-reflectiveness and error-correction

Another common strength among introverts is the fact that they are self-reflective and are magnificent at error correcting. From all of the time introverts spend doing their internal homework, they are brilliantly adept at continually making sure that they are in integrity with themselves and living from a congruent place. This also generally results in lower incidences of egomania because introverts are much less interested in keeping up with the Jones’s and chasing external status symbols.

They value things like thoughtfulness, moral integrity, and empathy over extroverted traits like charisma, or being seen as fascinating, or socially dominant.

So how does error-correction help you in your relationship management?

You’re bound to mess up something in your dating life. Introverts have a much easier time self-reflecting, realizing what they did wrong, and admitting to it openly. Show me a boyfriend that can admit when he was wrong, and I’ll show you his happy girlfriend.

5. Depth vs. breadth

This is one of the biggest points in this list (and could just as easily be the #1 point). Introverts prefer depth of connection in their social and intimate lives, where extroverts are more drawn towards breadth of connections.

I personally know many introverts who are passionately loyal friends to about three to five people in their lives. And to them, that’s more than enough. In fact, they set clear boundaries around their social lives and when people try to start relationships with them they are very clear that their social lives are already “full” and that, although they appreciate the offer, they don’t have any more time for new friends. This is an element of introversion taken to a bit of an extreme case, but it’s admirable nonetheless.

(The above is an excerpt from my article on introverted strengths in dating that you can read more about at How Being An Introvert Helps You In Love.)