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I was reading an interesting article by Kristine Hayes, a contributor to Humble Dollar a few weeks ago. In it, she discussed her introverted nature. Since then, a thought’s been developing in my mind: Could an introvert have a distinct advantage when accumulating wealth for retirement and an above-average chance of enjoying a successful retirement?
I consider myself, for want of a better description, a “closet introvert.” While many people who know me genuinely think of me as the “life and soul of the party,” it’s largely an act. I have a mental switch I can “click on” at will to be a very sociable extrovert when the occasion requires. I genuinely really enjoy it at the time, but it drains me after hours of this charade, and I’ll be looking for an “out” to excuse myself from the gathering. I’m just happier in more intimate settings, so this thought is of much interest to me.
This transition into retirement represents a significant life adjustment. However, for us introverted individuals, this may be to our advantage, allowing for a more seamless and fulfilling experience. Introverts recharge their energy through solitude. This trait would fit perfectly with the increased time retirement affords. Unlike extroverts, who might struggle with the end of work related social life, introverts often embrace the quiet for personal interests like reading, creative hobbies, or self-reflection. That preference for deeper experience with a smaller circle means we can maintain fulfilling social lives without the constant demand for extensive social evolvement.
From a financial perspective, it seems to me introverts are well positioned for retirement. There’s a strong likelihood that introverted people are less driven by the need to shop until you drop thinking. Their internal mindset means they are less susceptible to social pressure to accumulate material goods or partake in the buying mentality that nowadays is so common . Their preferred activities are often inherently less costly, such as hobbies that can be enjoyed in solitude. This tendency towards less costly living throughout their working lives provides the possibility of greater savings and a stronger financial foundation for retirement.
Furthermore, their deliberate and thoughtful decision-making could extend to personal finance, making them less prone to impulsive spending and more inclined towards prudent planning and conservative investments. I have no actual proof of this idea, and it is purely the speculative ramblings of my mind; if nothing else, it perhaps gives you some insight into the daily workings of an introverted personality’s thought process. But could it possibly be that an introvert has a secret edge for retirement? I hope so because I’ve secretly always wanted to have an edge over others!
I did try to link to the article but couldn’t figure out how to.
One could make an argument that the other aspects of the standard MBTI personality assessments matter just as much or even more.
N vs S, T vs F, J vs P – could all be construed to have an impact on investing and money decisions.
Exactly
Thank you for sharing this reflection—I really enjoyed reading it. Your honest and nuanced description of your own experience as a “closet introvert” really resonated, especially the part about enjoying social interaction in the moment, but needing solitude to recharge. That’s such a common and relatable reality for many people.
As someone certified in personality assessment (including the MBTI), I really appreciate your curiosity and the thoughtful connections you’re making between introversion and retirement readiness. You’re asking a great question: Could introversion provide an edge when it comes to preparing for and enjoying retirement? And I think the short answer is: yes, in some cases.
That said, I might gently offer a little nuance here. Introversion and extroversion—as MBTI defines them—aren’t about social skills or lifestyle choices (like spending vs. saving), but about where people naturally direct their energy and attention. Introverts tend to recharge by looking inward, while extroverts are energized by engaging with the outer world. But both types can enjoy social time, hobbies, and careful financial planning—or struggle with them—depending on their broader personality makeup and life experiences.
For example, someone may be an extrovert but also very financially conservative and disciplined. Or an introvert who enjoys solitude may still love high-end travel or be impulsive with online shopping! So while the connections you’re drawing are thought-provoking, personality is more complex than just one preference.
All in all, I think your reflection is a wonderful reminder that knowing yourself—your energy patterns, motivations, and values—can help you prepare for a retirement that truly fits. That’s true whether you’re an introvert, extrovert, or somewhere in between. Thanks again for sparking such an interesting conversation!
As I said below from doing MBTI a couple of times (and similar competing analysis) I did learn that results could be skewed fairly easily. I’ve always come up IN but I do wonder whether it as much me reflecting work environment (where I resist getting “sold” on others less credible ideas and prefer to work stuff out myself) than who I really am.
I go away a week every year on a big group trip to pursue a hobby. It’s quite an organic and fluid thing, people make their own travel arrangements in smaller groups and the deal is that the organiser groups people in condos of 6-8 people in a way which stops cliques being preserved so you’ll always be roomed with some people you don’t know. Then it’s pretty freeform as to who you spend each day with.
For me it’s probably the highlight of my year, I love cooking for my condo (and leaving the kitchen a real mess for whoever as a result gets clean up duty!). But the mix of old and new friends and the opportunity to socialise with different subsets of 150 people without specific structural pattern (unlike a dinner or cocktail party) just works for me. I don’t know whether because it is finite and I can be a social butterfly for a week then recharge or whether it’s because really I’m an extrovert.
I realise by opening up on personal anecdote and an opportunity for others to wiki- psychoanalyse me then that isn’t very conservative introvert behaviour anyway.
But it is way more important to me than just the saving and spending patterns because the more I prepare for retirement the more I realise I need to replace the hours of transactional-social relationship I get from work with real fruitful meaningful relationships. Knowing who I am and am not as well as who I could be with taking a few more chances (e.g. on events I might write off as a waste of time) will probably be key to this.
(as I write this stream of consciousness it also screams at me that I am definitely not someone who wants to dwell too much on the whole psycho-babble self-actualisation movement – so just give me the answer, someone appropriately qualified 😉 )
Clarifying your MBTI type can be both fun and insightful. It’s important to remember that the MBTI is a “test and verify” tool—not a label to blindly accept. The assessment offers a starting point, but the real work is in reading the type descriptions and deciding if they truly reflect who you are. If a description doesn’t fit, then it’s likely not your best-fit type.
A few examples of your preferences aren’t usually enough to pinpoint your whole type. Exploring more detailed type profiles—many of which are available online—can help you clarify your preferences more accurately.
At the end of the day, you are who you were created to be. Lean into that—and enjoy the process of discovery.
The first time I read a description of the “INFJ” personality type, I almost fell over. It so accurately described me, it was scary.
Exactly, when you find a best fit type it is like someone is reading your mail.
It was slightly disturbing for me to read the INFJ description because it fit me so perfectly. Even the careers that INFJ’s typically excel at were matches for my own job choices.
The description felt like someone was living in my head and recording exactly how I felt and how I viewed the world. It’s fascinating stuff.
Win at Retirement? I’ve never thought of retirement as a competitive sport but the art of getting paid for breathing, or the life phase when my portfolio does the heavy work and I do the heavy napping. Introverts, however, probably retire earlier than extroverts – very early (FIRE?).
Since introversion is a personality trait, it most likely influences which careers the introverts thrive in. Medical students were subjected to stereotypes of medical specialties when time comes to choose a career based on personalities. Some attractive careers for introvert med students [warning: bad joke ahead]:
Radiology: I don’t like patients or colleagues. I don’t even like light.
Pathology: I like dead people and tissues – they don’t talk. I like light.
Anesthesiology: I like patients, but only when they are in deep sleep.
As long as we are dealing with anecdotal information, perhaps we should be considering Astrological signs…..I think I have done well financially, and I am a Leo…..Just Saying!!
I am reflecting on how this discussion describes Thoreau as an introvert. Perhaps Walden is required reading for introverts.
I read Walden in high school and Thoreau really spoke to me. Luckily I live only live 1 1/2 hours away and have visited the site several times. The pond is adjoining Lexington and Concord, homes to both revolutionary war sites and other early American literature authors’ homes. Go for a visit. You won’t be disappointed.
Compared to Walden my thinking is like taking a glance at the pond .
Mark, perhaps this is the article by Kristine Hayes that you read?
What you wrote about enjoying inexpensive activities alone resonated with me. In particular, I enjoyed learning about and focusing on investing my teacher’s salary to be able to afford to retire to the CCRC I’m at. I’m a very happy introvert here, as are other members of our introverts group.
Yes that’s the article, thanks.
Mark, well thought out article. I enjoyed your insights! But don’t try photography!
A very expensive hobby indeed!
Their preferred activities are often inherently less costly, such as hobbies that can be enjoyed in solitude.
Maybe managing one’s finances qualifies as a hobby enjoyed in solitude. Sort of seems true for me.
When I hunch over my laptop quarterly to calculate my portfolio value and net worth (it takes about an hour as I enter the data manually for security reasons) I sorta feel like Scrooge in his counting house.
Mark, thanks for a very insightful article.
I identify with your description of throwing a switch and entering temporary extrovert mode at a social event—but afterwards feeling drained.
And likewise seizing an opportunity to escape early. Kristine mentioned a favorite t-shirt which says: “Sorry. Can’t. Dogs. Bye.” My sister gave me one which reads:
“Introverts unite!
We’re here.
We’re uncomfortable.
And we want to go home!”
Andrew
I’m thinking of having some t-shirts made up for members of our dog training club. They would have a slight variation:
Sorry.
Can’t.
Dogs To Train.
Bye.
We’re temporarily “dog-less” at the moment, for the first time in decades. Maybe I can get a t-shirt that says:
Sorry.
Can’t.
Backyard squirrels.
Bye.
Or:
Sorry.
Can’t.
Puppies to Contemplate.
Bye.
I should maybe get that t-shirt for a wedding I’m attending in two weeks time.
Maybe not allowed here as a cross-reference but given Monevator often highlights HD pieces they’ve recently started their own merch which is a variant on HD type memes.
https://shop.monevator.com/products/abcdetf-tshirt
My wife would wear that shirt!
Interesting I had recently had a discussion with people in the context of kids being increasingly diagnosed with ADHD and autistic spectrum disorder and the impact it had on school resources to meet statemented needs.
I put forward a hypothesis that at one level you could align those diagnoses with extroversion and introversion. I said something like – “I’ve thought about it during those corporate social styles type sessions, given introverts have IME a much harder time getting recognised for their achievements in the workplace, sometimes much less than less skilled extroverts.”
A friend amusingly responded
MTBI = Myers Briggs Type Indicator test
As to the core hypothesis in this thread. As an INTP I know I can fake my way into any box on the test 😉 .
But yes, not being driven by external reflection of my status and brilliance has been part of it not being particularly stressful to tuck money away. But I also suspect it has limited my upper bound of earnings by not being the performing chimp* constantly telling everyone how brilliant I am.
*Apologies to the extroverts out there we know you can’t help it either 😉
A little off topic but the reason so many kids are being diagnosed as autistic is due to the recent expansion of what constitutes “ autism”. It was previously very narrow and now includes Asperger’s Syndrome and virtually any kid that’s a little shy or socially awkward. The more kids they can put under that umbrella, the more resources and money are thrown at it. The schools love it, the psychologists love it, and the parents do too as now it’s a “medical condition” and not poor parenting. Unfortunately, the over-diagnoses takes resources away from the core group of kids that really need intensive help. Autism is real and those kids need and deserve help but not every child that is not a perfectly behaved stellar student is autistic.
Tend to agree with all that – but it also has potential to break the education system in terms of financing so I’m not sure schools should love it. Sure they get more teaching assistants in the short term but is it really helping the majority of kids?
I agree w you. The hyper focus on special ed is to the detriment of the majority of students and the education process in general especially where many school districts promote “mainstreaming” disruptive students into regular classrooms.
I think it’s an interesting theory, but I’m not sure if it holds up. I’m an extrovert and I can’t wait to be a retired extrovert.
But also, I wonder how many people self-identify as extroverts? A few years ago I would have guessed a lot more, but I’ve known many people who I would have described as extroverts who self-identify as introverts.
My guess is the vast majority of the population believes they are introverts. And we all know how well the vast majority are saving for retirement.
I wouldn’t go as far as saying a theory, more of a muse at best.
Back when Myers-Briggs was popular, I read that the US population is majority extrovert and the UK population is majority introvert. Certainly been my experience.
A fairly recent trend in the introvert/extrovert discussion is to add the term “ambivert” to the vocabulary.
I think the paragraph below (generated by Gemini AI), describes the situation pretty well.
Ambiverts: It’s important to remember that introversion and extraversion are on a spectrum, and many people are “ambiverts” – displaying characteristics of both. Some psychologists suggest that ambiverts might make up the largest group, potentially up to two-thirds of the population, meaning those who are strongly introverted or extraverted are minorities. For example, one study found that only 5% were “very introverted” and 12% “very extroverted,” with the majority in between.
Okay Kristine, this makes total sense to me. I always stop short of describing my Chris as an introvert because she does enjoy spending time with another couple/friends. Larger events, basically more than 4 of 5 people, or where there are multiple conversations happening at once, are difficult for her. She likes her me time as well, as do I.
Kristine. Thanks for this. I’ve been tested via Myers Briggs multiple times during professional training and I am in the middle of the spectrum. The best training I had emphasized that it is a prefer nice, and, as Mark wrote, we can exhibit the other side as needed. But we might need time to recharge after wards
So Kristine. Based on your writing, are you near the 5%?
Based on one test I took, 99% of people are more extroverted than I am. I can’t say I disagree with the assessment. My friendship circle consists of two long-term (25+ year) friends and two recent friends. I strongly prefer spending time alone to being around most people.
I was an off-the-charts extrovert as a younger adult, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve shifted more towards the middle. I enjoy people but I also want and need time to recharge.
I don’t think that being an extrovert absolutely means being a spendthrift, though. You can meet your social needs without spending a dime, for example going to church or going for a walk with a neighbor. I also don’t really see a connection between being extroverted and making impulsive financial decisions. You can be thoughtful and careful even if you get energized by being around people. I can see where the characteristics might co-occur, but I don’t think they have to.
Basically I’m seeing Correlation when there’s no causation?
Maybe. Extroversion/introversion is about where you draw your energy from–being around others versus recharging in solitude.
I’m extroverted but also risk-averse and not especially impulsive when it comes to spending money.
Congratulations on your long and successful career. I think you will enjoy joining us retirees tomorrow!
Thank you! I have a chilled bottle of bubbly that might get cracked at midnight!
I hate shopping, but I don’t know that it’s associated with my introversion, especially now you can shop from home. Acquiring “stuff”, including clothes, just doesn’t interest me. (Aside from books, but having run out of shelf space I rely on the library.) Clothes are actually the worst, as sizes for women are not standardized, even within the same manufacturer. I still remember the year I wanted a green blouse, and it was two years before green was back in fashion.
I am also doing well on the cheap hobbies. Library books are free, and the jigsaw puzzles I’m doing are donated to the local charity shop – residents in my retirement community put them together to see if all the pieces are there, and there seems to be an endless supply. Even when I traveled I didn’t spend a lot of money on posh hotels and fancy meals.
Mark, You describe exactly how I feel. I wonder if what you describe also applies to high functioning people on the spectrum as well.
I had thought about touching on that in the article.
Well, Warren Buffett is an introvert. Enough said haha.
Really? I didn’t know that.
Gemini says much the same, so you may have a point. But I wonder if it can lead to a rather lonely isolated retirement as well, something we are frequently warned about as seniors get older.
I can say I definitely don’t feel lonely and isolated.
I think it’s easy to forget that introverts value the QUALITY of friendships over QUANTITY of friendships.
In the three years since I retired, I’ve made two new friends. That probably sounds sad to you, but it actually doubles the number of people in my friendship circle.
I can relate, I never had many friends at all and I don’t like crowds and won’t go to any crowded event. A large party even makes me feel stressed.
I have gotten better as I got older though, but not with crowds.
But while I like dogs, not sure I’d take them over people.
I’m an introvert, but I’m living in a retirement community, surrounded by people. That might sound like the wrong environment, but it provides companionship when I want it, and peace and quiet in my apartment when I don’t.
I would say peaceful, not lonely.
Yes!
I think there’s a range with introversion from the hermit in his cave to people who feel slightly on edge in big social situations. Most find their comfort niche .But your point is definitely real.