Psychology says people who need time alone after socializing aren't antisocial, they're running a more demanding emotional operating system - Silicon Canals

"Research from Michael Cohen and colleagues at the University of Toronto found that introverts and extroverts process dopamine reward signals differently. Extroverts get a stronger dopamine hit from novel social stimulation. Introverts don't lack the capacity for social enjoyment - their brains simply assign different metabolic costs to the same interaction."

"Think of it like two laptops running the same video call. One has three browser tabs open. The other has forty-seven - including background processes you can't even see. Both complete the call. But one of them needs to be plugged in afterward."

Introversion is often mischaracterized as antisocial behavior or sensitivity, but neuroscience reveals a different explanation. Research shows introverts and extroverts process dopamine reward signals differently—extroverts receive stronger dopamine hits from novel social stimulation, while introverts don't lack social capacity but experience different metabolic costs from the same interactions. The need for solitude after socializing reflects how an introvert's brain allocates resources during social engagement, similar to a computer running multiple background processes that require recharging afterward. This distinction reframes introversion as a neurological difference in emotional processing rather than a deficiency or deviation from normal social functioning.

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