A study showed that people could be identified when they were just 4 months old as extroverts or introverts with a high degree of accuracy. This, and other research done with identical twins, suggests a genetic component to the development of temperament.*
At times, I lied to myself about about my own temperament. I thought people were essentially the same other than size and gender. I liked 'rugged' as a description, wore a leather coat and work boots. I sought active jobs that required little concentration, but I wore out and eventually gave them up. Choosing unsuitable jobs led to limited success! I despised myself and envied others.
Now, I believe differently. According to Romans 9:20-21 NIV 20 "But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?" So I must learn to accept myself and choose suitable work. For God is kind to us, “God is mighty, but does not despise men; he is mighty, and firm in his purpose." (Job 36:5).
* from "Quiet", Susan Cain, Crown Publishers, 2012, pg. 99-100, 104-105.
