In her book “ Quiet: The power of introverts in
a world that can’t stop talking “, Susan
Cain illustrates how today’s world has created
an Extrovert culture; the ideal is to be sociable,
loud, bold, and it is so because it resonates
with how most of our interactions are
nowadays. We are bold and loud all day on
our social media; the corporate environment
favors the “golden boy/girl”, who wins over
investments with daring ideas and a charming
personality.
But what about the other side of the
spectrum? What about introverts ? The people
who choose a quiet evening at home instead of
a large social gathering can obviously be
equally capable, strong and successful.
So, what does it mean to be an
introvert? It’s not the stereotypical notion of
the shut-in, that is for sure.
Below are 14 things about being an introvert
that can help you understand what it
means to be one (or you can experience a
moment of recognition if you are, like the
writer of this article, an introvert herself):
1. An introverted person can function better
when working alone, than when working in a
team. It’s not about being a “team player”, it’s
about what can help them produce the best
possible result. And working in a team, well…
it’s is distracting.
2. Being quiet does not mean “having
nothing to say” . It means that one simply
enjoys being quiet. As an introvert, I find some
of my most satisfying moments when I am in
a gathering and observe people talk, without
saying something myself. Why don’t you
speak? Because I am perfectly content absorbing
the stimuli of my surroundings without
producing any of my own.
3. Going out in a coffee shop with your
book, work, or music , and enjoying that
perfect little state between sociability, but
without interaction, is very, very satisfying.
4. Introverts choose who they connect with
very carefully. And when that connection has
been made, it runs deep. Some people can be
all depth, instead of breadth. And that is
perfectly okay.
5. Rainy days at home are blessings. Period.
6. A trip alone to a foreign country or
another city is not scary. It’s an adventure,
and not having anyone meddling with your
planning is pretty liberating. The lone wolf
does survive (if you got my reference, you are
awesome).
7. You can never comprehend how some people
can spend the entirety of their day together,
even fresh lovers in their honeymoon phase.
Space is healthy. Silence is necessary.
8. Time alone means time for
introspection. While many people avoid
looking at their problems, letting them fester
and become toxic for them, an introvert can
take the time to listen to themselves and
perhaps find solutions.
9. Being the observer in a group can
actually be very beneficial. It gives one more
chances of operating in a behind-the-scenes
way.
10. Similarly, the observation of people can
lead to better understanding them, which can
make an introvert a very likeable
person. Everyone wants an understanding
confident who lets them speak out for a
change, in a world where everyone has an
opinion that can, unfortunately, be pushed on
to you.
11. Spending less time socializing means
coming up with so many more things to
occupy your time! There is always a book to
read, or a movie to watch, or a language to
learn, or some volunteer work you can do, and
so on. An introvert can see adventure in the
most ordinary settings.
12. That moment when you finally come home
after a large party is like the first breath of air
in a long time, and a great relief.
13. It can be funny, interesting, and a little bit
sad when people get surprised that you
have so many interests and hobbies. “ Oh
my god, I had no idea you did so much! ” I
mean, it’s not like I sit and stare at my ceiling
when I am not with people. But your surprise
entertains me.
14. Socializing can be draining, but
an introvert can love spending time with an
extrovert. Opposites do attract, and one
fulfills the other. There are things an introvert
cannot do without an extrovert, and vice versa.
To sum up, being an introvert is a great
thing. Being an extrovert is also a great thing.
The greatness lies within the fact that we
hopefully live in a world where people can just
be themselves. Being clever and successful is not
about learning to separate the more capable
(read: sociable) ones from the less capable ones.
It’s about fully utilizing every resource, and
more often than not, an introvert might just be
the ace up society’s sleeve.
Embrace introverts, whether it is the one hiding
inside you or someone in your social circle. You
won’t miss out.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sofia
I am an undergrad Law student moonlighting
as a writer and aspiring to one day gather
enough experiences and turn them into ink and
paper. The inctricacies of the human mind and
its peculiar ways have always fascinated me,
and urged me to explore more, not only the
human mind, but humans and humanity as
a whole, hopefully leading me to interesting
findings. Literature, music and movie geek to
boot.
Source: Learning Mind

BULLCRAP

People, please learn to align your posts properly;
and stop copying + pasting vertically
- when you can do it horizontally.

So true..#proudlyintrovert