Recently, I have had to tell two people, whom I love having in my life, that they wear me out. I’m an introvert… I’ve known that I am an introvert for some time now, but it was strange having to explain how that affects how I interact with people. I love the fact that I am introverted. It is one of the main reasons I wanted to start this blog. I don’t do well with talking to people, I tend to feel kinda silly or like people will misunderstand what I am trying to say. Upon meeting me, I can come off as cold, uninterested, or aloof. I don’t mean to be, but I am probably in deep thought about something. Something I heard on the radio on the drive in, or a conversation my husband and I had a couple of nights ago, or a project I need to finish up or embark upon. There is constantly an inner dialogue going on in my head and I spend a lot of time in that space. This makes social interaction difficult at times.
My relationship with extroverts is interesting. I am drawn to these personalities and love having them around…as long as I don’t have to engage with them much. I love to listen and watch and silently take notes (in my head of course!). Extroverts are a joy to be around and can help force me into social situations that I would typically sit out.
Corporate America and society in general, paint introversion out to be a negative personality trait or at least one that doesn’t isn’t valued much. Introverts aren’t very chatty, we find it hard to engage in small talk, our circle of friends are typically are quite small, and we are very introspective. None of these things upon first glance appear to promote the age in which we reside now where people are expected to want to put every facet of their lives on display. There is a lot of pressure to push people out of their non-existent shells. The quiet ones can’t close a deal or brainstorm new ideas, or be the champion for a new product or service…can they? Introversion can be one of the best tools to help visualize the big idea and analyze information to help guide decisions. There is room for each side to co-exist, introverts just want extroverts to understand that we will likely never be the life of the party, make small talk, or volunteer themselves to participate in the numerous networking meetings that have been set up. It’s not that we can’t do those things, it just takes more energy for us to do it and we prefer to be selective where we expend that energy.
Truth be told…I like the quietness. Social situations exhaust me and I become physically tired after engaging with people for an extensive length of time. I can become very short and irritable once I am maxed out. When texting became popular, that was a Godsend for me! I am a self-professed wordsmith and could write sonnets via text or email. Get me in a room to have a conversation and I lose it. Talking can be difficult for me. I am my most genuine self when I can use the written word to express (hence the desire to start this blog!). I can analyze, rationalize, and get creative when I take the time to be introspective about what I’m facing. I do my best work when I’m alone! 😉
You may think, How can you survive in that bubble? Not talking to people and thinking all the time. You can’t live life in that world forever.” Of course I can’t. Social interaction is necessary and daily requirement. I am completely capable of socializing. So much so, people don’t believe me when I tell them I am a very introverted person. I’m not particularly shy either, I am just very picky with who I choose to interact with. Just in case I didn’t explain that very well, take a look at this:
Until next time…love, peace, and blessings.
