Introverts tend to be an enigma that the rest of the population can't seem to solve. Everyone understands an extrovert; they tend to be the life and soul of the party, always with a story to tell and a smile on their face. But I don't want to talk about them. They get enough attention as it is so for the next 5 minutes I want to draw your attention to the other end of the spectrum.
Introverts are awesome and here are 6 things that I want you all to know.
1. It's not that I don't like you, it's just that I don't want to talk to you
People can easily mistake our desire to run away and hide as some form of rudeness, well no, it's not. It's just an evasive tactic that we employ so that we don't have to deal with banal small talk and unnecessary waffle. You're having friends over? Great, I'll be in my room.
Introverts don't feel the need to fill empty air space with words and actions. We're happy to embrace the silence because it's all about balancing the need to be sociable with the ability to shut the hell up when required.
2. There is a difference between being shy and being quiet
Society likes to believe that if you're the kind of person that prefers to take a back seat in social situations then you must be shy.
James Bond doesn't exactly embrace his inner Louis Spence when he enters the room but nobody patronises our beloved spy as he stands their sipping his martini and looking all cool. Maybe because he's a fictional character, who knows? But my point remains - being quiet is awesome!
3. We're all just extroverts who operate under the radar
Another one of the great misconceptions about introverts is that we are somehow inferior to those crazy extroverts that everyone seems to love (hate). You see, we are adaptable and full of surprises.
Extroverts live their life with the volume dialled up to Spinal Tap levels but to be totally honest, who wants that? Introverts on the other hand can operate anywhere between 1 and 11. We can pick and choose when to speak and when to keep quiet, when to step to the front and when to hang back. You turn around, we are there. You don't see us coming.
Yes that's right, we're basically Ninja's.
4. Our brain is a battery that needs regular charging
Our ability to take ourselves out of the firing line isn't just about refusing to deal with the crap society deems necessary, but it's often the only way we can recharge our brains so we can live to fight another day.
Too much stimulation, from whatever source is like Kryptonite. It slowly chips away at our superpowers until all that is left is an empty shell. Sometimes, we just need to get away from it all.
5. Quiet and unassuming doesn't mean that we're serial killers
People tend to be wary of those that are a little different. It's a completely understandable evolutionary trait that stops us wandering into another tribe and getting our asses kicked. In today's world however why is it that the loud crazy people are deemed as being normal and the quiet folk are viewed under immense suspicion?
Remember, having a few hours alone time is completely different from being a social hermit that likes to wear their Grandma's wigs for pleasure.
6. Don't worry, we're not suicidal either
I've often been viewed as a little quirky, maybe a tad weird on occasion. Not because I do anything in particular to warrant such wild accusations but I find it quite funny when people try to make the link between musicians (that's me) and introverts (that's me too!).
It's not the introverts that you need to worry about. Quite often the people who are staring into the darkness are those that have mastered the art of appearing totally normal on the outside. There is nothing to suggest that introverts are a higher risk than anyone else.
Happiness and introversion aren't mutually exclusive - we're just the same as everyone else.
We're quiet and we like it, so shut up.
If you enjoyed this post then check out - Are you an introvert or just a highly sensitive person?