Hi, my name is Paul and I'm an introvert. (I found the text to this online and revised it quite a bit.)
1) We "recharge" by being alone
This is the cusp of the entire introvert vs. extrovert debate (if there is one). Introverts need to be alone to recharge. We tend to get completely worn out by socializing. This is basically what it means to be an introvert. But it can make us appear unfriendly or even rude.
2) We don’t hate being around people, but we probably hate crowds
Introverts love being with people, but if you drop us into a large crowd we instantly feel alone and invisible, so don’t be shocked if we decline your open invitation to some random event. It doesn’t mean we don’t like to be around you, it just means we’d rather have a root canal than deal with that crowd.
3) We don’t mind silence
Introverts can sit in silence with no discomfort. It's one reason we usually look forward to long road trips so much. Being alone with our thoughts is not only comforting, it actually recharges our emotional batteries.
4) Just because we are introverted doesn’t mean we are shy
Being an introvert and being shy are actually two different things. People confuse them all the time.
5) We can turn on an extroverted personality when necessary, but it’s really draining
Many introverts have no problem getting up in front of a group of people and speaking. But, here’s the thing...we will need major recharge time afterward. And we can’t keep up the extroverted illusion for long. We can turn it on long enough to dazzle a crowd, but if you plan lunch afterward, don’t expect us to say much. We’ve probably used up our daily quota of words. That’s okay. We’ll just listen.
6) We aren’t judging you
Don’t get weirded out if we get quiet or have a mean look on our face. We’re not judging you. We're probably just wrapped up in our thoughts and completely without knowing it we put on our grouchy-resting-face. Sorry, we didn't do it on purpose.
7) We secretly love it when plans get cancelled
We like being with people, but don’t worry about hurting our feelings if you have to cancel. It’s kinda like winning the lottery.
8) We can get very wrapped up in our own thoughts
The inner monologue of an introvert is pretty epic. When you have a strong monologue constantly running in the background, it is pretty easy to settle-in and listen for a while. We usually have to work through things in our head before proceeding, which means we need time to process.
9) We're usually really bad at "connecting"
You know when you’ve had a really bad day and you just want to call up a friend and chat? That's probably not gonna happen. Introverts tend to wait for extroverts to reach out and include them, so when the time comes that we need support, we can feel a bit lost.
10) We don’t like to hang around
You know that time after an event or meeting ends and stragglers hang around just to talk? It’s the perfect time to make plans, connect with new people, and get involved with future projects, but the event itself has already drained an introvert’s batteries to critical. Small talk with strangers is our kryptonite.
Maybe this helps to understand a little about how we who are introverts operate. It can be especially challenging when an introvert marries an extrovert. They live for very different opportunities and operate on very different need-levels. But understanding our differences and adjusting our lives to minister to others is the essence of love.
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