Amanda's Take "On Being An Introvert"

Check out the article derived from Amanda Hylton's blog "A Dandelion Grows On Mars".

It has taken me quite some while to come to this conclusion, but I finally must confess: I'm an introvert!

Huzzah!


All my life, I always wondered if there is something wrong with me. I never liked talking to people as much as people around me did. In social gatherings, I'm more likely to retreat to a corner sipping my ginger ale than socializing with people. Sometimes (or most of the time) I just like being alone. I always thought that it wasn't right to prefer my own company to the company of other people. It's not that I don't like people at all. I do. In fact, it's being alone too much that makes me start to go crazy. I just prefer smaller social gatherings to larger ones. I like talking to people with the same interests as me. Heck, I go to anime conventions, which are the most amongst the most social events out there. However, I'm not the type of person who likes to go out every night of the week. I cringe at the thought of going to bars or clubs. I just like to stay within my own little bubble sometimes.

So what is an introvert? Let's look at our good old friend, dictionary.com:

Psychology . a person characterized by concern primarily with his or her own thoughts andfeelings ( opposed to extrovert). 

Or, better yet, this article pretty much sums it up. 

In short, introverts are not shy people or people who just don't like talking. We are people who choose are words carefully, and with meaning. We don't talk for the sake of talking. We like being around people, just not all the time.  We like being alone so we can analyze our thoughts. Being around people too much wears us out, and we need time alone to recharge. Extroverts get energy from interacting with people. We lose energy from interacting with people. We're not great at making small talk like "How was your day?" or "It's nice weather, isn't it?" We'll only ask you about your if we really want to know how it went. Many of the greatest artists, writers and scientists are introverts. 

Being an introvert isn't a negative thing. It took me some time to realize that. I thought it was "wrong" that I prefer to keep myself. Not to mention the constant goading from people to "come out of my shell." Hey, I like my shell! It's quite comfortable, thank you very much. I'll come out of it when I very well please. Not everyone is meant to be a "people" person. The world would be a chaotic place is everyone was a Type A personality, huh? 

There are benefits to being an introvert. We don't say stupid things we regret later. We don't talk out of our asses; we say meaningful things. We don't act on impulse, but think about our actions. And despite our seemingly "hardened" exterior, if you're not going to bug us, we're quite open to conversation. 

The one thing I don't agree on is the "quiet" thing. Introverts can be talkative too!

Yeah, there were times when I wish I was more "outgoing" or what have you, but now I'm just fine with my introverted-ness. All the extroverted people in the world seem to think that everyone should be just like them, and this isn't the case. The world needs variety. Being introverted is often seen as negative. Oh, the amount of times I had been called "anti-social" as a kid. Unfortunately, in a world of type A's, there is little room for us Type Z's (yes, I made that up). If there were no introverts, there would be no people sitting alone in their rooms or on benches in the park writing the world's greatest novels, songs, or making some of the world's best art. 

I'm an introvert, and I'm quite okay with that.