Extroverts draw their energy from being with people and being social. Quietness drives them crazy and they will do anything to create noise or avoid being alone.
Introverts draw their energy from being alone and relish times of quiet. Crowds and excessive noise drive them crazy and they will do anything to find quiet and avoid being with large groups of people.
Guess which one I am? If you know me even a little bit, you know I'm extremely introverted. I avoid crowds at all costs. I crave times when it's quiet. I avoid social situations where I will be in contact with people I don't know. I love being alone.
Does this make me anti-social or not a friendly person? Does this mean I don't like people at all or never want to be with them? Does this mean I have some kind of problem? The world would have you think so, but it's not that way at all. Allow me to give you a glimpse into the world of an introvert. Introverts like me not only desire, but need down time. We find social situations exhausting and need quiet time to recharge our batteries.
While it's true introverts avoid meeting strangers as much as possible, we can be (and usually are) capable of being very social. We just can't do it until we're comfortable and sometimes that takes a long, long time! Introverts enjoy socializing as much as extroverts, but it must come in shorter and less frequent stints. Introverts crave times of quiet. However, just because I'm quiet, it doesn't mean I'm dumb or have nothing on my mind. On the contrary. I'm usually not talking because I am deep in thought (and yes, sometimes lost in my own thoughts). Introverts (unlike extroverts) do not feel the need to fill quiet moments with talking. If I have something worth saying, I'll say it. If I don't have something important to say, I keep my mouth shut. Sometimes it's okay to be quiet. In fact, some people would do better to NOT say everything that pops into their heads. Admit it. We ALL know people like this.
Introversion is not a sickness. Contrary to popular belief, there's nothing wrong with us. It is a normal way of life for 50% of the population (although you'd never know it because we are most comfortable blending into the background rather than being the center of attention). In this generation of people putting every detail of their lives on Facebook. With the over saturation of people taking "selfies" and in this age of everybody saying look at ME! ME! ME! ME! ME! It is a breath of fresh air when someone chooses to keep something to themselves. Some of us choose to lead by example and not with our mouths. Do as I do, not as I say.
This graphic does a pretty good job of making the point of what I've been trying to say. However, I do not agree with the last part. I do not want the whole world to shut up. The world needs extroverts and needs to accept their ways just as much as the world needs introverts and needs to accept their ways. Well, anyway.......
A few more thoughts...
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