Friday, May 6, 2011

10 Myths and Facts about Introverts.


Myth #1 – Introverts don’t like to talk.
This is not true. Introverts just don’t talk unless they have something to say. They hate small talk. Get an introvert talking about something they are interested in, and they won’t shut up for days.
Myth #2 – Introverts are shy.
Shyness has nothing to do with being an Introvert. Introverts are not necessarily afraid of people. What they need is a reason to interact. They don’t interact for the sake of interacting. If you want to talk to an Introvert, just start talking. Don’t worry about being polite.
Myth #3 – Introverts are rude.
Introverts often don’t see a reason for beating around the bush with social pleasantries. They want everyone to just be real and honest. Unfortunately, this is not acceptable in most settings, so Introverts can feel a lot of pressure to fit in, which they find exhausting.
Myth #4 – Introverts don’t like people.
On the contrary, Introverts intensely value the few friends they have. They can count their close friends on one hand. If you are lucky enough for an introvert to consider you a friend, you probably have a loyal ally for life. Once you have earned their respect as being a person of substance, you’re in.
Myth #5 – Introverts don’t like to go out in public.
Nonsense. Introverts just don’t like to go out in public FOR AS LONG. They also like to avoid the complications that are involved in public activities. They take in data and experiences very quickly, and as a result, don’t need to be there for long to “get it.” They’re ready to go home, recharge, and process it all. In fact, recharging is absolutely crucial for Introverts.
Myth #6 – Introverts always want to be alone.
Introverts are perfectly comfortable with their own thoughts. They think a lot. They daydream. They like to have problems to work on, puzzles to solve. But they can also get incredibly lonely if they don’t have anyone to share their discoveries with. They crave an authentic and sincere connection with ONE PERSON at a time.
Myth #7 – Introverts are weird.
Introverts are often individualists. They don’t follow the crowd. They’d prefer to be valued for their novel ways of living. They think for themselves and because of that, they often challenge the norm. They don’t make most decisions based on what is popular or trendy.
Myth #8 – Introverts are aloof nerds.
Introverts are people who primarily look inward, paying close attention to their thoughts and emotions. It’s not that they are incapable of paying attention to what is going on around them, it’s just that their inner world is much more stimulating and rewarding to them.
Myth #9 – Introverts don’t know how to relax and have fun.
Introverts typically relax at home or in nature, not in busy public places. Introverts are not thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies. If there is too much talking and noise going on, they shut down. Their brains are too sensitive to the neurotransmitter called Dopamine. Introverts and Extroverts have different dominant neuro-pathways. Just look it up.
Myth #10 – Introverts can fix themselves and become Extroverts.
A world without Introverts would be a world with few scientists, musicians, artists, poets, filmmakers, doctors, mathematicians, writers, and philosophers. That being said, there are still plenty of techniques an Extrovert can learn in order to interact with Introverts. (Yes, I reversed these two terms on purpose to show you how biased our society is.) Introverts cannot “fix themselves” and deserve respect for their natural temperament and contributions to the human race. In fact, one study (Silverman, 1986) showed that the percentage of Introverts increases with IQ.

As mentioned in the comment: Courtesy of: http://www.carlkingdom.com/10-myths-about-introverts (Thank you for writing a beautiful piece.)

9 comments:

  1. Yah man/woman I'm an introvert and you really nailed this thing on the head. Like I like to flaneur a lot and just stare at things and deconstruct things and I watch a lot of movies and I really love to deconstruct their compositions. Except this stuff isn't normal in society so the only way to let the ideas flow is to keep it to myself. Once people see that I keep a lot to myself they get all weird on me. It's nice to know that there are others who fit this description

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  2. Yup! we are also happy to find that a lot of people responded to this post and that means they share our feelings. There have been a lot of brilliant introverts who have been great leaders and speakers inspiring the world. There is no reason we should feel our habits to be weird.

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  3. Thanks so much for posting this!!! my parents always get on my case for being a 'loner' and everything, and they dont believe me when i say i wont get depressed or whatever. i just like being alone sometimes. thanks so much!!

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  4. dude i dont know whether im an extrovert or introvert...
    any way to find out??
    :/

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  5. Very simple! An introvert likes to spend sometime time alone with his/her thoughts only. And this 'alone time' is very important to keep them in good mood otherwise they simply start feeling stressed.

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  6. Love this article.

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  7. Hi, I'm the original author of this list. http://www.carlkingdom.com/10-myths-about-introverts

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  8. Wow I feel like I've just read a short summary of my life. Makes me feel better about a lot of things!

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  9. i think it's be better to say that ALL introverts are like these myths. I don't doubt the existence of rude or shy introverts, so I think it'd be better to put something like:

    Myth 1: ALL introverts don't like to talk

    instead of

    Myth 1: Introverts don't like to talk


    anyway, i liked your article.

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Thanks for your comment :)