Living in an Extroverted World: 7 Struggles of Every Introvert

It was in high school when I was first introduced to the concept of introverts and extroverts. Naturally, as soon as our teacher had explained the idea to us, everyone in the class began identifying himself or herself as one or the other. My friend had turned to me and said,“You’re definitely an introvert. You’re so quiet.” I was reluctant to admit any truth to this statement. There seemed to be an assumption that extroverts were ‘cool’ and introverts were ‘quiet’ and ‘nerdy.’ Over time, I realized that introverts are merely misunderstood in a world where extroverts seem to dominate. Consequently, we face a slew of daily struggles I’m sure all of my fellow introverts can identify with.

1. People assume you’re judgmental

Just because you don’t speak your mind 24/7 doesn’t mean you’re judgmental and moody. Sometimes you like to keep your thoughts to yourself – try not to take it personally.

2. You have trouble turning your mind off

Your mind has no ‘off’ switch in sight. When you wake up in the morning you could easily lie there for hours thinking about life. This is especially distressing when you need to go to bed, but your running stream of thoughts prevents you from ever falling asleep.

3. Networking is not appealing

Especially throughout university, we are constantly told that networking can be an integral part of our careers. Yet, you have grown a strong dislike towards networking events. It’s not that you don’t want to meet new people or that you’re indifferent about your future. You value genuine connection. You would rather strike up a conversation with a single person you truly felt a connection with than make small talk with fifty random strangers.

4. Social media is not your cup of tea

Being an introvert, you truly appreciate your privacy. You are less open to sharing your thoughts and feelings on the daily and prefer to keep things as private as possible. There’s nothing wrong with Facebook or Twitter, you just may not be very active on your accounts.

5. When you say you’re an introvert, people think you’re socially awkward

Many people assume introverts are shy, despise social interaction and suffer from social anxiety. While we may not enjoy constantly being in social settings, we aren’t against social interaction – we just prefer being by ourselves. There is a distinction to be made between being ‘shy’ and ‘reserved.’

6. People never think you pay attention

The truth is, you’re ridiculously observant. Since you don’t speak up, however, people assume you’re not engaged or paying attention. Don’t worry, we are.

7. Your friends don’t understand when you need alone time

There are often Friday nights where you would rather be sitting in your bed watching Netflix than going out to a bar with your friends. It’s not that you’re anti-social. You just like to reserve some time for yourself. You value your own peace and quiet.

Introverts are not all fragile or hypersensitive; we merely have different perspectives than those of extroverts. Ultimately, we’re each unique, yet we are all to be celebrated.

Images obtained from:

http://61musings.com/2014/02/23/introverts-are-shy/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/celebratequotes/8497444434/

http://giphy.com/gifs/nope-reality-tv-LRVIib7uXMVe8

http://www.biography.com/news/jennifer-lawrence-gifs

• extrovert
• introvert
• life
• quiet
• stereotype