Explaining to people that I am an introvert is one of the more laborious parts of my life. Doing so is most often met with surprise and doubt. Choruses of “Really? You? An introvert? But you’re so social!” or “You know so many people” or “You’re not that quiet…” are a regular occurrence. These first impressions stem from the misconceived ideas about the nature of being introverted or what it entails.
I identify as an introvert on a very strong level, and have ever since I was younger. As a kid, I’d be one of the most social people on the playground, usually running up to random kids I didn’t know and attempting to engage them in conversation. However, as soon as I got home from a long day at school, I would retreat to my room, where I would relax, pore over books, and just generally try to get as much “me” time as I possibly could. Nowadays, I still tend to follow a similar pattern. I like to keep a wide circle of friends, seek out social events on a regular basis, and, according to some of my friends, have a tendency to be quite rowdy at times. However, these qualities are not mutually exclusive with the fact that I am an introvert. The most basic misconception about the difference between introverts and extroverts is that extroverts are social, whereas introverts are not, and that this is the defining character that separates the two identities.
This is in fact, far from the truth. Extroverts are people that gain their energy and recharge by being around people. Introverts, on the other hand, are people that can be drained by being in social situations, and will often need to take time to themselves in order to recharge. For me, this looks like a fun weekend of partying followed by a Sunday night all to myself where I can watch Netflix, eat pizza, and avoid interaction, all to my heart’s content.
However, the differences between extroversion and introversion (whether social or otherwise) don’t necessarily always look like this. In fact, it is my personal belief that extroversion and introversion lie on a spectrum. This belief is one that is shared by others as well – you may have heard the term ambivert being used to describe someone who doesn’t quite fit the profile of an introvert or extrovert, displaying strong qualities of both.
Why is it important to understand the distinction between the myths and realities surrounding introverts? Besides doing so in the interests of recognizing people’s unique qualities in the most accurate way, there is also a tendency for introverts to be discouraged from taking on leadership roles in life, in their careers, and elsewhere. Common myths such as the fact that introverts can’t be good leaders because “they don’t like people,” or that they aren’t necessarily the ones taking up the most space in any given setting fail to recognize an introvert’s true potential. Introverts have just as much leadership potential as anyone else. They just have a different way of displaying this to the people they are working with. While there is almost a kind of stigma associated with being an introvert, there is no real reason for this to be the case. As an introvert myself, the last thing I would want is for others to doubt my leadership potential or credibility just because I don’t act a certain way, or because I identify with a particular set of personality traits. Working to address these kinds of misconceptions about the differences between introverts and extroverts can cultivate a more equitable mentality for everyone in these types of positions.
That being said, there is absolutely nothing wrong with identifying as either an extrovert or an introvert. I’m proud to say that I am very much an introvert. Although I can be social and for some people, this makes me hard to place, I accept and embrace the parts of me that make me an introvert. So whenever I am met with the inevitable choruses of “Really? You? An introvert?” I smile, and gladly reply, “Yes I am.”
Sources:
http://careerrocketeer.com/2013/06/5-leadership-myths-that-introverts-sh…
http://theodysseyonline.com/colorado-college/introverts-myth-vs-reality/…
Image source:
http://cdn.collegeinfogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/introvert-vs-s…