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Here’s the thing about being an introvert: Introverts enjoy their alone time. It’s not to say they are loners, but there are times when we just need to be alone. Being alone isn’t scary to us. For example, some people frown upon people who go the theatre by themselves because it’s “weird” while introverts, like me, go by ourselves because we enjoy time by ourselves. I guess the thing that really boggles introverts is that being alone has a negative connotation in society. In the work force, people are pushed together to work in a team, and in schools kids are told to work in groups in order to get things done. And the people who shine in these settings are none other than extroverts. So it’s not hard to see that the results that people want the most in these settings are extrovert characteristics. Which, I think, is dangerous, especially for introverts. It is because of this that introversion has words such as “socially awkward,” “loner”, and “odd” strung with it, when in fact, introversion is a natural state just like extroversion. We just don’t appreciate how introversion contributes to our world because society praises extroversion and demeans introversion. This is why I’ve always been pegged as socially anxious, when really, I enjoy silence than talking, reading over active engaging. And this isn’t to say that I enjoy this above all else, it just means that I need my time alone, because being around people can at times be overwhelming. Without that time alone, people like Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs wouldn’t have been able to get their work done. Both men are introverts who knew that in order to succeed, there was a time for group help, but there was also a necessity for alone time with their ideas. This is why it frustrates me that we don’t celebrate introversion more often. My alone time is devoted to creativity, imagination, and work. It’s where I get the most creative and productive work done. There’s so much more I could say on this topic, but I have to leave for an interview.
