Introverts Are People Too, I Swear.
posted October 19, 2008 - 10:15amBeing an introvert can be a terrible thing. Being an introvert surrounded by a room full of extroverts can be an even worse thing. Don’t get me wrong; – it’s not the extroverts that are to blame but when they’re all trying to talk and be heard at the same time, it can get rather confusing for an introvert when it comes to jumping into a conversation.
Why is it difficult? Because we need to stop for a few seconds and think about what’s being said, we need to think about how we feel, what we think about said topic and if we have something to say, we will. However, we like to choose our words carefully and by the time this process has occurred, the conversation has moved onto something completely different. This can be rather discombobulating. It seems the only way to join in a conversation is to simply blurt out some spur-of-the-moment randomness. We can’t help but feel that a lot of the time, people tend to talk just to hear themselves. (Although in saying that, I’ve experienced many introverts who have just come out with a random comment or two, only for it to be well received and if humorous, had everybody laughing.)
Another tier of this problem is that introverts hate small talk. We’re not good at it. If you’re on comfortable talking terms with an introvert, ask them what they think of small talk (remember to give them time to think about it and respond) and chances are, they will tell you that they find it frivolous and difficult - unnecessary and arduous. To us, small talk is repetitive, dull and somewhat patronising. There are only so many observations you can make about the weather.
Due to this dislike of small talk, introverts can come off as arrogant, shy or just plain rude. This is not the case as most of the time we’re simply not wasting our words or thoughts on generic things that could go without saying. Flip the coin, however, and initiate a conversation about deeper things, things outside of the box and you’ve got us on a roll. Many introverts thrive in conversations that get the mind ticking, whether it be politics, sociology or anything that involves probing a person’s personality to see what they really think about the world or life in general. The more you reveal to us, the more we ourselves will open up. As well as this small blossoming, you will have gained a great listener; because we don’t speak for the sake of it, we tend to listen more lest we miss something important.
Extroverts usually find themselves charged by the atmosphere of a social gathering and all the noise that goes along with it. Introverts, however, can quickly become drained of physical or emotional energy and before too long we tend to withdraw to somewhere quieter just to gather our thoughts. Loud music, bright lights and close proximity of other people that we’re not yet acquainted with can take its toll on our nervous system – some would call an introvert ‘sensitive’ and I suppose to some degree that would be true although I prefer the term ‘laidback’. Many introverts prefer quieter settings with fewer people; this way, they can hear what is being said to them and they don’t have to raise their voices – introverts hate raising their voices.
One specific misconception that people have of introverts is that they’re not properly socially adjusted, that they’re kinda weird. This isn't the case and makes everyone involved that bit more uncomfortable. If you’re in a social situation that involves an introvert (don’t worry, you’ll be able to spot them; – they’re the quiet ones that don’t quite know where to rest their gaze) then take things easy and actively engage them in conversation. The thing with introverts is that if we don’t know you very well, we can find it difficult to bother you with ourselves; – you see, we know we’re difficult to engage, at least to begin with, but show an introvert that you’re open to things other than small talk and we’ll talk away like anyone else and chances are, we'll be just as passionate.
Information for introverts and extroverts alike can be found here and other places;
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0102/p09s02-coop.html
http://briankim.net/blog/2007/10/top-5-things-every-extrovert-should-know-about-introverts/

Comments
You're damned right I can't
Oh is he a guy - No she is a girl
@XHellCatX--Padding the Response to CrystalZoom
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@CrystalZoom--That's a 2-Edge Sword on Public Journals
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I must say, this byte wasn't
Sorry I put this comment up here now I can't edit it out
Introverts & Extroverts
I'm an Extrovert Trapped in an Introvert's Body
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Wow, I'm sorry to hear all
Introvert
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