Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Introverts - Not Shy!


Recently, my friend had shared with me a part of a video by Susan Cain on TED, and that really got the wheels in motion. I was engrossed in all that she said because it all related to me all too well. Needless to say, the next step I took was to go search up the entire video myself. I was captivated by the truth in her stories and the theories and I wanted to share some of the information I gained from just that one talk. However, if you guys are interested to find out more yourselves then you can even purchase her new book "Quiet" online here! (http://www.thepowerofintroverts.com)

Basically, the main idea that Susan Cain talks about is the fact that introverts are often passed over for extroverts even though introverts might be better skilled to handle the situations or problems at hand. This occurrence is seen everywhere - in school, workplaces or a majority of establishments that were built with mainly extroverts in mind. For example, schools in particular make it a point to constantly expose students to multitudes of group projects or "bonding" activities, and kids who just want to go off to contemplate matters themselves are thought to be anti-social or, in some extreme scenarios, problem cases. 

This is honestly a ridiculous assumption for anybody to make. Introverts are just people who work best in quiet contemplation. They are people who prefer to just have a nice, mild dinner with friends as compared to a “wild” and thrilling night out at a local pub with a bunch of rowdy strangers. Introverts aren’t shy, and they definitely aren’t anti-social! Shy people are people who are afraid of social scrutiny, maybe because of an inferiority complex or some similar issue. Introverts make up 1/3 or more of the population and are born without the need to constantly shine and be obnoxiously loud and hyper the whole day. Being more levelheaded and calm, introverts rarely feel the need to speak out unless their integrity or self-worth is in danger. This trait alone makes authority pass over introverts to appoint extrovert’s leadership roles or duties, even though an introvert is more than capable of handling the job. Simply put, introverts tend to be more meticulous, responsible and dependable.

Soft-spoken doesn’t mean stupid. Introverts make up the bulk of creative and decisive dreamers who are more than crucial n moving the economy forward. They are also willing to step up to the plate and are able to share the spotlight with somebody else readily. An extrovert, on the other hand, might elude success simply through a sheer amount of unfocused enthusiasm and personal recognition.

Quite honestly, how much more effective is work produced by a group as compared to that of one capable person? Yes, maybe a greater quantity of work can be produced. But how about when a decision needs to be made? When there are differing opinions, or just one bad grape in the bowl? Wouldn’t it be simpler and more efficient for all to have one single capable person calling the shots and allowing the others to carry out the process?

It’s not a hollow fact that many if the greatest leaders in history have been introverts – an example being Gandhi who had personally described himself as quiet and soft-spoken. Yet, such leaders were more than able to play the game when the need made itself known and were able to make their mark in history. However, this might be translated in a wrong way. Many introverts, like Susan Cain herself, have supressed their natural personalities and felt the need to prove themselves by going against their own natures and trying to conform to become the more unjustified but popular alternative accepted by society – an extrovert. This, I believe, is wrong. The world needs dreamers, they need creative minds that can work alone and produce work that can’t be rivaled by just anyone.

Nobody should ever feel pressured to be something they are not. Below is an image that encompasses my thoughts effectively. I’m not afraid or ashamed to admit that I am an introvert – one out of every three people or even more people you meet is probably just like me. While the world will always need some extroverts, introverts will always have a place in this world and can become great doing what they do best – working alone without a need to conform to social pressure.

I’m not saying that being an extrovert is wrong or even inferior – frankly, nobody is a pure introvert or a pure extrovert. Everybody is somewhere in the middle of that scale. Although you may be an extrovert, look at your friends, your kids or even your spouse. What things wouldn’t be possible without the existence of introverts?

Here’s a request for you, dear reader – the next time somebody else puts down an introvert, you stand up to them and maybe explain to them the difference between being an introvert and being anti-social. This world needs to change its perception of many things, and the process can only be started with each and every one of you.

And finally, to my fellow introverts – never be afraid to be who you are! Don’t ever conform because there would always be multitudes of others who will love you for who you are.

Thank you for your time!

Please don't hesitate to send in any of your own thoughts or feedback to Ordinarysgkid@hotmail.com or to follow me on twitter at @NatKathXo Comments on the article itself is welcomed too! Please share the article if you happen to find it interesting! :)


Credit: Google for Images. First: blanejr.blogspot.com Second: ewagele.wordpress.com Third: monkeymagic.net

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