People
laugh when I tell them I am an introvert.
I am dead serious, yet they laugh and snort at me.
They
confuse “shy” with introvert. I am not
shy. I know how to defend myself. I can talk to strangers easily. I have social skills. Anyone who has met me knows I LOVE
to talk.
I am an
introvert. I like people but I also need
to be alone. As a charismatic introvert,
getting along with others is a priority, but it tires me. After a day of smiling, chatting, and seeing
to the needs of others, I go home exhausted.
I can go
for days (and have) without needing the proximity of another living being,
animal or human.
I choose
my friends with great care. If you have
gained my favor (not necessarily my confidence), I am fiercely loyal. But I have been known to disown family and
friends. They cease to exist in my circle. It takes a lot to lose my
friendship, so it should not be a great surprise to those who do. They only have to look at themselves and how
they treated me to understand the alienation.
It
surprises me to hear that I am rude, or cold, or arrogant. It usually comes
from those who find me a threat. They do
not understand that my rudeness is a defensive strategy or intolerance for
stupidity and hypocrisy. If they find me
cold, it stems from my introvert nature.
They mistake my smile for friendship and are insulted when it isn’t. As
for the arrogance, I have no excuse.
Introverts
are thinkers and great studiers of their surroundings. While others force their ideas on others with
their loud voices and threatening body language, introverts (or at least this
introvert) see through their affectations and call their bluff.
Data
shows that introverts make up half of the population, but I beg to differ. I would say we outnumber the extroverts if
you count many have been falsely classified because they are or have been in
the public eye. Abe Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Rosa Parks
were introverts. Albert Einstein, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg are
introverts. Audrey Hepburn, Candice Bergman and most authors, especially my
favorite J. K. Rowling, are introverts.
It’s not
a laughing matter; it is a personality trait, and I am glad to be one.
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