Introversion

I’m an introvert. This doesn’t necessarily mean that I don’t like people, or that I’m shy, or socially awkward (though social awkwardness is sometimes a thing, particularly if I’m getting tired or having CFS problems). It just means I recharge my batteries by being alone, rather than having lots of people around. I act like an extrovert when I’m out and about, and at work, but this means that I don’t tend to make friends who last beyond that semester/job/situation. Occasionally I’ll meet someone who I hit it off with, but it doesn’t happen often. So many people misunderstand my preference for a movie night at home over a big party to mean I’m snobby and not interested in being friends – I’m not snobby, I do want to be your friend, I just find parties difficult. How about we catch up for coffee instead?

If you’re interested in the differences between introverts and extroverts, a good place to start is Susan Cain’s “Quiet” (that’s the link to the website, but definitely read her book as well). She’s also done a TEDTalk which is a good watch. The website has a lot of good links for further reading as well. If you’re going to google it, take anything you read with considerable thought (Google is not Omnipotent – as shown here). And this comic by heyluchie is a great starting point.

~K