Anatomy of an Introvert

So lately, while I've been scrolling through Facebook or Twitter, I've seen many (far too many) misconceptions about introverts. I see words like "rude","antisocial","shy","no fun", etc. Being an introvert myself, I feel that we are deeply misunderstood by most of society, and these kinds of words don't make me very happy. So I felt the need to clear up some myths about people who classify themselves as introverts, what exactly an introvert is, and how they are different from extroverts.

So, here's my anatomy of an introvert.


What is an introvert?

The dictionary definition of an introvert is "a person characterized by concern primarily with his or her own thoughts and feelings." Meaning, introverts spend most of their time with themselves, their thoughts, and feelings, and are "energized" by spending time alone. 

Introvert Myths

1) All introverts are antisocial

This is far from true. Lots of introverts have active social lives and enjoy spending time with and talking to people, like extroverts. The key difference is that eventually, introverts get tired, and in order to recharge, they need to spend time alone. We have a different capacity for social time. This does not mean we don't like people or social events. At some point, we just need to be by ourselves for a bit.

2) Introverts are wrapped up in themselves, egotistical, etc.

If an introvert comes off as cold, this is because when they first arrive at a social event or meet someone new, they are processing information and the setting. They need a few minutes to understand what's going on and who they are with. They may seem distracted, quiet, or bored, but they are just being cautious. They want to process everything before diving into a conversation.

3) Introverts always want to be by themselves

This is an introvert stereotype that's constantly being tossed around. People think of introverts, they think of staying home all day, watching TV, not interacting with anyone. First of all, I feel like everyone does this every once in a while, even if you're an extrovert. Second, introverts do not always want to be alone. We just don't. We have friends and lives. However, they usually involved a couple of friends instead of a huge group. 

4) Introverts don't talk

Another introvert stereotype. We do talk, I promise. We're just careful about what we say. We are selective with our words, and we despise small talk. This is why introverts can come off as stand-offish when you first meet them. We just don't like talking just to talk.

I hope this cleared up some widespread myths about introverts. We love people, we like being social. We just have a different limit on social time than extroverts. And that doesn't mean we don't want to talk to you :)

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