Let us start with some simple yes or no questions. Do you prefer one-on-one conversations rather than group activities? Do you hate “small talk” but love talking about very specific topics that matter to you? Do you enjoy being alone sometimes?
If your answer to all of these questions is yes, then congratulations, you are officially an INTROVERT (Just like me!).
Being an introvert is like having a slow internet browser in your mind. 17 tabs are open, 6 of them are still loading and you don’t know where your favourite Spotify playlist is running in a loop (Oops. 404 - Page not found!).
Let us now just google the definition of introverts and extroverts to understand the difference (Now introverts aimlessly scroll to search for the chrome icon while extroverts just shriek OK Google to get the answer quickly!).
Introverts are described as shy and reserved personalities who would rather fancy spending time alone. Extroverts are described as socially confident and out-going personalities.
The shift in polarity of words used, ranging from shy to socially confident shows nothing but the distinct contradiction between introverts and extroverts. Pretty sure, all these terms were coined by an extrovert (Because it's an extrovert's world!).
In today's world, it is assumed that being an introvert is like being a loser and to become successful in this world, you have to be an extrovert.
But in this same world Albert Einstein, JK Rowling, Steven Spielberg and even Mahatma Gandhi were introverts successful in their respective fields. So it's time to break the myth that only an extrovert can be successful.
You are stamped with an introvert tag even if you are doing ordinary things like reading books for a hobby or watching movies rather than playing outside with your friends. The same applies if you are the silent one in family functions, trying to surf away from their small social talks.
All these tags combined paints a negative undesirable image. You start to hate yourself and see an under-confident person whenever you look at yourself in the mirror.
Even if you love doing what you love, it makes you feel uncomfortable when you are alone and pushes you to venture out to mingle, doesn't matter whether you enjoy it or not.
Introverts ultimately reach a point where they start to feel bad about themselves and begin to cultivate habits like all other extroverts at the cost of losing their uniqueness. You wish to become like someone else and also try to become them.
You tend to empathise for people eating alone in a restaurant or coming to watch a movie alone. Sometimes you judge them for being weird until you prefer doing the same thing!
Watching a movie alone in a theatre with all the Pepsi and popcorn to yourself makes you witness a magic on-screen, there is no one to interrupt while you are completely immersed in the story.
Upon realization that being an introvert is normal, you accept that everything around you to be normal and don't care about anyone else's comments on being an introvert.
In 1921, famous psychologist Carl Jung gave a more accurate definition for extroverts and introverts. He defines extroverts as people who derive energy from the external world (Which comprises people and their activities).
On the other hand, introverts derive energy from the internal world (Which includes feelings, thoughts, observations and ideas). So basically extroverts are solar-powered and introverts are battery-powered.
Both of these sides have their advantages and disadvantages. But in the case of introverts, we tend to focus more on the negative side of things a little more. Some introverts drown in this negative side trying to seek acceptance. They begin to behave like other people to fit in and lose their uniqueness.
It might give you a brief moment of joy and company you were yearning for but in the long run, your mental health starts to drop and goes past the zero marks into the negative scale.
It is time for introverts to start accepting a few things rather than seeking acceptance. One, you cannot please everyone in this world. Two, you are not alone in what you are feeling. Finally, the instant you accept yourself, you grow automatically!
Written by - Deepan R
Edited by - Ivanova
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