When the words “introverted” and “extroverted” are thrown around in day to day conversation they are usually marked by stereotypes and sweeping generalizations about how these two opposite types of people are supposed to act. One’s a party person, while the other is a quiet nerd. One loves talking while the other is deathly afraid of it. As society becomes increasingly more diverse and as our generation begins to explore different and alternative pathways of diversity regarding race, gender, ethnicity and culture, something that is often not addressed are the varying personalities and temperaments each person has and develops throughout their lives.

Classifying ourselves as an introvert or an extrovert creates this mold that many people deem is necessary to fit into. In a progressive society and in a culture that celebrates diversity, shouldn’t we also celebrate diversity too?

One of the most important lessons I learned about myself and the relationships I built was how I learned to interact with people around me. The one thing I learned from this is one single theorY— opposites attract. As a “self-proclaimed” extroverted introvert I have never considered myself to be shy or afraid to talk to people. Speaking was something that fortunately came naturally to me, but despite this one of the most important skills I learned and had as an introvert was my ability to listen. In terms of relationships, be it friends or a romantic interest, this is very important to understand. An introvert wants to listen to someone. An introvert will have the patience to deal with long rants and hard-lined opinions. Extroverts, on the other hand, generally want to be heard. The want to be heard is complimented by an introvert’s ability to listen.

In many ways, this can be applied to so many things in our daily lives as well. When most people think of leaders, they have this preconception that they are loud, outspoken and unforgiving harbingers of deadlines and the subsequent punishments for not making these deadlines. While I do believe extroverts can make amazing leaders, the misconception that introverts will not or cannot is simply not true. Similarly to relationships, introverts can provide a unique perspective on leading a team and being a leader. People want to have their voice be heard. An important aspect that I believe introverts bring to the team are their ability to empathize and relate. This quality is often overlooked by leadership traits that are seen as “powerful” or domineering. Hopefully as our society becomes more and more accepting, these misconceptions about introverts and extroverts slowly go away and we all progress because of it.

I am a proud introvert and just like everyone else out there I want my voice to be heard and I want to listen to the voices of everyone around me.