It seems that, in many ways, we live in a world that never stops talking. It seems as if every aspect of our society caters to the energetic extroverts among us. In elementary school, many of us were forced to give presentations or participate in show and tell. Those that participated in class more were consistently rewarded with praise from teachers. It did not seem to matter how relevant or perceptive their ideas were, it just mattered that they were talking. While those sitting towards the back of the class, such as myself, were passed over for this praise. I've always considered myself to be an introvert. Not because I dislike being in social situations, quite the contrary, I love being with my friends and the people that I care about. I consider myself an introvert because I need time to myself. I need time to "recharge" and gather my thoughts after a hectic day of social interaction.
I find that I can gather my thoughts and process my emotions more effectively in solitude. I like to read. I like to write. I like to listen to music. I do not feel the need or the desire to be the constant center of attention or converse about the weather or baseball with casual acquaintances. That does nothing for me. When I do talk with my friends, I want to really talk with them. I want to know about their inner, hidden selves. I do not think our society values those kinds of interactions enough. Everything is superficial. Surface level. Furthermore, I believe that many people associate introversion with anti-social behaviors. This could not be further from the truth. I greatly value human interaction, I just don't need it all the time. I often hear about the positive aspects of extroversion, about how being gregarious, exuberant, outgoing, and "the life of the party" are all traits that we should strive for. That if we don't try and act like this, something is clearly wrong.
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I disagree.
The beauty of introversion is that we see a hidden world. A world of subtle meanings and textures. When we listen to a song, we do not do so for a catchy beat or some other arbitrary aspect. We listen to the lyrics. We let that song touch something deep inside of us. We write stories and poems; not so we can post them on Facebook, but because we find that writing can open the door to our true thoughts and emotions, In her book "Quiet", Susan Cain states that "whoever you are, bear in mind that appearance is not reality...the next time you see a person with a composed face and a soft voice, remember that inside her mind she might be solving an equation, composing a sonnet, designing a hat. She might, that is, be deploying the powers of quiet.”
Instead of showering praise on the student at the front of the class who always has their hand up, we should pay equal attention to the soft-spoken child in the back. The one who no one notices may be sketching a complex piece of artwork or solving a math equation in their head. That child, the quiet one, may be a CEO or an artist someday.
It is important that we recognize that.
