Introvert and proud

When I was a kid, I always thought there was something wrong with me. My family would try to drag me to family gatherings or parties and all I wanted to do was just stay at home in my pjs and read a book.

I’ve been told often enough that I’m anti-social. Why would I want to stay at home when I could have fun at a family party or wedding? There had to be something wrong with me.

I was labelled weird.

Now that I’m older and, wiser I hope, I know there’s nothing wrong with me. I’m just an introvert. So I like to stay at home and read or watch a movie or binge on tv shows and kdramas instead of going out. So I like to be alone a lot with my own thoughts instead of the noise of other people.

There’s nothing wrong with that.

I’m an introvert and proud of it. I love books, and reading gives me the ability to transport myself to another world, where I can be anyone I want to be. I can battle against evil and vanquish it. In that world, good always wins as it so often doesn’t in the real world.

Did you know—when a good book transports you to its world, and you come back from it just a tad disoriented, wondering where you are or who you are—you just got rid of a boatload of stress from your shoulders? True. You come out of a good book relaxed and recharged.

We introverts are so often misunderstood, especially by family. Some think we’re weird. Some think they got saddled with an anomaly. Some think we’re shy (some of us are shy yes but on subjects that interest us, you won’t be able to get us to shut up). What they don’t know is that we’re introverts and we’re okay with that. We are deep thinkers, often daydreamers. We view the world differently and there is nothing wrong with that.

Why I am proud to be an Introvert:

1. I see more and that’s my super-power. I see beauty where others don’t, colors where others are color-blind.
2. I have a high level of concentration (which when you’re making origami is a must).
3. I can sit in a crowded place with a good book and immerse myself in that world to the point where I can ignore/forget my surroundings. (This is a big help especially when your coworkers are hypocrites and backstabbers.)
4. I don’t care what others think of me, and that’s terrific because it allows me to be who I am.
5. I am thoughtful and self-analyze myself so I know my weaknesses and how to eradicate them or at least learn to control them.
6. I can go on and on about the many reasons why, but the simplest is that I am not fake and I like who I am. How many people can say that about themselves?

For those who don’t know, this is how you care for your introverts:

1. If you see them reading a good book, don’t disturb them. You’ll likely rip them from the world they’re in and that’s bound to be painful. (Ouch!)
2. Let them think in silence, don’t pollute them with the noise of chit-chat. They’re likely to overload and explode. (Ka-boom!)
3. Talk to them about things that interest them and they’ll talk to you. (especially bookworms like moi, who won’t stop once you get us started on what we love)
4. Give them their alone time to recharge. Being alone for us introverts is a must, not a fear. We like our own company and the quiet solitude is an energizer for us.
5. Don’t expect fast answers from us, we tend to think it through before we answer. (Don’t worry, we don’t take ages to reply unless we forgot to.)
6. Text or email. DO NOT CALL. We’d rather be eaten alive by a T-Rex than talk on the phone.
7. Respect their privacy and their need for solitude.
8. Don’t ignore their obvious hints for quiet time. (Go away!)
9. Don’t belittle them or begrudge them for being an introvert. It’s hurtful.
10. MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL – DON’T TRY TO CHANGE THEM INTO AN EXTROVERT. They’re perfect the way they are.

So, not bad for a first written post, uh? 😉