Being an Introvert Ain't Easy

Being an Introverted isn't easy. "Why are you so quiet?" "Are you angry?" "What's wrong, you seem distraught?" Introverts are very much a minority in many societies. It has been estimated that about 1/3 of Americans are introverted.

So what does it mean to be introverted? How difficult is it to be an Introvert in an Extroverted society? Well, it is very difficult and challenging and for many reasons.

Extroverted people draw their energy from being around other people. That is when they feel alive and more energized. They are at their best when they are around other people.

Introverts, however, are the complete opposite. This is something I can attest to. I feel so much more energized and much more creative when I am by myself. I love the peace and serenity that being alone offers.

I can spend hours in the world that is myself and explore so many ideas. I can interact with so many thoughts. I can explore so many other worlds.

This is the mindset that I have as an introvert. Just because I do not talk doesn't mean that I hate anyone. It just means that I am thinking and thinking is a powerful weapon in this world.

When I talk it usually has something of meaning. Now before I continue on I must make it clear that I have no intentions of berating or denigrating the extroverted mindset.

I understand that we are different, and I do not expect anyone to ever change for me. That is a great insult to them as another human being. However, at the same time what I have learned and observed with extroverts is their inability (not all) to accept an introvert just wanting to be by themselves.

Extroverted people from my experience take many things personal except themselves. And now we enter into the titular issue. It is very hard to be an introvert in an extroverted world because of this notion that if I don't talk to you then I don't like you.

This is a very myopic and distorted way of looking at the world and people in it and precisely why it is so difficult to be an introvert.

Now don't get me wrong. I love a good conversation. I love talking about life and the meanings we give to it. I can talk for hours on philosophy or psychology. But what I cannot do, and something I believe many Introverts cannot do as well is to talk about trivial issues.

I cannot talk about a person I rarely know and spend hours saying this person is this or that without ever talking to them.

Now I understand that this does not represent ALL extroverts but this does represent plenty of extroverts and this is the number one reason why it is so difficult to be an Introvert.

The second we refuse to engage in trivial topics we are henceforward deemed as anti-social or "weird".

The name calling is not that bad but it is now the social interactions that are made needlessly difficult with others that become an issue. If you don't talk to this person then WE ALL will make your life as hard as it can be.

And we get this treatment for simply not wanting to engage in mundane conversation.

We don't hate you because we don't talk to you. We are just thinking and having conversations with ourselves. You are more than welcome to join the conversation but you have to add some valuable insight into our conversation.

Just because we don't talk out loud doesn't mean we aren't talking silently within.