I am an introvert.
The idea occurred to me recently, but I have refused to accept it until last night, when the thought actually became pleasureable.
The telephone was ringing, and my mind was hovering somewhere between apprehension and terror. I hesitated until it was too late. The ringing stopped and I was relieved. And that's when it hit me flat over the head: I would rather stay safe in the shadows and away from conflict rather than face it head on. An introvert!
Ah ha! How much better would life be from that angle? There would simply be an excuse for everything!
"Oh, don't mind me. I'm an introvert... Sorry, I can't go to prom with you. I'd rather stay home-- didn't you know? I'm an introvert."
Of course, I am not all introverted. I have my glorious extrovert moments, which are mostly me being abnormal and foolish. But over all I feel much safer standing next to someone else.
I have found in my new position that I do not feel inferior to extroverts, nor do I feel like I need special care and feeding instructions now that my case has been identified. Just let me have a bagel, and a cup of hot chocolate and I'll be content to watch an entire season of The Office by myself.
I suspect introverts were probably put on this planet to provide balance to all of those jabbering extroverts running around talking about nothing 98 percent of the time. Extroverts have a driving passion to be the center of attention. They have a comment about every subject in the world and they have a joke for every situation. In one conversation, an extrovert will make ten statements to one introvert comment.
I was always told that being an introvert was never a popular characteristic. A negative personality trait, if you will. I don't think so. I find that introverts tend to be incredibly thoughtful and intelligent people.
So I only have one thing left to say:
My name is Joslynn, and I am an introvert.
Are you?
12 comments:
I related to this post completely. And it wasn't in the "oh, I've felt that way before" kind of way either. It was the "Yes! Finally someone has been able to explain my behavior in words!" kind of way.
Tell me if you relate to this:
-Leaving a room full of people multiple times throughout the occasion to go find a place to be alone for a few minutes until you can compose yourself and go back, even when they might be your closest friends or relatives.
-Being in a house full of fifteen year olds and retreating into a dark corner with a guitar and nothing but your song.
-Teachers say you can work in groups or work alone. You work alone.
-Turning lights off around you so people won't know you're there.
-Going into the bathroom when you don't need to to avoid talking to a teacher.
-Phonephobia
So I guess I'm an introvert too.
Yesssss! Other people like ME! An introvert! Now...you guys may not believe me when I say I'm an introvert, but I am. Examples of my introvertness? Here goes:
-EVERYTHING, and I mean everything Brittany has said.
-I show up late for the party, enter the back way so no one notices me, exit the back way when I feel like, and at the perfect moment so no one notices.
-I avoid having to deal with anyone in general by going out of my way to get out of the way, or quickly look at the floor, no eye contact.
-When talking to some extrovert, all I ever say is "uh-huh". When talking with other introverts, I have the best conversations ever!! (Because they ain't your everyday conversations, but DEEP.)
-I dislike classes where we have to work in groups.
-When friends call to go somewhere, I give a pathetic excuse, and go back to watching some tv series that no one has ever heard of before.
-On noisy long 8 hour bus rides (like the one I'm forced to go through tomorrow...), I don't watch the movies, I don't holler and yell like the others, but I sink quietly into my book.
-When I don't want to be involved, I turn off my hearing aids to be truly clueless about everything.
-I confuse people. They think I have a twin sister. They see me at the school, very, very introverted. Then they see me at the pool, my comfort zone, my second home, and sometimes I'm just loud and obnoxious for a change. I have been asked if I have a quiet twin sister. Nope. That's me. I wonder if I'm bipersonalityar?
I forgot one: I'm usually in bed, asleep by 9 or 10 on the WEEKEND.
Britt- I definitely have a nasty case of telephonephobia. I also often leave the room for alone time, and I am sure if my house was infested with 15 year old boys I would flee to the darkest possible corner as well.
As for working alone... I figure it's less work I have to do in a group, right?
I've never avoided talking to a teacher or tried turning out the lights, but I assume this is because I am so introverted people do not know I am there anyway.
Nat- It is your introvertedness that makes you a magical human being. The coolest part is that when you are comfortable you are not introverted at all, and when you are at school you can morph personalities and become somebody completely different!
I would not have you any other way.
I too am an introvert. I have mastered the ways of the hermit.
I like your new layout, the birds and the cookie. The little saying is awesome.
Thank you. I quite like my layout too... Jesse!!!
Plagiarism.
I am also an introvert, my sweet.
There, I fixed it. Now it is all originally my own.
I knew I shouldn't have guidelined that first paragraph...
Jesse is my name! Mischief is my game. :)
At least you didn't call me Jamie like your mother does. haha
She called you Jamie? Ugh... I'm sorry.
She called me Libby once, if it makes you feel any better.
as always, Miss Jossay, your thoughts intrigue me. i don't know that i am an introvert, per ce, but i certainly do tend to keep to myself in the way that you describe "are you going to the football game tonight?" or course not i'd rather spend some quality time with myself. :-)
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