The Perks of Being an Introvert

Article in brief: A journey into the mind of an introvert.

Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computers; Rosa Parks, African American civil rights activist; Eleanor Roosevelt, longest-serving First Lady of the US; Al Gore, politician and philanthropist; Warren Buffet, business manager and investor; and Gandhi, leader of Indian nationalism in British-ruled India, all of those are people who history remembers because of things they achieved due to their introversion. And although that was their strength, society perceives introverts as a weakness. Yet, they were all able to overcome that misconception and prove that being an introvert has an extremely high potential to achieve great things.

“Quiet. The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking” is a book that reveals the true identity of the misunderstood introverts; people who prefer living privately, people who enjoy sitting at home reading a book rather than going out and socializing, people who speak up only when they find it necessary, people who are usually behind the scenes because that is how they prefer it. Although these individuals prefer standing in the shadows, they can accomplish so much while remaining in their comfort zone.

In fact, most of the myths about introverts are false. For example, the thought that introverts do not like to talk is wrong; they only talk when they feel that what they are about to say is useful and when it is about a subject they are interested in. There is also another myth about introverts being shy; but in fact they only interact when they find it necessary. Another myth about introverts is that they don’t like going out; but the interesting thing is that they are so observant, they go out for a short time, absorb all of the experiences they need, and then return to their homes to process. They don’t like wasting time; instead, they use less time than extroverts to process things and make use of them.

We live with the misconception that outspoken individuals and social extroverts are the creative charismatic leaders of our time and that a person who is not social enough will never succeed. We emphasize that concept in our children, at work, and we apply it when choosing our friends and acquaintances.

We fail to understand that a quiet, private person is born with that characteristic. It is literarily in their DNA. For example, their brains are too sensitive to a neurotransmitter called Dopamine which makes them uncomfortable in loud and noisy places. We misjudge that as a weakness and an obstacle to success but in fact, introverts have a lot of power over extroverts in their analysis of situations, way of thinking, execution skills, stressful situations, and creativity.

Author Franz Kafka once said about introverts, “The limited circle is pure”. Next time you meet an introvert, remember that there is a lot to them that doesn’t meet the eye. Try opening an interesting topic with them and you will discover an intellect, artist, philosopher, or musician. Just because it’s too loud out there doesn’t mean we should block out the quiet people.