Saturday, November 6, 2010
Introverts
As I browsed through my daily blog entries on Google reader I came across a link to a fabulous article about introverts which I can really recommend. As an introvert, which the author of the article also is, I really identified with his analysis. I've had so many well-meaning friends (extroverts for sure) who are convinced that I'd be better off if I just "got out more." They don't seem to understand that no matter how nice the people are, just being with people drains energy right out of me. I believe the author said that a couple hours was his maximum level of comfort and certainly for me, 1-2 hours at a time is all I can handle also. When the fact that I'm an introvert gets factored into the situation where I also have low energy levels because of my Hashimoto's Auto-Immune Thyroid Disorder, it is easy to see why I have difficulty managing my schedule which seems very full to me, but in reality would seem empty to my extrovert friends. Again, it all becomes a balancing act. As much as I enjoy tutoring, I have to keep a strict watch on my commitments so that I don't overdo. According to the article, introverts are more apt to understand extroverts than the other way around, but what I've found personally as an introvert is that until recently when I began to understand what it means to be an introvert, I always assumed that somehow there was something wrong with me. But as the author says so clearly, "First, recognize that it's not a choice. It's not a lifestyle. It's an orientation." Just as being gay in not a choice, so is being an introvert, and both, along with other individual traits, etc. are just fine, thank you kindly.
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Daphne, I am so sorry to hear that you are dealing with Hashimoto's. I found your site and love this post. I am actually an introvert by nature myself, and so I completely understand where you are coming from with your need for alone time. I also actually had Hashimoto’s myself and used natural means to put it into remission. Now I work as a Holistic Health Counselor and teach others to do the same. Would love to chat with you more about what you’re going through! :) Thanks for such a beautiful blog. You're an excellent and heart-felt writer.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for your comments and I'd love to hear more about your experiences, especially with Hashimoto's. I see a wonderful naturopath and she really does her best to stay on top of it all, but it is a constant battle. And now, to add insult to injury, I turn 65 in December and I'm being forced into Medicare which does not cover naturopaths and so I'm having to figure out some way around this hurdle as well. I refuse to change doctors as I think the holistic approach to health makes a ton more sense. I also object to being told what I have to do and having a government with the idea that one size fits all, but that's a topic for another day. Anyway, glad you liked the introvert post--we are a misunderstood minority and I thought the article I cited was particularly insightful. Glad you are enjoying my blog! Have a great day!
ReplyDeleteHi, Daphne!
ReplyDeleteAs a fellow introvert I must read the article you shared just as soon as I have the time! For the longest time I thought I was an extrovert, thinking that being an introvert meant being shy, which didn't fit. Then I read a new (to me) definition of introverts being people whose batteries are recharged through solitude and solitary activities, extroverts through being around others and group activities. Bingo! I definitely have a few extrovert qualities but am clearly mostly introverted, and that explained a lot!
I read a book last year you might also enjoy, "Introvert Power: Why Your Inner Life is Your Hidden Strength" by Laurie Helgoe, PhD. (Here's her web site). One thing she talks in the book's first chapter is that the majority of people are actually introverts! But so many feel pressure to behave and think of themselves as extroverts, or like me they don't understand introversion well enough to identify themselves accurately. The article you shared may well address this too, and I'm eager to read it!
And what a nice serendipity that lizschau found your blog! :-)
Yes, I also confused shyness with introvertedness (is that even a word?) as I am both shy and fearful, but then I too discovered that the difference between introverts and extroverts is where we get our batteries recharged, and that in fact it is a continuum and everyone falls somewhere along the continuum and we even shift our spot on the continuum at various points in our life, and finally that we each have both introvert and extrovert in us. My extrovert side may be much smaller, but it is still there and it gets nourished with my tutoring. Anyway, I too enjoyed Introvert Power and I hope you like the article I found as it is short and for me, captured the concept very clearly. And yes, the added serendipity is that I got another person posting a comment! I sure appreciate "chatting" with you and all your comments!
ReplyDelete