5 Myths about Introverts

​Many people don’t fully understand what it means to be an introvert. And honestly even most introverts don’t fully understand it either. That is where I was for a long time. I thought something was wrong with me. I felt down on myself all the time for feeling the way I felt.

Most people equate introversion with shyness, depression, or social anxiety. When introverts go quiet, we are wrongly accused of being stuck up, angry, or disinterested. And when we spend time alone, we are often accused of being antisocial or selfish.

It is beyond frustrating how many times I have been accused of the above, even by my close family members growing up.

Here are the five worst myths about Introverts:

1. Introverts are socially awkward. Just like shyness, social awkwardness is a separate trait from introversion. Many introverts can actually be quite charismatic in social situations
2. Introverts hate people. An introvert’s lack of conversing is often misinterpreted. People take it as a sign that we don’t like them. The truth is the opposite. Introverts often avoid small talk because we consider it to be fake. We crave a more meaningful connection with the people we talk to. Small talk becomes a waste of time and energy. We are generally listeners and observers. And we enjoy one on one talking over large group settings.
3. Introverts are rude. Yes, if an introvert is completely out of social energy, we might start getting a little grouchy or simply zone out. But we’re not trying to be rude. We’ll be a lot better if we are given a few minutes to recharge alone. Introverts need a lot of "time-outs".
4. Introverts need to be “fixed.” Being an introvert is part of who we are. We are at our best when we embrace our nature and use it as a source of strength. Being with someone who is always trying to “fix” you is extremely unhealthy. But that topic is for another day.
5. Introverts wish we they were extroverted. Sometimes introverts envy an extrovert’s ability to think quickly or fit naturally into a social situation. But we also take great delight in our inner world and our alone time. Introverts have many strengths that don’t come naturally to extroverts, and that is good thing.

If you have often asked yourself the same questions of feeling like something was wrong with you, I encourage you to study about what introversion is. It becomes very freeing and you are able to understand yourself and navigate this LOUD EXTROVERTED world we live in better.