I identify as a strong introvert. This means that social interaction has a tendency to exhaust me, and I honestly do need to rest in order to restore the energy that I’ve depleted while be social. I enjoy spending time by myself, and I’m perfectly happy with calling solitude a friend rather than painting it as an enemy. I prefer to play the part of quiet observer rather than fighting to be at the center of attention. I would rather work independently than with others. I can only be talkative and personal with people that I know extremely well. I could on.

Introverts are, unfortunately, often extremely misunderstood people. Society tends to imagine them as painfully shy, quiet, awkward, boring, and lonely people. Some might think that they use their introversion as a simple excuse not to socialize, when in reality they may not have the energy to do so, or are just comfortable enjoying time by themselves. Extroverts especially have a hard time understanding the preferences that an introvert has.

Extroverts enjoy being showered with positive connotations. They are outgoing, charismatic, loud, and everyone’s best friend - or at least they like to think they are. In comparison to these flashy personalities, introverts are too often pushed to the side and dismissed. But in reality, introverts act as important contributors to society, and possess many admirable characteristics.

Because they are more private individuals, they select their friends very carefully. The friendships that they have are measured in quality, not quantity. While an extrovert might constantly be surrounded by people, introverts are busy cultivating meaningful relationships with the people who truly matter most.

Introverts tend to fare just fine on their own without the help of others. Actually, considering that they are wired to work independently, they strive where others may falter when left to their own devices.

Since introverts crave alone time, they learn to be comfortable with themselves. People tend to undervalue how important it is to enjoy your own company. They don’t have to rely on the rush of having all eyes on them or being in a highly interactive environment. They can just rely on themselves, which is an important skill to have, since you never know which direction life might verve towards next.

Introverts tend to be inclined towards observation, allowing them to pick on details that others might overlook. This attention to detail also lets them carefully make decisions, and gives them the insight to formulate many different perspectives on a given situation or issue.

For the most part, introverts would rather opt to be the listener, not the speaker. Though they are open to sharing their accomplishments and opinions sometimes, introverts would rather not talk about themselves. While extroverts might get a thrill out of telling a lengthy story about themselves or bragging about their own achievements, and introvert will almost never wish to command attention like that. They would rather shine the light on others than on themselves, making them humble people almost immune to being egotistical.

If you’re an introvert, you’re in great company. Some famous (and wildly successful) introverts that you might recognize include Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, Mahatma Gandhi, Rosa Parks, Meryl Streep, Barack Obama, J.K. Rowling, Mark Zuckerberg, and Emma Watson. The list could go on.

I’m well aware that this might seem like a giant love letter to introverts, but I believe that introverts do indeed deserve their own damn love letter. We deserve to be just as appreciated as extroverts. Though we can excel in the shadows, we also deserve to bask in the sun.