Hello, I am an introvert. To start off with, that does not mean that I am shy or anti-social, that means that I simply require a few hours away from humanity to recharge my internal batteries. Common misconceptions about introverts are that we do not like people, we are anti-social, we are shy or we are loners, and that is not entirely true. I am sure that there are some introverts in the world that do fit into these categories, however, the majority of introverts just find it draining to spend long amounts of time around people. Introverts become overstimulated when around people for too long, and we may become reclusive and even quieter than usual. Do not take this personally, we still like you, we just require a few hours or on occasion, days, alone with a good book, a cup of coffee and/or a nap. We recharge by being alone, as strange as it may sound, despite the fact that we enjoy being with people. It allows us to reflect on the last couple of hours or days and collect our thoughts.

Do not get the wrong impression from the previous paragraph, introverts enjoy being around people. As Susan Cain, who spoke of introversion on TED Talks, stated, “Introversion is more about how do you respond to stimulation, including social stimulation. So extraverts really crave large amounts of stimulation, whereas introverts feel at their most alive and their most switched on and their most capable when they are in quieter, more low-key environments.”(2012) Introverts tend be introspective, as the name “introvert” suggest, this is the being of who introverts are and why we behave in the ways that we do. Belle Beth Cooper of FastCo. Works, describes introverts as “..known for thinking things through before they speak, enjoying small, close groups of friends and one-on-one time, needing time alone to recharge, and being upset by unexpected changes or last-minute surprises.”(Cooper, 2013) We like being with people, conversing with people and interacting with people after awhile though, we get tired and must leave to recharge, however despite this need to be alone, we still want to be with other people.

In general, what introverts want extroverts to know about them is that we aren’t anti-social, nor do we dislike you, we simply tend to be both quieter and more reserved then most. To interact with the introvert, I would suggest approaching the person one-on-one, do not make them the center of attention; the majority of introverts I have met are much more comfortable with one-on-one interactions then large group settings or being surrounded by a bunch of strangers. Another thing that introverts would like extroverts to know about us and stop doing is trying to fix us. By fix us I mean forcing an introvert to be social when he/she is trying to be alone and recharge, or just generally trying to make the introvert be more social. We are not anti-social nor do we want to be an extrovert, please stop trying to fix us and respect us and our need for space, even if it seems strange to you. Lastly, keep inviting us to do things with you, we really do enjoy people and being social, even if occasionally it seems like we do not, and we like you would like you to know that; please do not be offended by us and our need for space. And lastly, thank you for accepting our introversion.

Works Cited

Cooper, B. B. (2013, August 21). Are You An Introvert Or An Extrovert? What It Means For Your Career. (Fast Company) Retrieved from FC Leadership: https://www.fastcompany.com/3065903/new-trump-foun...

Hall, A. (2015, June 23). 10 Ways Introverts Interact Differently With The World. (T. H. Post, Producer, & The Huffington Post) Retrieved from The Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/07/physical-...