To The Extroverts: Learn How To Be Alone
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

To The Extroverts: Learn How To Be Alone

It's only in being alone that you learn who you are.

19
To The Extroverts: Learn How To Be Alone
Unsplash

I've always hated being alone. Most extroverts do, and I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. After all, I'd like to think I'm fairly intriguing at parties, and I'm making other people feel comfortable. At the very least, my introvert friends should be thankful for my ability to redirect the attention away from them when I notice they're overwhelmed. Extroverts are better at public speaking, usually, we're good at being the center of attention, and debate club is a walk in the park for us. However, extroverts really suck at being alone.

We're the people who can't eat meals alone. You all probably know that person who can't ever go to the bathroom alone, or get dinner alone, or get her mail alone, or even study alone. If you don't know that person, you ARE that person. Trust me. People always need to fill our time, non-stop. It's just the way we're wired.

I was really good at not being alone in high school. I filled my time with choirs and plays and activities, constantly surrounded by people. Coming to college, I never spent a second without someone nearby, at least. And then I stayed on campus all summer long, alone. And it was an experience, to say the least. I was bored. I was unfocused. I had no direction. I was lonely. It was not fun. However, it was during those three months that I finally learned how to be alone.

Extroverts, life is loud. We tend to be swayed by the voices around us, and in that swaying, we may lose ourselves for a moment. You need to have moments of being alone in order to get to know yourself. For the more outgoing of you readers, that's probably a terrifying thought. I know being alone with my thoughts seriously freaked me out for the majority of my life. But you are a dynamic, multifaceted and deeply intriguing individual, and you will never truly get to know that person without the influence of other people until you find a second when everyone shuts up and leaves you by your lonesome. Especially if you're dealing with something deeper, like an anxiety or depression or any of those fun mental things, you're never going to find any peace until you learn to deal with those voices and realize which ones are worth listening to.

So. You have a few days coming up when you're going to be off for Thanksgiving. Spend time with friends and family and fill your little extrovert heart to the brim, but I have a suggestion: be alone for a bit. Go eat out without your usual entourage following you around. Bury yourself in a book. Turn off the devices for a second and spend time with a person worth knowing: you.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

48643
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

30941
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

954786
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

179499
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments