As an introvert, navigating everyday social situations looks a lot different than it does to my more extroverted friends. Explaining how introversion works to non-introverts can be fairly complex, particularly in conversation - and it's not about what's said, it's about extroverts coming to an understanding about how we operate. That said, I'm writing to explain some common issues that I've encountered and that I'm sure my fellow introverts can relate to...
1. "You're so quiet"
I hear this all too often. What's wrong with active listening? Sorry, I guess I won't do it again.
2. The Idea of Comfortable Silence
In a similar vein as the point above, I find it frustrating when people are talking simply for the purpose of filling silence. In our low-context culture, extroverts are prized because we're expected to be conversing all the time. However, I think being able to comfortably share silence with people you care about speaks volumes without saying anything at all.
3. The Need To Go Out and About
For an introvert, being around people all day, especially in groups, can be exhausting. An introvert's alone time is their recharge time. That isn't to say we hate going out or purposely avoid social interaction all the time, but being around large groups of people for hours upon hours is kind of a nightmare - which can be made worse when there are only a few to no people you know there.
4. "Just talk to people"
From time to time, when I am in that rare mood to be super social, I ask for advice from extroverted friends on how to be more involved in conversations...and I continuously get this as a reply. Super general and not helpful.
5. The Myth That We're Conceited & Pretentious
This is the other common misconception; that introverts are stuck-up or "too good" to talk to some people. Though I can't speak for everyone, this is almost never the case. You might be talking about something we don't know much about, or you know, we are trying to find a spot to jump in the conversation without cutting someone off. Extroverts, you can talk to us, too - we're really not that scary.
