The New Cool Kid

There's been quite a lot in the news about introverts lately. To the Huff Post article (which I love) 23 Signs You Might Secretly Be an Introvert, to the Forbes article about how introverts can make particular stellar executives, to this book, introverts are pretty popular.

Oh, the irony.

Perceived as "quiet", "shy", "withdrawn" and even "weird" in recent history, its never really been favorable to be an introvert. But the focus has always been on the social behaviors of introverts, and guess what? You can go to parties and be introverted too! You can also be weird and quiet and be an extrovert, in case you were wondering.

Being an introvert is now an asset. Fashionable, even.

I myself learned I was an introvert while in therapy about 5 years ago. Introvert? None of those aforementioned adjectives had EVER been used to describe me (ok, maybe "weird" once or twice). I can't tell you how many times I re-took the damn assessment...to shockingly similar results. Other areas fluctuated a little, but the "I" remained solid.

So I'm an introvert. Now what? It upended my life. Everything I thought about myself was challenged...and everything I felt about myself finally rose to the surface. All the things that brought me anxiety, why I often felt so conflicted, why I always had only a few really good friends and a lot of "acquaintances", why I always had to have a party at my house with people I knew (despite all the work) versus going to someone else's...it all made sense. Finally.

I've been much happier since discovering I am an introvert. I wrote a post shortly after taking the assessment for the first time, and since then have really embraced who I am. I know myself, and therefore how to conduct myself in relation to other people and situations. In essence, I know how to meet my own needs.  While I admit I'm still neurotic, believe it or not I put less pressure on myself to be everything to everyone.Granted, I spent 32 years forcing it and old habits die hard, but telling people to bugger off (or just ignoring them) and disappearing for several hours by myself feels so much more natural. And I give myself license to do it.

Not to mention I'm a now a cool kid, too. Awesome.

Resources:
Jung Typology Test (a down and dirty assessment)
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
Please Understand Me II