Being an Introvert is ok?

How would you define an introverted person? Probably, you would say, someone who is quiet and reserved or maybe someone who prefers a calm and minimally stimulating environment. Correct; introverts tend to turn inwards, where their focus is on internal thoughts, feelings, and moods rather than the outside world.  

I’m one of those people. I’m an INTROVERT.  I had a small group of close friends for my entire life with whom I would go out occasionally. Trying to have a quiet night at home is what I chased over a night out. I liked to stay up in my mind, spending a lot of time thinking about what was happening, what had happened, and what would happen. Social interactions and a large group of people were sufficient to make me feel unsettled and nervous. Saying no to a party or a night hangout became a familiar ritual for me.

I was labeled as shy, rude, and arrogant in high school just for being who I am. Many people were not accepting that this is how an introvert would function. 

Listening to people around me and trying to push me out of my comfort zone when I was not ready-made me lose my confidence, which is why I started feeling insecure. I began to doubt myself; I began to think I would not be able to achieve anything just because I’m an introvert. What once was my choice became a permanent thing in my life. 

And this is not just one story; I believe others like me just accepted that this is the life of an introvert, feeling insecure, feeling less confident, not able to speak publicly, etc. 

Many times, introversion is compared with shyness. Often these two terms are used interchangeably. On the one hand, shyness is the fear of people or social situations; on the other, introversion is the preference not to spend lots of time interacting with other people. 

Sometimes, I wonder how thin the line is between such words as introversion, shyness, and depression, and yet we ignore it so simply.

You know, some people believe introversion is related to depression. If you look at the social similarities between someone who is depressed and an introvert at their eye level, there is not much difference. However, that is entirely untrue. Withdrawing from social situations or activities to the point where you feel happy is introversion but to the people where you start feeling sad, anxious, or worried is a sign of depression. Whether an introvert or extrovert, depression can happen to anyone regardless of their personality. 

But should we feel like this? I watched a Ted Talk episode one day on my television, where the speaker, Susan Cain, talked about ‘Power of Introverts’. She introduced a few famous personalities like Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, and Gandhi-all; these people described themselves as quiet and soft-spoken, and even shy. I was amazed to know that these people are introverts, and it made me wonder how they, as introverts are so good publicly and are activists, which requires a lot of public speaking? This got my attention quickly; I left all work in between and focused all my attention there. 

I researched the internet to see a few more famous personalities who are introverts. To my shock, the list was long, to name a few- Elon Musk, Emma Watson, JK Rowling, and many more. 

This made me realize that you are an introvert, extrovert, or ambivert. No type is better than others. To succeed in life, you don’t need to be an extrovert. Each tendency can have benefits and drawbacks depending on the situation. By understanding our personalities, we can learn how to play to our strengths. 

Inversion is just a personality type, and I chose to be one.