Being An Introvert May Not Be What You Think

I recently came across this outstanding article by Carl King entitled, “10 Myths About Introverts.” It briefly discusses the hypothesis that the difference between introverts and extroverts lies in different neurotransmitter tendencies in the brain (specifically in regards to dopamine), and then goes on to discuss 10 popular misconceptions about introverts.

Here’s a taste:

Myth #1–Introverts don’t like to talk.
This is not true. Introverts just don’t like to talk unless they have something to say. They hate small talk. Get an introvert talking about something they are interested in, and they won’t shut up for days.

Myth #2–Introverts are shy.
Shyness has nothing to do with being an Introvert. Introverts are not necessarily afraid of people. What they need is a reason to interact. They don’t interact for the sake of interacting. If you want to talk to an Introvert, just start talking. Don’t worry about being polite.

Myth #3–Introverts are rude.
Introverts often don’t see a reason for beating around the bush with social pleasantries. They want everyone to just be real and honest. Unfortunately, this is not acceptable in most settings, so Introverts can feel a lot of pressure to fit in, which they find exhausting.

Myth #4–Introverts don’t like people.
On the contrary, Introverts intensely value the few friends they have. They can count their close friends on one hand. If you are lucky enough for an Introvert to consider you a friend, you probably have a loyal ally for life. Once you have earned their respect as being a person of substance, you’re in.

I don’t want to re-post King’s entire article, so click here to continue reading. 

I wasn’t entirely a fan of the tone of the article that leaked through at times (which almost made it sound like you should regard Introverts as being better than Extroverts…they’re not), but all in all, I thought the author made some excellent points, and about 8-9 of the characteristics he talks about describe me with an eery amount of accuracy.