Power of the introvert

Do you embrace silence, shun crowds and spend long hours alone?

Do you know why writers have the best imagination ? It is believed that their creativity flows best when they don’t have to talk to people.

As a society, we tend to internalise all kinds of definitions in our heads instead of seeing something for what it really is. Introversion is often defined as the way we respond to social stimulation. However, I believe that it has got nothing to do with being shy. I have seen a lot of shy people wanting to mingle with others in order to overcome their timidity.

Many introverts are bold and assertive about getting things done their way and yet they are reserved when it comes to opening their real selves with anyone.

Warren Buffett is America’s most famous financial leader and philanthropist. But, hardly anyone knows how pivotal introversion was to his unbelievable success.

The identity factor
Einstein was also an introvert who said that monotony and solitude stimulate a creative mind. The world-renowned physicist who developed the theory of relativity did his best thinking alone.

Introverts like to work on tasks that reflect their essence of being rather than making an effort to be recognised as a part of a group. The concept of identity is very strong for an introvert. They form their identities through internal feelings rather than external stimulation.

Unlike an extrovert who expands his energy through social interactions, an introvert has to expend his energy reservoir in order to socialise with others. It doesn’t mean that introverts don’t enjoy talking to others but they find it easier to do so with someone they can relate to as they have to invest their energy on other people.

Limited circle
Introverts are those that love knowledge for its own sake, not necessarily as a blueprint to action. They prefer meaningful conversations than to engage in talking for sake of doing so like commenting on the weather or exchanging formal pleasantries. They do not hate small talk because they dislike people, they do so because they hate the barrier it creates between people.

People inspire us, information feeds us, practice improves our performance, but we need some quiet time to figure things out, emerge with new discoveries and unearth original answers. That’s what any introvert would claim.

Laurie A Helgoe hits the bull’s eye with respect to the stereotyping one faces in her book Introvert Power: Why Your Inner Life Is Your Hidden Strength, when she writes, “Extroverts want us to have fun, because they assume we want what they want. And sometimes we do. But “fun” itself is a “bright” word, the kind of word that comes with flashing lights and an exclamation point!”

• Here are some tips for all the introverts out there who want to enjoy their lives...
• Spend your free time the way you like to, not the way you think you are supposed to.
• Stay home on New Year’s Eve if that’s what makes you happy.
• Skip the committee meeting if it is not mandatory to attend.
• Cross the street to avoid making aimless chitchat with random acquaintances.
• Be a word economist in a society suffering from verbal diarrhoea.
• Read. Cook. Watch a movie alone. Solo travel. Run. Write a story.

As an introvert, you can be your own best friend or your own worst enemy. The good news is introverts like their own company, a quality that extroverts often envy. They find comfort in solitude and know how to manage themselves.

The problem with our culture is that we have made a virtue of living only as extroverts. We value the exhibition of talent over the inner journey. But the importance of staying tuned to our centre and our inner world is paramount for both introverts and extroverts — as it is the only way that we can remain grounded and whole for the rest of our lives.