Pam Araujo said 9 years, 9 months ago:

Myth #1 – Introverts don’t like to talk.

This is not true. Introverts just don’t 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.

Myth #5 – Introverts don’t like to go out in public.

Nonsense. Introverts just don’t like to go out in public FOR AS LONG. They also like to avoid the complications that are involved in public activities. They take in data and experiences very quickly, and as a result, don’t need to be there for long to “get it.” They’re ready to go home, recharge, and process it all. In fact, recharging is absolutely crucial for Introverts.

Myth #6 – Introverts always want to be alone.

Introverts are perfectly comfortable with their own thoughts. They think a lot. They daydream. They like to have problems to work on, puzzles to solve. But they can also get incredibly lonely if they don’t have anyone to share their discoveries with. They crave an authentic and sincere connection with ONE PERSON at a time.

Myth #7 – Introverts are weird.

Introverts are often individualists. They don’t follow the crowd. They’d prefer to be valued for their novel ways of living. They think for themselves and because of that, they often challenge the norm. They don’t make most decisions based on what is popular or trendy.

Myth #8 – Introverts are aloof nerds.

Introverts are people who primarily look inward, paying close attention to their thoughts and emotions. It’s not that they are incapable of paying attention to what is going on around them, it’s just that their inner world is much more stimulating and rewarding to them.

Myth #9 – Introverts don’t know how to relax and have fun.

Introverts typically relax at home or in nature, not in busy public places. Introverts are not thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies. If there is too much talking and noise going on, they shut down. Their brains are too sensitive to the neurotransmitter called Dopamine. Introverts and Extroverts have different dominant neuro-pathways. Just look it up.

Myth #10 – Introverts can fix themselves and become Extroverts.

A world without Introverts would be a world with few scientists, musicians, artists, poets, filmmakers, doctors, mathematicians, writers, and philosophers. That being said, there are still plenty of techniques an Extrovert can learn in order to interact with Introverts. (Yes, I reversed these two terms on purpose to show you how biased our society is.) Introverts cannot “fix themselves” and deserve respect for their natural temperament and contributions to the human race. In fact, one study (Silverman, 1986) showed that the percentage of Introverts increases with IQ.

Erick said 9 years, 9 months ago:

i could relate to some of those myths :D i probably am a textbook introvert :D

Enoli said 9 years, 9 months ago:

I am very much an introvert. It’s frustrating when people view introversion as a negative disease of sorts rather than who I am..

The Giggle Blizzard said 9 years, 9 months ago:

Cheers, a good read!

Mary said 9 years, 8 months ago:

Amazing text! I relate myself and Myth 9 is very interesting. As an introvert I have some friends that ask me to “fix myself”, now I know that it is much more complex than that.

hearties said 9 years, 8 months ago:

we love our own little world that we live in and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Hearmenow said 9 years, 7 months ago:

This was a very interesting read, I’m glad you shed some light on the myths… though I can’t argue with some of the points fully… though the idea that introverts need to “fix” themselves is ridiculous and ignorant. You can’t fix something there isn’t anything wrong with in the first place.

What needs fixing, is the idea’s put in peoples head, the concept of that anything that is the slightest bit different from “normal”, which is again something which is crazy in the first place, there is no such thing as normalcy, that would mean that the rest of the population were pretty much identical in every way, which is not happening.

Frankly, normal is overrated anyway, it’s over done with. I can be a bit weird at times, and I don’t regret a thing, nor will I feel ashamed about it. Weird is interesting. Normal, now that’s just plain boring.

Riss said 9 years, 7 months ago:

You might enjoy the Ted Talk on Introverts. I found it very interesting!

Toodles said 9 years, 4 months ago:

Thank you for posting this–this definitely mad my day :)

Deleted User said 9 years, 4 months ago:

Really interesting topic, thanks for posting =)

Rain said 9 years, 3 months ago:

Interesting topic. I can relate to most of the things that are mentioned above.

Adam said 9 years, 2 months ago:

Thanks for posting this, Pam. I’m an introvert, and I can relate to everything on this list. Thanks for debunking the myths.

Deadly Angel said 9 years, 2 months ago:

Thank you for taking the time to post it, I can relate to pretty much everything on this list.

Broken Mind said 9 years, 1 month ago:

Being an introvert in a family of extroverts is tough, everyone just thinks your crazy for craving alone time.

Great Post

Janardan said 9 years, 1 month ago:

This is so awesome. I can really relate to most of these! Haha