There are a lot of myths that come with being an introvert. And there are plenty of things that introverts would love for others to know, just to make things clearer. So Reddit user Velvetxily asked their fellow internet introverts to share one thing they’d wish that extroverts would understand about them in a viral thread. Scroll down, upvote the responses that you agree with, and let us know whether you think you’re an introvert or an extrovert in the comments, dear Pandas.
Bored Panda reached out to Velvetxily and spoke to her about her viral thread, the inspiration behind it, and what she thinks about the dynamic between introverts and extroverts. “I myself an introvert,” she admitted, adding that she created the thread to understand how all the other introverts feel about the myths that surround them. “The greatest myth is that introverts are shy and extroverts are not shy. I think it’s not about shyness. Introverts gain energy by being alone and extroverts gain energy by being with others.”
We also spoke to Dr. Andrew Spark from the Queensland University of Technology, who has done research about the link between introversion and leadership. “It is clear that introverts think about social interaction differently to extraverts, which may result in introverts choosing not to engage in the behaviors that may assist them into leadership roles (despite being perfectly capable of engaging in such behaviors).” Read on for Dr. Spark’s insightful and detailed analysis, as well as his take on the myths surrounding introversion.
#1
Alone is not the same thing as lonely.
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#2
Just because I’m a good listener doesn’t mean you can constantly use me as your soundboard/therapist.
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#3
Not all introverts are shy and quiet.
I tend to be loud and outgoing with people I know and/or like, for a certain amount of time. Then I need to crawl into my hole and recharge. Interaction with more than one person at a time exhausts me, and I can’t deal with more than one social event a week. The fact that I sometimes I talk a lot, I can hold eye contact and don’t completely suck at small talk doesn’t make me any less introverted.
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#4
I’m not depressed or lonely. I genuinely enjoy staying home and spending time by myself.
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#5
Lockdown is pretty much how I live my life anyway. Contactless delivery has been an awesome addition.
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#6
It’s not that I don’t want to talk to you, it’s that I straight up don’t want to talk. At all. To anyone.
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#7
I saw this quote a year ago and it sums it up perfectly.
I like being alone. I have control over my own space. Therefore, in order to win me over, your presence has to be better than my solitude. You’re not competing with another person, you are competing with my comfort zone.
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#8
Stop trying to ‘change’ introversion. It’s not a flaw. If i don’t want to dance, don’t push me saying im shy. If i don’t want to flirt in a club, stop saying i should get over it. Stop pushing me to be ‘more social’. Also, I do enjoy time by myself. I don’t feel depressed or lonely. Just stop pushing in general.
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#9
That we need to recharge after so much interaction.
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#10
I was social distancing before it was cool
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#11
Just because I don’t want to go out doesn’t mean I don’t like you.
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#12
If you point out that I’m quiet I’m 100x less likely to ever open up to you.
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#13
Not every silence is awkward and needs to be filled. Just keep quiet for a moment, especially in the morning
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#14
If I’m quiet, I promise I’m not judging you or anything around us. 99% of the time, I’m thinking about something totally unrelated.
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#15
That it’s very frustrating when they announce you’re super quiet and don’t talk much….. yeah obviously I f**kin knew that thanks
Also please don’t tell us to smile more
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#16
Pointing out how quiet I am won’t suddenly make me talkative.
It sounds like you’re pointing out a flaw that you dislike about me which makes me unnecessarily uncomfortable around you. I remain even more quiet than I usually would be because I feel judged and unwelcome for simply being myself. Not to mention, it comes so out of nowhere.
It’s as if I told you “you talk a lot” with a straight face. You wouldn’t take it as a compliment. It doesn’t even sound like an observation that should be said out loud. You’d just wonder what the hell was the point of me saying that to you.
Honestly, how do you even reply to this without sounding offended or snarky?
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#17
I’m not lazy, I just need time to recover.
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#18
I don’t hate you. I’m not mad. I’m just quiet. Also, I hate phonecalls. My family and my best friend I don’t mind being on the phone with. Work calling me is tolerable. Anyone else? Forget it! Just text me!
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#19
I live alone on a farm. I don’t go out to the local bars. I don’t try to date any locals. Some weeks I dont ever leave the property. And people always ask me. How I can stand to live in the middle of nowhere. Well s**t thats the easy part.
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#20
We’re not inferior or less mature just because we don’t feel the need to talk over people. In fact, that’s actually what we think about you when you needlessly blurt out rude comments.
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#21
This is something I saved from a while back when someone asked this question. It helps to explain some basics of a introvert so hope this helps you guys as much as it helped me! “Introvert here, I wish everyone – intoverts included – understood the meaning of being introverts. 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. And also:
• Being introvert doesn’t mean shy
• Being introvert doesn’t mean having social anxiety”
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#22
Most times I don’t want to be bothered especially after working all day and putting up with noise and people. It’s draining to be around people all day and when I come home it’s “Me” time. I can only be around people for so long and I start feeling edgy if I can’t just tune out.
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#23
Sometimes being around people who neglect you feels more lonely than being alone.
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#24
Yes its possible to play games all day everyday and not use a mic to communicate.
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#25
If I haven’t made eye contact in 20 minutes and I’ve said “right” as many times, it might be time to enjoy some silence. Speaking of silence, it’s f**king golden.
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#26
Spending time with 1-3 friends is fantastic.
Doing the same with 10+ people, even if you like all of them, blows.
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#27
We are not necessarily “lonely.” People just assume people who are introverted are lonely and depressed. I’m not depressed, I just like being by myself.
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#28
Just because we’re introverts, doesn’t mean we’re not interesting or have no hobbies. We have our own set of pastimes and likings, but sometimes we’re just not in a comfortable setting to share or talk about them.
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#29
Texts are emails not instant chats
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#30
That I’ll talk but I need 7-10 business days to think about what I’m going to say and revise it at least 14 times before I say it.
If you ask me a question and I don’t answer for a minute I’m not trying to be an asshole or ignoring you but I am STRUGGLING to come up with the proper words to say. A lot of the time I don’t even realize just how long I have to think to conjure up the words to convey what I’m trying to say.. especially if it’s something to do with how I feel and somebody else’s feelings are involved trying to figure out what to say feels like diffusing a bomb sometimes lol
Which is why typing is 10x better, (and I always turn off the little typing animation if I can so that people don’t make fun of me for typing for 10 minutes to say two sentences lol)
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