Introverts Are Cool

I stumbled upon this interesting article written by Jonathan Rauch of the The Atlantic titled,  "Caring for your Introvert" here is my favorite part: (To read the article in its entirety click here.)

"Are introverts oppressed? I would have to say so. For one thing, extroverts are overrepresented in politics, a profession in which only the garrulous are really comfortable. Look at George W. Bush. Look at Bill Clinton. They seem to come fully to life only around other people. To think of the few introverts who did rise to the top in politics—Calvin Coolidge, Richard Nixon—is merely to drive home the point. With the possible exception of Ronald Reagan, whose fabled aloofness and privateness were probably signs of a deep introverted streak (many actors, I've read, are introverts, and many introverts, when socializing, feel like actors), introverts are not considered "naturals" in politics."

As an introvert I was grateful for this article.  Often times in this extroverted dominated world I feel left out. Worse off at my internship site I am daily forced to try to become more "extroverted." There is nothing wrong with going beyond one's comfort zone but not so much so that one is forced to become something that one isn't. It seems to me that all the successful people in the world are extroverted.  For years I have sought to change this about myself, but it has never worked out.  Each time that I seek to become more "extroverted" I end up feeling more drained.  The truth is that I am an introvert. I love silence, I love solitude, I love the opportunity to recollect, and the ability to reflect.  Don't get me wrong I love being around people too, but in the right doses. Jonathan Rauch ends his article with the following three suggestions for caring for an introvert:

"How can I let the introvert in my life know that I support him and respect his choice? First, recognize that it's not a choice. It's not a lifestyle. It's an orientation. Second, when you see an introvert lost in thought, don't say "What's the matter?" or "Are you all right?" Third, don't say anything else, either."

The truth is that I am an introvert, and I am blessed to be so. 

(This definitely feels like a coming out party!)

Here is another great article about knowing one's self.