The third week of March is set aside for Introverts alike. The whole week is National Introverts Week. It celebrates and acknowledges the qualities and strengths that make fellow introverts such as myself. I think we are a dynamic group of people that honestly don’t get enough credit. It’s also a week that confronts the stigma associated with introversion.
Modern life seems to be so geared toward the extroverts in our society, when is it our turn? A lot of rewards tend to go to those who embrace and thrive in social settings whereas introverts are often regarded as trying to avoid attention or are too scared to speak. If you meet me or see me hanging out with my friends, you would not think I am an introvert, but if you just see me out in public, I like to think it’s obvious. When someone comes up to me and starts talking, it’s very hard to get me to shut up. I love talking about things I’m passionate about, however, I get major social anxiety when I’m meeting someone new or I’m in a group setting. Sometimes it gets so bad that I begin to physically shake or get nauseous because of how scared I am. Even my mom thinks it’s something I need to “grow out of.” Unfortunately for most, it’s not that easy. Being an introvert isn’t a negative thing, it just means we live a bit differently.
Introverts play such a dynamic and successful role in our world. What most people don’t realize is that introverts can and do achieve amazing success just like extroverts. Just because we don’t talk in class, doesn’t mean we don’t get our work done. Most of the time introvert’s success can even be in more intellectual or creative works such as with Albert Einstein and J.K. Rowling. There are still introverts who strive in areas that are more so thought of as “extroverted territory” such as sales, entertainment, business and more. As someone who doesn’t like to speak in groups and isn’t the most social, I led a whole program here at FGCU. I was the 2023 Frosh Mosh Student Director through the Multicultural and Leadership Development Center. That program allowed me to break out of my shell for a little bit and not only lead small groups, but it also gave me the chance to thrive in large group settings. I am also the Opinion Editor for the newspaper which allows me to be social not only with my fellow editors but also with new writers every semester.
It’s more than okay to embrace the introverted life, but sometimes we tend to feel forced to fit into an extroverted mold. Most of the people in my life are extroverted so I tend to find myself going out when I don’t want to, draining my social battery quicker than I need to and not always living to be my true authentic self. Sometimes it’s easier to just be what others expect. I love the people in my life, but they don’t always get that sometimes I just need that time and space to recharge my introvert battery. I don’t always have the same energy they do and my social battery may die a bit quicker, but that’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with that.
If you’re an introvert take the time during National Introverts Week to discover more about yourself, your personality type and what you would consider your “introvert’s edge.” If you consider yourself to be more extroverted, spend some time trying to make note of the introverts you have both in your personal and professional life. Regardless let’s celebrate introverts this week!
