Tag: introversion

Repost: My look on introvert myths

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Source: https://evilnymphstuff.wordpress.com/2012/12/29/in-the-mind-of-an-introvert/

What’s something most people don’t understand?

Daily Prompt

Here’s myths about introverts that I found on the internet. There’s a lot of myths about introverts out there. But being an introvert shouldn’t be seen as a problem. It’s not like we’re from another planet. Some of the answers to the myths I disagree with. There’s a lot more but these are 10 of the best. This is how I see them.

Introverts don’t like to talk
In a way that’s not true. I only talk when I have something to say. I don’t waste my time on talking nonsense. But talking is not my favorite thing. I just don’t like the sound of my voice. If you give me a subject I really like, don’t even imagine, stopping me. Me, quiet, no, I just think before I speak. That way I won’t say something stupid and hurt someone’s feeling. Confrontation is the worse thing I know. Especially around strangers.

Introverts are shy
I can be shy when it comes to people I don’t know. I do wonder if I’m really introverted or just shy. Obviously they are two different things. It depends in what kind of mood I’m in. I’m also a coward so maybe I’m a cowardly, introverted shy person.

Introverts are rude
Anyone can be rude and it has nothing to do with being an introvert. I try to be nice to people, if they’re nice to me. If they’re not, they can see another thing coming.

Introverts don’t like people
Sometimes that’s true. I do like people but most of the time they’re annoying. I would rather talk to a pet (if I wasn’t afraid of them that is) or to a plant than to people. I just hate repeating myself. Maybe people have wax in their ears or I talk too fast so they don’t hear what I’m saying.

Introverts don’t like to go out in public
How am I suppose to buy food if I don’t go out in public? I’m not afraid of the outdoors. You have to go out sometime to get some fresh air. Seeing other people is good for the mental health as well. You don’t have to interact with them if you don’t want to.

Introverts always want to be alone
Maybe that’s the reason the reason I don’t have any friends. People think that I always want to be alone. I do but sometimes I wish there would be someone to talk to. Even one. I don’t need a lot of friends to keep me happy.

Introverts are weird
Weird are the people who think introverts are weird. Even extroverts can be weird. Being weird makes other people look too ordinary. What a boring place the world would be if no one was weird.

Introverts don’t know how to relax and have fun
How can you relax when extroverts are trying to change your personality. And partying and drinking is not the only way to have fun. People just seem to have no imagination when it comes to ways to have fun.

Introverts can fix themselves and become Extroverts
Or the other way around. Introversion is not a decease, it’s a personality. Some might become more extrovert when they get older but still be introverts. I’ve tried to be extrovert but it just feels unnatural. It’s just not me. I don’t think extroverts are really honest with themselves. There lives an introvert in all of us. If everyone were extroverts there would be no solitude or silence anywhere.

Introvert prefer books to partying
Me, reading a book? Don’t make me laugh 😀 I’ve tried to read Lord of the rings twice but I failed miserably. I rather stay home and watch TV than read a book. Beside I’ve never even been invited to a party. If I did I would say no because the reason people party is the get drunk. At least in Finland. Besides I don’t like alcohol and drunk people. Once a homebody, always a homebody.

In the end we’re all the same. It doesn’t matter what star sign you are or what country you live in. Everybody should be proud of who they are. Why should we label people in the first place? It’s much easier to accept differences than trying to change a person.
I’m proud to be introverted because I know when to shut up 😉

Originally Published on JANUARY 10, 2015

Blowing one’s horn

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Musicians blowing in traditional German horns
Musicians blowing in traditional German horns by Markus Spiske is licensed under CC-CC0 1.0

Blowing my own horn is not my thing. That must be one of the reasons why I can’t find a job. I don’t know how to brag about myself. It’s also a Finnish thing. We’re not good at it. It’s also an introvert thing. We don’t want to brag about ourselves and make ourselves something special. We like to be low key. But that doesn’t seem to be acceptable in the world. You’re nothing if you don’t want to blow your own horn. It shouldn’t be that way. We should be allowed to be ourselves and not pretend to be something we’re not. Some people seem to have problems with quiet people. Only because you don’t want to be a blabbermouth doesn’t mean you’re strange. Listening to people talk about things you don’t care about is stressful. Noisy people have the same effect.

Because I don’t want to blow my own horn, I don’t know if I could be a good entrepreneur. You need to be a lot of different things. A marketing person, a salesperson, a public speaker and someone who doesn’t give up easily. Most importantly, be good enough at what you do. Maybe it’s only me who thinks I’m good at something. Perhaps the reason why I won’t get hired is that I’m not good enough. They instead take someone with natural talent. I don’t have an impressive portfolio, and I don’t have what the employers are looking for. I’m not confident in blowing my own horn. No matter what I post on social media, I get some likes and sometimes nothing. If I don’t get much attention in my personal accounts, how can I get it on the business one? If I get any comments, it’s usually spam. I wouldn’t trust anyone. I feel it’s unnecessary work if I promote things on social media. It’s not easy to be ignored as a job seeker or/and an entrepreneur. I don’t know how to say something about myself or what I can do. At least when it comes to making it to words. It’s incredible how things disappear from your head when you should think about them. It has nothing to do with memory problems. I tend not to think about complicated stuff like that.

Maybe I’ve chosen the wrong path when it comes to careers. It seems you need to blow your own horn because the competition is tough. There are so many people in the design business, and I don’t know how to stand out. Maybe my destiny is to be without a job. I never wanted an ordinary job, but it has backfired. Only because I don’t know how to blow my own horn.

Bloganuary: Don’t let me be misunderstood

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prove them wrong
Photo by Brett Jordan on Pexels.com

Day 9. All the people do is assume wrongly about me. Especially when I meet new people. They think I’m quiet because I don’t start talking to strangers. They don’t even bother getting to know me. It’s their problem and not mine. It’s an introvert thing. I only speak when I have something to say. If people would only bother to ask me something. Why must I be the first one to start anyway. I’m not good at starting conversations. I’ve tried to be more outgoing, but it feels weird. It’s not in my nature to do so. No one knows how it is to be me. If people knew me, they would see I’m not what they think I am. Don’t assume you know me because I’m more than meets the eye.

When I was younger, people thought I was quiet at home too. I was shy around other people, but I was totally the opposite at home. The people I’m close to know I have my own opinions. I’m not afraid to say what is on my mind. Out in public, you need to think about other people’s feelings. You can’t act the same as you do at home. I don’t hurt other people’s feelings on purpose. People think I don’t have opinions, but I do. I just don’t say anything because I don’t like conflicts. Sometimes I have nothing to say, period. I don’t know why I should talk all the time. I don’t like my voice that much.

It’s a shame the world is made for extroverts. If you’re not talkative, they overlook you. If it’s about finding friends or jobs. One of the reasons I’m not good at job interviews is that my answers are short. It doesn’t matter how much I prepare. I always forget to say what I’ve planned. Once when I was an intern in a newspaper, they said I wasn’t social enough. So because I didn’t babble nonsense at work, I’m not social? You can be that even if you don’t talk a lot. I’m an observer, and if I have things to say, I say it. I’m an introvert and not mute.

They say you should be yourself, but then when you are, they think you’re weird. Nothing is ever good enough. I’ve learned through the years that you can’t please other people. They will understand you if they want to, but if they misunderstand you, they will. You can only be the person you know you are. You should focus on the people who do understand you. At least a little.