17 Misunderstood Characteristics Of Introverts
Imagine this: You’re at a party at someone’s house.
Where are you and what are you doing? Are you in the living room talking up a storm? Or are you just waiting for the party to be over so you can go home and sleep? Do you plan road trips or adventures during weekends or would you rather spend time with yourself or with your family or few friends? If you picked the latter in a heartbeat, you may be an introvert. When someone mentions the word introvert, it’s often translated to mean someone who’s uncomfortable around people or is very shy, but introversion is defined as the preference for situations that are not overly stimulating. Introverts value their space, and they don’t let just anyone in it. Extroverts, on the other hand, are the life of the party! They crave socialization and interaction, and they just love talking. Outgoing in nature, they tend to be more impulsive and open about themselves. Surprise, surprise! We actually owe a lot of the things we love to introverts. Without introverts, there would be no Facebook, no Microsoft, and no Harry Potter! Yes, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and JK Rowling are all introverts.
They aren’t the only famous people who are introverts, either.
The classic beauty Audrey Hepburn was also an introvert even though she was a famous movie star. Elton John and Michael Jordan, both very respected in their fields, are introverts as well. Even Dr. Seuss, who wrote lots of peculiar and quirky children’s books that are loved by generations, admitted that he was afraid to meet his readers because they might be disappointed at his quietness. Barrack Obama doesn’t have a wide circle of friends for someone who is always out and about. Emma Watson readily answered that she is an introvert when asked why she is not a party girl like other people her age. You may still be amazed to find out that some of the most famous people in the world are introverts. This is because introversion is usually exaggerated. Most people think introverts cannot speak in public, let alone lead a whole company. However, as you have just read, some of the most successful entrepreneurs and influential people that are household names worldwide are introverts. Though one introvert varies greatly from the other, they do share some similar characteristics. Check out these 17 habits of famous introverts: 1. They choose their friends carefully. Introverts don’t prioritize having too many people in their lives. This may be one of the reasons why people assume that all introverts are shy, when in reality, they prefer to first observe before engaging.
They keep their distance and eventually warm up to a selected few. Once they choose you as a friend, you’ll be granted special access to get to know them better. 2.
They give opportunities to others. Perhaps this is the reason why so many introverts are successful businessmen: They are great leaders.
The reason for this is their thoughtfulness.
They consider each person individually and create opportunities for them to grow. 3.
They form deep and meaningful relationships. While far from being social butterflies, introverts form deep and lasting relationships. Though introverts can generally get along with most people, they only prefer bonding with those they truly trust.
They also tend to be careful about who they choose to let into their circle. 4.
They try to avoid small talk. Small talk is easy for extroverts because they feel energized by any social interaction. When it comes to introverts, however, they feel intimidated, resulting in an awkward encounter. Introverts prefer to listen or converse about deeper ideas and not spend so much energy on shallow interactions. 5.
They don’t like crowds.
They feel rather uncomfortable in crowded places such as parties or large events. What they do sometimes instead is hang out in a relatively spacey area such as near an exit or at the back of a room. You would never have guessed that, of all people, Kim Kardashian is too shy to dance in clubs, too. 6.
They can work independently. Introverts can get along well with most people so they usually encounter little difficulty when working in a team. However, they do work quite excellently alone because they can motivate themselves. This may also explain why introverts tend to advance quickly career-wise — they are in charge of their own progress. 7.
They rarely volunteer to speak up. You might be familiar with your extrovert classmates in university who would gladly answer the professors’ questions. Extroverts are eager to stand out during situations while introverts tend not to draw attention to themselves so willingly. 8.
They like taking walks. This is also attributed to introverts being naturally keen observers.
They like walking outdoors while thinking. Aside from being a healthy habit, it also gives them time to reflect and meditate. Even Audrey Hepburn admitted to enjoying long walks with her dog. 9.
They crave alone time. Warren Buffet said that he makes sure to have time for himself every day. His alone time would be used to sit, think, and read. He said that this alone time helps him make less impulsive decisions compared to other people in the business community. Introverts feel tired from too much social interaction and they prefer quiet time to digest and synthesize everything that happened.
They also use this time to regenerate and regain their balance. 10.
They prefer watching movies or reading books over going out on a Friday night. Friday night is reserved for big parties celebrating the weekend. You will find most extroverts there, but introverts prefer to stay at home and watch movies — like Steven Spielberg. 11.
They would rather stay at home than party. While introverts value their friends and enjoy spending time with them on a regular basis, they still get drained from too much interaction. Unlike other people, a night out after a busy day at the office does not sound attractive to our introvert friends. 12.
They focus on details. Introverts do not rush when making decisions because they prefer to study and understand the situation thoroughly.
They can be rather objective and see the different angles and viewpoints in every situation.
They can also control their emotions and not let their feelings affect their rationality. 13.
They think outside the box.
These famous introverts all have another thing in common. Aside from being influential personalities, they had unique ideas and breakthroughs that led to their success. Introverts do not concern themselves with what the majority is doing. Instead, they have a high level of creativity and constantly think of new ideas and they work hard to implement them. Take Mark Zuckerberg, for example, or JK Rowling, who both created something that shook the norms of the world. 14.
They don’t like the limelight. Introverts do not crave attention, unlike extroverts who desire appreciation and recognition from external sources. Interestingly, even though introverts do not generally like the limelight, they perform quite well when put in the situation. An example of this is Barrack Obama, who is recognized as one of the best public speakers of all time. 15.
They can do without phone calls. When focused on something, introverts do not like being interrupted. When their phone rings while they are in the flow, they tend to ignore the call. Even when there’s nothing particularly interesting or important going on, introverts can resist picking up the phone when they know that small talk awaits on the other end. 16.
They don’t enjoy icebreaker activities. Icebreakers are usually looked forward to by extroverts because this provides an excuse for social interaction. Introverts don’t enjoy these types of activities that seem to force people into getting to know each other right away. 17.
They don’t enjoy talking about themselves. Introverts are more comfortable listening than talking, especially when it means talking about their interests, their lives, or their opinions.
They do not want to come across as conceited or boastful, so they’d rather listen to people talk about themselves. When they do open up, they make sure that it’s with a trusted person within a non-threatening environment. Introverts like things a particular way and it’s not exactly as how the world portrays it.
The error is with the way society has falsely branded introverts to be. When you look at it, introverts are pretty balanced individuals.
They take calculated steps instead of jumping at every impulsive feeling.
They like being able to hear themselves think instead of getting their voices drowned in music.
They value deep connections over loose associations. Introversion is not weakness. On the contrary, it’s strength. Bill Gates would know. After all, the world’s richest man is an introvert. .
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References:
- https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/introversion
- http://www.academicjournals.org/journal/IJSA/article-abstract/97BD3C941404
- http://www.ted.com/talks/susan_cain_the_power_of_introverts
- http://www.ranker.com/list/athletes-who-are-introverts/people-in-sports
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- http://www.wsj.com/articles/why-introverts-make-great-entrepreneurs-1440381699
- https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/quiet-the-power-introverts/201107/are-you-shy-introverted-both-or-neither-and-why-does-it
- https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/276137
- http://www.forbes.com/sites/christinapark/2015/03/30/an-introverts-guide-to-small-talk-eight-painless-tips/
- http://corpina.com/how-working-out-in-nature-alleviates-anxiety/
- http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-power-of-introverts/
- http://www.livescience.com/37427-extroverts-have-different-brain-processes.html
- https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/0513/100513-study-finds-brain-system-for-emotional-self-control
- https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/238442
- https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-introverts-corner/201002/dont-call-us-we-ll-call-well-no-actually-we-won-t
