You might be an introvert if. . .
There are many different types of personality styles, but one of the most known is an introverted personality, which is the polar opposite of extroversion.
Extroverted people tend to get fulfillment from doing things that involve others, and they are generally more outgoing and sociable than introverts. Introverted people, on the other hand, tend to enjoy their time alone, and are usually the homebody type. Extroverts get energy from being out at parties, or some other type of social gathering. For the most part, extraverts look forward to being around people; they are the type of people who enjoy being the center of attention at the club or family get-togethers.
Compared to extroverts, introverts are usually more quiet, reserved people. They tend to need time alone because socializing for long periods of times can become exhausting.
For introverts, being social can feel like a chore because it’s far out of their comfort zone. For the record, introverts can be very well-spoken, confident, charismatic people. And extroverts can be shy and socially awkward. Introversion and Extroversion are not necessarily about social skills. They’re more about social preference, and how our brains respond to social engagement.
Most people have a balance between the two, and no one falls entirely into one category. For the sake of time, I will only talk about introversion.
Below are some common signs you might be an introvert:
Being around a lot of people is draining — do you ever feel completely exhausted at the end of a long day of being with others? I’m not talking about doing anything that’s major; I’m talking about simply being around too many people can be draining. If so, you may be an introvert.
You talk to yourself often — you have full-blown conversations with yourself. And no I don’t mean you argue with yourself in public, but you do vent to yourself in your private or in your head. Usually, extraverts do this with another person, but introverts find more comfort in doing this alone.
People often mistakenly think you’re lonely — people tend to think you’re lonely or bored when you try to get extra alone time. They may say “come on out with us, so you don’t have to stay in the house by yourself” And typically you’re thinking to yourself: staying in the house alone is EXACTLY what I want to do.
You tend to learn by watching — While extroverts tend to learn from hands-on experience or trial-and-error, introverts usually prefer to learn through observation. It’s not that introverts can’t learn the same ways extroverts learn, they just have a preference for learning by watching. It’s almost as if they feel like they’re under pressure trying to learn hands-on. Whereas, observing is more of an internal type of learning which means less interaction
You hate small talk — you find small talking annoying or at least very pointless. You actually dread situations where small talk is likely to occur, because it can be extremely tiring acting like you’re interested in what the person is talking about, or having to think of an appropriate response–when all you want to do is just enjoy peace and silence without having to entertain someone’s meaningless small talk.
There are many differences between introverts and everyone else, and no two introverts are exactly alike. And all the signs do not necessarily apply to every introverted person. As a matter of fact, many people have a mixture of introverted and extroverted personality traits. This article is merely a guide to help you recognize some of the most common characteristics of introverts.
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