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I first heard about Susan Cain on NPR a couple months ago and loved her analysis of introverts. Here’s the link to the podcast: Quiet, Please: Unleashing ‘The Power of Introverts’

Her TED talk on the topic of introverts resonates deeply with me because I remember feeling incredibly guilty of being introverted in school. It was not enough that I could get good grades and have great ideas on paper, but one had to be able to vocalize those ideas and participate in group work. At one point, 5% of our English IB grades were based on participation alone, putting me at a great disadvantage. I recall several occasions where a more extroverted student would voice the same opinion that I had, but would always get it out before me. More guilt ensued. Of course that was a long time ago, and I have since grown a great deal due largely to my professional experience. Although I still consider myself an introvert, I realize I’m not as far down that side of the spectrum as I used to be. Some of my friends are even surprised that I score as an “I” in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Assessment.

Socially, introverts are no better or worse than extroverts. As a society, we need to be able to adapt to and provide a nurturing environment to both personality types.

Many people believe that introversion is about being antisocial, and that’s really a misperception. Because actually it’s just that introverts are differently social. So they would prefer to have a glass of wine with a close friend as opposed to going to a loud party full of strangers.

The lesson here? Wherever you  may lie on the introvert-extrovert spectrum, never feel guilty of who you are. Rather, embrace it, own it, and allow others to respect it.