Anna writes…

You cannot imagine my glee at discovering an article entitled “The Upside of Being an Introvert (and why Extroverts are Overrated)”, Bryan Walsh, TIME magazine, Feb. 6, 2012. I loved it! I took the little innie/outie test and it turns out I’m an introvert. Who knew? Perhaps I’m not at the J.D Salinger end of the scale. I’m just the innie side of centre (which is good because I like to hedge my bets) otherwise known as an ambivert. My husband, also an ambivert, trips slightly onto the extrovert side of the scale – we’re probably about equidistant from the middle! It’s quite a nice place to be. After all, there are benefits to being an introvert. These are some of the ones Walsh outlines:

“Introverts may be able to fit all their friends in a phone booth, but those relationships tend to be deep and rewarding. Introverts are more cautious and deliberate than extroverts, but that means they tend to think things through more thoroughly, which means they can often make smarter decisions. Introverts are better at listening – which, after all, is easier to do if you’re not talking – and that in turn can make them better business leaders, especially if their employees feel empowered to act on their own initiative. And simply by virtue of their ability to sit still and focus, introverts find it easier to spend long periods in solitary work, which turns out to be the best way to come up with a fresh idea or master a skill.”

Thank you Mr Walsh! It was like being handed a disclaimer for all my introvert tendencies. As I sit here, (alone, tapping away at my keyboard) I am musing the signs of my introversion.

Sorry if this was you!

The Mystery Phone Call. If you call my house and your number doesn’t show up (or even if it does sometimes) it is likely that one of three things will happen.

1. My kids will answer.

2. My husband will answer.

3. The nice voicemail lady will answer. (This one is the most likely).

Since my extended family is international, it is rare for me to recognise any phone numbers as they all come up “unknown”. I don’t really know why we have a phone at all!

The Power of Email, Social Media and the Blogosphere. Like most introverts, I prefer to express myself in writing. However, I have a lot to say! Hence I find outlets through Facebook, not one but two blogs (with a third on the way….more about that later….is that a collective sigh of exasperation I hear?) and via email. This is not a fear of talking face-to-face or using the phone, it is just a preference. So strong is that preference that the Sears card I’ve been meaning to cancel is still sitting unused, waiting for me to pick up the darn phone. If it could’ve been done by email it would’ve bitten the dust months ago (sorry B…I’ll get to it!).

Bye now, I'm having an introvert moment!

I write, I read, I run. Seriously, how much time can a person spend inside one’s own head? I’m not a hermit or anything but I highly value time to get my thoughts in writing; time to bury my head in a good book; and time to pound the pavements until my mind reaches that meditative zone of contemplation. As a fellow blogger said in her short story, Annie in Wonderland: “I was born a writer and a bookworm”, with a hover text explanation: “The official term for this is ‘introvert.’” Throw in a bit of solo running and we’re there, introversion!

On the spot. This is a situation I abhor more than any. When asked a difficult question in a public forum I clam up. It doesn’t mean I can’t or won’t answer. Just that somehow the increasing heart beat interferes with my ability to think quickly and co-ordinate my mouth with my brain. The result is, somewhat predictably, incoherent and red-faced. Ask me the same question in a close family/friend group and the eloquence is smooth, the exterior calm (ok, that’s an exaggeration…let’s just say, I am more able to make my point).

Taking the stage. Actually, I have always been pretty comfortable on the stage. Being an introvert (or ambivert) does not equate with being shy or lacking confidence. There is something very liberating about taking on someone else’s character traits. That does not mean that taking the stage (which I haven’t done for many years) doesn’t make me nervous, just that acting is fun. Speaking in public is the same. In fact, my best job interview was one where I had to prepare a presentation for the board. I actually enjoyed preparing and giving speeches and presentations at university and, as a teacher, once my lessons were prepared, I loved getting up there and talking it through. I don’t even mind job interviews as long as I have researched the job, the company etc really well first. I just need the time to think and work through topics in my head, time to process.

An Introvert in America. I am living in a country that is somewhat challenging for an introvert. As Walsh says:

“Simply being an introvert can also feel taxing – especially in America, land of the loud and home of the talkative. {…. } it sometimes seems that the quality of your work has less value than the volume of your voice.”

Introverts have their place too, they (we) are just a little quieter about it. Hillary Clinton, Warren Buffett, Mohandas Gandhi and Bill Gates are among some of the most prominent introverts (doesn’t that sound like an oxymoron). I am proud to share this trait with them….now, if I could just share some of their success and brilliance!

Mohandas Gandhi Source: wikimedia.org

Hillary Clinton Source: wikimedia.org

We’re in good company!

Introvert, extrovert or ambivert? Where do you fall on the spectrum?