Accepting Introversion

Growing up in a society where the word “quiet” has a negative connotation is hard. In fact, it’s hard for at least one third of the population. One third. Likely more! Yet nobody does anything to change the way this is because, well, it’s been like that for a long time. In school, you’re taught to work in groups. They force everyone to sit in tables facing each other, to work together, even for creative endeavors that really should be individual. When I was younger, I was painstakingly shy. People would tell me that I was “too quiet” like it was a bad thing, and as I got older, teachers acted as though I must had some sort of psychological issue because I didn’t raise my hand to answer every question like the favorite class know-it-all. I overcame my shyness with age. I do not consider myself a shy person at all anymore. Yet still, I would prefer to keep quiet and only share what I see as applicable to the situation. I am still, and will always be, an introvert.
Shyness and introversion are very different. Shyness is a fear of talking to and interacting with people, whereas introversion isn’t so much a fear but more of a lack of the need to always interact with people. In class discussions, I would much prefer to watch. And this doesn’t mean I’m not participating, in fact, I’m participating just as much by observing and coming up with my own thoughts and opinions. Friday nights, I would much prefer to have a nice night out with a couple of close friends, rather than a crazy party with thousands of people I barely know. Introverts value close friends, time for reflection, and quiet environments. This doesn’t mean that introverts never go out, in fact, I usually go out once a week. We just prefer not to. But I know, personally, as long as I’m feeling like it, I will go out and do things.
It’s taken a lot of time for me to accept my introversion. For years, I kept trying to be the extravert that I could not be. I deemed myself as lesser because I wasn’t as talkative or couldn’t handle as many social activities as my extraverted peers. It’s time that people stop valuing extraversion more than introversion. Both types of people bring wonderful things to the table, and growing up as an introvert is becoming increasingly hard, especially in schools. Both types deserve to be respected. Quiet should not have a negative connotation to it. People can only control who they are to some extent, and there is no point on deeming characteristics like quiet to be negative when people cannot control that part of who they are.
It’s time society recognized that the talents of extroverts and introverts are equal.