Why are introverts misunderstood? All introverts have come across some misconceptions in their lifetime, one way or another.
It’s rare to find people who truly understand you. People just feel you’re shy, anxious and depressed for the most part. Although some introverts go through this, introversion is in no way based around it.
Introversion is a personality trait and not exactly a mental health disorder. Luckily, more people are beginning to realize this and understand introverts better, but it’s just not enough. This article would shed more light on who an introvert is, why they are misunderstood, and what the truth is about them.
Who Is an Introvert?
An introvert is a person who gains energy from solitude. They require alone time to recharge their batteries. Social and stimulating events, however, can do the complete opposite for them. It can leave them drained, burnt out, and sometimes even physically sick.
It might come as a surprise that there are people who actually enjoy their company and do not mind little to no social interaction for a period of time. Introverts are a lot more than meets the eye. They are known to be very creative and analytical people. They are great friends because they believe in quality over quantity.
Why are introverts misunderstood then? Maybe because more people are yet to discover and accept the beauty in this personality type. In a world that seems more extroverted, introverts are usually told to adapt. No matter how uncomfortable it is. Here are ways introverts are misunderstood.
Why Are Introverts Misunderstood? Introverts Are Shy
Again, I’ll make this very clear, not all introverts are shy. Some introverts can be shy and would rather be on their own than socialize with people because of the difficulty that comes with it. But some introverts do not find socializing a challenge when they want to.
Introverts are very selectively social. They deal better with a small group of people than a larger group where you generally do not get to even know the people. Introverts prefer more meaningful conversations than a world mindless unintelligible chatter.
Both introverts and extroverts can be shy as introversion and shyness are not one and the same. When you’re shy, you have this fear is social interaction, which can stem from anxiety. Introversion is not wanting to because it drains you.
Introverts Are Quiet So They Must Be Angry
“Why are you so quiet?” The average introvert gets that a lot. More times than we care to share. People want you to talk more as an introvert, but you just aren’t feeling it. So hearing this can get super annoying and fast too.
The reason why this happens is because people generally misunderstand why we are quite in the first place. They may think we are angry or sad, depressed or snobby but that isn’t always the case. We are usually just thinking.
You see the introvert will most likely be processing a lot of information as they like to think before they speak. We are also very fond of getting lost in our own imaginations so that can be a factor. Also, if we don’t have anything meaningful to say, we’d rather just keep quiet. Introverts can be great listeners too.
Introverts Have No Emotions
Why are introverts misunderstood? There’s this misconception that introverts have no emotions because they don’t display them a lot. We feel things, we just express them differently. Just like everyone else, we have a rollercoaster of emotions. Most of the time, we try to rationalize it to stabilize us, but we feel it.
It may be rare for an introvert to react in a dramatic way but this is because they’ve thought it through. Especially introverts who lean more into the thinking than feeling aspect. They know emotions can blind you. Make you say things you do not wish to say or explore more regrettable actions.
Introverts just know how to keep their cool so they make a decision they don’t end up regretting. This can make them come off as emotionless but it’s far from that. They feel hurt and pain too, they just don’t want it escalating into something worse like hurting others or even themselves.
Introverts Are Anti-Social
Introverts aren’t anti social. They are just selectively social. So many times you see people using these words interchangeably, but they do not mean the same thing. Introversion is a personality trait, and antisocial disorder is a mental health problem.
Introverts do not hate people. An introvert will not hurt you because you exist or have any hatred towards you for that. They usually just want to be on their own but do not mind being around people either.
Introverts Hate Socializing
Why are introverts misunderstood? Again, another false statement. Introverts do not necessarily hate socializing, but they don’t want to do it a lot. Maybe once a month more or less. They want to socialize in moderation. Instead of being in crowded places, they prefer just hanging out with their friends.
Does this mean they are against parties and events? Not at all. They don’t mind them but doesn’t mean they want to attend. They’d rather be home with their pets, reading a book or even watching a movie.
However, every once in a while, they intentional seek out for bigger events because it helps them as well. Extroverts tend to get their energy from crowds, introverts don’t. But introverts need to be in social scenes ever so rarely because they see it as a challenge. They don’t mind challenges.
Introverts Are Pushovers and Not So Intelligent
People think introverts are pushovers because they avoid conflict but this isn’t true and exclusive to introverts. So many introverts have strong will and wouldn’t do what they are against, no matter what.
Even when they avoid conflict, they would make their stance known and exit the situation. The last thing you want to do is underestimate an introvert’s intelligence because you’ll be wrong most of the time.
Introverts are highly intelligent and creative. One reason why they thrive alone and do not need to be in everyone’s faces to make a point.
Introverts Have No Ambitions
In the corporate world, being an introvert is making a lot of compromises. We live in an extroverted world and if you don’t go hard, you’re told to go home. Introverts are seen as individuals with no ambitions as they would rather do things differently and this is false.
Introverts can be just as ambitious as the other person. Just because they aren’t sucking up to everyone and have opinions of their own doesn’t mean otherwise.
Introverts Are Boring
If there’s one question introverts dread is “what do you do for fun?” Because they proceed to name a bunch of things people find boring but they find very entertaining.
Introverts aren’t boring just because they don’t like clubbing and partying. There’s a lot more to life than the things you’re invested in. Introverts understand this and would like for others to as well.
Why are introverts misunderstood? People just don’t take time to study them and their environment. Introverts on the other hand do this of themselves and others.
