Author : Vaibhav Vijay
In an era where the most successful person is the one who connects the most, why would someone who avoids the buzz even be slightly desirable? Wouldn’t it be counter-intuitive then, to suggest that the world could use more of the silent and reserved type?
It should come as no surprise actually, that the world wouldn’t be the same without individuals who work behind the scenes, away from the limelight. We give the introvert tag to those that prefer a little solitude in life. It is an oft misused tag to describe probably the most misunderstood humans on this planet.
Contrary to the stereotypical portrayal of a socially anxious person huddled in a corner unwilling to talk to anyone, the truth is that introverts understand the importance of working in teams and cooperation with their peers. They display rich personalities, once befriended, are pleasant to talk to and remain loyal to those they trust being around. Although, it is also true that instead of spending time to satisfy social goals or desires, introverts would find it more useful to spend time working on developing their skills or their personality. Being less likely to get sidetracked also helps in staying concentrated and focused on the job at hand.
Extroverted people may frequently appear artificial or even obnoxious, whether it is their intention or not, due to their natural inclination to assert themselves. This constant need to be among other people depreciates their individual value. There is a perceived shallowness in their personalities when there isn’t a group around to express themselves to. They’re less efficient as a single unit because of their reliance on others and their sense of hollowness when they can’t take part in an activity with other people. On the other hand, an introvert is more than happy to not focus on expanding his/her social circle and is less reliant on others. Not going out of their way to meet people is characteristic of introverts which helps in keeping their minds clear and unburdened by simply not having to worry about the social expectations extroverts have to consider.
In a way, introverts are most similar to plants. Just as animals depend on plants for survival, but not necessarily the other way round, an introvert does not require others, as an extrovert would, to go about daily business. However, introverts don’t mind helping those people whose lives are tangled along with their own. Being self-sustaining while at the same time assisting others in going about their own lives is an endearing trait nobody can deny.
Which leads perfectly to one of the best values of an introvert; their sensitivity towards others. An introvert may not be willing to go on and on about life’s happenings but he/she will be more than happy to lend an ear to someone else. They devote less time to adding more to the conversation but spend that time thinking about what they’re carrying away from the conversation, maybe even making less obvious observations which at times, are more meaningful to an interaction than just more words.
The bottom-line is that an introvert would rather form deep, significant bonds with a select few rather than spread their energy forming a feeble connection with the crowd. If an introvert decides to stick with you, you have a real reason to feel special for he/she believes that you are someone who is worth putting in effort to share their time with.
Also, it helps a lot that they are masters at containing the spread of extremely infectious pandemics. Lord knows we need everyone to be an introvert in times of the Virus.
