6 Awesome Things You Might Not Know About Introverts

There are a lot of misconceptions about Introverts. Here’s the thing: Introverts are wired differently, and that’s not an exaggeration. There’s actually a proven difference in the way introvert and extrovert’s brain’s function. In other words – We Were Born This Way, and introverts are perfectly content with that. Just to help you understand why introverts tend to be perfectly happy with the way we are, here are:

6 Awesome Things You Might Not Know About Introverts

1. Introverts Tend to be Very Creative

Let’s just be clear on this one – there can be introverts that aren’t creative, just like there are extroverts that are. There just tends to be a large number of creative people amongst introverts. Because we love spending so much time on our own, we have a lot of time to invest in our own little projects – whether it be writing or some kind of art like painting or sculpting. We also tend to lean towards the more… perfectionistic side of things, so we can spend hours, days or weeks on a single project to make sure we’re happy with it.

Introverts especially tend to gravitate to literary arts. The long hours that’s spent alone and in thought is like a dream for a lot of us. Through writing, Introverts really shine – showing off their unique perspective on the world through the characters and worlds they create. In case you haven’t made the connection, J. R. R. Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, Shakespeare and Stephen King, for example, were all introverts.

2. Introverts Are Very Sensitive to Stimuli

This isn’t just ‘a thing’. Remember I mentioned that our brains are wired differently? This just happens to be the biggest way – and it has its pros and cons. The biggest con is easy to guess – introverts quickly get overstimulated. That is one of the reasons why introverts don’t do all that well with big crowds; it’s just too much input in a very short amount of time. Afterwards, we need time to recharge. Extroverts recharge by overloading their senses, surrounding themselves with people and activity. For an Introvert, the recharge is alone time, sitting quietly and just relaxing in perfect calm and quiet.

Here’s the thing, though – because introverts are so sensitive to input, we enjoy things a whole lot more. A bite of delicious food, a good song… Believe it or not, introverts also love seeing new places and exploring. We just prefer to do it when no one else is, or our closest friends are, around.

3. Introverts Tend to be Great Observers

Introverts spend a lot of their time observing people. They’ll sit in the back of the restaurant, or stand at the back of the party (that they hadn’t wanted to attend in the first place) and do something we introverts like to call ‘people watching’. It’s also one of the reasons why introverts can write such good characters – they observe the people around them and learn to read all the little nuances of their body language.

It also makes Introverts rather good judges of character – more often than not, because they need to be able to very quickly spot if a person would be the kind to keep, or to nod at politely and avoid going forward.

4. Introverts Make Great Friends

Because introverts tend to be relatively quiet around most people, they’re thought to be shy, withdrawn, rude, or all of the above. That’s not exactly true. Introverts are just really picky about the people they surround themselves with. It’s not that we always want to be alone; even when introverts have spent time with their own friends, they need some alone-time to recharge.

Thing is, Introverts don’t do small talk. There are few things that are more annoying, really. But get us in a comfortable setting surrounded by a couple of close friends, and we can have the most spirited discussions you can imagine. Introverts happily have deep and thoughtful conversations about everything that range amongst history, politics, the origins of life… you name it, we’ve thought about it.

Because introverts are so selective in their friends, they’re also extremely loyal (if rather practical in that loyalty). When you’re down, or in a pinch, you can generally count on it that your introvert buddy will be there to help you through it. Introverts can also be a lot of fun when with their few friends. In fact, some people might even say we get a little… crazy.

5. Introverts Actually DO Make Good Leaders

Introverts might not like being in the spotlight, but sometimes we end up there whether we want to be or not. And, believe it or not, introverted leaders have a lot to bring to the table. Whether it be in politics, business or activism, introverts have some unique qualities that allows them to really shine.

Since introverts are such good listeners and observers, they tend to have a good idea of the thoughts and needs of the people around them. They also tend to respect the opinions of those around them. Combine that with their natural independence, and introverts can lead, but they’re also not afraid to listen to the advice of those around them, weigh their options and then make a decision. Just in case you need a bit more convincing, here are a few great leaders who are – or were – introverts: Abraham Lincoln, Rosa Parks, Mark Zuckerberg, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

6. Introverts Can’t ‘Become’ Extroverts

Why is this awesome? Because, believe me, introverts don’t want to become extroverts. In fact, there are few things quite as annoying as being told we should be more extroverted.

We really like the way we are (and those that don’t are generally the exception, not the rule). Introverts enjoy that we can spend days with only our own company, that we have a few close friends we can count on, and that the people we surround ourselves with understand our unique brand of crazy. We enjoy spending time in thought, or hours with pen in hand or fingers on keyboard as we put down our wondrous worlds and characters on paper. We don’t want to change – and introverts don’t change. Not for anyone. And that’s exactly as it should be.

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