Article Continues Below
For many of us in the web design profession, this will feel awfully familiar:
Do you know someone who needs hours alone every day? Who loves quiet conversations about feelings or ideas, and can give a dynamite presentation to a big audience, but seems awkward in groups and maladroit at small talk? Who has to be dragged to parties and then needs the rest of the day to recuperate?
Can you see yourself in Jonathan Rauch’s Atlantic piece, “Caring For Your Introvert“?
I am this person your’e talking about. Everyday I try and “go outside my world” just one time. Some days are good days, and some days are bad. But there are always other days.
when you see an introvert lost in thought, don’t say “What’s the matter?” or “Are you all right?”, don’t say anything else, either.
True
A simply brilliant piece. Pretty much describes me to a T.
Ditto. I’ve found using Myers-Briggs is a neat tool to help provide some framework for helping introverts better understand extroverts, and vice versa (and a myriad of other personality types). This little bit alone has helped me remain sensitive to the needs of introverts as well as extroverts (paraphrasing): “An introvert is exhausted by being around other people, and needs to be by himself to recharge his batteries; an extrovert finds being by herself to be draining, and receives energy from other people.”
Susan Cain’s Quiet is a wonderful read on this subject. It breaks down the cultural evolution in America, from when the introvert was revered (the lone frontiersman), to modern day, overwhelming groupthink: (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307352153/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0307352153&linkCode=as2&tag=clrbld-20)
The Introvert Advantage was a good read too. It shows how introverts & extraverts actually process stimulation differently at a neurological level. (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0761123695/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0761123695&linkCode=as2&tag=clrbld-20)