Ah. Today was such a nice summery day. I guess I'm just one of those people who really enjoys an easy, relaxing day. I went for a nice long run with my sister, talking about everything under the sun; found 12 four-leaf clovers in my own backyard; finished the application process at my number one college; and then biked the prairie trail where I train for my marathons in the fall. (I was so happy to be biking and not running that horrible gravel path!!) I also had some nice alone time this evening to read some of my "blow-off" books. ("Blow-off" books are my favorite books-- ones with no historical content that are purely fun to read- and that I've read like 1000 times before. Today's was Little House on the Prairie.)
That "alone time" was what got me thinking. I actually do really enjoy being on my own sometimes. And often, I need some time by myself to "unwind" or "recharge." So does that make me an introvert?
What has been on my mind lately is a pretty serious personality test I took over the weekend. My results weren't really what I expected. According to the test, I am a "quiet and mystical person, yet very inspiring and tireless idealist."
Now, I know that I am relatively quiet and reserved, especially on those occasions that I feel uncomfortable or out of place, but I have to admit that at first I was rather disappointed to be 13% introverted.
I think I felt that way because in today's culture, it's the extroverts who are "cool." I imagine an extrovert as the life of the party and everybody's best friend. I mean, everybody wants to be a super-social extrovert, right? All my friends who took the test were decidedly extroverts, and it left me wondering, Why am I the only introvert? And is this something I should be ashamed of?
So I read up a little on introverts. Did you know that introverts actually often make the best leaders? And that some of the the world's influential heroes, including Abe Lincoln, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Albert Einstein, were also introverts? (I'm not in such bad company after all, am I?!) In fact, 40% of today's executive leaders are social introverts. Sometimes it's good to not be the one doing all the talking. Sometimes it's better for a person to have their own quiet time to recharge. And sometimes a calm, reserved demeanor can be a person's greatest strength.
Suddenly I didn't feel so bad about myself.
Maybe being an introvert doesn't make me a crazy cat lady or a social outcast. Maybe, being an introvert is something I should be proud of, and something I should use to my own advantage in my life. And also, the fact that this test named me an introvert does not mean that I hate people, social gatherings, and crowded places. On the contrary, I love working with people, which is why I am studying to be a physical therapist assistant, so that I can interact with people on a daily basis. (And I love crowded places! I live in a city, for goodness sake!)
So I have decided to be proud of my introvert status! Both introverts and extroverts have strengths and weaknesses. There is not one personality type that is "cooler" than another. As the saying goes, "It takes all kinds of people to build a world." If everyone was overly social, can you imagine how loud and confusing the world would be? :)
What I hope you can take away from all this is that we shouldn't let words and labels define us. We can be whoever we want to be, no matter what the stereotype is.
And if you're interested in the test, the link is:
http://www.16personalities.com/personality-types
You might want to check it out. I thought it was pretty cool!
That "alone time" was what got me thinking. I actually do really enjoy being on my own sometimes. And often, I need some time by myself to "unwind" or "recharge." So does that make me an introvert?
What has been on my mind lately is a pretty serious personality test I took over the weekend. My results weren't really what I expected. According to the test, I am a "quiet and mystical person, yet very inspiring and tireless idealist."
Now, I know that I am relatively quiet and reserved, especially on those occasions that I feel uncomfortable or out of place, but I have to admit that at first I was rather disappointed to be 13% introverted.
I think I felt that way because in today's culture, it's the extroverts who are "cool." I imagine an extrovert as the life of the party and everybody's best friend. I mean, everybody wants to be a super-social extrovert, right? All my friends who took the test were decidedly extroverts, and it left me wondering, Why am I the only introvert? And is this something I should be ashamed of?
So I read up a little on introverts. Did you know that introverts actually often make the best leaders? And that some of the the world's influential heroes, including Abe Lincoln, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Albert Einstein, were also introverts? (I'm not in such bad company after all, am I?!) In fact, 40% of today's executive leaders are social introverts. Sometimes it's good to not be the one doing all the talking. Sometimes it's better for a person to have their own quiet time to recharge. And sometimes a calm, reserved demeanor can be a person's greatest strength.
Suddenly I didn't feel so bad about myself.
Maybe being an introvert doesn't make me a crazy cat lady or a social outcast. Maybe, being an introvert is something I should be proud of, and something I should use to my own advantage in my life. And also, the fact that this test named me an introvert does not mean that I hate people, social gatherings, and crowded places. On the contrary, I love working with people, which is why I am studying to be a physical therapist assistant, so that I can interact with people on a daily basis. (And I love crowded places! I live in a city, for goodness sake!)
So I have decided to be proud of my introvert status! Both introverts and extroverts have strengths and weaknesses. There is not one personality type that is "cooler" than another. As the saying goes, "It takes all kinds of people to build a world." If everyone was overly social, can you imagine how loud and confusing the world would be? :)
What I hope you can take away from all this is that we shouldn't let words and labels define us. We can be whoever we want to be, no matter what the stereotype is.
And if you're interested in the test, the link is:
http://www.16personalities.com/personality-types
You might want to check it out. I thought it was pretty cool!