Janna
@janna
I don’t think introversion is a permanent, irreversible trait. It’s the result of feeling you need to wear a mask in public in a way that is incongruent with who you feel yourself to be. The strain of maintaining that mask is what tires you out and prompts the need to “recharge”. If you can take the mask off in a way that integrates who you are, you feel far less exhausted by interaction — in fact, it can be energising bc it allows you to connect with people in ways you may have always wanted.
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Jimmy
@zkp
most introverted people ive met tend to open up in environments that are comfortable to them. they just dont care to engage with people or events that they find uninteresting. some people are more social than others, but most people crave connection - we are social beings. i think youre right about the mask concept. ie someone who reads a lot could prefer to be alone, but if you ask them about their favorite books, they might open up and even take interest in you. the conversation flows and theres less urgency to recharge.
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Janna
@janna
Totally agree, people crave connection! And I think more people who consider themselves introverted could actively become comfortable in more environments than they realise I used to think of situations as more comfortable/safe/interesting vs less comfortable/safe/interesting, but that really limited what I felt suited me and where I could find connection. And I have since discovered that I can actually actively take the mask off anywhere and, consequently, increase the number of environments I feel comfortable in. And it’s also made me find more things interesting. It’s a far more active way of living and connecting: it’s you WITH the world, not against it Bc of that, I don’t think the introvert/extrovert distinction is a fixed, permanent categorisation. I think we can move between them at will
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