Rajesh Kumar

Optimizing life, one day after the next

The Introvert's Advantage

25 Apr 2009

I think introverts have a pretty substantial advantage over all their non-introverted friends. Why is this? The reasons couldn't be any more straight-forward:

Now, let us not confuse introverts with social recluses. Introverts can be very social given the right circumstances, or simply alcohol. People often mistake the laconic nature of introverts as shyness. Some of the most effective Presidents of the United States and Prime Ministers of India have been staunch introverts. Unfortunately, I don't know enough social recluses to make a sufficiently knowledgeable comment about them.

You know if I had a kid today and I found out 5 years later he/she wasn't an introvert, I'd be kinda bummed out. I'd somehow feel like I'd been short-changed by god. But at least I'd have an interesting challenge in front of me. The challenge would be: how do I raise a non-introverted kid and turn him/her into someone who would be able to compete on a level field with other introverts?

So what do we take away from here? If you're a fellow non-introvert, or even a confused middle-man unsure of your own introvertedness like I am, I think exercising caution is the only way out. Because one day the introverts will strike, and when they do, they will strike hard. Because I know that when it comes to solving problems that require conscious and concentrated thought, the introverts will kick my sorry non-introverted ass any time of the day. They only lie low right now because they are a minority in our population comprising of overly enthusiastic/extroverted people.

To all the introverts in the world, I bow down to thee. I have tremendous and unabated respect for you.

You know who you are. Amen.

This post was influenced heavily by an article in The Atlantic called Caring for your Introvert. Apologies for any overlap in opinion.

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