I’m not anti-social. I promise. And I really do like you.
I’m just having an introverted moment.
For the past 6 months or so, I’ve been exploring my personality & values. I’ve taken some assessments, read a few books, written in a journal, and been asked some tough questions (and answered them honestly).
One major theme that I’ve learned — and embraced — is that I’m very much an introvert.
I want to write more in-depth about what this really means for me, but that’s for another day. Today, I just want to make something clear.
If I don’t say hi to you, come hang out, or have much to say… it doesn’t mean I don’t like to be social. I love people. Love conversations. And love sharing experiences with friends.
But being the introvert that I am, I can only do so much socializing before I need a breather. If I’ve had a fun-filled weekend with friends, or even just spent a few hours with a friend over coffee, I exerted 100% of my mental energy into that experience. And now it’s time to recharge my batteries.
Much like an actual battery when it’s being charged, it sits alone in a charger. It cannot be used for anything else. And if you try to take it out too soon… it just doesn’t work. You’ve got to let it finish charging.
If I don’t give myself time to recharge, I’m not much fun to be around. That doesn’t mean I get all mean & nasty on you, but you won’t have my full attention. And it’s frustrating & draining for me, which is also no fun.
With that said, I think that will be a new saying that I start to use to explain my mood. So if you here me say, “I’m having an introverted moment,” please try your best to understand & respect that. And let me recharge.
I assure you, it’ll be more fun for everyone 🙂
A carefully curated list of fellow introverts (and their experiences in the world)
- Max Schireson, former CEO of MongoDB
I feel this.