Introvert Pride

Do introverts tend to be conservative with their spending, or do they burn through cash with total abandon? Though it varies by person, introverts are generally not huge spenders. I certainly am not.  We typically value experiences over material stuff.  Yes, certain experiences can cost an awful lot of money (e.g., European vacations). But introverts don't need to travel that far and wide in order to enjoy themselves.  Whether it's going to dinner with close friends; spending the afternoon at a local museum, library, or art gallery; we value enriching experiences more than we do physical possessions.  And the stuff introverts like me might spend more on tends to be relatively inexpensive, like books or coffee.  Again, it isn't to say there are no spendthrifts on Team Introvert. But they're not as commonplace as those who relish going out and forking over untold sums of money at nightclubs, casinos, and other venues. Remember, introverts tend to be home bodies. O...

Are you a bookworm?  If you call yourself an introvert, there's a good chance you routinely devour all manner of books -- new and old, big and small. Introverts, after all: Tend to have an insatiable appetite for knowledge  Are big on solitary activities like reading  Turn to books for an escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life  Imagine this: Back in the 18th and early 19th centuries, books could only be afforded by the elite.  That's right.  Only well-heeled property owners (and unfortunately, "property" often encompassed slaves as well) like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson had the means to amass these pricey tomes. In fact, they boasted whopping collections than ran in the thousands!  Back then, people of modest means would have killed to live in a time where books are as affordable and easily accessible as they are now. (Amazon Prime, anyone?) Yet, people take this convenience for granted.  On average, people read maybe a hand...

Call any introvert words like "nerd" or "geek" and you're bound to get a surprising response -- that is, if you intended to come off as insulting.  Indeed, we are likely to reply with a zealous "thanks!" But why would introverts like me not take offense to being labeled a nerd?  After all, in pop culture -- namely sitcoms like Saved by the Bell and Family Matters -- nerds are portrayed as losers who spend all their time studying and who couldn't land a date to save their lives.  It's because we recognize that our intellectual inclinations -- devouring books, writing prolifically, consuming educational films and documentaries, virtually living at museums -- makes us unique. We can't help but to seek intellectual stimulation any way we can. Our curious minds demand it; if not, we get bored and lose total focus.  That's not to say the average person doesn't do these things every now and then. But most introverts make a pastime -- a way...

When my wife and I a few years ago set out to buy a home, we essentially had a few options: Continue renting until the perfect property pops up Buy a condo  Buy a townhouse/single family home (SFH)  We both agreed we'd rather build our own equity than help a landlord improve his, so that eliminating renting as an option. In the end, we opted for a condo for these reasons: With an association that handles all external maintenance, there's far less upkeep required than in a SFH Less upkeep translates into more time for the things we enjoy doing, like reading, writing, and watching documentaries Far less expensive than a SFH (mortgage, property taxes, etc.) Less space means less to clean and fix Less space means less stuff piled up and accumulating dust   Perks like security and water are worked into the HOA fee Here are a few personal reasons why a condo was right for me: Having lived in a two-story duplex through early adulthood, I like having a view from an upper flo...

Introverts find the everyday grind to be monotonous for one reason: We guard our time fiercely and loathe seeing it wasted, whether in traffic jams, long lines at the grocery store, or mindless chitchat.  Who'd know better about the value of time than the very people who spend so much time contemplating life? Unless we make an active effort to enrich our lives with things that transcend the day-to-day humdrum, we can find ourselves rather bored and glum. Here's the good news: With their exceptionally active minds, introverts have no trouble finding ways to preoccupy themselves.  For starters, many of us are perpetual daydreamers who often get lost in our thoughts. If you happen to see an introvert zoning out, it might be because he or she is ruminating over: - a new idea for a book they're writing - the next destination on their travel list - the motives of a person in their life - the cosmos, philosophy, or some other profound subject But sometimes we need a tad of inspira...

Do you love learning for its own sake?  Do you have a penchant for looking up the definitions of unfamiliar words you come across?  Do you enjoy going to museums -- not only to check out neat exhibits, but to read the descriptions  that accompany them? Does a day spent writing in a library or coffee shop sound ideal to you? While others watch reality TV, do you immerse yourself in educational documentaries?  Do you like traveling to cities mainly to soak up history and culture? If you answered "yes" to one or more of the above (as I proudly do), you're likely an autodidact, which simply means you're self-taught. You learn things on your own just for the sheer pleasure of learning.  Granted, an autodidact can still be college-educated, but once they have that diploma in hand, he or she refuses to give up his pursuit of learning.  When I graduated from college, I felt a sudden void in my life. No longer forced to read books or write papers, my intellectually ...