Introvert Pride

Alice Munro quipped that, "The constant happiness is curiosity." It's almost as if she were addressing introverts, among the most intellectually curious people in existence, directly. Introverts' quest for knowledge is perpetual. It will never abate.  We strive to learn something new each and every day, whether by reading books, watching documentaries, or catching the newest exhibitions at the local museum.  Introverts don't buy into the notion that learning ends the day you get your high school or college diploma. Rather, learning is a lifelong pursuit. As the prolific science fiction writer Isaac Asimov said, "Education is not something you can finish." Does this mean we all aim to go out and get a Ph.D. like Asimov did?  Of course not. We're fortunate enough to live in an age where we have myriad tools at our disposal that enable us to learn practically anything we want, whenever we want, without the need to invest in a formal degree. Asimov himse...

If you ask any introvert, there's a good chance he or she has an insatiable appetite for knowledge.  In fact, introverts tend to: 1. Have at least one bookshelf at home. Depending on the person's tastes, the genres may be wide-ranging or highly specialized. In my case, I'm passionate about two subjects in particular (history and psychology), but I know many an introvert who swears by fiction only. Indeed, when it comes to reading, introverts are ravenous bibliophiles. 2. Devour documentaries and all other manner of educational content.  Whether it's a documentary on the Civil War or a biographical film on George Washington and the founding of the United States, we're always game for intellectually stimulating content. While some of my friends sing the praises of shows like Game of Thrones, you'll catch me waxing lyrical about the latest Ken Burns documentary series on PBS. (Sidenote: It examined the life of writer Ernest Hemingway.) 3. Feel at home at libraries,...

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...

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 ...