Introvert Pride

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...

Being in quarantine has been a boon for many an introvert. Not only are we not forced to interact with difficult people face-to-face, but less time spent in traffic means more time to indulge our solitary interests, like writing. I'd like to think that introverts will be viewed in a far more favorable light post-pandemic, with others gaining a newfound appreciation for solitude and staying in.  Do I anticipate that this will actually come to fruition?  Nope. I predict that our extrovert-centric society will push rather fiercely to revert back to the way things were.  Many people will expect others to be elated at the thought of again being able to attend sold-out concerts and dine at jam-packed restaurants. And if you show the slightest indication that you'll actually miss being cooped up at home with your book and cat, you'll be subject to no shortage of incredulous looks from a public that feels newly liberated.   That's not to say that, once vaccines are read...

Great news: You've arrived at the newly launched home for introverts on the web -- at the start of a new year, no less! My name is Jeff. I'm a writer by trade, and I've been an introvert my entire life. That's right. Like many of you fellow introverts , I remember questioning as far back as grade school whether something was wrong with me in that I wasn't as talkative, sociable, or energetic as my peers. And the fact many of them made fun of me for my quiet, low-key demeanor certainly didn't aid my cause. But as I grew older and learned more about introversion , I came to realize I wasn't weird, antisocial, or deserving of any other labels foisted upon me. I was just different in my internal wiring.  Introspective and quiet? Check. A tendency to think through what I'm going to say before opening my mouth? Yep. A need for solitude in order to recharge my batteries following heavy social interaction? Absolutely. A deep interest in solitary pursuits, part...