Are you content and happy being introverted?
By mjcookie
@mjcookie (2271)
Philippines
January 12, 2010 1:43am CST
I just wonder. I'm an introvert myself. But not purely, though. I'm 40% extroverted. I know how to have fun, and I love being outdoors as well. It's just that introverted people are perceived to be less happy than outgoing ones. That may be true, but an introvert is at least capable of making himself/herself happy, even when alone. His/her own thoughts and intuition can arouse him. Introverts have different perspectives about people, the environment, and everything about life. They notice small details and things that extroverts usually overlook. Those are things that I love about being introverted.
Now, if you're introverted, are you happy with it? Or do you wish you could someday transform into an outgoing socialite? Then why? I'd love to hear from you.
2 people like this
13 responses
@shell2784 (752)
• United States
12 Jan 10
I'd like to think I'm a good combination of the two. I used to be a lot more outgoing then I am now.. but I've gotten burned by a lot of people, I've made the wrong decisions in a LOT of situations, and I've made some devistating mistakes in my life - which probably contribute to the at times afraid to trust, etc.
However - instead of using my experiences, burns, mistakes and wrong decisions as a crutch or whatever word you'd use there... I use them to build my life.
Regardless of how many times my trust in someone has been broken or abused, I still give everyone a fair shot - I'm just more cautious about it.
I can still be the life of the party, but then there are times I want it to just be me and my husband or me and my best friend or whatever.
I shy up when I get nervous... but I can normally talk myself out of the nervousness real quick.
I am ALWAYS open to new experiences because that's what life is all about!
I've learned that life isn't always pleasant, its not always easy and its not always the most enjoyable thing in the world - but its what I've been given and its what I've made it into be. When I learned to find that common ground, I became a lot more secure and a lot more confident in myself. And I LOVE that about me!
1 person likes this
@mjcookie (2271)
• Philippines
14 Jan 10
Maybe because you're already a mother, so your interests kinda shifted to your children and to being a good mom for them. When you're a mom, you can't help but be like that. But I know you're happy with it. A lot of people say that having children made them happier.
@shell2784 (752)
• United States
14 Jan 10
When I became a mom... I became a lot less outgoing - but then again it was just work and home. I wasn't going out every other night or going here and there on the weekends anymore. My daughter and I pretty much kept to ourselves.
Now with working as an Estimator/Receptionist, I HAVE to be a lot more outgoing. I answer however many phone calls/emails/faxes a day, PLUS we have all kinds of work functions with companies from all over the state! So, Its really been a lot of fun working my way back out of my shell =)
@eubilisa (211)
• Philippines
3 Feb 10
I'm introvert actually but I can be extrovert too if I want but for now I prefer to be introvert and discreet to other people because the more you are exposed to surroundings the more problems you can attract so it's good also to be introvert though. People might say that if you are introvert you are unhappy and discontented about your life because you deprive yourself from other things like knowing people outside of your shoes but I guess they're wrong because the more you stay away from them and practice to be alone the more you appreciate small things even those ones that are not so important you get to appreciate. The problem with purely extrovert people they tend to attract more conflict as well as problems and so they are exposed to some things that aren't helpful to them. All in all, I love to be introvert.
@dawnald (85130)
• Shingle Springs, California
12 Jan 10
An introvert tends to get their energy, their happiness, etc. from their own internal self. An extrovert gets it from people and things around them. You can be an introvert and still like being around people. I don't think it really has anything to do with happiness.
1 person likes this
@mistlady (114)
• India
14 Jan 10
I think it is absollutely all right to be introverted as long as we are comfortable with ourselves. I am and introvert by nature. However I love to chat with my friends and family whenever I feel like and also when I have the time. It is not necessary to get along with everyone and it is also not possible to please one and all. One should do what one feels happy to do and not as a matter of rule and routine. There is no satisfaction in making a show of love and friendship when we are not feeling so. We may have a number of friends but we are our best friend and only we can decide what is good for us.
@mjcookie (2271)
• Philippines
14 Jan 10
I love your comment. It's so true that we shouldn't be what the society tells us to be. Each of us has his own personality, behavior, views, beliefs, and ways of being happy. We play a lot of roles in life: mother/father, daughter/son, sister/brother, student, worker, money-provider, and friend, but God said that these are just roles that we play, and at the end of the day, we are humans, with a core personality not influenced by external forces, that we shouldn't forget to nurture.
@RisaAttrell (418)
• Canada
13 Jan 10
I think i'm like you. Quite introverted, but in some ways extroverted. I would not give up my introvertedness for anything. I believe we introverts have a certain depth-a certain understanding, and seriousness...
@RisaAttrell (418)
• Canada
14 Jan 10
You know, i never thought of that- that extroverted people can be abrasive and insensitive. Maybe it's true. Maybe that explains why some people are so stupid. I dont mean intellectually stupid. I mean socially stupid. Sometimes i'm amazed at the things that come out of some people's mouth- i wonder how anyone can be so stupid to say a thing like that. Is it that these people are extroverts?
@mjcookie (2271)
• Philippines
15 Jan 10
Well, not necessarily. Not all extroverts are like that. But most of them have that quality. They become too insensitive of the other person, or they just have this thinking "I'm gonna say what I feel like saying" even when it could be hurtful. I don't wanna stereotype extraverts here. It's just that introverts sense easily if the person is gonna get hurt with a word, so she/he just prefers to shut up or say the words in a nicer way.
@mjcookie (2271)
• Philippines
14 Jan 10
I agree. Besides it's kinda difficult to change who you really are. Wanting to be an extrovert means a lot of courage to do.
Introverted people are gifted because we have a different kind of perception or intuition. The smartest people of the world are mostly introverted, because like what you said, we have a certain depth. I'll take Michael Jackson as an example. =) He is a real genius, whether at singing, dancing, drawing, or acting. But then he had a calm, shy personality off cam. He was a very private person. Just thinking about him makes me feel good about my own personality, that it's not always unpleasant being like this. That you don't have to be extroverted for people to like you.
One thing about extroverts is that they don't tend to appreciate little, simple things. They overlook them. They can be abrasive and insensitive, despite the outgoing personality.
@sushie93 (1355)
• France
23 Jan 10
Sometimes i'm introverted, sometimes i'm extraverted, it depends of people i'm with.
With friends and my family (parents, grands-parents and brother), i'm a big big extraverted and i'm very happy like this.
But then i'm introverted with others people, i'm not happy at all because i think that to be introverted, it's not my real personality, it's just that when i'm with people but i don't have the "feeling" with them, i'm introverted and don't talk very munch, and somewhere, it makes me hurt but i can't do nothing....
Conclusion: i'm not happy at all when i become introverted, it's a sort of jail, i can't be myself.
@mjcookie (2271)
• Philippines
24 Jan 10
You know it's pretty normal to have both personalities, but usually there's one that's more dominant than the other. The human personality is so complex that it can change over time. Like you, you're only introverted around people you don't know or don't like. In my case, I am really introverted, and I am happy with that.
Anyway, if you wanna what your personality really is, you can take personality tests online..I just did that this week, and I am very happy to know the results. It enlightened me very much.
Thanks for the response. :-)
@Canteen (592)
• China
12 Jan 10
i'm happy i'm introverted. like you, i'm not completely introverted. i enjoy the moment to be with my friends, and i enjoy being on my own. sometimes i admire those extroverted pepople who have a lot of friends. er... i think about for a while, seems i can't find the advantage of being introverted.
but for me, the most important thing is to be happy, well i'm happy when i'm alone, doing my favourite things. i don't think i'm very very happy with a lot of people around, so it's quite ok for me to be introverted. 
my mom wants me to be more extroverted. she said it's much better. but i just feel embarrassed and awkward when i force myself to do things i don't want to. like toasting to all the guests in festivals. awful memory. haha, it's hard to change my nature, i'm glad the way i am.
but for me, the most important thing is to be happy, well i'm happy when i'm alone, doing my favourite things. i don't think i'm very very happy with a lot of people around, so it's quite ok for me to be introverted. my mom wants me to be more extroverted. she said it's much better. but i just feel embarrassed and awkward when i force myself to do things i don't want to. like toasting to all the guests in festivals. awful memory. haha, it's hard to change my nature, i'm glad the way i am. 
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
13 Jan 10
hi mjcookie I am also an introvert
and I like myself the way I am as i have enough extravert to make a few close friends but not more than that. I notice everything, and love to write about daily oddball things others may not even notice. I journal every day and mylot like crazy.I enjoy being here and mylotting and responding to others, its fun and Its a learning experience for
me. Nobody else can make us happy but ourselves,introvert or extrovert we still must make ourselves happy.
and I like myself the way I am as i have enough extravert to make a few close friends but not more than that. I notice everything, and love to write about daily oddball things others may not even notice. I journal every day and mylot like crazy.I enjoy being here and mylotting and responding to others, its fun and Its a learning experience for
me. Nobody else can make us happy but ourselves,introvert or extrovert we still must make ourselves happy.@mjcookie (2271)
• Philippines
14 Jan 10
Hi Mr. Hatley!
I can't agree more. I have a special interest on people who are way more perceptive than others, they always catch my attention. Maybe because I see myself in them. Like you, I can't help but notice small, weird things. That is just our nature as introverts.
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
13 Jan 10
Hey mj! I am not really sure what I am! I would say that I
am an introvert mostly because I love being alone the most! I
guess you could say that I love my own company and can always
find things to do to keep me amused! But, when I am with people
I can be alot of fun and I do enjoy talking to different people
and no one would ever know that I am a an introvert of believe
it unless they truly knew me! But, if I had to pick my preference
I would pick being an introvert! I love being alone on the
computer, reading, watching tv a bit, playing with my cats!
I love my friends too, but in very small doses! I love my
boyfriend/roomate too, but I'm glad he's gone most of the day
and only home on the weekends!lol
@mjcookie (2271)
• Philippines
14 Jan 10
LOL at your comment about being glad when he's away most of the time. Hahaha! You are a combination of the two. It says that an introvert doesn't act like one all the time, same as for the extroverts. Personality is complex, that's why it changes over time, and it's not always consistent. Some of my friends consider me as a very crazy, wacky person. While that is true, they don't know that I'm shy as well. So it's not like we're introverted or extraverted all the time. I used to worry about it, that I may be some kind of a freak with a Multiple Personality Disorder, but now I understand it better. :-)
@coolcoder (2018)
• United States
12 Jan 10
I'm very much an introvert. I normally don't like being in large crowds of people because I find that too much socializing tends to exhaust me. Even in my family, when we hold our yearly Christmas party, I don't like going because there are too many kids/teenagers and too much noise going on. I'm usually worn out after an hour or two of being there and I'm ready to get back home to my nice, quiet bedroom where I can curl up with a good book.
@mjcookie (2271)
• Philippines
13 Jan 10
I don't like parties either. But I love concerts! I don't really have to socialize with the other attendants. But regarding kids, I'm fine with them. I could actually talk to them very comfortably, just not those kids who are too hyper. Thankfully my cousins are not like that. So I won't have to deal with a lot of mischief.
@ramos7881 (344)
• United States
13 Jan 10
I am also an introvert. I am very content being an introvert. I do not wish to be an outgoing socialite. I tend to focus though on how to balance my need for being alone and the needs of my large family. The kids just kind of go wild when they realize that I am lost in my own thoughts. I have learned that there is a time for myself and a time to interact with others and I try to balance that as best I can; however, I still have to fight that urge very frequently to retreat and be by myself when I know I should be interacting with others. My mother is also an introvert, and I can now understand how that impacted who I am today.
@mjcookie (2271)
• Philippines
14 Jan 10
Getting lost in your thoughts, hahaha, I'm always like that. Staring at space thinking to myself. Read about it on Wikipedia. It said that the energy of an introvert is drained when he is around lots of people, but he gets energized when he's alone. Interesting. We can't really help but act like this because that's who we are. It's gonna take a lot of effort and guts to transform into an extrovert, though it's not impossible.
@langjipingzong (981)
• China
13 Jan 10
Hello,mjcookie.I think I am an introvert.I like to stay at home alone.I wouldn't go out unless I have no choice.I don't like bush and crowd place.I like reading or listening to music quietly.Sometimes,I even don't know how to communicate with people face to face.I just have a few friends.I notice small things and be sensitive all the time.I once feel tough about this because no one else around me is same to me.But I am happy with it now,I have learned how to keep a good mood all the time.It's obvious that I can only depend on myself.
@mjcookie (2271)
• Philippines
14 Jan 10
Then you are a certified introvert! :-)
What do you mean by bush?
Well, a crowded place is fine for me as long as the people are not staring at me like I'm a huge freak. I don't like it when they do that. Freakin' intimidating. About the music, I appreciate hiphop and rock, but not all of them.
I know how it feels when you feel like you are surrounded by a lot of people yet you still feel alone, because you feel like no one's gonna understand your behavior and way of thinking. I still feel that way. That's why I blog and talk to myself when alone (weird right?). That's how I get to let it all out.
Anyway, there's always something special and interesting about introverts. Most of the scientists, poets, and artists that we have are introverted people like us. That means, we are GIFTED! LOL. Because we are perceptive.
