![\"gift_gab-introvert_extrovert1\"](\"http:\/\/www.raisingjane.org\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/gift_gab-introvert_extrovert1.jpg\")
Photo by Andrew Kudrin from Novosibirsk, Russia (CC-BY-2.0) via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n
If you answered “yes” to most of my questions, join the club.<\/p>\n
Don’t worry,<\/p>\n
I’m not talking about a club where people party\u00a0to the beat of loud music,\u00a0or meet up in noisy restaurants, talking over one another.<\/p>\n
I know that would make you uncomfortable.<\/p>\n
I’m using the term “club” figuratively to describe 57 percent of the U.S. population<\/p>\n
(that’s right, more than half)<\/p>\n
who are introverts.<\/p>\n
You may be wondering what exactly separates\u00a0introverts from their polar opposites,\u00a0extroverts.<\/p>\n
“Extroverts are energized by people, and wilt or fade when alone. They often seem bored by themselves, in both senses of the expression. Leave an extrovert alone for two minutes and he will reach for his cell phone. In contrast, after an hour or two of being socially ‘on,’ we introverts need to turn off and recharge,” writes Johnathan Rauch of The Atlantic<\/i><\/a>. “This isn’t antisocial. It isn’t a sign of depression. It does not call for medication. For introverts, to be alone with our thoughts is as restorative as sleeping, as nourishing as eating.”<\/p>\n Still with me?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Then you’ll be interested in a book called Introvert Power<\/i><\/a> by Laurie Helgoe.<\/p>\n “Most Americans, whether introverted or extroverted, have learned to look like extroverts,” Helgoe explains.<\/p>\n But, the truth is, an introvert needs to\u00a0embrace her need for\u00a0alone time in order to truly flourish.<\/p>\n Summoning her own introvert power, Laurie Helgoe steamrolls stigmas and presents introversion in a refreshingly positive light.<\/p>\n Being introverted, Helgoe asserts, isn’t a weakness or condition that needs to be overcome. Introverts have incredibly valuable ideas and gifts to contribute to society\u2014they simply need to do it in their own way, unashamedly.<\/p>\n Sometimes, learning how to channel creativity through an introverted personality and bestow it on our gregarious culture can be a challenge, but Introvert Power<\/i> helps readers build the confidence to follow their hearts and realize their dreams\u2014without compromising their precious quota of quiet and alone.<\/p>\n This is a book that deserves to be read by introverts and shared with the extroverts that love them.<\/p>\n I should know \u2026<\/p>\n I’m part of the “silent” majority struggling to adapt to an increasingly loud\u00a0all CAPS world.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Do you tend to \u2026 shy away from\u00a0certain kinds of group activities? express yourself in writing? enjoy solitude? dislike small talk? listen more than you talk? do your best work on your own? avoid conflict? think before you speak? feel … Continue reading ![\"gift_gab-introvert_extrovert2\"](\"http:\/\/www.raisingjane.org\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/gift_gab-introvert_extrovert2.jpg\")
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