We human beings are the only species on this planet that has the superpower of speech. Of words and conversations. We were made to talk, and yet, there is this group of people who call themselves introverts and abstain from talking (too) much.
How very odd!
I’ve never been — and I dislike using this word for its popular connotation — “social.” As an introvert, I hate small talk; I always have. But I frequently have long, meandering conversations with the few people I hold dear in my life. I dislike talking without a perceived need for it (read: gossip, tea-time huddles, party high-fives, pointless inside jokes).
This means I’m often found staring at my phone, book, or computer screen while several others are guffawing. While I’m perfectly content to be doing my present activity, I still become an aberration. I become someone who is perpetually reminded, “You’re so quiet.”
This brings me to the “assumptions,” the little nuggets about myself that people feel compelled to share with me from time to time. They used to make me feel mad — raving mad — both for the ludicrousness of this unsolicited advice and the fact that some people found nothing wrong with passing personal comments on to someone they didn’t even know well.
With time, I’ve learned to handle this verbal onslaught better. Now, I usually just dismiss it with a look of amusement, irritation, or absolute lack of interest.
I have the feeling that you, too, as an introvert, have encountered some of these unsolicited comments. Here are seven things people assume about me because I’m quiet.
