1 March | Youth
«Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.» Joshua 1:9
Are you afraid of public speaking? Have you ever avoided going to a get-together to stay home alone? Do you prefer listening to talking? If your answers are positive, you are probably an introvert. And let me say right off the bat that introversion is different from shyness. Shyness is the fear of judgment from others; introversion is the way of reacting to stimuli.
There is nothing wrong with being an introvert. Introversion is not a problem, but a way of looking at the world. In general, an individual who is quieter listens to people better, thinks before speaking, is more observant and has very sharp creativity. See? Introverts have many qualities.
In the book Quiet Power, Susan Cain explains that, until the 18 century, when people lived in a family and rural context, the most valued quality was character. However, after the Industrial Revolution and the development of cities, people had to leave their family nucleus and began to interact with strangers. Thus, instead of the “cult of character,” the “cult of personality” came to the fore. To be successful in life, you had to make a good impression. This trend overvalued extroverts and even promoted a flood of self-help books. One of the most popular is How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.
However, we must admit that many introverts are also outstanding leaders and deserve “a place in the sun.” Without them, we would not have Google, Theory of Relativity, Facebook, Microsoft, among other things. Bill Gates himself said: “I think introverts can get along very well. If you are smart and learn the benefits of being an introvert, you might be willing to unplug for a few days and think about a complex problem, read everything you can and try really hard to think about the boundaries of that area.”
If you are a quiet person, do not feel discouraged. It was God who made you this way and He did not make a mistake in the design. Remember that no personality is better than another. With courage, creativity and trust in God you can go further!