23
Signs I’m Not So Secretly An Extrovert:
Last month, this article went viral. Suddenly my facebook feed was covered
in posts from not-so-covert introverts who were suddenly more than willing to
claim the title. Because I’m one of those people who has to read every
single article someone posts to facebook, I decided to check it out and see if
any of the telltale signs of introversion applied to me.
Guess
what? THEY DIDN’T. Like at all. Not a single one. The
whole point of the article was to prove that people are frequently unaware that
they’re introverts, but in my case, it only proved to me that I am completely,
100% an overtly extroverted girl. And so I bring you:
23
Signs I’m Not So Secretly An Extrovert (modeled after “23 Signs You’re Secretly
An Introvert”):
1.
I thrive on small talk.
- Because
here’s the thing: for me, there is no such thing as small talk. When
I meet people at parties/church/work/wherever I immediately assume that
we’re already the best of friends and I have no problem treating them as
such. I’m one of those no barriers
I’ll-share-my-life-story-if-you’ll-share-yours type of people, and I
genuinely LOVE getting to know the details of people’s lives. Put me
in a seat next to a stranger on a five hour plane flight? Yes
please. (Ask Andrew about the time I got off the plane and called to
inform him that we now had a dinner date Wednesday night with the lady I
sat next to on the plane and her husband.)
2. I go
to parties--to meet people.
- When I go to parties, I’m not comfortable until I know everyone in the room. We’ve had a lot of practice with this one lately. Being new in Charlottesville and at U.Va., there have been a fair amount of “getting to know you/orientation/first event of the semester” types of parties. And what is the first thing I do when we arrive? I ask Andrew to introduce me to everyone. And if he doesn’t, I will. When I go to a party, I do not silently slide up against a wall and wait for someone to inquire about the mystery guest.
3. I
never feel alone in a crowd.
- This isn’t to say that I’ve never been somewhere with a group of people and no matter how hard I try I just can’t connect with them. Because that happens, and yes it feels lonely. But that feeling usually doesn’t last long, and if it does, it doesn’t really bother me.
4.
Networking doesn't scare me.
- Call me crazy,
but I love networking. (I sometimes credit it for the reason Andrew and I
got married.) Interviews excite me, I have no problem talking about
my accomplishments, and, once again, I love meeting new people.
Bingo.
5. I
have A LOT of feelings.
- Or feeeeelings,
as I like to call them. Not only do I have them, but I love to share
them. I cry a lot. In front of other people. I’ve been told I
laugh too loudly. I say how I feel and communicate my whole range of
emotions, fears, and desires frequently and to anyone who will listen.
No one ever has to wonder how I’m feeling. Chances are, I’ll
tell them.
6. I
get bored easily when I don’t have enough to do.
- I hate downtime.
Actually, let me explain it this way: I always claim I want
down time, that all I want to do is lay in bed all day and watch Netflix,
but when I actually get it, I feel incredibly antsy and irritated.
What can I say? I need stimulation. It is for this reason
that…
7.
Downtime feels extremely unproductive to me.
- Just ask
Andrew--I can’t sit still. I try and try but no matter what downtime
just doesn’t do it for me. If anything it makes me aggravated and
angry at myself for wasting time. That’s not to say that I don’t
like to relax, but rather that spending the day at home doing nothing
really brings me no satisfaction. I’d rather be up and running.
8-9. I
feel like this is getting repetitive. Let me just repeat--I LOVE TALKING
TO PEOPLE. Big groups, small groups, one-on-one. Love it.
10.
I start to shut down after I’ve been inactive for too long.
- Like I mentioned
above, downtime tends to have a negative effect on me. Instead of
replenishing me, it sucks energy out of me. Andrew can testify to
the truth of this. He’ll come home from work/the library and I’ll be
on the couch, with all the lights on (because it makes me feel like I’m
not alone) and some kind of music/tv show playing so it feels like I have
other people with me. And I attack him as soon as he walks in the
door demanding we talk all about our days and share our feelings.
(Guess who usually does the most talking?)
11. I’m
in a relationship with an introvert.
- While the “23
Signs You’re Secretly An Introvert” article didn’t apply to me, boy did it
apply to Andrew. 100%, every single one was him. And you know
what, I love him for it. I can’t imagine being in a relationship
with another extrovert. We’d probably both just explode from
over-excitement. Andrew and I balance each other and I love it.
Yin and yang, him and me. Incidentally, a lot of my best
friends are introverts. I guess opposites really do attract.
12.
I want to try to master everything.
- I
want to be the best wife, the best friend, the best cook, the best dancer,
the best dressed, the best everything. Rarely ever can I just focus
on one project at a time, I obsess over multiple activities at once.
Whether or not this is a good thing, I’m not sure.
13. I
would LOVE to be on any kind of show that might involve audience participation.
- Did you know
that it is my dream to be on Ellen? And I don’t just mean to be one
of the dancing members in the crowd whose facebook profile she stalks.
I want to be on Ellen. Like somehow she is going to
find out how amazing I am and bring me on the show and make it possible
for me to dance with Usher and then go have a game night with the cast of
Parks and Recreation. Sound crazy? Maybe. But part of me
really believes it’s going to happen. I might even have an amazing
plan to make it work. But we’ll save that story for another post.
14-19.
Blah blah blah...this is getting really long...thanks to those who are
still reading. :)
20. I have trouble looking at the big picture.
- I
always find myself way too caught up in the details. Yet another
reason why introvert Andrew, who tends to look at the big picture, is
perfect for me.
21.
I’ve been told I’m too needy/talk too much.
- What?
I have a lot of feelings. And I need to tell them to someone
to recharge. That’s just the way I am.
22. I’m
horrible at keeping up my blog.
- Why?
Because I don’t want to be inside alone typing on a computer.
I’d rather be out, with people, making the memories, rather than
writing about them. And to finish it off...
23. When I read all the online articles about introverts last
month at first I thought “Haha that is so me!” and then realized, that’s
not me, I just love being part of a group.
Safe to say I'm an extrovert?
