Introversion does NOT mean “being shy”

One of my bugaboos is that people often confuse introversion with shyness.

THEY ARE NOT THE SAME.

The simplest way to explain introversion: the need for space.

That need for space can be for multiple reasons – for reflecting on one’s mental self, to restore energy “used” up during interactions, etc.

That’s all it is – it doesn’t mean you’re shy. it doesn’t mean you’re awkward. It doesn’t mean you cannot be sociable.

I’m a pretty hardcore introvert (I have yet to hit publish on some of my horror stories a decade plus ago when I was figuring out who I am).

I make it work for me by taking walks all the time. By treating my workouts as meditation time (I am incredibly anti-social). By reading. By carving out space for myself.

Hell, a big reason I often walk to meetings (upto an hour long) is because it gives me the time and space I need to get my socialization on.

So stop treat being introverted as a self-limiting part of your identity. If it is who you are, simply intertwine it into the fabric of your life.

Labels that are self-limiting are no bueno.