On a recent Aes Duir post I talked about boredom and how I just don't get bored. That's mainly because I have a pretty active inner dialogue. I'm almost always thinking of something. When I was a child I had no problem on long car trips - and this was before there were any forms of portable electronic entertainment, I just observed the passing scenery, and sometimes even composed stories in my head. When my oldest children were in their teens, I was appalled that they plugged into a Walkman and cut themselves off from everyone else when we were on long car trips.
I enjoy reading. I almost always have a book or two going. I can sit for hours engrossed in a novel. I stay up to date on current events by reading several newspapers and follow several other news media on Twitter. I organize my thoughts by composing blog posts like this one. During times when I don't have access to a keyboard, I think through topics in my head.
None of that means that I want to isolate myself from all human in-person contact. I like crowds! Whenever I visit my family in the New York area I try to make time to walk around Manhattan and immerse myself in the sea of humanity. I love the energy of all those people in one place. This may seem odd until you realize that I'm not interacting with them! More stereotypical for an introvert is when I find a nice quiet spot like the beach and just gaze out at the waves.
Even at home anyone who knows me knows that I love The Zoo Bar, which can get pretty crowded, especially at Zoofest when a significant percentage of the city is crammed into the 100 block of North 14th Street. And even though I am happy to engage in conversation (between sets! No talking when the band is playing!) with just about anyone, I am equally happy to just sit quietly and enjoy the music and take pictures.
Some years ago I was at a talk by a metaphysical teacher that I admired when he claimed that he was an introvert. Most of the attendees were surprised. This was a man who made his living by public speaking, teaching and being in front of people. But, he explained, at the end of the day he just wanted to curl up with a good book and relax. I identified with that very strongly. For many years my main job put me in contact with hundreds of people every day, and had to lead meetings and interact very closely with all manner of people; I also had a side job (still do) where I have to speak in public and get a bunch of people to do what I'm telling them to do. When needed I can stand up and lead, but am just as satisfied to be the follower or the second-in-command.
One area where my introversion comes in to play in my work life is working with a team. Not that I can't get along with others, it's just that I'd rather plug away on my own and then present my ideas to the group for a thumbs up or thumbs down, or even suggestions - I really dislike spending an hour in a meeting with a lot of talking and no progress. I'd much rather be given my slice of the job to work on in solitude.
So, yeah...introverts like solitude, we have a pretty rich life of the mind, we like quiet, but it's a bit more complicated than that.
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