For years I thought of myself as an extrovert. I am out going, not necessarily shy, not necessarily quiet. But, when you also think about the time I happily spent alone growing up and even stayed at home to go to college, because I simply liked being at home, should have been big clues that I was an introvert. As I have gotten older, I have embraced that as my identity especially when test after test that I have taken describe me in varying degrees of introversion. It is not whether I am an introvert, it is how much of an introvert is the question.
So, I had to laugh the other day when I thought about the things that I enjoy for fun: Video Games, Comic Books, Classical music, Watching Baseball, Drinking Tea, Reading, and Writing. All these are somewhat slow (except for the video games). All of these can be enjoyed alone. All of these are quiet (again except for the video games). The video games are the se exception to the slow and quiet, but they are strong on the alone part. Yes, you can play together—but I don’t. They are all enjoyed alone. And that’s what introverts love to do. There are thousands of things I could be doing, and I constantly have to cut my list down as too much. But, they too all can be enjoyed alone. It is the inward focus that make someone an introvert. And all of my hobbies point to where my personality is.
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