TED - A Case for Introversion

[Whore of Spamylon]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0KYU2j0TM4" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0KYU2j0TM4</a>

[Caitshidhe]

It was an interesting talk. I'm not sure I agree 100% that introverts are inherently better thinkers and more creative just because we do what we do on our own--there's no rule that says ideas don't 'count' if it was a group effort--but it was refreshing to hear someone else say what I've thought for ages. That the modern world is overwhelmingly biased in favour of the outgoing and extroverted and anybody who doesn't like being surrounded by groups of people and public speaking is somehow faulty or potentially mentally ill or is lacking in some way. You should know how to work in groups but you should also know how to work alone--and the option should always be there for people TO work alone. Being assigned a group project in school was a source of intense anxiety for me--not because I ended up carrying everyone's weight, but because I don't function well in a group. This was treated like some kind of leprosy. Like I had a severe problem that needed fixing.

It would do well for everyone to realize that the whole world doesn't--and can't--do things precisely the same way.

[StallChaser]

This kind of bias is especially bad in college admissions.  It's all about how many clubs and extracurricular activities you do.  In one instance, as I was attempting to fill out my interests in an online form, it went directly to "what club/organization is this for, and what is your position in its hierarchy?"  As if all individual pursuits are invalid. 

[Caitshidhe]

I remember something similar. I was attending some kind of seminar or other on how to best fill out your applications when you transferred to a four-year school (I went to a two-year college and most people did continue on) and they showed a 'sample' resume and the woman giving the talk point out how only a very small portion of it was actual academic achievements. The rest of it was dedicated to what kind of clubs and activities and volunteer work had been done. The speaker then went on to talk about how important clubs were, and that we should join as many as we wanted, because colleges didn't just care about how you would function in a classroom setting but how you would do in SOCIAL settings as well. Joining clubs was talked about like it was a crucial part of the whole process. It all seemed extremely superfluous and very unfair to me. Not everyone WANTS to be a part of a club--why is something ostensibly 'optional' treated like a serious deciding factor? It shouldn't. There could be a number of reasons people don't join clubs, from not being interested in any of the club activities to being too busy with schoolwork. I understand not wanting an entire student body composed of nothing but hermits, but treating introversion like a fault is as stupid and unfair as treating left-handedness as a fault.

[RavynousHunter]

Yeaaaaaaaah...I didn't join any fucking clubs or shit when I was in high school.  We had nothing that interested me.  Considering I grew up in AR and went to LR Central High (REMEMBAR LITTLE ROCK NINE!!!11eleventy), I'm surprised there were any extracurricular activities aside from sports, mostly football.  No tech clubs at fucking ALL.  Course, computers were either seen as a tool/hobby at best, and high-tech sorcery at worst, sooo...yeah.

That, and I personally find large groups of people to be exhausting at the best of times.  God help me if I, through no fault of my own, happen to forget my anxiety meds one day and do that crap...  So, yeah.  Fuck that jank.

[Old Viking]

I attribute my introversion to misanthropy.  I did once join the Army, but that was by special invitation from the draft board.

[Sixth Monarchist]

Yeaaaaaaaah...I didn't join any fucking clubs

There was no Fucking Club when I was a teenager, which only made High School all the more frustrating.

[RavynousHunter]

HA, yours had a club, mine had blowjob lines.  Literally, there were girls who would go to out-of-the-way spots (which were numerous, Central is nothing if not huge) and sell blowjobs.  No, I'm not kidding...I wish I were.

[gyeonghwa]

It's just a tad bit insulting to say that my ideas are somehow inferior just because I'm extroverted.

[RavynousHunter]

Ain't sayin there's anything wrong with being extroverted.  Least, I'm not...what I'm tryin to say is that, whether introvert or extrovert, we should be viewed, for college admissions, more on our qualifications than our social skills.  Granted, social skills are very important, but so are scholastic skills.

[Osama bin Bambi]

I think that extroversion and introversion come with different advantages that, in the right environment, complement each other. Unfortunately I've seen some idiots - yes, even introverts - devolve this message into "hurr durr introverts are better." It's not that introverts are inherently more logical thinkers, it's that the characteristics and gifts of extroversion are taken for granted in today's society, so it's expected for everyone to have them.

[Witchyjoshy]

I haven't watched the video yet, I will soon.

However, I have to say, I am an introvert and happy that way, and while I am friendly with you guys, I'm most definitely not extroverted.

I hate how jobs seem to be mostly about people you know (because I don't know anybody, really) rather than what your skills are.  They also tend to judge your performance based on your social ability.  You could be an excellent candidate for the job, but because you don't have any references (because all of your previous references were religious in nature, for instance) or because you stutter a little bit while answering questions, you are somehow not qualified to stock shelves or bring in the carts from outside.

[Osama bin Bambi]

I'm an introvert and I do have anxiety/sensory problems when faced with groups or crowds or loud places. However, in one-on-one situations and conversations I am surprisingly eloquent, if I do say so myself. *pats self on back* My only problems are that 1) 99% of "group projects" should just be handled by myself to avoid the waste of time that is "teamwork", and 2) I am soft-spoken to the point where I think I've lost my ability to yell. I don't know, I haven't tried lately.

My self-confidence is actually quite high, I'm fine with the number of friends I have (about three IRL) and I'm not "shy" in the conventional sense of the word - it's just that socializing is incredibly draining and after a while ceases to be fulfilling for me, even while extroverts continue to find it stimulating and want more of it, for some bizarre reason. I need mah batteries recharged.