I’m not a social person.
I don’t like crowds.
I prefer a quiet time with my wife just taking a drive to nowhere. I am happy reading a book. Or three. I always have several books going at the same time. I am pleased to sit and watch the sunset. The sunrise. The water. The waves. The wind on the waves. The wind in the trees. Quiet. Calm. Not rushed. Alone. All by myself.
I get recharged by solitude. I look forward to my morning time alone. I’m ok with waiting for people. Waiting in traffic. Waiting, in general. I will arrive early so that I can wait for the event to happen. More time in thought.
Contemplative.
And yet.
When I talk, I’m loud and seem to be comfortable in groups of people. Naturally, it’s assumed that I’m an extrovert and enjoy social contact. When I was younger, I was prone to step up and assume leadership when a task was presented to the group. I loved the competition.
I was happy to be the spokesperson for the group. I always had an opinion I was willing to share and defend. How could I be anything except an extrovert?
Nothing to be further from the truth.
Here’s the deal with the social nudge; peer pressure, parental pressure, spousal pressure or just internal perceived pressure you exert on yourself. It happens. A lot. Frequently. Nudges after nudges.
Some good, some bad.
Others think they know who you are. The outside world is speaking into your world. Again. And again. You will internalize it. You will believe it. You will want to believe what they say about you. Many times, you choose to believe because it may be easier for creating the person you want to become.
You get to choose. Listen to external voices. Listen to internal voices that repeat the external voices? Or, something else. Something you consider to be the true you. The authentic outer representation of your inner self.
Nudge: Do others see you as an extrovert? Can you explain why, or why not?
Nudge, nudge: Where do you get your batteries recharged, interacting with a lot of other people? Or a quiet time alone or with a few others?