8 signs you’re an introvert, at least the most common ones to help you understand if you’re an introvert — like you imagined — or something along those lines.
Table of Contents
Signs You’re An Introvert… And I Wasn’t Weird!
The 8 Signs You’re An Introvert.
-You Enjoy Solitude
-You have a close circle of friends. Less is more.
-You are drained by social interactions so you pick them wisely.
-You prefer to work alone
-Small talk is the ultimate nightmare.
-You screen all your calls in horror.
-You’re considered wise — even wiser than you dare to admit.
-You are analytical and very self-aware
Final thoughts
Signs You’re An Introvert… And I Wasn’t Weird!
How do you know whether you’re an introvert? My introverted women and men, whether you are aware of it or not, there are some things you should know about yourself.
[Don’t do like me. Better still, do the opposite of what I did!]
In QM’s About I advise you do the opposite of what I did. That is, waste no more time and find out if you are an introvert as soon as you can.
Doing so changed my life, as I have detailed in a couple of articles. It was the exact discovery my spirit needed after years of work done both alone and with coaches in the realm of holistic health and healing.
I know I wasn’t the only one, at times, to wonder whether I was depressed or introverted. Or plain weird. I was even called ‘arrogant’. Can you believe it?
Well, I bet you can. How many times have you been called out for being too much of something and too little of something else? Too…
- quiet
- shy
- aloof
- boring
- sensitive
- problematic
The truth is: of all the things you should know about yourself, the single-handedly most important one is:
You’re an introvert. Period. End of story.
Here’s what defines us introverted women (and men) according to Psychologist Carl Jung.
Carl Jung described introverted and extroverted personalities in the 1920s and stated that the two could be separated based on how they regain energy. Introverts prefer minimally stimulating environments, and they need time alone to recharge. Extroverts refuel by being with others. (1)
Ok, let’s dive deep into the things you should know about yourself as an introvert. You will find that I treat the subject with irony and a pinch of sarcasm. I hope you won’t be offended by my word choices. Also, remember I am actually making fun of me, my obsessions, and weird habits as well.
Ready, go!
The 8 Signs You’re An Introvert.
1. You Enjoy Solitude
Like, a lot of solitude. You never grow tired of being on your own; well, you actually need it like you need air to breathe. I know I cannot get enough alone time. As much as I loved my family and now love living with my partner, I need plenty of solitude to function properly. And recharge, of course.
Loving solitude is the golden sign, our number one rule for sanity and probably the one our friends and family have the hardest time wrapping their heads around.
After a long day of social activity, alone time (a ton of it, preferably!) represents the ultimate form of self-care for introverts. We love retreating to our quiet nooks to think, reflect, and recharge.
2. You have a close circle of friends. Less is more.
You enjoy sitting and sipping a cup of coffee with your few close friends, chatting and feeling extremely comfortable.
If you were in a large group of people, you’d probably stand in a corner, observe and listen. Then you’d leave as early as socially acceptable because this type of interaction would drain you pretty quickly.
With your close friends, well, it’s a completely different story. You feel replenished, energized, strangely happy you went out. Ok, perhaps just a tiny bit drained!
3. You are drained by social interactions so you pick them wisely.
You have chosen your friends carefully, they’re probably even extroverted and get you like no one.
Likewise, you choose social events and gatherings really wisely. Regardless, you know you’ll want to run home once your battery is over. It’s not that you don’t like to party, dance till dawn, or enjoy an extra drink or two. It’s more that you need to know what you’re in for in advance, in order to keep you energy levels in check.
This is the main reason why you may have been adopted by a few extroverted friends who are the highlight of your life. Thanks to them, you don’t miss out on all the things you would, were you to choose autonomously whether to attend a social event or not. In which case, you obviously wouldn’t.
4. You prefer to work alone
Choosing the right type of job might equal some sort of self-care for introverts. At least if compared to group projects or environments that don’t allow for any degree of isolation and independent work.
It soon becomes quite overwhelming, even loathsome, for many of us.
The isolation, on the other hand, improves our ability to focus, become creative and have deeper insights into any task we are given. We get really creative and that’s then we outdo ourselves, delivering top notch results.
It’s worth adding that we work with others (sometimes even like it!) although we are better off if we know we’re eventually retreating back to our space, task, independence. That is, not having to deal with the social implications of being part of group dynamics.
Our brain is too overloaded to work the way it should, both because it cannot access the aforementioned space of pure creativity and because it would have to use some precious energy for social interactions.
5. Small talk is the ultimate nightmare.
Introverts thrive thanks to their exclusive, wisely chosen friendships. They are offered a chance to connect on a deep level through significant topics, even better if they are let free to share their emotions, worldviews, and values.
However, if we are disgracefully caught off guard out of our door, in an elevator, or waiting in line at a supermarket, then a real tragedy occurs. We’re asked to interact superficially, be spontaneous, casual or even cheerful. You know, a brief exchange on the weather or the news.
Well, in those instances you freeze, mumble something, wear your fakest, weirdest grin and hope it’s soon over.
However, if you have a choice, you will avoid any chance whatsoever to bump into the risk of doing small talk. Which is why number 7 is probably one of the most frequent signs you’re an introvert — and shared by most of us!
You know, the usual behavior that might cost us the label of arrogant people…
hiding behind the door waiting for our neighbor to be out of sight,
staring intently at our cellphone as if we were texting in a matter of life or death,
walking briskly straight ahead as if we were in a hurry to get to destination…
Which brings us to our relationship with phone calls, probably the most fun of all.
6. You screen all your calls in horror.
Albeit number 6 in the “signs you’re an introvert list”, it is number one in my heart because it’s literally too relatable and also very funny to bear witness to!
I mean, have you ever not screened your calls at least for a second before answering?
How many times — out of the gazillion calls received in your life — have you not panicked, not even for a second, upon realizing your phone was ringing?
The truth is, you’d so rather text for hours instead of being trapped in a phone call. Because that’s what every darn phone call feels like, despite of the fact we might end up enjoying the conversation once it’s over.
7. You’re considered wise — even wiser than you dare to admit.
You like to observe and process the information you take in before sharing it or speaking to other people. For instance, if I know I have a meeting in person or over the phone with someone I don’t talk often to, I make notes beforehand. I outline what I want to ask or discuss, actual sentences if necessary, as a way to take some pressure off during the actual meeting.
I don’t know about you, fellow introverted women and men, but I do it only to avoid any social mishaps caused by being an introvert. However, because of our tendency to think thoroughly before speaking, we appear to be wise from a very young age. Even poised or ‘stronger’ than we actually are.
Has it ever happened to you? Did you expect it to be one of the signs you’re an introvert?
8. You are analytical and very self-aware
Because introverts tend to be inward-turning, they also spend a great deal of time examining their own internal experiences. If you feel like you have a very good knowledge and insight into yourself, your motivations, and your feelings, you might be more of an introvert. Verywell Mind
Such a tendency often goes hand in hand with being highly sensitive people — in addition to being introverted.
However, it involves all areas of your being. For instance, you look for books through which you will discover more about yourself, love diving deep into the story of your favorite singers, you absolutely need to research topics of your interest until you realize you have gotten slightly obsessed and carried away…
Final thoughts
You must have found some useful words in this “8 signs you’re an introvert list”, I’m sure. They might have helped realize you are a full blown introvert, absolutely not one, or something in between (by the way, I took a free test to find out with more certainty, it was fun!).
No matter what you’ve discovered, you are not defined by any list of signs you’re an introvert, extrovert or ambivert. You’re defined by the totality of values, ambitions, abilities, and heart you pour into what you do for yourselves and others.
In conclusion, I’d like to stress the importance of addressing any endeavor of self growth (like this one or beginning your spiritual journey), with a generous dose of self compassion and an open mind.
Always remember that.
Resources:
Huffington Post
Introvert, Dear
Healthline
Hi Mary, I can see traits of myself in almost all the points. My pastor who recognized me as being an introvert asked me to not only greet every single person who entered the Church but also asked me to be part of one of the most public ministry. Thankfully it was only once a month & it took me that long to recover. However, I learned to recognize just how much I wanted to handle. Being introverted is just another human trait that we adapt to & manage. It’s just part of who we are & that’s a beautiful thing. Took me a long time to get this but it does feel empowering. Thank you for great read! Marisa ( aka Gioia )
Thank you for your meaningful comment, Marisa! I’m so happy and honored you made the time to read and subscribe.
Reading your experience, I feel a bit overwhelmed just by the thought of being asked to be a part of something very public :S
Did it happen as an adult or when you were still growing up? It can make a big difference according to what stage in life we are… Anyway, yes, I completely agree with the fact that we just learn to adapt & manage, every day at the best of our possibilities.
Have a beautiful day and thank you for your time 🙂
Hi Mary, actually I was part of a very public ministry for Church right up to February of 2020 before the pandemic happened. I just persevered, did what I had to do. It was with the pandemic & having time to slow down, I came to fully understand what being introverted truly meant. A little late but just in time. I’m truly grateful for having had this experience (I learned a lot) but moving forward this is the lesson I learned. The word “no” is a beautiful word! “No” full stop! My character is not wired for that kind of public interaction & that’s ok! It truly is ok not to like it! Thanks again Mary for your newsletter.