For almost all of my adult life I have
been telling people that I am an introvert. Their response is always, “No
Marcia, you are not introverted!” They are all of the opinion that because I am
always smiling and taking charge of situations I must be an extrovert. So finding out who really is an introvert has
become my mission in life. Who then is an introvert? According to an article by
Carol Bainbridge, on the website about.com, “an introvert is not simply
a person who is shy. In fact, being shy has little to do with being an
introvert! Shyness has an element of apprehension, nervousness and anxiety, and
while an introvert may also be shy, introversion itself is not shyness.
Basically, an introvert is a person who is energized by being alone and whose
energy is drained by being around other people.” I must say I agree with all the above and
because of this I was fascinated by Susan Cain’s speech on TED.com.
In her well researched and informed presentation,
“The Power of Introverts” on TED.com, Susan Cain
