There has recently been an article from the Huffington Post doing the rounds of social media lately with the above title 23 signs you’re secretly an introvert. It is no secret than I am an introvert. Unlike the first line of the article, “Think you can spot an introvert in a crowd? Think again. ” you can definitely pick me in a crowd. So why did I find this article so fascinating? It helped me understand a little more about myself. But more than that, it helped me realise that I am not alone in some personal characteristics that I thought were a little more unusual.
You see, I hate answering the telephone. I do it because that’s what people have to do. But the sound of a ringing phone always sets off a little spark of fear within me and I never knew why. Until last week that is when I read this article. I can so relate to this quote from Sophia Dembling “To me, a ringing phone is like having somebody jump out of a closet and go ‘BOO!'” . I need to be mentally prepared for a call. On my terms, in my time. So if I seem flustered when I answer the phone this is usually why.
Also, I hate small talk. I think I suck at it, but most of all to me it is just plain hard work. Now this point wasn’t as big a revelation from the article as the phone call thing, but again it is nice to know you are not alone.
Point 16 from the article, the inner monologue also resonated with me. I thought I was the only person who constantly talked in their head, day in day out. Well, that’s not true. But it is nice to know it is probably a lot more common than I imagined.
Now why am I sharing this. I have always wanted to know ‘who I am?’, why I do what I do?, why I think and act the way I do? and to improve on those shall we say (self-imagined) weaknesses I have. So I am on a quest ‘who is the real rachwray?’. I also want to know these things so I can be the best mother in the world to my gorgeous 16 month old daughter Miss A. I want to do all I can to help her grow up to be a strong intelligent assertive woman.
I hope to use this blog and website to document and capture my findings so this is a good start. I hope you will come along with me on my quest, whoever you are. Also, if anybody has any suggestions for my quest to find out who is the real rachwray please let me know (and no this is not me).
As a fellow introvert I totally understand being uncomfortable with phone calls. If you’re looking for a good book try ‘The Artist’s Way’ by Julia Cameron. Looking forward to reading more on your blog.
Thanks Sally. I have never heard of that book but I will look for it. Thanks for the recommendation.
‘phone call thing resonates with me too, though nowadays there are some people I can talk to for ages they are few and far between. Never was that ‘typical’ female teenager they depict on TV. I put it down to prank calls from ‘friends’ during school holidays in my youth, but a lot will be due to my introversion and needing to see people’s faces and bodies to trust the message I’m receiving from their voice. Am assuming that the article also made it clear that introverts aren’t necessarily shy, nor do they dislike people, they just prefer them in small groups, and need quiet time to recharge, and generally prefer to discuss ‘meaty issues’ than participate in small talk.
I think there are a lot of strengths to being an introvert. It can be hard to feel that way when popular culture commonly derides the source of those strengths!
My experience of marketing environments is that a lot of ‘communications’ people are such extreme extroverts that they really can’t concieve of there being any other way to be, so naturally that’s the perspective that gets most press.
Thanks for the link to the article and goodluck on your journey.