By Kaitie Christenberry | Echo
In a world designed for extroverts-those who recharge their energy by interacting with others-life can be difficult for an introvert. Culture teaches that to be liked, you must be charming, conversational, outgoing and energetic.
Introverts can be all of these things and more, yet only recently have introverts begun to gain exposure. It's taken us a while, as we had to be lured out with an assured minimum of three hours of alone time afterward.
The spotlight is a difficult place for an introvert, as we typically don't like being the center of attention or in crowded places. We don't like many things that have the word "social" in them. But it's important to talk about this, especially on campus.
Taylor is a loving community. It accepts those with diverse backgrounds and theologies. One thing that Taylor isn't particularly sensitive about is its introverts. We exist; you just may not know that because we're usually holed up in quiet places.
Introverts know you mean well when you invite us to events. We know you don't understand why our eyes dart around the room, that we're actually looking for the nearest exit or hiding place, because we feel cornered.
But with the abundance of activities on campus to attend, the constant pressure to make an appearance can be overwhelming. After the grind of classes, homework and our over-analytical brains hyperventilating throughout the day, we're exhausted.
Introverts have to choose which activities are non-negotiable and which are optional-and then probably abandon all but the most interesting or important ones. Each event requires a particular amount of investment, and introverts have to gauge how much energy we have left, how much more we will use and whether we'll have enough time to recuperate afterward. And that calculation alone takes about 15 percent of our energy.
I'm not calling for an end to student organizations or events; that would be unrealistic, rude and unhelpful. What I do ask is that you recognize that the person you talk to might not be up to going out because they honestly can't go to any more activities.
As much as we'd love to hang out with you, or go to yet another event, the crowds can be a bit much. Why go in the first place when we'll leave after the socially acceptable 20 minutes anyway?
So we'll tell you we aren't feeling well, we have homework or we have prior commitments. Introverts feel bad about lying, but avoiding the physical and mental exhaustion of sitting through another miserable event is worth the disappointment we see on your face.
Some days, we'll be fine to go and we'll enjoy ourselves. But there are days where we can't sit through another crafting event, hipster Christian concert or coffee date where five people show up unexpectedly.
In these instances, simply tell your introvert that you recognize they're not feeling well, they've got loads of homework or they're already tied up in another commitment. Then release them from the Unbreakable Vow they've mentally made with you.
