My Introversion Does Not Need Fixing

Warning: This post is a rant

I was more than a little ticked when I read the article "How an Introvert Can Be Happier: Act Like an Extrovert" written by Sumathi Reddy of The Wall Street Journal.

The study sited does not seem at all valid. Especially to someone who is an introvert. I feel better when I have quiet and I recharge my batteries with alone time. I am not "just shy" and there is nothing wrong with being introverted. That being said, there are times when I do go outside my comfort zone but it does not necessarily make me "happier" to have done it.

At one point in the article it says:

"Introverts kind of underestimate how much fun it will be to act extroverted," said Dr. Zelenski. "You don't think you want to go to a party and then go and have a great time."

I don't know what kind of parties Dr. Zelenski goes to, but unless it's a small group that I'm comfortable with, I don't have a great time. I leave with the feeling of more stress and wonder why I would put myself through something I knew I wouldn't be happy with.

 Thank you, Susan Cain, for explaining this so well!

Click here to view Susan's TED Talk (Youtube)

It seems like they are an extroverted person who is trying to tell us introverts "see how much fun it is! You're missing everything! You won't be complete as a person unless you go against what you are comfortable with because something is obviously wrong with you!"

"We didn't find a lot of evidence for…the idea that acting like an extrovert would wear out introverts," said Dr. Zelenski. However, he said: "We found acting like an introvert tended to wear out extroverts," who performed worse on cognitive tests.

I find this highly unlikely. Is it impossible to believe that if extroverts going outside of their usual are worn out, that introverts would feel the same? We are not broken. We are people happy with who we are and we don't need fixing. So in conclusion to this rant, to the people who wrote the study: You can take your study and shove it... thanks!