Being an introvert or extrovert is an integral part of your personality. The thing to understand is that it doesn’t DEFINE your behavior. If you are naturally speak softly, you have to accept that part of your self, and learn to speak louder when it is needed. Same thing with being a introvert. Know that you re charge your inner energy by solitude and work around it. But first you have to understand how your body and mind work WITHOUT any judgement.Top ten indicators that you might be an introvert:
1. You can spend four hours by yourself and feel energized and refreshed after that.
2. You can spend four hours at a fun party with all your friends, enjoy it but feel completely drained after that.
3. During busy days, you look for an hour or two of quiet time just to wind down
4. You have already heard these questions many times: why are you so quiet? Why are you scared of talking to people? Why are you not friendly? Why are you shy?
5. You are comfortable talking to people, speaking in public, participating in debates so you know you are not shy or antisocial.
6. You are far more interactive online or texting than in person because you control the environment.
7. You have a few very good friendships but not a lot of general friends
8. You have a friend who is extremely talkative, active, energetic and you laugh at how much social interaction he/she needs.
9. You can have lunch by yourself at a restaurant.
10. You guard your personal space fiercely!
Being introverted, and not understanding how to work with it, one can develop certain issues which can cause problems in life.
* Self confidence: in general introverts are viewed negatively in today’s society. Mostly because extroverts find it difficult to connect and understand, and they tend to talk a lot. So it seems that by not being like extroverts, you are not normal. This can affect self confidence and cause you to doubt your self.
* Social skills. Since you can be by yourself, you end up not being active socially and thus don’t develop your social skills. Risking social rejection, dealing with different kinds of people etc is part of all social skills. It is a lot of work and if you take the easy route, you can be less practiced than the extroverted kids
* Romantic life: lack of confidence and poor social skills can lead to a difficult romantic life. The culture today celebrates extroversion, and there is a double whammy for introverts. Firstly they themselves tend to overlook other introverts when they look for romance, instead admiring extroverts like everyone else. Secondly, fear of rejection causes shyness and feelings of inadequacy.
* Emotional IQ: connecting and understand people takes effort and time, and often introverts are already socializing at levels with which they are uncomfortable. This can cause them to miss the usual emotional cues.
* Career selection: certain careers are more comfortable for introverts. Others like sales and marketing need special preparation and processes for success.
* Leadership skills: introverts are often perceived as having poor leadership skills. This may cause them to be overlooked at work and in many social occasions. Introverts will need to step up more publicly to compete for leadership roles.