Always Alone, Never Lonely

        After reading the beginning, I am actually excited to finish the rest of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking! I have had a very introverted personality my entire life, and have always been criticized for it. As a child, I almost always preferred to play with my toys or read by myself rather than with my brother or my friends. Of course my parents always encouraged me to include everyone. It wasn’t that I didn’t get along with other kids; I just liked to be alone with my own uninterrupted imagination. When I reached my teenage years, I wanted very badly to take art classes, and more than anything else, to get a horse. Once again, my parents thwarted my plans and pushed me to pursue more social activities such as band, sports, and clubs. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy doing these things, but they were never what I really wanted and by the end of the day I was more than ready to retreat into my room and forget about the rest of the world. Even now, I have decided to end my college career with a two-year liberal arts degree because I feel that I am under constant pressure to be loud and outgoing when all I want is to be left alone!

            Starting this book has given me hope that there actually are other people like me. Being social and popular were never important goals to me. In my opinion there are more important things in life to worry about than what other people think of you. Today people are so focused on impressing other people and their selves, it’s like nobody has a real personality anymore. Nobody is interesting when everyone acts the same way. I really hate that just because I am quiet people assume that I am unfriendly, not smart, and not up to their standards. I got turned down for a house keeping job at a hospital because my interviewer thought that I was too quiet and would be intimidated by other workers. I have lost participation points in classes for not speaking up enough, but when I do say something I am ignored anyway. Sometimes being an introvert feels like a punishment. Because I am not outspoken and attention hungry, society does not seem to accept me. What is so bad about being an introvert after all? What is wrong with thinking before you speak, and only speaking when you have something important to say? What is unacceptable about not having to be surrounded by people to be happy? I am excited to see what the rest of the book has to say!