Are you the type of person that is quiet and reserved, probably thinks before he or she speaks, and likes to spend time away from others? Chances are, you’re an introvert. 

Simply put, an introvert charges their “mental batteries” when they’re away from people, whereas extroverts get off on large crowds. I happen to fall under this introverted category. To the extrovert, the introvert can look shy, insecure, or at worst, even rude, aloof, arrogant, or suspicious! This is due to the fact that the personalities of introverts are such polar opposites to extroverts. They simply can’t understand what drives them to act the way they do. And they certainly can’t grasp why company, especially their own, is not always welcomed by the introvert.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be changing soon. Introverts in America are a minority, comprising only about 25% of the population. Extroverts, therefore, dominate our public life.

But, even if you are an introvert, all is not lost. Introverts tend to be more reflective, intelligent, independent, and level-headed than extroverts. Whereas an extrovert thinks by talking, introverts think before talking. Hence, introverts come off as disdainful due to their lack of small talk. Jonathan Rauch writes in a March 2003 edition of The Atlantic, “The worst of it is that extroverts have no idea of the torment they put us [introverts] through. Sometimes, as we gasp for air amid the fog of their 98-percent-content-free talk, we wonder if extroverts even bother to listen to themselves.”

As introverts, we are not as disdainful, aloof, and arrogant as extroverts believe. We simply are hard-wired to work differently than most people, leading to immense confusion between ourselves and the 75% of Americans who are extroverted. Introversion is not something to be ashamed of, so the next time you’re confronted by someone who simply doesn’t understand your situation, politely tell them, “I’m an introvert. Now please be quiet, for my sake.”