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The Song of the Introvert

You are a threat.


I have control issues.


You are chaos.


I am addled with systems.


You are high signal.


I am insatiably (quietly) curious.


I am an introvert.

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17 Responses

  1. I’m an introvert, but little of this applies to me. I get exhausted by people, I get recharged when I’m alone.

    Extroverts get recharged by being around others; in effect they are stealing our energy.

  2. This sounds familiar. As an introvert, I don’t look forward to interviewing or changing jobs, for the reasons that you’ve described. “New” people are full of interesting surprises. Processing it all is exhausting.

  3. I think you have more accurately described “Obsessive-compulsive disorder”.

    Introverts are just people who expend energy in social situations (vs those who gain energy from them – extroverts). Some of what you mention here fits this definition of introversion, but all this stuff about chaos, fascination over how people talk, having to write everything down is not introversion.


    Anonymous Introvert.

  4. Stephanie 5 years ago

    I can 100% relate to it as an introvert. It actually blows my mind how much I can relate to it and thinking about curiosity as a defense mechanism is something I hadn’t thought of before but makes total sense. Thanks for such a well-written piece!

  5. I used to think that introversion was just being drained by social interaction, but of late I’ve come to expand that definition — and this post covers most of that. Nicely done.

  6. Julien Guezennec 5 years ago

    Thank you for these simple yet true words.

  7. DreamWeek #2 | C# Dreams linked to this.
  8. Nicely written.

    To “Nope”, he’s not describing OCD. But I would bet a box of donuts Rands’ MBTI type is INTJ.

  9. The analytical introvert.

  10. chuck palahniuk, is that you?

  11. Nida Ismail Shah 4 years ago

    I am going to read this every single day for a long long time. I am an introvert who gets distracted easily. I feel ashamed of being myself too often. You helped me. This is going to help a lot.

  12. Different Kind of Introvert 4 years ago

    I agree with some comments here about this not relating specifically to introverts. I find parts of myself in your article and it’s HILARIOUS to read, I love it, but I do agree that this whole “nerd-scared-of-world” thing is not necessarily an introvert described by most others. There seems to be some OCD as mentioned by one of the commenters, and some phobias perhaps? Or perhaps you just exaggerated the article a bit for humour, who knows.

  13. Valencia 2 years ago

    True. Three valuable tools for an introvert. Listen, watch and learn. Keenly observant, memory like an elephant. Learnt so much about people and things not just because I’m curious it’s because I’m facinated. Stepping out of my cave is a blazing adventure, returning is pure nervana. Life is better than any action adventure tv series or movie. Not speaking, silence, allows others to fill the gap or not. My entertainment! My secret source of amusment. My full throttle skill of communication thru body language and gesture. My superpower of learning quickly one’s motivation and true character. Self containment allows everyone to move freely and unincumbered around me. All the better to Listen, watch and learn the animal kingdom. To stand still observing all that is around. Quick study of social norms, heirachy, values and principals in different environments. Please return me to my cave, you can get lost in the chaos, become sad and depressed. To much information is sometimes overwhelming. The cave is restorative, allows quiet reflection. My cave is where my creativity ,activity and vast knowledge lays. My home.