Releasing Extroverted Expectations
4 Extroverted Expectations that Introverts Should Let Go Of
In today’s society, there are certain extroverted behaviours/expectations that seem to be pushed on to others (especially introverts) with the idea that their lives will be better, more successful, happier, and so on. This simply isn’t the case, and in fact, feeling the need to meet these expectations can make introverts feel guilty or inadequate. Here are four extroverted expectations that introverts should release:
Introverts all need to talk more/be more vocal. This shouldn’t be pushed on introverts as they often value conversation with substance - they don’t always feel the need to fill the silence if they don’t have something significant to say. In general, iIntroverts also tend to be great listeners, which is a separate and equally important aspect in having strong social skills.
Friends always need to “go out.” For some reason, in today’s society, the idea of going out to a bar, restaurant, event, etc. with friends seems more important/impressive than doing something more lowkey like going to spend an evening at a friend’s house for dinner and wine. While some people do prefer to go out and be in more social situations, that doesn’t mean they’re experiencing something better or more meaningful than the people who choose more intimate/relaxed settings.
Confidence is forcible. There tends to be an idea that to be confident, you must have all eyes on you and be the center of attention. This simply isn’t the case, especially for most introverts, who generally don’t feel the need to exude confidence outwardly in order to feel sure of themselves.
If you’re not physically adamant about something, then you’re not passionate. Everyone shows passion in different ways, and some people (often introverts) don’t feel the need to physically express their passion - similar to the third point about confidence. There seems to be a reinforced idea that if you’re passionate, then you must show it outwardly, but this isn’t true. Your passion is for you, not for anyone else, so you don’t need to try to achieve validation for it.