Introverted?

I've never been the most out-going person.  I tend to like being on my own and doing my own thing.  I like reading, watching tv, and now running, which are all fairly solitary activities.  I can keep myself occupied for hours without interacting with others.  Some think I'm weird, but I chalk it up to being an only child and being introverted.

Usually, when someone says introvert all sorts of negative stereotypes pop into your brain.  Yesterday though, I saw an article called "Don't call introverted children 'shy.'"  Susan Cain makes a distinction between shy and introverted and after reading the article I saw myself in the introverted category rather than the shy category.  She says us introverts have a "careful, sensitive temperament that predisposes them to look before they leap." Yea, that would be me.  I like to observe things being done before trying myself.  I like to read and learn before attempting something new.  I want to anticipate the results before trying, because if I fail I don't want to look stupid.

She goes on to say, "It’s no accident that introverts get better grades than extroverts, know more about most academic subjects and win a disproportionate number of Phi Beta Kappa keys and National Merit Scholarship finalist positions — even though their IQ scores are no higher."  While I wasn't a Phi Beta Kappa or earn a National Merit Scholarship, I did do well in school and my GPA in grad school was the highest of any level of academia I've gone through.  I'm a big history person and before working at an Archives, I tended to know more about history than most people I interacted with.  I wonder if that's partly because I like to be alone and read? 

As an only child and introvert, I tend to follow the rules.  I guess there's a reason for that, "By age 6, they cheat and break rules less than other kids do — even when they believe they won’t be caught. At 7, they’re more likely than their peers to be described by parents and caregivers as empathetic or conscientious."  Yea, that would be.  I only got sent to the Principal's office once in grammar/middle school and had detention once in HS (1 minute late to homeroom 3 weeks before graduation).  I've always chalked up my empathy to being a Libra, but I can see it being a part of introversion.

So, next time you run into someone who's quiet and doesn't enjoy interacting with lots of people at once, just remember it's not that they are weird or creepy, it's just their personality.  Try getting them one-on-one and I bet you'll meet someone you can enjoy hanging around.