How It Feels To Be a 100% Introvert

I recently retook the MBTI test after a few years to see if my personality had changed. I noticed that some of my friends went from being introverted to extroverted, or the other way around, due to their life experiences. This made me curious about my own metamorphosis.

The test didn’t have anything new to offer for me. I am still as introverted as ever. Even though these results are not to be taken to heart, I agree with my assessment of being a 100% introvert. I am yet to see someone who is as introverted (not shy) as I am. Or maybe I have not met one because they are as reclusive as me.

So, what does it mean to be a 100% introvert? I can only talk from personal experience. Here’s what makes me one:

• Social interactions tend to drain me, even with my close ones. If I put on a fake extroverted persona for an extended period, I feel exhausted by the end of the day, and I have to overcome that fatigue by sleeping a lot. This phony outgoing persona is a survival mechanism that introverts often adopt to function in this society that only rewards extroversion.
• I can survive without talking to anyone for hours. But that doesn’t stop my monkey mind from blabbering non-stop. Hence, this blog.
• I absolutely detest phone calls. But I am slowly making peace with it because many things are better discussed through calls. It’s faster, but that doesn’t stop me from trying to get an answer through text first.
• I explain things better through text. I get more clarity while I write.
• I used to be a chat person, but not any longer. In short, I am not much of a phone person!
• I prefer one-on-one interactions because I find them more insightful. A group setting is the best for fun conversations, though.
• I get absolute joy from canceled plans. I have big-time JOMO.
• I can stay indoors for days without feeling bored, sad, or lonely.
• I’m a single woman in my 40s. I prefer not to get married because I crave too much personal space.
• New situations disorient me. I take time to adjust to them.
• I tend to have an emotional meltdown if I have several new things bombarding me simultaneously. To avoid any sensory overload, I consciously focus on one new thing at a time. Of course, this is not always possible. However, if given a choice, I go step-by-step and sort of soothe myself into the new scenario.
• I am hypersensitive to sound, so I like to avoid “happening” places. Yes, I am boring.

If you want to try the test, you can do it for free at 16Personalities. However, this is not a professionally accredited test.

***Note: As I write this, my thoughts are scattered. I’m thinking of those facing unsettling times, displaced and disoriented in volatile regions, many of whom have lost loved ones. If you’ve read this far, I’d like to request a moment of contemplation. Let’s hope for peace to prevail. Let’s control our anger and emotions during these testing times and treat each other with empathy and respect. There’s enough hate in this world. Let us be mindful not to add to it.