Reclaiming the Dignity of Introversion

It seems in life we hold on to so much garbage. We accumulate so much emotional and physical baggage over our lifetimes that I wonder; isn't it time we just start decluttering our minds, homes and hearts? This task sounds simple enough but why do we find it so difficult?

The requirements for getting rid of our emotional trash are inherently difficult because self-reflection is not a simple thing. Self-reflection is especially foreign to us because we live in a world that encourages us to be extroverted as well as to maintain, at all costs, our outward appearances of fabulousness. One just needs to look at our counterparts on Instagram or Facebook to see the seemingly wonderful and glamorous lives that others lead. Being reflective of ourselves has becomes somewhat vilified and an abnormal/problematized mode of being in our contemporary culture. You will see those of us who are naturally inclined to introversion as being labeled as "over-thinkers" or as "socially awkward" individuals. We have created a culture that celebrates the extrovert but ridicules the introvert and this comes at a cost as we rarely look into ourselves to solve problems. Instead our time and attention is forever focused outwardly in the guise of other people, appearances or monetary fulfillment.

"Our culture made a virtue of living only as extroverts. We discouraged the inner journey, the quest for a center. So we lost our center and have to find it again.” ~ Anaïs Nin

I think it's time we made room and space for introversion in our daily lives. It may not solve all the world's problems but I think it may be a good start. I'm not advocating for a flipping of the binary of extroversion/introversion. I am merely suggesting the world would benefit from a balancing of the two extremes not only on a micro level but on a macro one as well. Try it! It might help change the world. :)

Long live the introvert! ;)

Thanks for reading.

Kobie (AKA Existential Hippy)