Hidden Damages of the Introvert vs. Extrovert "debate"

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Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

Chances are good an answer pops to your mind. Of course you’re right! You’ve taken internet tests! You’ve read Buzzfeed articles describing one aptitude or the other, and you feel like they speak to you!

Stop. Right now. You’re speaking lies to yourself.

How about another question:

Are you fit, or are you intelligent?

Ah. You respond:

You can obviously be both intelligent and fit, or one, or the other, or neither. They are not dependent upon each other at all.

You can train one or the other. Yet don’t we usually guide people towards one or the other?

Here’s another “dichotomy” that doesn’t hold up in the real world - “right brained/left brained”. Creative vs. concrete thinkers. But I digress…

Josh Spodek blew my mind when he wrote that introversion is not the opposite of extroversion.

Believing that you are one or the other allows folks to slack of in areas of their life that are difficult. This is a shame, because usually that thing that’s the hardest for you is the best way for you to grow in a short period of time.

If you never exercise, you can realize incredible gains in a short period of time. Your percentage of growth in a month could be ten times that of a professional athlete continuing to train.

Along those same lines, if you are all jock, and never do “brainy stuff”, you can learn and grow a lot just by finishing a few books.

This holds true for interpersonal skills. If you can’t talk to people IRL, two hours of (difficult but rewarding) effort could mark a turning point in your life.

If you don’t like being alone by yourself, the best thing for you may be sitting alone by yourself.

Please don’t sell yourself, or anyone else, short by believing lies about introversion and extroversion.

Feels introverted-y, right? Sure. Doesn’t mean I can’t be extroverted, too