21 Comments

Brillant. Now I understand myself even better. Thank you Scott :) I love the concept of wild introversion. Still so much stigma around introversion (especially in some workplaces and schools) and pressure to pretend and "act like an extrovert", at the expense of our own wellbeing. Modern psychology definition seems pretty limited to me and continues to perpetrate a negative image on introversion.

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Great article and a spot-on description of what so many introverts experience!

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Wow, thank you for the reframe, Scott! I love "Wild Introvert." I wrote this a little while ago to describe myself:

The Wildflower

by Linda Wattier

She was a fragile little orchid

seldom getting from her environment

what she needed to thrive.

Until one day,

she thought to look deep within

and started giving herself

what her soul desired.

When she finally, finally

left conformity behind,

she transformed into a wildflower—

brave, strong, and free.

Today, she still grows sweetly wild,

thriving in the most unlikely places.

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Great post. Introverts aren't the shy fragile flowers they're often seen as. Their poems, art, and conversations (should you be lucky enough to enjoy) reveal their wild inner nature.

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So true. So me. So grateful for this affirming and super cool reframe! 🙋🏼

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I like it. I’d be interested in your take on how and why extroversion and introversion might shift over one’s lifetime. I consider myself an introvert who adopted extroversion behaviors to get by socially and in my career. Now almost a decade in retirement, I happily embrace my previous introverted self, though I definitely relate to your wild introvert framing.

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Dear Scott,

Thank you for this description which seems to fit me. My title for my memoir is "Everybody's Out of Step But Johnny." You are certainly free to use it, as there are no copyright restrictions on book titles and song titles.

Yours,

Danny Kleinman

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Love it!

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Yes!

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Love it! I think I’m a wild introvert too!

And love all posts that draw attention to introverts as we are a large ( but sometimes quiet) part of the world. And accepted more easily in other parts of the world. North America is very noisy and cluttered with extroverts❤️. 🙉is allll that noise necessary?

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At around 48 years old, we all go through another major developmental stage. We realize that there's huge benefit, in some situations, in using the "other" way of being in the world. So introverts start using their skills of extroversion, and vice versa. I'm a natural extrovert and well-past 50. Now I thoroughly enjoying being with my thoughts, thinking before I speak (rather than speaking in order to think), and not being seen as "the empty barge that makes the most noise."

I used to admire Introverts whose contributions to key meetings seemed profound. I noticed that they spoke near the end of the meeting and could sum up all the main thoughts, insights, concepts. Me & other extroverts had been prattling on, saying lots but not really getting to the heart of the matter. I was envious. Now, I can do both. I can choose which skill set are most appropriate and apply them. Middle age is wonderful!!!

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I agree with you about that age being a developmental age! Pretty much I agree with everything you said. I’m a wild introvert, and when I try to make myself practice being an extrovert it is so stressful to me physically and emotionally, and I feel I can’t think.

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The article was fantastic, thank you! It's unfortunate that many business opportunities arise from networking events, which can be challenging for some people to attend. It seems that the current system tends to benefit extroverted individuals.

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This really resonates with me. Thank you for identifying and explaining it so succinctly.

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so that's why I get so happy and fulfilled after spending the whole day watching lectures in college

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Thank you Scott for your wonderful work. I just wanted to make a comment and a question regarding the 'cognitive needs'. In Maslow's pyramid, social needs are two steps below self-actualization. Do you think it could be that we need to have some flexibility in the last three stages of this pyramid?

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I want that shirt too! Thank you for this post...very interesting and encouraging.

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