How to care for your introvert

[shadowspar]

I like this, as an introvert myself, and a parent of another.

Linked by marina.

1. Respect their need for privacy
2. Never embarrass them in public
3. Let them observe first in new situations
4. Give them time to think; don't demand instant answers
5. Don't interrupt them
6. Give them advance notice of expected changes in their lives
7. Give them 15 minute warnings to finish whatever they are doing
8. Reprimand them privately
9. Teach them new skills privately
10. Enable them to find one best friend who has similar interests & abilities
11. Don't push them to make lots of friends
12. Respect their introversion; don't try to remake them into extroverts

Comments

[azurelunatic]

13. When designing business systems, include an option that doesn't involve talking to people.

[shadowspar]

Hear, hear. Call me antisocial if you must, but especially when I'm in a bad mood, I would really really prefer to be able to do things by interacting with a website or vending-machine-type-thing instead of a random human.

God forfend you try to make me use a telephone at such times.

[ghoti]

All of this.

[marahmarie]

• Learn to spot an introvert; they are not really "reserved" nor "snotty". Not in every situation, anyway.

(For all my classic Grace Kelly or whomever-like "reserve", I can also be one of the loudest, liveliest people in the room if I choose - which isn't all that often - so I guess what I'm saying is, we're not strict "types", so stop pigeon-holing us, or else you'll have a stroke when you find out there's more than one whole entire dimension to our personalities).

[shadowspar]

It's very true. For me, the "atypical introvert" thing is most readily apparent at conferences and the like -- during the day, I'm generally quite sociable, but I sure as hell want a room to myself at night so I can unwind from it all.