Introvert Interview 4

I'm an Introvert

                                   

Introverted people have a hard time opening up to others and sharing their thoughts and feelings. This can make them seem standoffish and difficult to get to know but this is only a surface-level view of their personality.

My Introvert Interviews are aimed at learning more about the unique individual insights of introverts that other people often don't see and gaining more understanding of their introverted personality.

Introvert Interview 4

Welcome to Introvert Interview 4 where I'm with Amanda, the writer behind the Introvert Proofing blog which is a blog devoted to appreciating and empowering the anxious and/or introverted on a journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance. 

Amanda, Introvert Proofing

Aside from blogging, Amanda is a freelance proofreader and ESL teacher. I was recommended her Instagram Page by Catalina from Words for Introverts and as soon as I visited her page, I sensed peaceful vibes and tranquil energy. I was drawn to Amanda's insightful captions and deep thoughts right away, and I knew she was the ideal candidate to reach out to for an Introvert Interview.

Let's read Amanda's Interview where she dives into her journey of exploring and discovering her introverted personality.

Amanda, Introvert Proofing

 1. When did you find out that you were an introvert?

Oh goodness! I don’t think I was even aware of the term until my mid-twenties. It was then that I began learning how it applies to me. However, I feel I truly embraced introversion when I entered my thirties and now consider it my superpower. And I have recently discovered that I am a highly sensitive person (HSP), so I’m also coming to terms with how that has impacted my personality and experiences.

2. Which period of your life did you most suffer from introversion thinking that something was wrong with you?

Probably elementary school (roughly ages 8-12). During that time of my life, I had a lot of people criticizing me for being quiet and instructing me on what not to do so I could seem “less weird.” It did take a shot at my confidence, and I retreated a lot throughout those years. Even my memories of that time are predominantly of me watching movies or reading books alone. However, I also had a great best friend who stood by me and stuck up for me. She made me really courageous, so I could start accepting myself.

3. Do the people around you know about your personality type and respect that?

Before I learned about introversion, many family and friends pushed me to be more outgoing. They believed they were helping by encouraging me to shed my shy demeanour. And it was frustrating to be so misunderstood by the people I am closest to. But now that I have learned how to express myself and my needs, they better understand how to support me. I feel very respected, understood and supported by the people in my life, and it’s a great feeling!

4. How do you get along with extroverts at home, at work or in a relationship?

I enjoy friendships and relationships with extroverts as I appreciate their energy and that they can speak up for me (especially at restaurants). I also believe having a good mix of introverts and extroverts makes for a dynamic and supportive friend group. However, I always set firm boundaries to ensure we value each other’s strengths and respect our limitations.

As for extroverts in the workplace, I have found those to be the most challenging. Work really forces people together rather than letting us choose. And if people don’t respect boundaries, it can make every day difficult. For example, I remember working with someone who told me, “You can’t act like that!” because I would listen to music rather than her stories. Everyone else respected the headphones. It was acceptable and common for people to listen to music in that office, so I felt I was being picked on. And, as an adult, it was incredibly frustrating! But that was just one bad apple, and, for the most part, I have worked with some genuinely great people.

5.  How do people usually characterize you or call you out?

One memory immediately came to mind with this question, so I feel I must share it. I volunteered at a Fan Expo in my city (it is an annual comic book/fan-of-all-things-nerdy-and-geeky convention). During orientation, which was only roughly 30 minutes long, I was dubbed The One Who Doesn’t Talk. It was embarrassing but not the first or last time I have been called out for being quiet. I am naturally quiet and often don’t realize when I have not spoken for a while. I feel I should carry a card or something to let people know that I enjoy listening and observing. But I understand that observing without speaking comes off as being shy and unconfident, which is really not who I am.

6.  Are you satisfied with your current job? If not, what does your dream job look like?

I used to work in an office building, which was not satisfying. I had to answer phones and work in a pod with people who loved chatting all day. I am not totally opposed to conversations, but I am not about chatting for the sake of chatting.

I am now a freelance proofreader, and I love it! I work from home and interact with clients online. I feel more dedicated to and fulfilled by my job. It allows me to flex my strengths and get paid for things I was already doing for free (yes, I correct mistakes while reading). While also allowing me to have an independent environment where I can thrive. Though I do find networking to be a challenge and something I am still adapting to.

7. What are your favourite hobbies/pastimes?

Puzzles are my number one free time activity. I like the calm that comes with working through a puzzle. I also enjoy reading and will often opt to listen to an audiobook while working on a puzzle. And as I genuinely enjoy being outside, I do a lot of (super) amateur nature photography. I have more photos than I know what to do with, so I use them on my blog even though it goes against everything I’ve been told about growing a successful blog.

8. What do you hate doing that sometimes you have to do?

I despise talking on the phone and avoid it at all costs. And it’s more than a preference: I literally dread them. I feel so anxious when I need to make a call, and the sound of a ringing phone gives me a slight panic attack. I’m grateful a lot of businesses offer online bookings now. And when I do need to make a phone call, I write a list of everything I need to say so I can focus on the list.

9. What would you like people to know more about you and introverts?

Well, for one thing, all introverts are different, and we have our own needs and boundaries. If you’re developing a friendship with an introvert, show that you value that bond by allowing them to be themselves. And understand that introverts do not avoid social interactions because they are shy. In fact, many, like me, enjoy deep conversations with the people we care about rather than one-dimensional small talk. I want to get lost in a discussion and not be stuck talking to someone who can’t stand a lull in the conversation.

10.  If you have written or found any Introvert-related posts, please share.

I want to give a shout-out to INFJ Woman. As an INFJ, I appreciate the information she shares, and I find comfort that we have similar experiences due to our shared personality type.

INFJ Woman Instagram Page

And I would like to share my own blog. I write about introversion, personality, anxiety, and mental health. The blog’s purpose is to share my journey of learning about and accepting myself in hopes that it will encourage and empower others to do the same.

Amanda, Introvert Proofing

My blog: https://introvertproofing.com

My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/introvert.proofing/

My Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/IntrovertProofing/

If you are an introvert (blogger) and you would like to be featured on my blog by answering 10 Questions about your Introversion Discovery Journey please contact me so we can discuss all the details.

Download the Introvert Interview PDF Introvert Interview

below

Introvert Interview by Lusine Gharibyan on Scribd

 

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Introvert Interview 

Introvert Interview 1

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Introvert Interview 3

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Introvert Interview 3

 

Before the lockdown, as our lives were so hectic and active in our extroverted world, I started my Introvert Interview series with the hope to connect with more quiet souls and raise awareness about introverts as a personality type.

 

Since the lockdown, I have been less verbal about introverts as life slowed down a bit and introverts were more comfortable at home. Working from home definitely decreased most of my introvert problems yet it brought up some other ones.

 

As I missed connecting with my online introverted buddies, I reached out to Caroline from @the.quietstrength for an Introvert Interview and she gladly accepted to talk about her journey to discovering Introversion.

  

Caroline, The Quiet Strength

1. When did you find out you were an introvert?

 

It was such a relief when I first read about introversion, in my twenties sometime. I’d always known time and space to myself was essential for me but I still beat myself up. I felt so guilty for wanting time away from others and ashamed for being different.

 

2. Which period of your life did you most suffer from introversion thinking that something was wrong with you?

 

Teenage years. None of my peers seemed to value the same things I did and I spent a lot of time alone. I remember sitting at a party (feeling I should make an effort, parties didn’t interest me), with everyone around me getting more drunk and less interesting for conversations. I retreated into a worn library copy of Thoreau’s Walden, cross legged in a sofa, while someone spilled beer into my boot. Can I go home now?

 

3. Do the people around you know about your personality type and respect that?

 

They do. My family have always been supportive even though they didn’t always understand it, and my small circle of friends are a beautiful, carefully curated group that know the value of introversion.

 

4. How do you get along with extroverts at home, work or in a relationship?

 

Over the years I’ve learnt to respect both what they and I need. I give time and attention when I have the capacity so that when I don’t, that investment tides me over. I no longer work in a workplace but when I did my favourite thing was to regularly pop by colleagues’ offices and stand in the door. I could offer interaction in a way that suited me then - curious and warm but brief. And with a clear escape route. In my personal life what has worked best is self compassion. I’ve worked hard at overcoming the guilt and shame. When I accept myself and feel love both for the people in my life and myself, the way I present my boundaries is accepted much more easily by them. I keep explanations brief, I don’t need to excuse myself, and I keep calm and happy about it. This is how I am, our values may be different but that’s a beautiful thing.

 

5. How do people usually characterize you or call you out?

 

People appreciate my calm and accepting character, but they also pick up on the independence and that can be perceived as cold and aloof, I know that. People close to me have felt hurt by me needing to go off on my own. I’m shy and highly sensitive as well, so even though I haven’t been told outright it’s clear I’ve been labelled overly sensitive at times.

 

6. Are you satified with your current job? If not, what does your dream job look like?

 

I am. It’s my dream job, working for myself coaching other quiet folk. Introverts, highly sensitive, shy, lacking in confidence, chronically unwell. People I’ve always noticed and championed because I know what it’s like to have all this richness inside but feeling there is no space to express it in your own gentle way. It’s beautiful to see them trusting themselves more and more and refusing the pressures and labels put on them. Blooming into who they always were but didn’t acknowledge.

 

7. What are your favorite hobbies and pastimes?

 

I love inner exploration and writing. Finding out about human psychology and the reasons we do what we do. Every impulse, however undesirable, is there for a reason and it’s a passion of mine to find it. To really listen and practice radical acceptance until the knots I see in me and others begin to soften and unravel into something purposeful. Finding our power and meaning often paradoxically comes from listening to the parts of ourselves we’re most ashamed and afraid of. Walking in the woods and fields is the other thing I give many hours to. My greyhound Finn, that I’ve just adopted, is a perfect fit for that kind of life. A long walk in nature and then he’s happy to sleep next to me while I write.

 

8. What do you hate doing that sometimes you have to do?

 

Anything administrative that’s important to get right. Dealing with authorities or filling out forms makes me feel extremely nervous and guilt ridden. Phone calls. If it’s not with friends (I spend hours every week with people I adore) then forget it. ‘The best time to call me is text message’.

 

9. What would you like people to know more about you and Introversion?

 

Just because I’m introverted, shy and highly sensitive doesn’t mean I can’t do so called extroverted things and enjoy them. Engaging and entertaining a group of people for work, attending a concert or striking up conversations with strangers are considerable challenges for me but I love the joy it gives me and it’s worth it. I won’t do it often though, and I certainly won’t be pressured into it. I can’t stand being placed in a box or feel obliged to do something purely due to social norms. I won’t apologise for who I am and I won’t conform but it matters to me a lot that you feel seen, accepted and respected for your needs. I hope to receive the same.

 

10. If you have written or found any Introvert-related posts, please share.

Click here to see the post

 

Caroline's page is a cozy place to escape to for simplicity and beauty. Her content is so uplifting for introverts and educational for extroverts.

Make sure to  follow The Quiet Strength on

 

Instagram

Blog

Pinterest

 

If you are an introvert (blogger) and you would like to be featured on my blog by answering 10 Questions about your Introversion Discovery Journey please contact me so we can discuss all the details.

 

You can also read

Introvert Interview 

Introvert Interview 1

Introvert interview 2

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Introvert Interview 2

Introvert Interview 2 - Words for Introverts

Introversion is neither a choice nor a lifestyle, it's an orientation. I wish My Introvert Interview Series could help Introverted souls accept themselves and embrace their beautiful gift of Introversion as early as possible in their lives.

If you have read Coffee Lover Interview 5, you may know Cătălina from Words for Introverts. 

Introvert Lover Interview 2 - Catalina from Words for Introverts

Anyone who follows Cătălina on her Instagram Page can just admire how beautifully and sensitively she presents Introversion through her magical art and her soulful and uplifting words. 

Guess what? Cătălina is back, this time to tell us all about her personality type and her journey on discovering and embracing Introversion. 

Introvert Interview 2 

 Read Cătălina's Introvert Interview to find out her perspective on Introversion and how she found the light worth seeking.

       1. When did you find out you were an introvert?

I can say I've always known that, somewhere deep inside. But I didn’t have a name for why I felt different. It all started to make sense once I read “Quiet” by Susan Cain. That book still means the whole world to me. It opened my eyes and helped me discover my qualities, my flaws, and my hindered needs.

2. Which period of your life did you most suffer from 
introversion thinking that something was wrong with you?

As a kid, I’d often be called shy, but it only hurt when it came from people who were close to me. Maybe the most difficult time was during my teenage years. That was when I tried to fit in. I remember forcing my mind to think faster and say smarter/funnier things. Like many of that age, I guess I wanted to be liked.

3. Do the people around you know about your personality 
type and respect that?

Yes, they do. Not everyone gets it, though. But I’m okay with that, as long as we don’t have to spend much time together. 

4. How do you get along with extroverts at home,
 work or in a relationship?

I mostly socialize with extroverts at work. It’s uncharted territory—before having this job, I worked as a freelancer. I’m learning things as I go. I don’t always socialize as much as they’d like me to, but they’re quite open and I’m willing to dedicate some time to do activities together, so we’re good.

5. How do people usually characterize you or call you out?

To some, I’m shy and cold. To others, I’m creative and caring. It definitely depends on who you’re asking. 

6. Are you satified with your current job? If not, what 

does your dream job look like?

I am. It’s pretty much what I wanted. I get to use English and I work from home. Introvert’s paradise!

7. What are your favorite hobbies and pastimes?

I used to read more than I currently do and I hope to get back to that soon. I use most of my free time to focus on wordsforintroverts. On weekend mornings, I love playing my music, enjoying a cup of coffee, and letting my mind roam freely while I doodle and write in my notebook. It’s pretty much the way I create content for the following week. I also work on my blog—I’m currently focused on making it feel like a community. My purpose is to connect introverted people so we can be alone, together. 

8. What do you hate doing that sometimes you have to do?

Working under strict deadlines. I sometimes have to be creative, extremely fast, and super attentive to details. That restricts me and it’s a pressure. For my own creative projects, I never impose such a limit. I believe in huge, great things achieved in small, consistent doses. 

9. What would you like people to know more about you 
and Introversion?

I’m an open-minded person. If it doesn’t hurt anyone, I can easily accept others’ ways of being even when they don't make much sense to me. It would be nice to receive the same openness in return. 

I’m quiet. Calling me out for that won’t make me interact more. On the contrary, depending on the context, that might be the last time you see me.

When I say I’m busy, trust me. Just because you think there’s not much on my TO DO list, it doesn’t mean there’s nothing for me to do. Sitting alone with my thoughts and feelings isn’t an excuse to be lazy. It’s what helps me function well and breathe freely.

        10. If you have written or found any Introvert-related 

       posts, please share.

Rin gave me a shoutout in the previous interview and that made me feel extremely grateful and humbled. So before I share a post of mine, I’d like to tell the world about … you. You’re one of my greatest examples that you can be an amazing mum and still have time for your hobbies. Besides, you never hesitate to encourage introverts and come up with initiatives that make us feel seen and appreciated. Thank you for everything!
(Thank you so much, your words mean the world to me:)

Let the Quiet ones be themselves - Words for Introverts

This is one post of mine that I really like. I guess I like it so much because it’s an important message shared in a few words. You can find it here

Words for Introverts

Find Cătălina on the following social media platforms

Blog: Words for Introverts

Instagram 

Facebook 

YouTube 

Pinterest 

Spotify

Twitter

If you are an introvert (blogger) and you would like to be featured on my blog by answering 10 Questions about your Introversion Discovery Journey, please contact me so we can discuss all the details.

Download the Introvert Interview PDF Introvert Interview below

Introvert Interview by Lusine Gharibyan on Scribd

If you love this article, pin it for later 

You can also read

Introvert Interview 

Introvert Interview 1