Just a thought

So I was talking yesterday with a friend about my introversion, and how being so in the midst of an office full of extroverts feels terribly tiring. I was questioning this about myself, and being annoyed with myself that I am often rather worn out after a day of meetings, and she was saying that it simply takes more energy for me to cope with the number of people than it does for others, which I admit that I dismiss. If they can do it, so can I, right? I MUST HAVE NO LIMITS.

I was at the beach today and lying there in the sun and suddenly had a thought about reversing the situation. My colleagues are all extroverts -- one in particular is amazingly social and outgoing, always flitting off to one place or another, and I thought ... what if she had to live in a world where she was alone, with no social interaction at all 24 hours a day? What if she managed to have 20 minutes of conversation all day? Would that be awful for her? Would it be torturous? Would it make her absolutely freaking miserable?

Yes. It would.

And all of a sudden, I felt just a bit better. On some days, I get about 20 minutes of real alone time, the really, really soul-fulfilling alone time that I love. And so really? It's no wonder that I get driven a little crazy some days.