Differently Social

I saw something recently that was an image cut in half. On the top was a bunch of people together and on the bottom was one person chatting with another person about a book. The caption read: we are not anti-social, we’re differently social.

I thought about that as I walked home from my nail appointment hoping I didn’t run into any of my neighbors. It’s not that I don’t like my neighbors, they are all really great and we’re fortunate to live where we do. It’s just that I’m tired. I had to go into the office three days this week and I’ve been taking extra classes after work that requires socializing with other people so when it comes to “small talk” connection I am at capacity.

We all have a social quota we need to fill - a little meter in us that only goes up with human connection. Human connection is important. It’s crucial. It’s what life is all about. The thing is though, we all connect in different ways. Extroverts may always be primed and ready to chit chat, but introverts have their own super powers. 

According to Carly Breit in Time, introverts are good listeners, think before they speak, are observant, make quality friends, romantic partners, thoughtful networkers and compassionate leaders. They may not meet everyone at a networking event but the people they do meet are left with a lasting impact.

The next time someone in your life doesn’t meet your social meter expectations, remember that we are all different. If they are introverted then they are not intentionally being rude and it isn’t selfish, it’s survival. It is easy to judge someone that says no to a social event that you would have said yes to, but try to remember that any qualities you appreciate about them can’t happen if they don’t recharge.

If your neighbor smiles and waves instead of stopping to chat, it just means today they were full but maybe tomorrow.