Try fitting a peeled, hard-boiled egg into a bottle neck container. No way this could happen, right? The egg could be shoved into the bottle, leaving a mess of crushed up egg in the bottom.
Heat must be applied inside the bottle. The pressure inside the bottle decreases as the heat rises causing the greater pressure outside to push the egg into the bottle. Unharmed, yet a little shook up the egg sits in the bottom. How to get the egg back out? Pressure must be increased inside the bottle to release the egg back into a less pressured environment.
What if the egg were an individual, the bottle stood as life and the pressure differences representative of society standards? The whole scenario expresses the life of an introvert. Keep with me here and it will begin making sense (I hope).
Society creates standards of behavior acceptable for situations. Society create pressures outside greater than pressure inside to stand firm on our created character. The heat rises and we begin forming ourselves into the standards to fit in life.
An egg is not created to be sucked into a bottle as a science project. You were not created to fit into societal standards and live as everyone else. Characters vary in difference just as the thousands of snowflakes falling in a blizzard. Characters come together to create beauty in all of life. One characteristic society frowns on is introverts (at least this is how we feel). Introverts do not fit in to life as society requires. Introverts like quiet, low drama, calm environments and avoid socializing at all costs. Society creates standards of norm: fill the calendar with social events, never be alone, hold huge parties, join a group, see and be seen, etc.
For years, the pressure of society shook me to the core. I worked to fit in here and fit in there. All the while losing the very characteristics God created for a purpose. Walking away from each situation exhausted, anxiety sky high and far from the straight path, I lost myself. I began to think God messed up in my creation. Why didn’t He make me to be comfortable amongst people? Why didn’t God give me peace in conversation with others? Why didn’t God provide joy in life?
He held greater plans for Sheree. He held meaning to every characteristic applied in the womb. He held a purpose for every part of my being.
I try to explain such to my extroverted husband. I explain that even an hour at an event with more than 5 people leaves me exhausted at the same level of him running a marathon. Introverts must work to refuel and process life.
I found an article listing a few points explaining introverts. . .
Under appreciation – due to avoiding conversations amongst many, when gaining enough energy to talk, we feel unheard. Having difficulty constructing words in a conversation due to anxiety, we feel misunderstood. We walk away under appreciated.
Parties bring anxiety, especially in your own home – the home is a safe haven for introverts. Bringing society into our home takes away the only area where complete peace can be found.
A feeling of loneliness is greater at a large event than sitting alone somewhere – introverts love one on one, deep conversations. At events, all you get is countless small talk with lots of people. This is exhausting.
Thinking comes with difficulty in a large group – introverts’ thoughts run 90 mph trying to figure out a strategy to survive the night. Meanwhile, focus cannot be found. Processing life comes much easier in a quiet, calm environment.
Secretly, you wish you were an extrovert – events bring condemnation due to feeling the difference in everybody versus you. If only peace could come in conversation, life would be easier. If only you craved group settings, then others would not look at you differently or think you to be a snob.
If only. . .
Just these few points hit home for me. I love people, but not more than a couple at a time. I love life, but not too much at once. I need time to process, refuel and refocus. I have discovered God did not mess up!
It’s DAY TWENTY-EIGHT. . .accept and embrace the varied characteristics!
Live life. . .One Day at a time!
Sheree Craig
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