I’ve just seen a meme about Introvert problems that said, ‘Being judged, because rather than socialising around the office you actually do your work’ and it really landed with me.
I remember many instances of being mocked for not joining in with the ‘harmless banter’ or gossip when I was employed in the corporate world. I liked to keep my head down and get on with my work; that’s what I was being paid to do after all. I can thank my family for being brought up to believe in a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work. And the truth was, I’ve never enjoyed gossip and didn’t find the banter harmless or funny anyway. I found that it was usually a cruel jibe at someone else’s expense.
Now, call me a sensitive flower if you like, but I feel there is way too much cruelty and indirect aggression in this world. I for one prefer kindness. Whether it be a smile, a helping hand or an authentic compliment, it costs you nothing yet delivers untold benefits. There are numerous articles about how kindness makes us happier, healthier and nicer to be around. Who wouldn’t want that? Take a look at Dr David Hamilton’s Ted Talk on ‘Why kindness is good for you’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyX-kTTzM00
You see when Introverts don’t join in, it’s not because we’re stuck up, unsociable or shy. It’s that we operate better in a quiet environment, as being amongst noise often drains our batteries quickly. And if that noise is not conducive to great work as in the case of ‘banter’ and gossip, our batteries can drain super-fast!
So, I guess the question is, do we just keep our heads down and say nothing or try to put a stop to what’s going on. In my younger years, I just kept out of it, but the older I’ve got and the less I mind about what people think of me, the more likely I am to say something. What about you?
If you’d like to learn how to tackle situations like this, drop me a message as I’m in the process of developing an online course right now.
This Flourishing Introvert loves a positive environment! Here’s to your positivity
0 Comments