A Quiet Disposition

If you know someone with a quite disposition, appreciate them. Not everyone is comfortable with being in the spotlight and we don’t all yearn to be the center of attention. For extraverts, socializing and talking is as natural as breathing. For introverts, like myself, we prefer to measure our words and choose them carefully before we speak. So called “quite” people are often labeled as being shy, anti-social, loners, and even weird. It’s unfortunate that such labels carry stigmas with them. The “extrovert,” however, is often respected and admired. This is apparent in the way our schools and workplaces are designed. Students now sit in neatly arranged groups to encourage increased integration and socialization and the workplace relies heavily on networking and collaboration.

While these skills may be valuable in their own right, they aren’t the be-all end-all. What have we done to acknowledge the people who work best alone? What about people who prefer to express themselves through writing instead of speaking? What does society do to encourage them to build on their sense of independence and preference for working alone? Nothing. If these characteristics are observed in a child, they will be encouraged to change. They will be pressured to become more sociable, and in some cases they may become ostracized.

Society basically gives us two choices: conform or be rejected. Is this really the most effective way to get the best out of people? Do we really need everyone to look the same, think the same, and act the same. This notion is quite ironic because we also value originality and people who are visionaries. When that rare person comes along who offers us a new perspective or a refreshing idea we celebrate them. Imagine if Albert Einstein had decided to spend his time and energy trying to fit in. Imagine if he was influenced by the murmurs of concern over his peculiar childhood personality. Imagine if he would have believed that he wouldn’t amount to anything. Sure, there may have been something “wrong” with him, there’s something “wrong” with all of us. The sooner we embrace it, the better.