Thanks for this website. I’m an introvert and an HSP (double whammy) and have struggled for so long to accept myself as both, not to mention actually liking who I am. I still get a lot of negative feedback from people who don’t understand these traits…I work in higher Ed but it’s still seen as negative to be a quiet (slow-to-process-and-then-formulate-a-reply) person. Even my mom still brushes it off & tells me to get a backbone (I’m 37)! Any advice for daily navigation through these scenarios in an attempt to continue to accept myself? Thank you 🙂

I thought I was going mad and possibly loosing my grip to some low level mental health issue. And then I found your site. Thank you – for putting into words how I feel all day long – and letting me know I am normal. There is one comment by another reader that really saved my sanity – even my own lovely kids can be “other people”. I will be looking forward every Friday to your newsletters.

At 60 I have found my tribe through your blog. I’ve always known I was an introvert but friends, family & colleagues viewed that as an abnormal condition that needed to be changed. It is a painful path as a child when you don’t have the maturity or support to navigate a noisy world. I worked for 25 years in a busy medical office, within a hospital, and often wished I would catch an infectious virus for which I would be quarantined in a hospital bed for a month (car accident scenario)! We should not feel guilty as parents when we include our kids when talking about the ‘noise’. You’re a better parent when you build in alone time to refresh yourself. Out of necessity when my kids were young, I became a night owl and remain so in retirement. When the night sky goes dark and I enter the spare room I’ve dubbed the ‘introvert zone’, my husband & daughter know that this is my alone time. Pure bliss! Your writing is priceless, many thanks!

Hi Michele, I just stumbled across your website and I’m so glad I did! I didn’t always know that I was an introvert until maybe two years ago when I went through a whole phase of trying to find myself and taking every quiz known to man to better educate myself on how I operate (INFJ, melancholy/choleric, etc!) Growing up I always felt I was more of an extrovert around my friends and didn’t think too much of it until I hit my mid 20s and realized just how little I really do connect with people and much prefer a night in than going to a social gathering. I wouldn’t call myself unfriendly but I do feel uncomfortable in certain scenarios and would rather stay in the background than be in the spotlight. I wouldn’t change who I am in this regard but the only problem I’m facing right now is I have just started up a new online business and am having a hard time really putting myself out there and being noticed. I love my business and it’s a real passion project for me but I would love any pointers you might have with trying to be successful as an introverted businesswoman!

Michele, I have a question, and not sure if you have answered it before, or even if it is of any interest to you, but – is there any connection between introversion and a tendency to be spiritually-minded or religious?

Dear Michele, thank you so much for this blog. I really needed to see this today after a crazy weekend of concerts with my choir! I love them dearly, but am in dire need of vacation now, which I cannot afford at the moment. Coming from a large, loud, amazingly extroverted family, I needed almost 30 years to finally come to grips with my introversion. Against all evidence (I’ve always been a highly sensitive, book-loving, musical, daydreaming, constantly unfocused girl), everyone around me taught me that I am an extrovert. They simply did not know better and never meant any harm by doing this. However, I needed a complete breakdown including a phase of major depression to see through this mess. Even two years later I am far from where I want to be, but so much happier already, finally being able to embrace my difference. It feels as if suddenly everything falls into place and I feel “whole” for the first time in my life. Thank you for sharing your story and thoughts!