Sereena Kumar
By Sereena Kumar
I’ve always thought that the loudest people in the room had the most important things to say. I thought that they were the ones who made the world spin around and around. It’s easy to think that all of that is true, especially in the competitive society we live in today where people try to talk over one another to get what they want. It is especially easy to observe all of your talkative friends in life and compare themselves to you. Of course, that’s like comparing a silent film to an action movie. Both convey powerful messages in different ways.
The funny thing is, I enjoy expressing my thoughts; but not through words all the time. I like to paint, sing, or write, as I have done with this article. Just because I don’t like to verbalize my ideas, does not mean that I don’t have any.
My English teacher in freshman year often said that it is better to write a strong sentence in fewer words than a super long run-on sentence that you scrape together to hit the word limit for your essay. At the time, I didn’t believe that this was true. I thought that the longest sentence with the fanciest words always made students become a teacher’s pet. I realize now that my English teacher is right. In fact, the quietest thoughts can oftentimes be the loudest.
Introverts have the capability to change the world without words. They just don’t put their capabilities in the spotlight, which leads to people thinking that they don’t have any capabilities. Last year, I tried out improv. My first show was coming up, and I wanted to spread the word to my friends so that they would come to the show. When I told them that I was in improv, they looked at me as if I had just told them that I was part-mongoose. They said, “You’re in improv? But you’re so quiet!”. The next night during the show, I set aside all of their doubts about me being in improv and I made people laugh.
I wasn’t able to make people laugh by putting away my introverted side in a box, and transforming into an extrovert. Instead, I used being an introvert to my advantage. I was creative with my jokes and I crafted well thought out punchlines.
This experience proved to me and my friends that there aren’t certain activities that are only reserved for extroverts, or only for introverts. Introverts have the capability to do any activities that an extrovert can do, while still being themselves.
Shy, aloof, anxious, unsociable. That is often how introverts are thought of in society. Introverts are labeled with a negative connotation. Extroverts, on the other hand, are friendly, action-oriented, and enthusiastic; all words with positive connotations. What we don’t see in society is that we need both of these people in the world to progress as humans. In my group projects during school, the natural leader is always the one who talks the most; it’s an unspoken understanding. Whenever the teacher observes the group discussions during class, all they see is the group leader pouring out ideas. It’s natural for them to assume that that person is doing all the work in the group.
What the teacher doesn’t see, is the person behind the curtain who takes everyone’s opinion into account. They spend hours grammar-checking their group members’ work. They pour their whole heart into creating a poster with wondrous illustrations. They are thoughtful, detail-oriented, and creative. These people are introverts, and that shouldn’t be considered a weakness. They have an inner strength within them, and without it present in the group, the whole group will teeter off balance.
I would like to say to all of the introverts reading this: you are important in this world. You don’t have to change yourself in order to be heard, rather, people should change themselves to listen.
Your traits are not your weaknesses. Your traits make up the wonderful person that you are and give you the qualities that other people admire about you. Just because you may not be in the spotlight like some of your peers, does not mean that you are not making a difference in this world. You bring so much joy, creativity, and positivity to this world and you are making the biggest difference than you will ever give yourself credit for.
Sereena Kumar is a freshman at Enloe High School and has a passion for writing. Contact: slkumar@mycomedical.com
