8 Myths About Extroverts

If you don’t live under a rock, you’ve probably heard the big news: New Superpower Found--Introversion!

As we all know, introverts have been misunderstood for all of human history. Extroverts get all the praise while the introverts do all the real work. We are just now beginning to understand the truth--that all the good in this world is done by introverts and that extroverts are lumbering, glory-stealing idiots.

Now, I’m not trying to mock introverts, not at all. I’m a natural extrovert who grew up in a mostly introverted family. I love my introverted siblings and parents with all my heart. They are brilliant and talented and interesting and fun to be around. But that’s not because they’re introverts. It’s because they are wonderful people. Introversion is just a small part of what makes them who they are.

Yes, introverts have been largely misunderstood in the past, but now that we’re beginning to understand introverts a bit better, we are also starting to put down extroverts. So here are a few of the trendy myths about extroverts that we need to recognize.

On patience.

"Be still, and know that I am God" -Psalms 46:10

I am a seriously impatient person.

There are good sides to that trait. I like progress. I like to move forward. I never like to sit still and keep doing the same things. I always want to feel like I'm going somewhere. That can be a huge motivator.

The trouble is, sometimes there's really nothing I can do but keep going in the same direction, doing the same things, and having hope for the future. Sometimes I just need to have faith that I am moving forward, even if it doesn't feel like it.

It seems kind of silly to say that I'm not moving forward. I'm working hard in school and I'm nearing the end. I'm in really great classes where I'm learning a ton and improving as a person.  I'm still learning how to be a wife. I'm making new friends and having new experiences. So, what's the problem with this?

Are you cheerful or skeptical?

"Warning: Images in this mirror may be a socially constructed image of beauty." -sticker on a mirror in the women's restroom in the science building

At Brigham Young University, one of the most goody-two-shoes universities in the U.S., I'm pretty used to seeing things around campus that are meant to cheer up passersby. It's not at all unusual to see little notes like "You are beautiful!" or "Smile!" or "Somebody loves you!" or some such.

I typically have two responses. (Not one of two. Two, together.) A cheerful side, and a cynical side.

Cheerful Me: How sweet!
Cynical Me: How disgustingly sweet.
Cheerful Me: You only say that because you wouldn't take two seconds out of your day to do something like this.
Cynical Me: Yeah, because I have better things to do. Like homework. And studying. You know, the reason we're all here at BYU in the first place.
Cheerful Me: Oh, lighten up. Someone is just trying to make your day.
Cynical Me: Whoever wrote this doesn't even know me. They don't know whether I'm beautiful or not.
Cheerful Me: Everyone is beautiful.
Cynical Me: Right. And some note on a bathroom mirror is supposed to convince me.

Why I listen to songs that make me cry.

Maybe you've heard this song by now:

"Say Something" by A Great Big World and Christina Aguilera

I sort of stumbled upon this song online (I don't normally seek out songs by Christina Aguilera), and was instantly moved, by both the song and the video. I've watched the video several times now, and each time, I can't help but cry. 

As a child and teenager, I didn't cry much. I would occasionally sob out of frustration alone in my bedroom, with only my stuffed animals watching. But it wasn't natural to me to cry in cases of true sadness or tragedy, especially in front of others. 

I knew that others envied my ability to stay dry-eyed in my saddest moments. I've often heard embarrassed excuses or apologies from people who cry in public. But in those moments when my body seemed to desert my emotions, I learned the value of crying. 

Moving the blog.

If you weren't aware, My Moment of Time used to have its home on Wordpress. However, I decided I didn't particularly like using Wordpress and that it would be easier to have this blog in the same place I have my book blog, Classics and Beyond. So, I switched my favorite of my old blog posts over to here and now I'm excited for what My Moment of Time turns into.

This blog is where I talk about writing and life. Thanks for joining me!

Vlogging (for the first time ever)

I decided to try vlogging. I took a post I had already written for Samuel Richardson's Pamela and turned it into a video for my book blog.

I've been a little afraid to try video blogging. For one thing, I've always thought that I seem a lot smarter and more interesting on paper than in person. Also, I tend to ramble and end up not making sense or saying things I don't mean (or both). But I really like others' video blogs--when they're done well. So I decided to give it a shot.

Here's why I decided to try vlogging (and why you should too, if you're a blogger):

Freewriting.

Remember how I said that it's hard for me to get going on my writing? That I'll start a certain idea and then drift off? That I'll write a sentence and then delete it a moment later? 

I think I've found the cure. 

Yes, freewriting. 

I used to consider freewriting kind of an eye-roller--you know, it's one of those exercises they make you do in the 5th grade and you can never see the point. It's not like anything good comes of it. It's not like you'll ever actually take that page of scribbles and turn it into anything worth reading.