5/11/2012
9:50 am
I've just finished this book "An Introverted Advantage:How to Thrive in an Extroverted World". And I did it in about 3/4 days. :O. Surprising, I don't usually read books that fast because I get bored really easily. But this book is worth the read. It just keeps on making you want more and more.
How I came across this book:
I was randomly searching the net for articles that talk about how you can be more extroverted and outgoing. I was feeling a little depress during my stay in Japan because I didn't have any Singapore friends and I feel very awkward talking to Japanese and people from other countries too due to our different way of thinking. Perhaps this is due to the different culture each of us was brought up in. Still, there are some people who just seem to fit in anywhere despite these difficult circumstances. I thought something was wrong with me. I thought I needed to change myself. So I looked for ways and things that could help me on this aspect. One fateful day, I came across this book. :)
The book begins off by analyzing yourself, describing the differences characteristics of introverts and extroverts and how due to different make-up of our brain that introverts and extroverts came to be. It also pointed out that introversion is a whole different thing from shyness. This was something I was really enlightened to learn about. I often associate introversion and shyness as the same thing. This was not the only thing I was enlightened about, there are many more to come.
Throughout reading the books. I've found the many problems introverts faced pointed out to the author applies to me too. It was really amusing how similar it was. Like how I hated situations where you had to think on your feet because my mind will go blank, how I always could not out-win my sister in an argument because I couldn't think of a good counterargument until after the argument =.=", and how I couldn't handle high responsibilities (even though I could give good advice to third persons having the exact same responsibilities) because there would be too much going on and I will be unable think. I am even surprised that a few solutions I developed instinctively across my life to handle my anxiety problems were exactly same as the author. :O Like when I'm tense, I will tense up my fingers without thinking. I never knew the reason. Then I read that tensing up your muscles on purpose and releasing it will help reduce some level of stress. The next time I was tense, I tried tensing up my entire body instead of just my fingers and hands. It really works!(the effect is much better than just my fingers) Of course there were numeral solutions which the author raised that I've had not tried so I learnt a lot from that. But I found it really amusing how introverts are so so similar.
Overall when I read this book. I've come to accept myself more and not criticise myself for being awkward with others or feel bad about having really few friends compared to others. It is not actually that I have really few friends, it is just that I set high standards(deep and close relationship) for one to be considered a friend(unlike extroverts).
I recommend this read to everyone, not only introverts but extroverts as well. For introverts, this book will help you understand yourself better, give you reassurance that you are not alone and that you are not abnormal, just different from most people. For extroverts, this book will help you understand how you think and how to interact with introverts and understand others better. I don't usually like reading books so when I say I finish this book in a few days, it is definitely good haha.
**random thought: I realised that I use a lot of "I" in blogging. Very introvert-ish, isn't it.
waiting by the river|`