Monday, June 18, 2012

Is it an excuse?

I remember writing about INFJ last year, having finally realized for the first time what it means.


Life went on and it didn't necessarily get any easier for me as an INFJ. The world don't just agree with you when you said you'd be better left alone. But the knowledge did help me in reassuring myself that the world can talk and say what they like and I can just keep on walking.


Back then, I figured that I had read all the materials available in the internet, and I think what would be enough. I don't want to drown myself too much into the subject for fear that I might be trapped in making it as an excuse for whatever unpleasant things I need to avoid in my life.


With the just right amount of knowledge in the subject, I tried to identify a pattern and make some adjustments, and yes, I'm lucky enough to be in a workplace where that is possible, might not be able to cover everything, but enough to help me survive my weekdays with  little harm.


Time went on and many things happened, including Susan Cain and her TED talk that shed new light on the topic. I read her book Quiet and eagerly sharing the ideas to my friends and colleagues, hoping that they finally understand that there is nothing wrong with people who are quiet, and that it is scientifically proven.


Recently a friend told me that 'introverts' might want to consider a few things that can be done to fight the introversion that seems to be hampering them from moving ahead in the world. That's when I realized that scientific data is not enough to make people understand that introversion is not a defect. To these people, your good intention in sharing information about introversion might be easily seen as making excuses or justification for your defects.


But you know what?


Just like any other things about yourself that you want to change;  you might want to color your hair, or trim your teeth, or shape your eyebrow. You can change some things, and you just have to accept or make peace with some others. Introverts need to adjust to get along with their environment. Just as much as everyone else in the world need to adjust to their surrounding, no matter what their personality are.


Adjustment is one thing that everyone needs to do in order to live in harmony. But when you need to fight it, then it is a defect. How can you fight something that you are born with? Or to be exact, why should you? Why should you fight something just because it makes you different from the majority of the people? 


I decided now that I'm not going to talk about introversion unless someone asks.


Introverts might easily trapped in making their introversion as an excuse. Just as much as extroverts easily accusing them of doing it.


I might be wrong, though.