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The Plight of the Observant Introvert
We introverts have always known how to sit back and watch, to fade into the wallpaper, to silently sip our drinks while our eyes scan clusters of chattering humans, meanwhile engaging in cataloging inside our heads. The more reflective of our breed, especially, has always known the peculiar satisfaction there is in watching life. We are content to gaze through the window, so to speak, at passing pedestrians and to smile and muse about what we see, to analyze the humans that flit by. People-watching is a collective pastime for a lot of us introverts. And we take great pleasure in generally watching life, watching the scenes unfolding all around us in our daily lives. And yet many of us are no strangers to having felt the faint presence of guilt or inferiority about this aspect of our introvert-selves.
We’re all too aware, after all, that we live in a culture that champions action, ambition, and perpetually “living in the moment”. Being observant and reflective, on the other hand, are tellingly absent from the roster of celebrated American traits. Observance and reflection are silent, overlooked attributes. Most of us introverts have them, and have quietly nurtured them throughout our lives, despite oftentimes feeling vaguely doubtful of their value and embarrassed of their existence, perhaps at the expense of other attributes.
