“Oh, my gosh! We need to have a sleepover!”
The dreaded suggestion elicited a sinking feeling in my chest as my friends nodded in agreement. It was my first time back home and my friends and I had met up for a movie night. Unfortunately, they wanted to extend movie night into a two-day ordeal.
My middle-school best friend smirked, looked me in the eye and said, “Abby hates sleepovers.” Everyone else turned to me in shock.
“Why?”
“Well,” I fumbled. “It’s just sort of a long time to be with…people.” Cue the awkward silence.
That’s right folks, I an introvert: a solid INFJ on the Meyers-Briggs test. Through the years, I have learned that the label “introvert” leads to a multitude of misunderstandings. One of the most common is being called a “Debbie downer.”
I hope to dispel this falsity and other introvert stereotypes.
Introverts are like batteries that need to be recharged. After a day of socializing, we recover with alone time. We read a book, watch Netflix or even just sit and zone out. This does not mean that we are antisocial or hate people. In fact, we enjoy social situations. We just happen to equally enjoy being alone.
Another common source of social confusion: introverts are not bothered by silence. Though someone else might sweat over a pause in conversation, an introvert is blissfully unaware. This often leaves people wondering if I am angry and giving them the cold shoulder. When asked why I am mad, I play dumb, slowly blinking and answering, “I’m mad?”
It seems that introverts either have chronic resting bitch face or resting depressed face. Once I was stopped in the hallway and asked if I was all right. After stating that I was, the Good Samaritan said it seemed like I was about to burst into tears. I didn’t know how to reply, considering I was thinking about how excited I was for "Game of Thrones" that night.
Despite these bumps in the road, I highly recommend having an introvert as a friend — not that I’m biased or anything. We can be adorably awkward. We have close friends to whom we are extremely loyal. When you get to know us better, you’ll laugh and wonder how you ever thought we were boring. Then, one day, you’ll introduce us to another introvert and let the introvert standoff ensue. It will be amusing. I promise.
In the end, the aforementioned sleepover did not happen for me. I went home with a “horrific cold” as an excuse and proceeded to write this column instead. I hope my friends see it as an instruction manual of sorts. Hopefully, this will avoid future misunderstandings and bring an end to the “Debbie downer” comments. I sincerely hope so, as they are starting to make me resent alliteration.
Abigail’s column runs biweekly Wednesdays. She can be reached at a.lague@cavalierdaily.com.
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