Dear Introverts

You have hidden superpowers that the world is unaware of, and you need to learn to wield these abilities with confidence and pride. The Quiet Revolution is on the rise and whether you know you are an introvert or not, you are the key.

As Susan Cain stated in her Introvert Manifesto, “the next generation of quiet kids can and must be raised to know their own strengths.” She said this because it is important to discover the entirety of your potential as an introvert. The Introvert Manifesto is something to revel about, it is a list of inspirational advice to introverts that confirm your part in a community of people with similar preferences and superpowers.

Introverts are those that work better alone, enjoy and recharge during solitude, and expend energy socializing. You are at the peak of your creativity when alone with your thoughts. You don’t need a sidekick (a work partner), but you could benefit from one if you learn from your extrovert counterpart.

Susan Cain stated in her book that almost two of every three people you know wears an introvert cape and wields some level of introvert powers. The reason that it is assumed most people are extroverts is because introverts can be ashamed of their preferences and pretend to be an extrovert.

Another reason introverts seem less prevalent is because not all introverts are shy or antisocial. Introverts can be very outgoing and social people. One of my personal friends is a natural at giving public speeches and breaking out in song among a crowd of people, but will politely deny an invite to the superhero convention.

You are some of the most successful leaders because you are fair to the quiet team members and you respect others’ preferences. You tend to be reserved when in a leadership role, so you appear professional and composed. This is a useful superpower to wield when confronted with conflict in a leadership role.

Because you can overthink, you weigh your options more heavily and consider all vantage points. Cain talks about Jerome Kagan’s findings that infants with an “especially excitable amygdala” are likely to be introverts in the future, leading to the fact that high-reactive kids also tend to feel and think deeply about what they’ve noticed. This can help introverts come to a conclusion faster or have more time to react to an environment. You all can use this sensory super power to your advantage by responding to environmental factors and successfully multitasking.

Though, take head heros and heroines, overthinking can lead to anxiety and insecurity. The key is to remain positive and use your powers for good. Kick the behinds of negative thoughts and keep your thought sessions productive and positive. Thinking deeply does not have to be negative, if you use it to your advantage and mediate your process. You don’t want to end up a villian just because you thought about the wrong things or thought too much.

Introvert, do not excessively depend on others for energy because you are at your peak after a session of solitude. Cain talks about the ability for most introverts to stay up late and get sleep less but function just as well or even better than an extrovert that got a decent amount of sleep. That is something impressive and if that’s not a practical superpower in itself, I don’t know what is.

Though, like every superhero, introverts have their own kryptonite: not enough alone time. You need to manage your time and energy wisely. Take designated times away from super hero duties to meditate and recharge with the company of yourself. Give your sidekicks and damsels in distress warning of your disappearance for a short time before you go into your secret hideout.

Remember, introverts, you are not handicapped by your “introversion”, you are at an advantage and you have abilities that put you ahead of the game when you acknowledge your individual superpowers. You can define the new standards of success and you can change the leadership stereotype of outgoing behavior and gusto. Be your own hero and inspire other introverted heroes!

 

Warm Regards,

Your Fellow Superhero

 

This was an assignment for my Editing in Rhetoric course this Winter, 2018. The purpose was to address a community/social issue and put the piece through several rounds of editing to end with many versions/drafts of a single piece to learn about individual writing process and peer review.

Thanks for looking at my work, and feel free to leave your thoughts below!

-Knight of Cups Reviews, 21 March 2018