The Gift of Introversion

I want to talk about
Munro’s view of quiet and shy
students. Here, according to one of her
blog entries (since removed), is what she
wished she could put on their report cards:
“A kid that has no personality.”
“She just sits there emotionless for an entire
90 minutes, staring into the abyss, never
volunteering to speak or do anything.”
“Shy isn’t cute in 11th grade; it’s annoying.
Must learn to advocate for himself instead
of having Mommy do it.”
Munro seemed to have no understanding of how poor a fit the
typical American high school can be for introverts — like an
all-day cocktail party without any alcohol. She believed that these
kids should suck it up and act like everyone else. And she was right,
to a certain extent; we all need to fake it a little, extroverts too.
I’ve met many introverted kids who are thriving and happy, and most
of them have learned how to adopt an extroverted persona when need be.
THE POWER OF INTROVERTS | 25