10 Interpretations of an Introvert’s Silence
Silence is a very powerful tool in the hands of an introvert. I actually believe that whoever created silence had introverts in mind. I initially wanted to write this article to describe signs that an introvert does not like someone and the first sign I thought of was silence. I then became conflicted because an introvert’s silence can have many interpretations. Perhaps equal to words, if not more than, we use silence to communicate so much about our state of being.
Here are some interpretations of an introvert’s silence:
1. Shyness – though not often the case (I dare say)
I start with shyness because it is often the first interpretation people have of our silence, but I can assure you, it is hardly ever the case. From my lived experience of being an introvert, I am going to deduce that introverts are as prone to being shy as the next person. It just so happens that silence is, again, a useful tool in our hands and we use it even when we are shy.
2. Intentional Observation – this is big for an introvert
New situations, new circumstances, new territories and sometimes new people – our default mode is to observe before we interact. This is often interpreted as being aloof, shy or reserved. While reserved is maybe not far from it, the real reason we are being silent or kept to ourselves…………………
jacobvanloon
blakekathryn
theartofmadeline
