Tuesday, March 4, 2014

12 Ways to Love and Care for an Introvert

My best friend, husband, and favorite introvert

Either you are an introvert, married to one, or have one as a best friend. I love introverts. They balance my zany, impulsive nature and bring me down to earth. I appreciate and admire them.

Here are 12 ways to love and care for the introverts in your life:

1.      RESPECT their privacy and need for alone time.

2.      NEVER reprimand them IN PUBLIC.

3.      Let them VIEW first in new situations, before requiring them to act.
 
 
4.      Allow them TIME TO THINK. Don’t demand quick answers.

5.      Don’t INTERRUPT them.

6.      Give them ADVANCE NOTICE of changes to their environment and lives.

7.      Give them 15 MINUTE WARNINGS to finish whatever they’re doing.

8.      Teach them new skills PRIVATELY.

9.      Enable them to find ONE BEST FRIEND who shares their interests.
 
 

10.  DON’T PUSH them to make many friends.

11.  RESPECT their quiet souls. Don’t try to make them EXTROVERTS.

12.  PRAISE every attempt at spontaneity and friendliness.
 
Next week, we'll talk about extroverts. That should be FUN!
 
If you are an introvert, which item(s) in the above list most resonated with you? If you are an extrovert, which items do you need to work  on?

9 comments:

  1. Oh! These are "right on"! Actually, when you break them down, some of them apply to EVERYone, don't you think? Thinking selfishly, I wonder if I don't have some introvert in me - while others might consider me an extrovert. Hmmmmmm. Can't wait to see the hints for loving/caring for an extrovert! That SHOULD be fun :)

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  2. I'm definitely an introvert. Being a pastor's wife doesn't let me indulge my preferences all the time, so I really like the idea of your list. #1 and #11 are the points I most relate to, but several of the others are considerations, too. Maybe we could print these out and distribute them like we do our bookmarks! ;)

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  3. I believe I am an introvert. One who thinks a lot.These are all good. I personally like # 5. This happens to me all the time. No one ever lets me finish what I was saying.

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  4. I am more an introvert than an extrovert, but most of my loved ones and friends would find that hard to believe. I work hard to put myself out there.

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  5. Hi Jeanette! I am married to an introvert. I remember when we were dating, I had a volleyball/pizza party. My friends thought he was the pizza delivery guy!
    I have to give him room, and not push him to make connections he is not ready for...it's a challenge. But I think I've gotten better at it. Let's hope so!
    Ceil

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  6. I am a mild introvert. My girls are more than me and they hate to be interrupted.
    Fondly,
    Glenda

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  7. I am married to an introvert and am somewhat of an introvert myself. I push myself to be more social, while my hubby is perfectly comfortable not socializing much outside our home. I respect his introverted-ness and he respects my socializing efforts to go out for coffee and crepes every now and again with my girlfriends. It works out well. :-) Respect is key, right?

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  8. Oh Jen, get out of my head! lol Wow, this is spot on. I am a true introvert, and I so appreciate when boundaries are respected. Thanks so much for this. :D

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Oh, it's YOU! I'm so happy to see you here today, and look forward to reading your comments.