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[female speaker]
I am an introvert... and I love it.
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And I'm not alone.
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Introverts are everywhere
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and our quiet approach to life,
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our need for solitary time, isn't a flaw.
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It's a gift.
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But, as an introvert, it's not always easy
to realize how wonderful you are.
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The world feels like a place
that rewards extroverts.
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Where being loud is mistaken
for being confident and happy.
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Where everyone has something to say,
but nobody listens.
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A world of "Open Plan" offices,
networking parties, and big personalities.
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For those who speak softly,
it is easy to feel left out.
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As a child, I blended
into the background.
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Many thought that I had little to say
or that I simply didn't like others,
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but that wasn't true.
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People often think introverts are
shy or antisocial,
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but these are misconceptions.
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Introverts, like anyone,
can find socializing fun.
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But, where parties leave extroverts
energized, after some time,
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introverts need to recharge
away from everyone.
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There's a scientific theory for this.
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There are two important chemicals
found in all our brains:
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dopamine and acetylcholine.
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Dopamine is like a hit of energy
when we take risks or meet new people,
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and it makes extroverts feel great.
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But introverts are more
sensitive to dopamine
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and get quickly overstimulated.
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That's why we prefer the more
slow-burn feeling we get
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when our brains release acetylcholine.
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That happens when we concentrate,
read, or focus our minds.
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It makes us introverts feel relaxed,
alert, and content,
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but it barely registers with extroverts.
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Of course, like anything,
it's a sliding scale.
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You can lean one way or another,
or be a bit of both,
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known as an ambivert.
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Now, I understand myself better.
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I am deeply grateful for how I am.
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Instead of filling up space
with small talk,
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I listen patiently and
make my words matter.
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I have few friends,
but our connection is deep.
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I love spending time alone.
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It's where the chaos of a long day
can finally settle.
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I can reflect and listen to my thoughts
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and eventually reconnect with myself.
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Only after that...
am I ready to share with the world again.
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I have learned strategies for
finding comfort in our noisy world,
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from using music to
creating bubbles of peace
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to escaping to a quiet park
at lunch time.
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I adore the intensity and
chaotic beauty of the world,
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but it's in quiet spaces
where I feel truly at home.
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If introversion were
more valued by society,
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it could make a massive
difference to our collective future.
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The unique attributes of introverts
really are a deep, quiet strength.
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As Gandhi put it,
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"In a gentle way,
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"you can shake the world"
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male voice
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