Outwardly confident and outgoing people often seem to fare better in modern life. However, part of the problem is that many perfectly clever and talented people are held back either because they are introverted or because they lack confidence and mistake it for an introverted personality.

We are constantly told that being an introvert is a negative thing, but this isn’t necessarily the case.

Being Introverted Can Be Positive

There are lots of things that you can do to make being an introvert a positive experience. Many people assume that being an introvert automatically comes with a whole host of inherited negative emotions, but this is not necessarily the case. Whether introversion is a virtue or not is up for debate, but it is definitely not a flaw.

If you are more introverted and prefer to spend time alone, then you can still accomplish a lot with that time. Being an introvert doesn’t mean that you don’t have any kind of social life, and introverts can still maintain a close circle of friends. As long as you view being an introvert as inherently negative, you are going to struggle to achieve your best as an introvert.

Sometimes You Have To Take A Leap Of Faith (And You Can)

Lots of introverted people learn how to be confident and put on displays of sociability when they need to. Similarly, lots of introverts work in jobs where they are often required to present projects or give talks to large groups of people. Being an introvert should not be an obstacle to doing this.

Many introverted people condition themselves to believe that they are not capable of stepping out of their shell, even when they need to. However, this is just like anything else in that it requires some practice to get right. If you are willing to take a leap of faith now and then, you will find that it pays off and that it is easier to temporarily put your introverted tendencies aside when you need to.

There Are Different Types Of Introverts

Introverts come in different types. You can take an online personality test to learn more about your personality type. Understanding which type of introvert you are will help you to understand and make minor adjustments to your behavior if you want to.

A Lack Of Confidence Isn’t The Same As Being An Introvert

Many people are under the mistaken belief that being an introvert and lacking in confidence are the same thing. However, this is a common misconception. As we mentioned earlier, there are many introverts who are able to give presentations at work or otherwise speak in public without much difficulty when it is demanded of them.

A crucial difference between a lack of confidence and being an introvert is that a lack of confidence is something that can be fixed. It is also something that will impede someone throughout their life. An introvert can still be confident, and this will show in all other aspects of their life.

Don’t Try To Force Yourself To Be An Extrovert

One of the most counterproductive things that you can do if you are an introvert is to try and force yourself to become an extrovert. It is much better to learn how to embrace being an introvert and learn to work with the skills that you have instead of trying to move away from them.

Being an introvert doesn’t need to hold you back in life. Introverts can be confident and sociable when they need to, but not if they don’t learn to embrace who they are. Trying to force yourself to be an extrovert won’t help you; neither will a negative perception of who you are. Remember, being an introvert is not a flaw.