A Few Articles about Introverts (for Teryn)

Introverts have been generating a surprising amount of discussion lately. Here are some of the things they’ve been saying about us:

 

Why the Next C. S. Lewis MUST be a Geek

“These questions become important when one realizes; geeks really do rule the world. Need proof? Think computers and gaming. Think of movies like Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Star Trek and a number of other geek franchises that rule the entertainment world. What do you get when you add entertainment and the computer world? Powerful forces in the current cultural discussion that many Christians just ignore, even as our own college students are neck deep in these realms. They’re asking the questions of how to relate their Geekness and their faith.”

 

14 Ways to Handle a Christian Introvert

          “1) In a small group or Bible study or cell meeting, do NOT make us talk.

Introverts are much more methodical and tend to process things.  In a group discussion, our silence doesn’t mean we’re not listening.  We’re just trying to fit the pieces together in our own head.  We aim to be thoughtful and deliberate.  Please be sensitive to our secret mind palace.  We’ll talk when we dang well feel like it.”

 

Introverted at Church

From Relevant Magazine: how to survive in an extrovert-dominated religious world.

 

Belle & Sebastian: Every Song I Ever Wrote was Written for You

The lead singer of the number one greatest band of all time talks about his experience suffering from a crippling disorder, and how being confined to the choir loft of a church allowed him enough time and silence to create some of today’s cleverest and most gorgeous music:

 

“What is fascinating to me about Murdoch’s story is the way that these various elements combined to produce a beautiful work of art. His illness and isolation emptied him out, creating space for art to emerge. Then playing music—practicing his art—was in many ways what restored him to health. As bass player Stuart David says, “If You’re Feeling Sinister was a culmination of him getting better…getting better through creating.” Yet without the support of his community—politically, religiously, and personally—this beautiful album might never have been created.”

 

And finally, my fellow writer Tineke passes along this gem: “The Persecution Complex of the Modern Introvert”:

 

“What I find exhausting about the sentiment in Rauch and Jacobs’ articles, and others like them, is that it often feels like little more than a pity party, or perhaps more accurately, some sort of martyr’s complex. In the process, we introverts confirm some of the worst stereotypes that people have about us: that we’re anti-social; that we just leer from the sidelines; that when we’re aloof and unengaged, we’re not “recharging” so much as sitting in quiet judgment of these loudmouth extraverts surrounding us; that we think others are loud, stupid, boorish, and only capable of “98-percent-content-free speech.”

“When I give into that, my introversion becomes little more than a vehicle for pride and self-righteousness. What’s more, I completely disregard how such a sentiment comes across to those extraverts in my life whom I love and value.”

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