Shyer, more retiring personalities may spend time looking at their more extrovert counterparts and wondering how they appear to live such stress-free lives. Extroverts seem to find everything easy, at least on the surface, with regard to relationships, careers and everything else that life throws at them. However, there are many times when being an introvert could be seen as a strength. Some advantages to being introverted include the following: 

More measured thinking process

Introverts tend to hate blurting things out without thinking through their ideas carefully first. Whereas extroverts may enjoy the brainstorming approach and may come out with a number of ideas; none of which work very well, introverts will go away and think about the issue. It can occasionally be frustrating for others to wait for introverts to break the ideas out, but usually when they come, they are good ones that can save everyone a lot of time. Measured thinking is something that is particularly welcomed in the work environment.

Prepared to compromise

Probably exactly because introverts think before they respond, they are also more prepared to compromise. That is because they consider all angles and all points of view, appreciating that their opinion is just one of many. One person in a group may have particularly strong ideas about what to do, but may not be prepared to accept that others may not feel the same. Introverts are far more likely to think of ways that everyone’s ideas are incorporated into the final outcome, which is important in all walks of life, whether at work, at home, or out in the community.

Easy to live with

Introverts don’t necessarily allow others to walk all over them, although it can, of course, be a problem for some, especially the very young. However, once they have learned to accept their personalities, introverts can use their flexible approach to making sure that as many people are happy as possible. Introverts rarely like to make a fuss, even if they feel strongly about something and are therefore prepared to give way or compromise when the situation calls for it. As a result, they may be far more appreciated than those who are fun to be with, but aren’t prepared to be flexible.

More empathy with others

Difficulty in social situations, particularly when young, often means that introverts learn to appreciate and be extremely loyal to those people who do make an effort to talk to them. They also feel an empathy with anyone who appears to be introverted too – and as many people have introverted parts to their personality at one point or another, it means that introverts learn to have empathy with an awful lot of people. Whereas extroverts may not even try to understand why others don’t speak up when given the opportunity, introverts will encourage and nurture.

Independence

Whereas introverts often manage to have great circles of friends, they tend to find it harder to make friends in the initial stages of friendship. That often means that, when arriving in a new situation, they have to stand on their own two feet and get on with things. This brings a certain amount of independence to their outlook on life and, although they may seem shy, they are actually prepared to go out and do things on their own because they have no-one else on whom they can rely. Extroverts may seem like they have no fear, but they are constantly relying on others for their confidence.

More time to concentrate on self

Nurturing your inner self may sound self-absorbed, but it is very important for your mental health. Introverted people are more likely to spend time alone, allowing them time to work out which direction their life is taking and making alterations as usual. They are also less likely to ask other people what they should do. Extroverts, on the other hand, may bounce from one disaster to another without taking the time to consider why things aren’t working out as they planned. In the short-term, this may seem like a benefit, but at some point, they will need to learn to be alone and face the music.

Introverts should be proud of whatever makes them tick; they have many strengths to bring to the table, even if it doesn’t initially seem like it.