Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Introversion Inversion

So, I'm an introvert. Or at least, I think I am. I generally find social interaction draining. I get tired of spending too much time with too many people. And yet, tonight, I had a social interaction with a group of people for 2-3 hours straight, depending on how you measure it, and afterward I was far more energized than I was when I started. Granted, it was a small group - only four people beside myself - and most of them were quiet most of the time. Also, it might have helped that the people I was with were my friends, people who make me feel comfortable and appreciated. And we were playing D&D, my favorite game in the world, and it was a great session. Almost everyone got a moment to shine, and everyone seemed to have a good time, which means that I, as the DM, mostly succeeded.

I don't know if being energized by a small, comfortable, fun gathering is already a known feature of introversion or whether it's an exception. Perhaps that's something I should study, to try to learn more about myself. It's true that I'm usually drained by social encounters, but was energized by this one. Is this something that's known to happen with introverts, or is this a sign that I'm not 100% introverted? I'll have to do some research to find out.

In the meantime, I'm glad that I can keep learning about myself, including what drains and energizes me. I think I also ought to list things that cause and relieve my stress and things that strengthen and weaken me. It'd be good to have lists of things to seek and things to avoid, so I can use that wisdom to seek a good life, continually growing stronger, preferably without running too low on energy or building up too much stress.

I want to be a strong, energetic, unstressed person again, and to that end, it may be good to learn what to seek and avoid to help me accomplish that.

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