Naked Lions Are Just As Dangerous As

In Our Society, The Ideal Self Is Bold, Gregarious, And Comfortable In The Spotlight. We Like To Think That We Value Individuality, But Mostly We Admire The Type Of Individual Who’s Comfortable "putting Himself Out There."

I Had Always Imagined Rosa Parks As A Stately Woman With A Bold Temperament, Someone Who Could Easily Stand Up To A Busload Of Glowering Passengers. But When She Died In 2005 At The Age Of Ninety-two, The Flood Of Obituaries Recalled Her As Soft-spoken, Sweet, And Small In Stature. They Said She Was "timid And Shy" But Had "the Courage Of A Lion." They Were Full Of Phrases Like "radical Humility" And "quiet Fortitude.

Now That You're An Adult, You Might Still Feel A Pang Of Guilt When You Decline A Dinner Invitation In Favor Of A Good Book. Or Maybe You Like To Eat Alone In Restaurants And Could Do Without The Pitying Looks From Fellow Diners. Or You're Told That You're "in Your Head Too Much", A Phrase That's Often Deployed Against The Quiet And Cerebral. Or Maybe There's Another Word For Such People: Thinkers.

Many Introverts Are Also "highly Sensitive," Which Sounds Poetic, But Is Actually A Technical Term In Psychology. If You Are A Sensitive Sort, Then You're More Apt Than The Average Person To Feel Pleasantly Overwhelmed By Beethoven's "moonlight Sonata" Or A Well-turned Phrase Or An Act Of Extraordinary Kindness. You May Be Quicker Than Others To Feel Sickened By Violence And Ugliness, And You Likely Have A Very Strong Conscience.

We Have A Two-tier Class System When It Comes To Personality Style. To Devalue Introversion Is A Waste Of Talent, Energy And Happiness.