There is a phenomenon taking over our society as we speak. It is sometimes subtle, often overt – and it’s called Extrovert Domination or ED. And I LOVE it.
ED says you must be in current contact with every person that you’ve ever spoken to, at any time in your life. You must RELISH the thought of LinkedIn!! As a matter of fact, you must own LinkedIn like a boss, because who doesn’t have time to reproduce their resume everywhere, in the most mediums as possible, and contact people that you once had a fleating connection with but no real ongoing relationship?? Awesome. That’s not awkward at all, and I LOVE it!! LOVE these ED rules….
In fact, bring on the get togethers, and let the small talk begin – and continue for hours!! The more strangers the better. Things in common? Who needs that? I love feigning interest in all ages, occupations and opinions, and can never get enough of that Buffalo sports talk! I may have lost a piece of my soul with every surface encounter – but that’s ok!! We are supposed to enjoy converation with strangers at any point. It’s the way human beings are wired, and if you are someone that doesn’t enjoy this, well there’s something wrong with you and you just need TRAINING! Who says so?? Well, it’s an extrovert rule!!!
And music? That’s ok, I have no preference or desire to experience it in a social setting, just keep the conversation expectation going for – three, four, five hours!! I will pull out every psychological trick I’ve ever learned to show witt, humor and substance, as I labor to engage with people who I have absolutely nothing in common with…..because extrovert domination says that NICE people are wired this way!!
This is fun! Make sure you do nothing to earn the stigma of “quiet”. In fact, keep those drinks coming, it doesn’t matter that you didn’t want to be hungover, dehydrated, or wreck your carefully planned diet/workout routine – alcohol is your last hope to pull this off!! In fact, shots just might do the trick. Why labor over filling, slow-acting beer when you can hit the ground running?!? Your chemically altered perception will blanket the stilted conversation and mask all perception of time….gliding you skillfully through the last hours of your dutiful social participation. You’ll pat yourself on the back as you go to your car, proud of how you pulled off another social event with panache, introvert that you are!!
The next morning you can pour your heart out on paper, or in a song, or in a solo run and reclaim every ounce of energy that the vampires extroverts syphoned from you.
Until the next invite…………..
Left of Center 
Oh yes – The social dilemma. Do I talk or do I unplug my computer and hide. Those of us living the life before the social media age enjoyed the same problem. Do we go out and pretend it’s fun or do we stay home and watch semi-porn cinemax?
There will always be pressure but I think there is more pressure in today’s world than there was when I was a kid. Back than we only had a handful of friends, now they’re like ant colonies and we’ve met one of them.
I would not want to be a kid in 2018. They are never living in the now. I’m not sure where they are living but it’s certainly not here.
Welcome back, kid. Missed ya. 🙂
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Thanks, well my annoyance at the demands of extroverts remains now in late adulthood and extends back through my youth for as far back as I can remember lol. They are also the majority! If you are an extrovert Bryan I will say that my next piece will be an olive branch to extroverts, and praise for their extrovert ways! lol. For real. But I just had to get out my frustration at all the forced socialization and the seeming lack of regard for us introverts! 🙂
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If I had to be honest I’d say I’m pretty balanced. Although, the older I get the more comfortable I seem to spending my days with just a few instead of a whole like I did in my youth.
Be picky who you choose to spend your days with. You will not regret it.
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Hey, gialynn. Thought I’d mosey on over to your blog here after you commented on mine last week. Wow, now this post is what you call sarcasm unleashed! And really on target too. Just what one likes to see from a fellow introvert.
Extrovert Domination, a.k.a. “ED,” LOL — now that puts things right in their place. 🙂 If I recall correctly, stats suggest introverts are 30 to 40% of the population, give or take, which is a sizable percentage. We just need to speak out more — and your wonderful humor here is a good way to do it.
I’m very far to the introvert side of the spectrum, to the point I could be a hermit (well, okay, with only a very few close friends) if conditions were right. I have just the same reactions in “enforced” social situations like you ranted about. To the point I easily get “peopled out” (anybody else use that term?) and need recuperative time from it.
Even though I avoided a lot of semi-demanded socializing in my youth, back then I still felt I “should” engage in some of it. If I had it all to do over again, though, I wouldn’t worry about that kind of pressure at all. The secret is the more you know who you are and develop confidence in that, the less you feel the pressure in the first place.
I like the kinda/sorta monthly posting schedule you’ve got going here. From what I’ve seen in perusing others’ blogs over the years, it’s easy to get burned out if you post too much more frequently than that. (Once or twice a month suits me assuming I have something to say.) Of course, it depends on the length, and more frequent posting can certainly work without eventual burnout if the posts are shorter, or one is a writer by trade or inclination.
Keep up the good work/play!
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Hi there, thank you so much for your thorough comment!! I am going to send you a private email as well but this was actually the first chance I had to come on here and approve your comment…
I’m laughing at your “sarcasm unleashed” description – that’s good, I was wanting to be a sassy writer but you have nailed the sarcasm with your introvert rant – and wow the length wherein you covered every conceivable aspect was so impressive lol.
I am new to this and already feeling my groove, as guess you could say. Your blog is so professional, please inform me and anyone reading if you have any other projects – for example other bloggers have written novels and the like.
As far as the world assaulting us introverts, have you yet experienced “gas station TV” ? LOL. I needn’t say more……….
Thanks again for commenting and I am going to email you Ward and also check out some more of your writing. It’s very cool getting to talk to other writers on here, especially such like minded individuals. I feel a little like the Bee Girl in the 90’s video “No Rain” by Blind Melon lol.
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Primary current project is rebuilding my personal website and changing the blog’s title and focus to “Hermit Spirit” from “Think Outside the Box.” (Web address remains the same.) Until recently, my writing had been mostly expository posts, articles, reports, etc. But I began feeling the need for a new direction that was more personal and story-based. No worries, though. There will still be sarcastic rants periodically. 🙂
The last couple of years have foreshadowed this as I began to write up some of my dreams, which meant learning a bit about telling a story instead of just weaving together observations. These have definitely been more “writerly” if that’s the sort of thing you want to explore. And the writing style I’ve been developing there has gradually spread to other posts.
A blog I have found inspirational writing-wise you might want to check out is Pray for Calamity. “td0s” there has been spreading his wings and really growing as a writer over the last few years. Each post begins and ends with poignant, parable-like vignettes from his life that frame a related rumination on our civilization’s apparent road to ruin.
Gas Station TV. Ugh. Hadn’t heard of it till you mentioned it, but just got done reading up. I had noticed blaring, unwanted radio invading some of the gas pumps over the last couple of years, but so far no TV where we live. It can’t be far behind. Now THAT’s something I’d enjoy seeing you rant about.
Blind Melon’s “No Rain”: Don’t follow the music scene these days, but just took a listen — SUPER-catchy cheerful song. Take that kind of spirit and run with it!
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