Thoughts on Introverts

[Editor’s note: Posted by request; this is a letter I sent to a friend.]

…You know, that was interesting. Programmers are notorious for being introverts; they are some of the least social people you will ever meet. I suspect that programming simply demands a certain type of person, and introverts are more likely to have those qualities than others. A highly social person is going to be very frustrated at the prospect of spending weeks alone, troubleshooting a difficult issue or trying to solve a thorny problem. It would go against the grain of who they are.

It is helpful to think of the benefits of introversion. I can see how they bring things to the table. Of course, introverts make terrible car salesmen.

It almost seems like extroverts are more “people persons”, while introverts tend to be deeper thinkers. An introvert who spends many hours reading will probably come to know a great deal more than an extrovert. At the same time, the extrovert will gain friends, influence, and power, while the introvert builds stacks of books in his apartment. Personally I would rather have the books, but what this means is that extroverts are the ones who shape society and get things done. To a very real extent, introversion amounts to naval gazing: they come to learn a lot, and that’s it. Except in certain rare cases, it doesn’t actually do other people any good. It is almost like creating works of art and then setting them on fire. Introverts, at best, have an extremely minimal impact – and I suspect that much of their impact is on other introverts.

Now, there may well have been a time in the past when the wisdom of introverts was valued, but this is not that time. I’ve learned a number of things over the years, and one of the key things I’ve learned is that other people just do not care. The problem that I see in my local church, and with those I interact with, is not hostility (although there is some of that); it is apathy. I don’t mind people who come up to me and tell me that I’m wrong; it may be that I am indeed wrong. If your math sums are off, it is very important for the teacher to come along and correct them. What really kills me is not “You’re wrong” but “Who cares?”

For example, you found my talk on Bible codes fascinating; others simply did not care. It’s not that they objected, although some did; it’s just that, by and large, they don’t care if God wrote the Bible or not. It doesn’t matter to them. Reality TV matters; sports matters; but theology does not. Even trying to have a spiritual conversation with others is a waste of time. I think they’d rather talk about the tax code.

Introverts remind me of Cassandra. She was given knowledge of the future, but it came with a curse: even though she was always right, no one would ever believe her. Introverts may well have much to offer, but society is not interested. Ultimately, society is worse off because of this, but I don’t think things are going to change. If outrageous flashiness didn’t pay off, we wouldn’t have millions of people flocking after Lady Gaga. She is a product of a culture that values overt displays of madness over all else.

So, for now, I think us introverts will keep writing software and reading our books. If someone needs us, we’ll be waiting. Just look for us behind our books.

What is an interesting thought is the idea that I may well be an introvert for the rest of time. I don’t know what my heavenly home is going to look like, exactly, but I suspect that after a while there will be books stacked everywhere. There’s a lot of reading up there that I’d like to do.