Introverts

I'm an introvert, but I do enjoy a useful conversation - William Harryman

This is an important thing every person talking or advising about the interactive web needs to understand: different people use it differently for different reasons. - Patricia

i like discussing music-making and everything that goes along with it. sadly, i have yet to meet anyone in FF or FB or anywhere other than message boards (UGH!) or IRC who is like-minded. - Joe Silence is not dead

You are a bit kinder than I am. Maybe I should learn to look at things like you do. However, I see a lot of people that live in their own little world and just don't care about other people. They want themselves to be the spotlot of attention and wouldn't dare give attention to someone else. - Hummie

Yup, you're assumption is correct. See Forrester.com/groundswell then click on "Profile Tool" to find out why - Jeremiah Owyang

Jeremiah, what assumption?? - Jannifer @wordsforliving

Dead Silence, rooms may help with that. I find it more difficult to have topical conversations when everyone's feed is a mass of all different interests and inputs. - joey

I don't know that it's just introverts. I'm a strongly expressed introvert, and I love interacting with people online. It's much easier and less stressful for me than interacting offline - although gaining confidence through online interaction has improved my offline confidence as well and I'm far less shy than I used to be. - Jandy, ConcertMaven of FF

Jandy - same here - my thoughts exactly! I'm still working on the offline confidence... hoping that will improve as time goes on... - Jannifer @wordsforliving

i see what you mean but there are also different ways of using social media. Some use it strictly as a way positioning themselves as industry leaders, some for business and some for fun. The strategies are different. - Violet Mae Lim

Aaah - so true Violet... I have to remember that not everyone is exactly like me or want the same things out of it! - Jannifer @wordsforliving

I think you're on to something although I'd never want to concede your last point even though that might be deductively true. For some of us it takes a while longer to open up and 'engage' per se but I'm hoping that its just part of the natural learning curve. - Adi

Adi - I'd been puzzled over other introverts not wanting to chat even online. I don't understand this since I'd like to connect with other like-minded people, but at this point, it's definitely a mystery to me. - Jannifer @wordsforliving

I like connecting, sharing, learning, and don't have a thing to sell you but my smiling mug. :-) - Mathew A. Koeneker

Yea Matthew! :-) - Jannifer @wordsforliving

I like getting involved in discussions online, but I'm not sure that I really connect. - John (a.k.a. dendroica)

I fall under the introvert category. I do more sharing of links and content and original thoughts than conversating. I guess conversating isn't a word. - Holden Caulfield

Have to disagree with the opening statement. Just had an interesting time with some twitter peeps about Friendfeed-aggregated news links. Because the links came into Twitter around ten-to-a-time, my followers didn't like it. Pretty much unanimous they wanted commentary and conversation. - George Hall (Australia)

Exactly George - that's my thoughts. What happened was I came across one person (and maybe this person is rare), that actually stated that she did not want the conversations, but only wanted to use social media to share info and links. This was quite a surprise to me, as I assumed every single person on the planet would want commentary and conversation. So seeing her disclose that she... more... - Jannifer @wordsforliving

I have gained true friends through the internet. I use it to connect, to discuss common interests and to learn. - Lis Miller

I'm kind of the opposite, Jannifer. I find that conversation and connection are much easier for me online than in person. I don't get worn out or overstimulated nearly as quickly or easily. And, of course, every day is different. I may be in a silly, frivolous mood today and a more serious mood tomorrow. - Ladybug Heather

you sound like my boyfriend. great words - Caroline

Go outside and 'play" - ( play sports, run/walk, hike, tennis, swim or whatever to get my mind away from it). Usually the answer of 'what should I do next comes?'- when I am not banging my head against it - Tracy Benham

When I feel really stuck, I take a class at the local community college. Don't know that it helps directly, but 16 weeks later, things are usually moving better. - The Letter M

From Zenhabits.net: "The first step is allowing yourself to not care and being honest with what you do care about it. That’s where most people get stuck. A lot of people spend their lives working on things they don’t care about." - manielse (Mark Nielsen)

Lots of wisdom you all have there. I get overwhelmed by things I think are hindering my progress and then I develop this inertia and stay stuck. For instance - I view or see being an introvert as a huge hindrance to my particular type of business, so although I do things "out-of-the-box", I get discouraged when I see other people have such an easy breezy time who are more outgoing, so then I will think I won't also be able to reach my dreams since I'm not like them. - Jannifer @wordsforliving

I exercise hardcore, so I can clear my mind. - Shevonne

Slam my head into it until something gives - MiniMage TKDteacher of FF

I get discouraged when I see others stealing my ideas or content and then they take it and have great success. I get tired of monitoring that, fighting against that, etc... Wears me out. It's like going round and round with hard work, others capitalizing on my hard work, I fight it, then analyzing things to death, then getting discouraged, then inertia, then clouded and stuck... - Jannifer @wordsforliving

Jannifer: Assuming you are talking about your online business. The internet is a powerful place for Introverts. Use the social networks as your tool, your friend. The internet is also like you said a vicious place to compete. GaryVee is fighting hard, you need to fight harder or smarter than your competitors. That can be draining but it's the nature of business. - manielse (Mark Nielsen)

Exercise - that's something I should do more of instead of sitting around studying and analyzing things to death. I'm grossly out of shape! - Jannifer @wordsforliving

I clean house and throw or give things away. A bike ride is always helpful, too. - Chris Baskind

I take a long walk - fortunately we live near a greenway. biking on the greenway also clears my mind. - Mike Nencetti

Manielse - right - my online business, but the more traditional "bread and butter" of it is getting out and meeting people, having shows, expos and those type of things. I did have the very best advantage as far as online presence and although I'm still on page 1 and page 2 of Google searches, it draws the bad type of attention from my competition, who then take various measures to knock me out. - Jannifer @wordsforliving

The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim. - Sun Tzu - Robert Hafer

I'm always thinking about how to prevent or stop competitors from capitalizing on my work and this makes me hesitant to move forward because it's like I'm working for them, then I'm analyzing things to death. Meanwhile, the inertia causes me to lose ground in a huge way while I watch others make huge strides quite rapidly. - Jannifer @wordsforliving

Find an Extroverted partner for the Traditional half and perhaps that person can even create a video podcast discussing your items. You can be the Jay Adelson (CEO of Digg) while someone plays the Kevin Rose role. Trying to prevent or stop competitors does nothing except hold you back from moving forward. - manielse (Mark Nielsen)

Resistance drains energy ~ Acceptance saves it. - manielse (Mark Nielsen)

Manielse - that's exactly what I've been looking for and failing at getting - more extroverted independent "partners" to join with me and work together. I have a ton of resources, but they just sit there, because they're not effective for just one person (me), but are for a group of people to utilize together. - Jannifer @wordsforliving

If you're talking about your "Demonstrators", that's not uncommon in your business model. You'll have a lot of "resources" that will just sit there but 1-2% will shine. I thought you meant the CEO-type activities. Very different issues... - manielse (Mark Nielsen)

I work best in situations where there is synergy and connection. Trying to move forward alone isn't effective in this type of business. And you're right manielse - I definitely spend too much time trying to prevent or stop competitors and that's one of the main ways I'm getting stuck. I'm not sure how I would go about acceptance (particularly if it has to do with accepting my unique ideas and content being stolen and used). - Jannifer @wordsforliving

Oh - sorry manielse - didn't mean to be confusing. I'm just yapping to myself I guess. - Jannifer @wordsforliving

Seems like I kind of hijacked the tread and we're yapping together. :-) - manielse (Mark Nielsen)

I share your moving forward alone versus lack of synergy & energy of the same passion issue as well BTW. Too many times in the past (and present) I just get frustrated and try to do EVERYTHING by myself. - manielse (Mark Nielsen)

I bake. - Steven Perez

Manielse - you expressed it exactly! - Jannifer @wordsforliving

Well, I just got back from Lowes and walked around a lot - hope that counts as exercise! - Jannifer @wordsforliving