In recent years, there has been more and more talk about introversion.  Several articles, websites, YouTube videos and books about introverts have surfaced.  And they have been received with surprising enthusiasm.

So, what’s all the fuss about? Why have books like Susan Cain’s Quiet struck such a cord with so many people? And why does any of it matter?

Unfortunately, many introverts spend a great deal of their lives (sometimes their entire life) feeling like there is something wrong with them.

In a society that centers on the needs of extroverts, it’s easy for introverts to feel like they don’t fit in. I remember feeling this way throughout my teens and early twenties.  Then one day, I took a personality test for a college psychology class.  This is when I discovered that I am an introvert.  I was astounded to learn that there are millions of people like me.  This moment completely changed my view of myself.

Until then, I didn’t understand what introversion was.  Learning the traits of an introvert made me realize that I was not a bad person and there was not something terribly wrong with me.

I excitedly called one of my very close and very extroverted best friends and told him my discovery.  He burst out laughing and replied, “Michaela, you are the definition of an introvert!”

So, other people knew I was an introvert and hadn’t bothered to tell me?  I really wish they had.  This powerful revelation changed my life.

I am certain that many other introverts felt a similar sense of vindication when they realized they were introverted.

After all, understanding yourself and your motivations is the first step towards self-acceptance. Click to tweet.

Now that we introverts understand ourselves, we want the whole world to follow suit.  We want everyone to accept us for who we are and to stop trying to change us into something we are not.  This is why we’ve been uncharacteristically noisy about our introverted ways recently.

At the end of the day, everyone deserves to feel like they belong.  Introverts just want their piece of the acceptance pie.  Click to tweet.

If you ask me, it’s about freakin’ time.

I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences related to this post. Please comment below. You can also discuss introvert topics on Twitter using the hashtag #IntrovertSpring.