hate phone calls introvertDoes a ringing phone make you feel anxious? It might be because you’re an introvert. We introverts hate phone calls — both making them and receiving them.

Just the thought of having to make a phone call can create a pit in our stomach for hours. Can you blame us?

Introverts love to focus intensely on whatever we’re doing. We get completely absorbed in the task at hand. We hate phone calls because they abruptly yank us away from our thoughts. A ringing phone demands our attention NOW!

Too many unknowns

There are also just too many unknowns when it comes to the phone. Caller ID helps, but that doesn’t change the terror of that first ring when we have no idea who is on the other end of the line.

We also don’t know how long the conversation will last. We hope it will be as short as possible, but at the same time, we know we are clueless about how to smoothly end the call.

Awkward pauses

We dread the inevitable awkward pauses, and those weird moments when you both try to speak at the same time, and then go silent. It’s like we can never get the rhythm right when it comes to talking on the phone.

For introverts, making a phone call requires mental preparation. It isn’t just a spontaneous thing that we do for fun. We put it in our calendar and then procrastinate it for as long as possible.

We hate small talk

We especially hate phone calls that we know will involve a lot of small talk. If we absolutely must make a call, we just want to get straight to the point. If we could, we wouldn’t even say hello, we would just blurt out the plans and hang up.

Nowadays, our relationship with the phone has become even more complicated thanks to the advent of smart phones. We don’t know whether to love our phone and all the magical internet treasures it provides, or hate it for the occasional times when it actually rings.

Too many notifications

We don’t hate texting as much as we hate phone calls. But I don’t think all introverts love instant messaging as much as people think.

I personally feel overwhelmed by all the different ways that people can reach us nowadays. It’s not just the ringing phone that we have to deal with.

There are emails, Facebook messages, Tweets, WhatsApp messages, and endless notifications from the many Apps we hold dear. They all compete for our attention the moment we pick up our phone.

As overwhelming as all the texts and emails can be, we’re addicted to the instant gratification we get from seeing them flash across our phone screen.

A few exceptions

Of course, there are exceptions to our hatred of phone calls. Sometimes, it’s lovely to hear from a dear friend or family member. We might also appreciate the practicality of a quick phone call to tighten up plans, instead of sending twenty text messages.

Yes, we need our phone, but we reserve the right to hide from it whenever it rings. If anyone asks why you didn’t return their call, just tell them it’s an introvert thing.

Do you hate phone calls, too?

Let me know how you feel about making phone calls, and about your phone in general, in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you.

Today’s cartoon was done by my nephew, Brandon Chung. If you like it, let us know, and please share it on social media. 🙂

Xo,

 

P.S. This is day three of Blogmas. I’ll be posting on the blog everyday until December 25th, and also putting my best introvert courses on special. Right now you can get my Small Talk Quickies Masterclass for less and get tools to turn small talk into interesting conversation over the holidays.