My willingness to connect with others is often limited by my introverted nature. However, as an introvert I do a lot of thinking about the world and how I view it. This often leads me to better understand how others view the world. Time spent considering the world from different perspectives has helped me to view the world through the eyes of the people I meet. In order to connect with someone, I need to understand who they are and what is important to them. It is helpful if we have things in common, but in most cases people only yearn to be understood and listened to. I do not have to agree with another person in order to understand them. I simply have to respect them and the way they view the world even though it may be different than mine. Due to the fact that I am an introvert, I do not connect with others accidentally. I have to make a choice to speak with them and try to understand them. Although this requires more work on my part, I believe it gives more meaning to the connections I make. Junior year I realized that I often allow the fact that I am an introvert to hold me back and keep me in my comfort zone. However, being introverted should not be seen as a weakness but a characteristic that can be considered a strength if used correctly.
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