Laurie Helgoe

“Solitude is not lack.”

— Laurie Helgoe

“Beware of extroverts in retreat center clothing!”

— Laurie Helgoe

When a quiet introvert talks, heads turn, and that's power.

— Laurie Helgoe

Quiet is might. Solitude is strength. Introversion is power.

— Laurie Helgoe

Introverts paradoxically pull away from culture and create culture.

— Laurie Helgoe

When an introvert is quiet, don't assume he is depressed, snobbish or socially deficient.

— Laurie Helgoe

“...efforts to make work fun only annoy most of us, especially the introvert.”

— Laurie Helgoe

“Though I may be efficient at the family table, I linger at the table for two.”

— Laurie Helgoe

I am rarely bored alone; I am often bored in groups and crowds.

— Laurie Helgoe

Introverts like being introverts. We are drawn to ideas, we are passionate observers, and for us, solitude is rich and generative.

— Laurie Helgoe

“I prefer to interact with people one-on-one. Any more than that, and the dynamic becomes competitive.”

— Laurie Helgoe

Extroverts are more responsive to high-intensity and "happy" stimuli, which may be why an extrovert gets frustrated at the less "readable" face…

— Laurie Helgoe

“...ultimately I found my community by pursuing what I loved: writing, acting, art, coffeehouses.”

— Laurie Helgoe

Extraverts are comfortable thinking as they speak. Introverts prefer slow-paced interactions that allow room for thought. Brainstorming does not work for them.…

— Laurie Helgoe

“If you retreat in response to desire rather than deprivation, the deprivation may never come.”

— Laurie Helgoe

I loved the study of psychology. I didn't love seeing patient after patient. I was perpetually overstimulated, busy decoding everything I took…

— Laurie Helgoe

Whatever kind of introvert you are, some people will find you 'too much' in some ways and 'not enough' in others.

— Laurie Helgoe

An introvert may feel asocial when pressured to go to a party that doesn't interest her. But for her, the event does…

— Laurie Helgoe

“It would be wise to be concerned about the introvert who is deprived of solitude. Is she neglecting herself due to depression?…

— Laurie Helgoe

Introverts prefer introversion; we tend to gain energy by reflecting and expend energy when interacting. Extroverts have the opposite preference; they tend…

— Laurie Helgoe

Introverts tend to internalize problems. In other words, we place the source of problems within and blame ourselves. Though introverts may also…

— Laurie Helgoe

If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you…

— Laurie Helgoe

“I talk with many Shadow Dwellers who are mystified by the fact that chatty workers are rarely reprimanded. Sit and gossip and…

— Laurie Helgoe

Introverts keep their best stuff inside—that is, until it is ready. And this drives extroverts crazy! The explanation for the introvert’s behavior—and…

— Laurie Helgoe

“For the introvert, as for the flâneur, observing is not a fallback position—something we do because we can’t participate. We watch because…

— Laurie Helgoe

“If a child stays quiet in the context of extroverted friends, or even prefers time alone, a parent may worry and even…

— Laurie Helgoe

“Secondly, extroverts often incorrectly assume that introverts are suffering. Introverts internalize problems; we like to take things inside and work on them…

— Laurie Helgoe

“Think of a group of Extrovert Moms gathered together at a Little League game, excitedly chatting and enjoying the action. In comes…

— Laurie Helgoe

“For an introvert, interacting in a group setting does mean missing out. Where there is too much input, the introvert misses his…

— Laurie Helgoe

As an introvert, you can be your own best friend or your worst enemy. The good news is we generally like our…

— Laurie Helgoe

“To express want is to own the desire, to stand in your own reality. The easier alternative is the language of impairment:…

— Laurie Helgoe

Some findings reveal extroverts as more adept at reading nonverbal cues, and attribute this to the extrovert's greater interest and experience with…

— Laurie Helgoe

“The British attendees reported a similar difficulty identifying introverts in America because “U.S. Introverts exhibited behavior that in the United Kingdom was…

— Laurie Helgoe

A good rule of thumb is that any environment that consistently leaves you feeling bad about who you are is the wrong…

— Laurie Helgoe

Introverts process information internally, and we don't like to express our thoughts until they are fully formed.

— Laurie Helgoe

Introversion, when embraced, is a wellspring of riches. It took me years to acknowledge this simple reality, to claim my home, and…

— Laurie Helgoe

Asking others for input puts you in the driver's seat, and may feel less awkward than having to watch yourself on video.

— Laurie Helgoe

I am very troubled by the tendency to define introverts by what they lack. Introversion is a preference, not a fallback plan.

— Laurie Helgoe

Introverts are more effective leaders of proactive employees. When you have a creative, energetic work force, an introvert is going to draw…

— Laurie Helgoe

Reading is like travel, allowing you to exit your own life for a bit, and to come back with a renewed, even…

— Laurie Helgoe