Post and run syndrome
I’ve been working on not hating people so much increasing my attempts to be sociable. This might come easy for some…but for a misanthrope an introvert like me, it’s not so easy.
Right now I am on a mission to become a social media butterfly. Here are some of the (extremely brave) things I’ve been doing:
Increasing my “twittering” by about 300% Which means that instead of tweeting once per week, I now might tweet *three* times per week. Hell, one day I went all out and tweeted 4 times! 4 times in one day! Yes…it may very well have been me that was responsible for the last fail whale.
Commenting on facebook. Let’s back that up and start with: looking at facebook. Accepting new friend invitations. Sending “would you be my friend?” invitations. Then the aforementioned commenting…instead of just shyly “liking” (although I still do that too).
Sending emails. (Not just writing them, leaving them in the “drafts” folder until they get smelly, then deleting them).
Posting comments on other blogs…and posting to Steve Pavlina’s forum. (Because I promised the people I met at CGW that I would stay in touch that way. Damned “Personal Integrity”…why did you go and make that promise?)
Why do I bring this up? Because of a phone call I had with my sister earlier today. (Phone call! Me! Yes…it’s true!) I was bragging telling her about my bravenesses when she asked: “So…after you send these emails or make these comments…do you hide?”
WTF? I know she’s a Mom and as such, is gifted with special “Mother Vision” – but does that really work on sisters? I thought it was just for kids. She’s also a bit Psycho (we are related) – but I never knew she was Psychic.
So…how the hell did she know?
Yes. It’s true. I admit it. The minute I press the “send” button or the “publish” button or the “update” button…I’m gone. Close the browser. Close the lid on the computer and go eat cookies for a walk. Or better yet…leave the country.
At least no one can *see* me do it online (except my sister). Can you imagine doing this in real life? Call someone on the phone, then hang up when they answer. (OK. I’ve actually done this.) Leave a voice mail, then not answer the phone when they call back 30 seconds later. (Guilty here too.) Say hello to a stranger…then hide behind a tree. (Nope. Never done this…talk to a stranger, that is…the tree idea is brilliant, though, don’t you think?)
Then again, I might get arrested for it.
Officer: I see that you initiated a conversation back there, then you hid behind a tree.
Me: <sigh> Yeah. I got scared. I was worried that, you know, maybe they might say something back?
Officer: There are rules about human interaction, you know. Ever hear of social norms? Conversationus Interruptus is quirky behaviour. I’ll have to cite you with a “chat and run”
Me: (nods)
Officer: Can I see your license?
Me: (hands it over)
Officer: Just as I expected. As a card carrying environmentalist, you are authorized to HUG trees…but not to HIDE behind them.
Monty Python Guy: Cut. Silly!
Me: (nods)
Officer: You are allowed to make one phone call.
Me: uh no thanks…
Then I go to court and get sentenced to community service and they make me call up strangers and ask for donations for some new “communications project.”
Yes, I know. The Monty Python Guy is right: This post is getting silly.
And I’m posting it anyhow because I made a promise to myself that I would no longer abandon partially completed blog posts (even if they totally lack a point). That and…I think the thing about the tree is kinda funny.
If you have a brilliant insight and would like to supply a “point” or if you would just like to continue the silliness (or admit to similar bizarre behaviour), feel free to leave a comment. But know that I won’t read it right away. I have a plane to catch…
I like the tree thing, too! And there is nothing wrong with pointless posts. If I ever did a blog (yah right!) I would make sure that all my posts were pointless. The Monty Python Guy is just silly for wanting to cut you!! So there!
Caught again! Okay, so you were taking notes on my perverse (i.e., self protective) behavior at Write/Speak. Hand them over Patty.
Then again, I’m willing to bet even the big, noisy, in everyone’s face totally annoying types hide behind trees. They just aren’t willing to admit it. The cool thing, though, is that we introverted sorts can see right through them to their knobby knees. And trees are terrible at keeping secrets – at least to other trees. (You can’t tell me trees don’t get together at night and talk . . .)
Cool post, Patty.
.-= Gail McConnon´s last blog ..Beware The Ruts You Choose For Your Life =-.
I don’t care what you write…I LOVE your posts…any posts you write! I’m a huge extrovert and yet I sometimes hide, too. Just never thought about the role trees could play for me to disappear!
As a died-in-the-wool introvert, I can relate. I almost *never* check my phone messages, and refuse to answer it when it rings. That’s my husband’s job. And then “I’m not in.” So why have a phone? I dunno. Maybe the kids will call…
Twitter is nice because you can say something, read something, and then disappear.
It’s my firm belief that half of the extroverts out there are really introverts who are faking it. The rest are merely annoying.
You know they’re real extroverts because they want to do everything “by phone”. They send you emails that say “Call me.”
As if.
You don’t need to become more social. You just need to find a few of your own kind.
We’re out there.
Hiding.
@jaybezo
I love this post (and blog). I do this introverted stuff too – post and leave, only if feeling adventurous would I come back but then be freaking out to see a reply to my comment 😉 I don’t often reply to missed phone calls either, I hate the phone! Argh, if it wasn’t for my job forcing me to call clients (I’m tax accountant) then I wouldn’t have learnt how to make a phone call at all. Much prefer to meet and talk in person. And here I was thinking I am not normal, but nothing’s wrong I’m just an introvert! I really need to find some books on introverts, does anyone recommend any that helped them? To get different results you have to try something differently, so instead of whinging about not having any like-minded friends (I seem to have loud extroverted friends!) I’m going to see if I can make friends with more introverts this year.
Jennifer – I hear you on the phones. Hate them. Don’t own one. And yeah, hallmark of the extrovert: an email to say “phone me.” Bite me.
Judy – I’m responding to your comment, please don’t freak out… 🙂
I liked this book: The Introvert Advantage.
I also found reading my Myers Briggs personality type report very comforting. Just knowing that there was nothing wrong with me helped immensely. If you don’t know your type, you can take a free test here: test
As for meeting fellow introverts, have you tried Toastmasters? As counter-intuitive as it may seem, I find more introverts than extroverts at meetings. Meetings are quite introvert-friendly – structured and very supportive. I met my best friend and my partner at Toastmasters (and both are introverts).
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Jennifer Blair and Jennifer Blair, Patty Kuttai. Patty Kuttai said: daring to crash the social media party – silliness and hiding behind trees http://bit.ly/9W6OyT nothing meaningful here […]
This was a funny post Patty! I enjoyed it. I exhibit a lot of the same behavior, but I have to admit that I’m starting to get over it. I find that the more I post comments, the less self-conscious I feel.
.-= Patrick Ward´s last blog ..A House is a House =-.
Hey Patti,
Here I am – the Myers-Brigg Extrovert – with my 14 facebook friends… and a phone that doesn’t see a lot of action either.
So to me, you are absolutely – for a great comic and a neat friend – normal.
– Darryl
Hi Patty, I am absolutely loving your blog, having just discovered it 10 minutes ago, and have just been devouring the posts under the ‘introverted’ section. Wow, how awesome it is to hear about other people who share my seemingly odd introverted behaviours! Usually the only time I hear about or discuss these things is with like-minded family and friends who by the very fact that they’re either related to or friends with me must already be a bit unusual. I left a party early last night without saying goodbye to anyone because it suddenly just all got too much and I wanted to go home and eat icecream in my pyjamas. I was beating myself up about it today but now I don’t feel quite so bad. I’m not sure what the point of this comment is either. (Of course once I hit the ‘Add Comment’ button I’m going to have to go away and hide for a little bit).