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Daniela Silva, Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

At 19, I got my first job as a gym receptionist. I was really excited; after all, I could finally go to university and pay for my bachelor’s degree in pedagogy.

Until then, I had no experience dealing with the public, nor multitasking at reception. But since I wasn’t the only receptionist on my shift (there were two other girls) the work became lighter and more relaxed as they taught me each assignment of my role at work.

Little by little I realized that my introversion was an asset, as I connected even more with the needs of each client. I went from being a receptionist to listening to the problems, doubts and dilemmas presented by those who passed by reception. I looked after not only their physical well-being, but also their relational and emotional health.

I worked for three years at the gym, and during this period I grew a lot as a person and as a professional. 

The fact is that behaving like an extrovert and dealing with the public for six hours straight drained my energy by nightfall. However, I understood why I was there, listening sympathetically to all those people and making suggestions for some. Thinking this way energized me, as I used all my capacity of analysis and reflection to try to help make people’s lives healthier and more balanced. However, this was not enough to keep me in this occupation for long.

Fired for Introversion in a Highly Extroverted Environment

It was supposed to be another busy day at work, amidst student registrations, ringing phones, loud music in gym classes and the introduction of sports rooms to new clients. But it wasn’t a typical day.

The dismissal process began with my boss thanking me for all my effort and dedication to my work. However, according to him, after watching me for years working at the gym, he didn’t feel like I belonged there. In his words, I didn’t have the talkative and agitated profile that suited that sporting environment; I only communicated when there was movement in reception, and I was too quiet for that workplace.

For that reason, he was firing me, believing that I would find an occupation that fit my way of being.

Wow, that sounded like a punch in the gut and a bucket of cold water.

What did he mean, my way of being?

Calm on the outside but in turmoil on the inside, I thanked him for the opportunity and headed over to Human Resources.

Six months later, I got an internship at a daycare center as a result of my graduation course in pedagogy. And I could hardly wait for the sweet surprises that that place would bring me.

A Job to Call My Own: The Day I Embraced My Introversion.

In April 2004, I got my first job in education. I was quite excited. After all, I would be doing an internship in the career I had chosen: pedagogy, the science that takes care of children’s learning.

One day, a new student arrived at the daycare center. I’m going to call her Laura.

Laura was a soft-spoken five-year-old child with brown hair and eyes. As soon as she arrived, Laura stayed by my side the whole time, and even when I introduced her to the other children, she preferred to play alone with the dolls and costumes we had at school.

When playing outside, Laura didn’t feel comfortable. She preferred playing alone on the slide or making sand cakes with her bucket. But Laura had one wish: she wanted to play on the swing, but she couldn’t reach it. 

When Laura managed to get on the swing, she called out to me in the distance: Daniela, I did it! 

Immediately, I went to hug her, happy and radiant. That day, Laura cried. But it wasn’t out of sadness; it was because of her achievement. A small, big achievement!

The Power of the Quiet

Unlike the gym episode, Laura was not dropped from the group for her introversion, nor was she judged for being quiet. Quite the contrary: she was welcomed for her way of being, admired for her way of acting, and applauded for her silent strength.

I was fired for being part of a highly extroverted environment where being the center of attention was synonymous with daring. My introversion was seen by my boss and peers as a lack of enthusiasm and initiative and even mistaken for sadness, when in fact it was the opposite: even in a highly talkative environment, I committed myself daily to doing my job well, being gregarious even without attracting attention, because I understood that my focus and attention should be on my work, not on myself.

I embraced my introversion the moment I gave Laura a hug. That five-year-old girl taught me what no coach, boss, book or melody is capable of teaching: what defines us is not the severity of our introversion, but our strength of character, whether silent or not. Because actions speak louder than words.

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