I am asked frequently about Twitter, what it is, why I do it, what the value in Twitter is to me. I have answered this in previous posts. You can read one of those posts HERE.
The number one reason I Twitter however, is because of my personality.
Most people who see me on stage or even in the halls after church have a hard time believing that I am an Introvert, but I am. In fact, the older I get the more introverted I seem to become. (Introversion is basically a person who gains more energy for life from their time alone, rather than their time with people.) It is not that I don’t like people (even though I joke that I don’t), I am just more comfortable interacting with people when I have had personal time to reflect on the interaction. Introverts reading this will understand. That’s also why I prefer email to phone calls and why I would rather know what our conversation is going to be about before we have it.
Twitter works well for me because it allows me to express my thoughts as they occur, which I may never express around people, but that is also why they appear so random at times. Extroverts need to understand that even though an Introvert may not say anything, it doesn’t mean they don’t have anything to say. (That’s very important to understand in a team environment. Otherwise the Introvert is left out of the discussion and valuable insight goes unheard.) When I have a thought, I can quickly express it in a 140 characters or less through Twitter, which automatically updates my Facebook page. Longer thoughts can be expressed on my blog. Twitter gives me an outlet I didn’t previously have to express myself, without invading my need for introversion. Feel free to connect with me on Twitter today.
By the way, why do you Twitter or why don’t you Twitter?
I am very much an Extrovert and am still trying to figure out how to use Twitter effectively. Very well said though and it makes sense.
Thanks Dale. Yea, I would honestly think it's harder online for extroverts. They usually prefer verbal communication.
Thanks. I agree.
i'm so lucky to have this as a way to comunicate being an introvert ,its the greatest way to comunicate
i just love this sight and to find others like me i gain strength from being alone and being able to talk on here.awsome.
I am a total introvert who most people would think was an extrovert because I do well in group settings. You have articulated well how I feel about Twitter and why I love it so much. Thanks for sharing.
That's my story too!
I’m an introvert trying to be a wife, a mother & a pastor & coping with my husband being long-term sick. I so need my alone time (also bourne out by one of my strengths) but also need to be able to express myself. I find Twitter helps me do this, partly because I’ve made it more about being a resource to me as a Christian & I use Facebook to keep in touch with family & friends. So I don’t update my Facebook page from Twitter because it affords me a little corner that is mine, if you can understand that. It’s a space where I’m not constantly bombarded by the inane because I’m very careful who I choose to follow. And because of that carefulness I’ve found that God has spoken to me many times through the people on Twitter & I’ve also been richly resourced.
That's how Twitter and Facebook works for me also. Thanks!
Well said. Totally with you and that's what i do too.
Thanks for the confirmation
I'm naturally an extrovert, but I'm currently in a season where I'm pretty much off to myself when I am not teaching because of a very small social circle–much less folks that get what I'm talking about. As a result, Twitter and my blog have proven to be the release valves that I am in dire need of. I can fire off singular thoughts on Twitter, and compose larger ramblings into blog posts. I've also found that my online presence has become a great way to be extroverted when circumstances don't allow otherwise, giving me a way to connect and discuss things with other people that I naturally crave.
Gosh, this is so true what you say about introverts. I have a difficult time getting into using Twitter (or just about any of these social-type websites). Most of my week is spent M-F in a building with 150 coworkers and, by the end of any given day, I am mentally tapped out, along with any desire to be social outside of what my job requires.
And, another reason (for me, anyway), being an introvert also means, to a large extent, that I am a no nonsense kind of person. In some respects, Twitter can be nothing but nonsense.
The idea of Twitter originally was to keep in touch with family & friends—which I suppose you can still use Twitter for this purpose. But, to me, Twitter has turned into nothing but a numbers game and how many people you can get to follow you. When I see someone following 8000 people—which is not unusual—I being to wonder exactly what the purpose is. There is no way anyone could keep up with 8000 people tweeting, even if they were logged in 24/7.
I totally agree! As an introverted pastor, Facebook has been a tremendous vehicle for me to stay connected with parishioners and friends. It lets them see aspects of me that they woudn’t normally see in person.
By the way, I have written a book about Introverts in the Church, that is called, conveniently, Introverts in the Church. It’s for InterVarsity Press and it will be released in October. Here’s the site: http://www.ivpress.com/cgi-ivpress/book.pl/code=3702
You know I just found this, and wanted to tell you how really profound I think it is. Even though I’ve dwelled more on Facebook than Twitter, this is **exactly** how I feel (being an introvert who can display extroverted tendencies).
Thanks very much.
Doug Hannah
Spring Hill