The Buddha Was an Introvert
There is some suggestion that the future Buddha, was an introverted child. When he was born, a Brahmin priest prophesied that he’d either be a great mystic or great king. Only an introvert could pull...
View ArticleFrom Pseudo-Extrovert to Quiet Community Organizer
The Buddha’s life story reflects some of the challenges that introverts face today. There is some suggestion that the future Buddha, was an introverted child. When he was born, a Brahmin priest...
View ArticleThe Four Noble Truths, Introvert Style
Introverts have a different flavor to their stress and must undergo a double-process of liberation. First, we must liberate ourselves from the extrovert hegemony. The challenge is to peel away the...
View ArticleAn Introvert’s Guide to Reality
In this post, we’ll explore the Three Marks of Existence, which include dukkha. We’ll take a look at how dukkha (often translated as suffering, stress, or anguish) interacts the other two marks: the...
View ArticleAre Extroverts Really Happier?
Think about the Buddha’s version of happiness. He is often represented, half-smiling, with a supreme countenance of calm, presence, and forbearance. On the night of his awakening when he was asked by...
View ArticleIf Introverts Ruled the World
The introvert version of the Third Noble Truth can start to be realized when introverts recognize there is an alternative to the extrovert ideal. Here are some rules that can help with cessation of the...
View ArticleQuiet as a Double-Edged Sword
For introverts, this degree of silence is a double-edged sword. One edge is welcome relief from the frenzied, loud, and chaotic extrovert circus. The other edge is being left alone with one’s mind with...
View Article2013: The Year of the Introvert
The Holidays can be a challenging time for introverts. Forced, intensive socialzing from office parties to family gatherings. You may be feeling exhausted just about now and are looking forward to the...
View ArticleA Time to Wait; A Time to Act
Introverts, by definition, will be more prone towards pausing and reviewing information before acting. The addition of mindfulness creates a powerful dimension to the introvert's predilection towards...
View ArticleIntroverts Are Not Failed Extroverts
Shame, and its feelings of inadequacy, is a reasonable response to feeling like a failed extrovert. Of course, introverts are not failed extroverts as the burgeoning literature on introverts is...
View ArticleSolitary But Not Lonely
I recently taught a weekend workshop at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies in Barre, Massachusetts called Solitary but Not Lonely: Empowering Going Within in an Extroverted Culture. We explored the...
View ArticleThere Is No Such Thing as an Introvert or Extrovert
While Jung is famous for saying no one is a pure introvert or pure extrovert, I will go beyond this to say there is no such thing as an introvert (or an extrovert). Most of us have a healthy mix of...
View ArticleMindfulness for Introverts
Projecting a sense of ownership onto our experience gives rise to a pervasive sense of dissatisfaction since that experience cannot be pinned down with language or fixed in time. The combination of...
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