People always tell me, “Step out of your comfort zone. Try something new.” My response is, “I like my comfort zone.” Guess what? That’s where I’m most comfortable.

I know, it’s shocking to some people. Our society has become increasingly centered on those who are loud and bold and have a need for the spotlight, aka extroverts. People like me, the introverts of the world, choose to quietly pass our time, well, doing the opposite of those things. Susan Cain, the author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, simply puts it as “Our culture is biased against quiet and reserved people.”

For me, it is much more comforting to curl up with a good book than join someone at a raging party, the stereotypical saying for introverts, but it’s true. Most people I know tend to think of introverts as the “others,” people in the world who are less fun, boring and who have nothing to say.

For me, I tend to think of introverts as those who are secretly the most interesting people in the world yet it takes a while to coax that side out of them. They may be as quiet as Lilly from Pitch Perfect, but if you listen hard enough, you’ll find the entertaining ideas they have. The world needs to understand that being an introvert is not always a bad thing.

Actually, it can be pretty advantageous. Introverts tend to think actions through before actually performing them. Introverts can also silently observe actions around them and tend to become more focused because of it. Most importantly, introverts are great listeners.

It’s always annoying to be telling a story and be cut off by someone, especially multiple times. That’s why people can usually take great comfort in introverts as those who listen intently. These traits allow introverts to have a few good friends that are extremely close.

Those in the world with a quieter perspective on life are shown to be more imaginative and have a greater ability to express their feelings on paper rather than out loud. People in the world who lean more towards extroversion try to make introverts speak out and change without being allowed to just be themselves.

Many people believe there are far more extroverts in the world than their counterparts, but research proves quite the contrary. In the world, introverts make up about half the population, and they all have to adapt to an extrovert’s world. Introverts may feel at a disadvantage as our world naturally favors those with a more outgoing personality, but I believe introverts are necessary in order to balance out the extreme noise and bustle of life.