This is more a personal note rather than ed-tech related, apart from, I suppose, two things. Firstly, one of the things that the National Introverts Week people (see below) think would be a good way to observe the event is by engaging in social media. Isn’t that where all the extroverts gather to tell the world how wonderful they are (I am honoured to share etc etc ad nauseum)? Why would any self-respecting introvert want that? Secondly, it strikes me that a good use for agentic AI (which I do not intend using any time soon, for reasons I’ll talk about in my newsletter, Digital Education, is to let it do all the interactions you don’t really want to do because of being an introvert.)
But enough of this persiflage!
For the period 16th March to the 22st March 2026 I intend to become an honorary American. Why? Because that is when the USA observes National Introverts Week.
I think that’s a potentially excellent idea: an excuse to close down all communication with anyone else for a week — a whole week! That’s even better than World Introvert Day in January, which I celebrate by avoiding as many people as possible.
The correct way to celebrate any occasion with the word “introvert” in its title is as follows:
Unplug your landline.
Change the settings on your mobile to make phone calls go direct to voicemail.
Better still, set it to Do Not Disturb.
Draw the curtains, and keep them drawn.
If you have a car, park it a few streets away.
With a bit of luck, everyone will think you’ve gone away for a while. This is where I agree with Joe Cocker’s words of wisdom in Dangerous Mood:
“I parked the car down the street
And I unplugged the phone
So it would look just like
Ain’t nobody home”
Yet the National Introverts Week website suggests taking the opportunity to inform people about the benefits of introversion, and to pulverise a few myths.
Not me. I intend keeping myself to myself.
The most abiding and deep-rooted myth, I believe, is that introverts are shy. That is not necessarily the case. This was something that puzzled me for a long time. I tend not to say too much in meetings, or at least I don’t feel the constant need to make myself heard. That’s not because I’m shy, but because I agree with Salvator Rosa:
Be silent, unless what you have to say is better than silence.
If I were shy, I’d be reluctant to sing and play in a blues band, in which I went by the name Dr Tel:
Dr Tel
Neither would I have appeared in various amateur dramatic productions, in which my stage name was Rick Benson.
Yet I consider myself an introvert.
The best explanation I found for this apparent paradox was in a book called The Successful Self, by Dorothy Rowe. From reading that I discovered that I am an outgoing introvert. That may sound like a contradiction in terms, but if we define introversion/extroversion in terms of factors such as stimulation, it becomes clearer. Introverts do not need external stimulii to the extent that extroverts do. Indeed, above a certain level of sensory input the typical introvert feels extremely uncomfortable, and needs time — alone — to recuperate.
Thus for me, the idea of using National Introverts Week as a reason to interact with lots of people is a non-starter.
If you are going to celebrate National Introverts Week, I hope you enjoy yourself.
But please don’t invite me.