Does a Quiet Life help anyone?
One reader's question, that I've been thinking about for weeks.
Today, we’re discussing the pull between going out into the world to help, vs. the desire to stay home and lead a quiet life.
This past week, I received a fantastic e-mail from a new member of The Quiet Life (Welcome, Dan!). It was fantastic, not just because of its honesty but also because it asked a question that many of us wonder about but don’t say out loud.
Rather than answer Dan privately, I asked if I could share his query and my response with you, here. He graciously agreed.
Here’s Dan’s question:
“I am a 62 year old man, partly retired, with very strong introversion tendencies. I now have the time to be helping out or contributing, physically, in the world. But due to my introverted tendencies, I really don't want to be doing that.
I have no guilt or bad feelings about being an introvert, this is what I am and I love being this way. Staying home reflecting, thinking, writing, etc, gives me tremendous pleasure, and I feel no guilt at all about not socializing more than I do. But I do feel guilt about not helping, and the nagging thought persists in my brain that these introverted days benefit no one but me and that feels bad.
I give money to the causes I care about but I don't give of myself - my time or energy. And I really don't want to do that, not deep down in the most honest part of my soul. But not doing that and quietly staying home feels like I am not doing my part.
Perhaps this question has already been answered or addressed earlier before I joined, but I am very interested to know if any other introverted people feel this way, or what I can do about it.
Thank you so much.
Dan Haverstock (name shared with permission)”
And here’s my answer: