RE: Being Introverted is NOT a Personality Defect in Need of "Fixing!"
While I have had experiences that show me you CAN choose basic personality traits, here is nothing about being a relatively silent person that needs changing. I do agree that there a kind of stigma attached to not be ultra talkitive in America and it can be ridiculous at times. Sometimes I feel people are so fake in their extrovertedness. I was shy in high school, hard to say whether or not I was a true introvert or just needed to come out of my shell, but I remember the pressure to just talk more and how overwhelming people could be with their conversation. Since I've left the states I meet people from other places that don't fear silence the same way as Americans . I've noticed it's much easier to live in the moment and enjoy what I'm doing when there isn't this constant need to blabber on about nothing, it's kind of nice to sit with a friend and eat in silence. There are still situations where I talk a lot but feel there is a kind of peace which is hard to reach if you are always talking,
"The fear of silence," yes... I totally relate to that. When I sit in a waiting room in the US, at least a couple of people seem almost compulsively obsessed with filling any moments of silence with words. Quite different in Denmark-- where I grew up-- and other parts of Europe, where silence is considered a natural part of life.
It's part of being an introvert that "small talk" feels somewhat shallow and offputting-- even if I recognize that it's a necessary social tool to get to know someone. But still, nothing wrong with just enjoy another's company in relative silence... my wife and I are both introverts, and we really like each other's company, but that doesn't require non-stop talking.