By David Korhonen

Can I retry the DNA lottery please?

Almost three months at SCA and everything is reminding me why introversion sucks. Mentors, partners, networking, social media presence, and so on. Actually, it’s not that being introvert is bad, it’s just that being extrovert is so much better and useful. Everyone wants extroverts.

A year ago, before entering Sup de Pub, I had to pass a few tests and an interview in order to come in. As the interview started, it became clear that the man didn’t care about what I’ve done or what I can do. The only thing he cares about was who I am like everyone else these days. We recruit people, not talent. And as every person on this planet, why would you want an introvert and shy one when you can have the perfect and confident extrovert? The one you can have an easy chat with because everything that matters is people. They want the best people. Charismatic leaders, master of networking and great talkers.

After this inevitable wrong first impression, comes a question about how would I work with other people, because you know introvert can’t work with others. Despite examples and explanation, it was evident for him I wouldn’t be able to work with people. Biases were too strong. Then, while talking about creativity, comes the most cliché sentence, I have heard in my whole life: “You can’t be a creative, a creative is someone who can shout out his ideas to everyone, someone who talks with his guts.” Even though I’m kinda sure this guy had no clue of what he was talking about and that he was some random/cheap marketing guru recruited only for those interviews, it is always harsh to be reminded that no one wants introverts.

Social skills, always. Or should I say soft skills. A trendy word to say “I’m the perfect human being”, which follow all these Instagram bullshit’s race for recognition. Because we want to show everyone how perfect we are, and the ideal human is an extrovert. 

This is what they want, and this is what you have to be. Even looking good, which is something everyone unconsciously (or not) is looking for, and that creates so much bias, is less important than this one nowadays. Having the two of them is the definition of do whatever you want it will work. Not with everyone, but almost. I sometimes feel like having no hands would be less of a handicap than being an introvert.

And I’m not only talking about the industry which is definitely not the worst one, to be honest. Every day can be a fight for attention — every conversation an unsolvable problem to find something to say because this unperfect brain would rather listen than react. I love listening to people, I truly do. But what’s the point of listening (the introvert “””superpower”””) if you can’t share it? Sometimes I just want to have a little something to say to not being ignored by everyone every time. Sometimes I just don’t want to be an introvert. Sometimes I just want to exist.