Introspection simply isn't prized in a world where so many people are jockeying to have their voices heard.
In fact, pensiveness is often mistaken for snobbishness or social anxiety. And those who aren't as loud and assertive don't earn as much respect and perks as their more boisterous peers.
You'll notice that most job listings emphasize teamwork and list excellent oral communication skills as one of the requirements. You'd be hard-pressed to find an ad specifically looking for a deep thinker.
Unfortunately, quiet introverts continue to be put into the same bucket as serial killers and others who perpetrate horrible crimes.
What many fail to understand is this: Many people -- myself included -- find living in their heads a refreshing change from the daily grind.
Introspective types would agree that reading books -- whether of the fiction or non-fiction variety -- transports them mentally to another world that can feel much more engaging than the "real" one.
I, for one, love immersing myself in history books that take me back in time to the 18th and 19th centuries.
I think being deep in thought opens us up to new worlds, new possibilities, new ideas. While it's impossible to live in our heads all the time, it's a mistake to merely take everything we see and confront in the world at face value.
It's only by learning, questioning, and delving into things that we truly enrich ourselves.
We can be anything we want to be in our minds -- the president, a famous rock star -- and live in any world, at any time, of our choosing, whether 18th century colonial America or in Mars in 3050.
While some people may say this smacks of escapism through fantasy, my answer to them would be: what's wrong with that?
In a world dominated by headlines of mass shootings, political bickering, and other negative events, there's no harm in escaping to a world once in a while where things appear more positive and peaceful.
In fact, many people report that doing so helps put them in a better mood and clear their thoughts. Thus, when they return to reality, they're better equipped to deal with the issues they wished to take a mental break from in the first place.
As long as we don't resort to living in our heads as a way of shirking our everyday tasks and problems, we should all take the time to do it.
I like to think of it as taking a mini mental vacation. And I encourage you to go on one whenever you have the chance.
How often do you live in your head? Do you enjoy being deep in thought?
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