I also wanted to add that I worry about the example I set by pretending, to my children. What does it say about their intensity if I am always 'hiding' mine?
And this:
I'm another intense introvert. My biggest problem is fitting in at work. I always seem to care too much. I take deadlines and ethical issues seriously. I worry about looming problems, logistical details and budget shortfalls that don't seem to be on anyone else's radar. I'd rather look for solutions to problems than sweep them under the rug. It's important to me that I do quality work. You'd think those would be good qualities in an employee, but my boss thinks I'm a total drag. I think I've come to represent all the things she doesn't want to think about or deal with. She's happiest when I'm simply warming my chair and doing just enough to get by. In order to fit in, I have to keep reminding myself that most people, my boss and coworkers included, are most comfortable with mediocrity. Aiming for anything more than that seems to threaten them and put them on the defensive. Sometimes, just to get through the day when I'm stressed out over something that no one else seems to care about, I actually repeat the words "I don't care," until I finally start to believe it. It's isolating to say the least.
I so get this. (Just my job atm is home educating my children.) (And yes, I do have other outlets.) I have the same problem there. Going to class is painful when the other students just want to know what they need to pass the test, and I am actually interested in the field.
Okay, I've vented enough now.
