#Introversion

[dalliancekay]

Aziraphale is perfect.

Because he is obviously not.

Aziraphale is SUCH a wonderful character.

Because has many, many traits today's culture deems wrong or less than. Many stem from his introvert-like, autistic-like traits (I'm saying it like that because he's an angel, not a human, and I like that) and his deep seated anxiety (because he lives in a world that does not understand him, he does not fit in it, a world that wishes he changed or was eliminated to make things easier and he stopped being a problem).

He has 'boring' hobbies like books, journaling, classical music; his clothes are old and he does not change them because they are comfortable and they work. He loves - prefers, to be on his own, but he has a few friends, acquittances, knows quite a few people actually and is liked by most because he is truly kind and good.

On the other hand, some find him cold, aloof and unreadable as they don't take the time to look in deeper. He is not quick to act, he likes to think, consider his answers, his options. He does not have fast, witty responses, his humour is often deeper, more cutting than that. Aziraphale can be a fantastic leader because you can rely on him to give everything a deep ponder before he answers or decides on anything but rarely would anyone spot that in a world where loud, pushy, obnoxious people (I'm looking at you S1 Gabriel) are seen as the leader material.

He is unselfconscious about failing (at magic, French) because for him, it's the process that's important, the learning, understanding of it, that's the joy of it. Where we live in a world where we are often made feel bad for doing, trying something badly or not creating on 'professional level' (because if you are not making money of it, what are you making things for, right?).

And last but not least, Aziraphale is not tall, dark and skinny (which apparently for some --> the world at large, is a fault).

But - I adore when the fandom truly embraces Aziraphale as not conventionally perfect and NOT striving to be some current world's idea of 'perfect' either, which would HAVE US or him resemble or we are not worth anything (love, money, success, happiness). Aziraphale does not care that he 'should be' more skinny for some inexplicable reason no one can properly explain. He moans around his desserts and his demon looks at him as if was the only thing in the world worth looking at.

And that is why Aziraphale is amazing. He's simply himself; he's soft and silly and giggly and adorable and awkward and stubborn and a bit of a bastard who likes to get his way. He's powerful and strong and brave, resilient and righteous in the best ways but he does not flaunt it. He doubts himself and does not believe in himself and he has trouble asking for help and he doesn't think he can be happy, but those are just the things his abusers made him believe. He has deep trauma of the kind we can't even imagine but is always determined to see and find the best where he can. And he is loved. In a world full of cynicism, Aziraphale thinks hope is the best weapon we have.

I wrote this over on Bluesky and thought I'll share here as well.

[arceus-offical]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Oh, you're an introvert? Why? *Holds a microphone up to your face*

[allthatispeculiar]

[leoholzer]

me in every social interaction

[esthers-wine]

—the woman who desires her solitude in the wilderness has seen the cruelty of humanity for far too long—

[manja-in]

Que lindo es estar solo, y no esperar nada de nadie.

[moondustinfj]

Me: Sorry I have plans for the weekend...

Me on the weekend:

[freedomforthewin]

Can we just appreciate that John never tried to change Gale, an introvert? Like, how many introverts have gone their entire lives without at least one person trying to change them? John though? John never did that to Gale. And I love that so much. Like yeah, he found it weird that Gale didn't dance, drink, gamble, or like sports, but he never tried to get Gale into those things. John let him be and accepted him as he was.

[starlight-bread-blog]

Tumblr is a place for people who love talking, but not to people.

[emborgor]

Humans and Socialization

Alien: "So... humans are a social species, right?"

Human: "Yes, why?"

A: "I'm getting there. You also require face-to-face interaction with other intelligent beings or your brain starts to get angry? At you? No, not angry. My apologies, I do not know the correct word."

H: "No worries, you're looking for lonely. That is also correct. It effects our bodies as well."

A: "But also for some of you interaction causes you to require hours or days to recover your energy?"

H: "Oh. Yes."

A: "That makes no sense???"

[make-death-proud-to-takeus]

Maybe I'm not introverted, maybe I want community, gossiping over a glass of wine, coffee shop dates, dying in some club's dirty bathroom, knowing half a city and saying hello to my favourite restaurant waiter; maybe I got too badly burned too young, just got too scared, settled for living in numbing comfort

[murakamijeva-muza]

[scatteredraysofhope]

Do you ever get jealous of people's personalities!? Like how can people be so bright and charismatic and cool and unhinged and funny all at the same time!!?? Like I wanna be like them soo bad but Im just a silly little anxiety-ridden mess.

[spiritualseeker777]

[theamazingmaddyas]

I, personally, think one of the grossest fandom misrepresentation is the fact that, collectively, I've seen people view Nico di Angelo as introverted.

He's not.

In fact, there's sufficient evidence that prove he's actually quite extraverted, and all three Greco-Roman series have plot points that are directly affected by Nico di Angelo actively seeking people out and becoming their friends (Nico & Hestia in TLO, Nico & Bob in HOH, and Nico & the Troglodytes in TON).

I think where this common misconception comes from is, most of the time, we see Nico from the point of view of someone else, and to most people in universe, he'd seen as being introverted, because of how much he isolates himself from other demigods (who we are getting this pov from), but if we look at him through an unbiased lens, it's pretty obvious that this is not a sign of introversion, but rather insecurity. Nico believes he's a burden and an outcast, and therefore doesn't wish to interact with most people because of that. He's afraid of being denied things as a son of Hades, and therefore doesn't interact much with demigods at the beginning.

But non-demigods? He'll yap all day long. He saw Hestia sitting alone and he approached without any fear or animosity because he saw someone lonely and marched over there so that she could have a friend. And he stayed her friend. Percy and Annabeth survived Tartarus because Nico actively sought out Bob after the events of The Sword of Hades and yapped to him about Percy and how good he is even if Percy never thought to befriend Bob until it was too late. The fact that Nico had befriended the troglodytes basically allowed to Apollo to become immortal again, and save Bob in TSATS.

Nico gets overwhelmed easily in groups, I believe, more has to do with the fact that he's neurodivergent and self-isolated for so long that he's forgotten how to act, and that itself is overstimulating. While I do agree Nico has some introverted traits (as does every extravert because it's not a one or the other thing) I think he is shown to be a lot more extraverted in the Riordanverse as a whole.

If you think Nico is far more introverted than extraverted, I'd love to hear your reasonings, but I think as a fandom people have strongly mischaracterized him, and want to talk about it.