I’m an introvert. Please don’t expect me to display passion like an extrovert.

One of the most common (and frustrating) assumptions about introverts is that we lack passion.

We’re calm. We’re quiet. And apparently, that means we don’t care?

It’s baffling. And honestly? It’s a little exhausting.

Introverts and extroverts are wired differently — so why do we expect them to show passion the same way? Why does it have to be loud to be real?

Here’s the truth: introverts feel passion deeply. We just express it… differently.

I remember being sat down by a manager early in my career and being told I lacked passion for my job.

Wait, what?

I was confused. A little offended. (Okay — very offended.)

Because I did love my job. I was excited about the projects I was working on. I was showing my passion the only way I knew how. But apparently, it wasn’t the "right" way.

I remember wondering why that wasn’t enough. Why I wasn’t enough.

My passion wasn’t recognised for what it was. Instead, I was nudged — okay, shoved — into displaying it the extrovert way. It felt awkward. Unnatural. Even sarcastic at times.

How was that any better for anyone? It wasn’t.

Looking back, I wish I’d known more about being an introvert. I wish I’d had the confidence — and the language — to start a conversation about it. But I didn’t know then what I know now.

So here I am, ten years later, with a lot more confidence — and a blog post to say what I wish I’d said back then.

Because this matters.

This is how I, and many introverts, show our passion at work — and why it’s just as valid as the louder displays.

I let my work do the talking. I won’t be shouting from the rooftops (or the office kitchen). But I will pour everything I’ve got into a project I care about. I plan, research, organise, and polish until it shines. That’s how my passion shows up — in the details. In being good at what I do. In going above and beyond.

I channel it into quiet energy. My passion doesn’t look like a motivational TED Talk. It looks like laser focus, fierce dedication, and the kind of commitment that powers me through even when I’m running on fumes.

I get involved — on purpose. As an introvert, I’m naturally wary of overstepping or taking up too much space. So if I’m volunteering my time, offering input, or joining a conversation? You can bet it’s something I really care about.

I’m proud of what I create. Introverts live in our heads. We reflect, analyse, and overthink — often to a fault. So if I’ve pushed through the doubt to show you something I’ve made — an idea, a draft, a work-in-progress — it’s because I’m proud of it. And because I care, deeply.

There are so many ways introverts show their passion. These are just a few of mine.

But the bigger point is this: just because we don’t shout, doesn’t mean we’re not passionate.

The quiet ones? We care more than you know. And there’s no one right way to be passionate.

So if you’re an introvert who’s ever been told you’re not enough — not loud enough, not enthusiastic enough, not passionate enough — I hope this reminds you of what you already know deep down:

You are passionate. You are enough.

And your quiet fire? It deserves to be seen, exactly as it is.