Campaigning While Introverted (Updated: Photo)
by David Hoffman
It was an introvert’s nightmare, and I was the introvert:
I’m standing in a public square, reaching out to the people streaming past, calling attention to myself despite seeing that most of them don’t want to be bothered. I’m engaged in an activity many of them view as the height of dorkishness. And I am literally wearing a sign that says “Hi, I’m David Hoffman.” It might as well say “Judge me!”
When I lived this experience, all of my instincts were shrieking at me to fold up and go home. I wanted to be alone with a book, or having a quiet conversation with a few close friends. Anywhere but in that public square.
But I went to school in a place where the student government was real, not pretend; where students could make a difference on a scale I could not previously have imagined. And so it seemed to me that it might be worth enduring this bizarre ritual of campaigning and its culmination, the election (and with it the risk of losing) in order to have a shot at experiencing everything that deep involvement with such an organization would bring: self-discovery, the feeling of being a part of something larger than myself, new connections, and all the learning that could come from trying and doing big things.
You also go to school in one of those still-rare places where the student government is real; applications to run for elected positions for 2013-2014 are due later this week. And I have no doubt that there are UMBC students who are introverts like me, thinking about whether to apply, wanting to serve but not wanting to have to endure a campaign. Maybe you’re one of them, wondering whether you can stand to put yourself out there, wondering whether it would be worth it.
You can. And it would be.
Since campaigning inevitably involves reaching out to lots of strangers, it’s never going to feel easy to an introvert. But there are ways to make it less draining and more fun:
- Team up with friends (whether they’re running for positions themselves or not), and lean on each other. There is safety in numbers.
- Use social media (which didn’t exist when I was running for student government positions). Luckily for you, it’s possible to reach a lot of people in ways that feel personal but don’t require navigating crowds. Just don't forget that you'll still need to make in-person connections as well.
- Make a deal with yourself: Commit to giving yourself the solitude and down time you’ll need after the election in exchange for a couple of weeks of reaching out strangers before and during the election.
- Remember that running for office is a perfectly honorable thing to do, and your worth as a human being will not be at stake. If you lose (as I did as often as I won), you’ll be OK—and proud of yourself for having accepted the challenge.
Co-Create UMBC is a blog for and about UMBC, written by David Hoffman and Craig Berger from the Office of Student Life. Join the Co-Create UMBC group on MyUMBC. Like Co-Create UMBC on Facebook. And follow David and Craig on Twitter.
Posted: March 11, 2013, 9:51 AM