An Introvert’s Guide to Political Action

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4 Ways for You to Make your Voice Heard (That Doesn’t Involve Protests)

With the recent Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, many people have taken to the streets to protest. Marching and rallies can be great tools in dissent, as they show the real amount of people that are upset by a particular issue.

However, for those of us that are introverted, socially anxious, or unable to physically attend these events for any number of reasons, it can feel hard to find a way to express our discontentment in a meaningful way.

The first protest I ever attended was when I was in college. At the time, Texas governor Greg Abbott moved to block Syrian refugees from resettling in Texas. It was a decision that was based on xenophobic views that harmed real people. A group of us drove two hours to the state capitol to join hundreds of others in protesting.

I have many extroverted friends that thrive in a protest atmosphere — chanting, cheering, and feeling energized and invigorated by others around them. Which is fantastic! For all issues, we need people that love getting out in the open and voicing their opinions strongly and loudly.

But for me, I hated it. While it was something that I was (and still am) very passionate about, I could not handle the overwhelming atmosphere. The people crowding in my space, the loud noise that jolted my eardrums, the conflict with counter protesters; I was stressed. After that day, I learned that as a conflict-averse, noise-sensitive introvert, marches just aren’t my jam.

Since then, I’ve avoided protests as I know they’ll just make me feel stressed and anxious. Even for issues I’m deeply passionate about, physical rallies are not the best way for me to voice my disagreement.

Instead, I’ve had to learn how to use my resources to protest in other ways. In her book “Quiet” author Susan Cain talks about the amazing abilities introverts can bring to the table whether it be in business, law, or social justice.

Specifically, she points out that some of the people that have made a huge impact on the world around them were introverts. Rosa Parks, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Mahatma Ghandi were all thought to be…