If you’re more inclined to pick an evening of solitude with a book or your favorite TV show over a night out partying with over a dozen almost-friends, I’m going to break some earth-shattering news to you. You’re probably an introvert.

In a society that places extroverts on a golden pedestal and worships them for their charismatic, outgoing nature, we introverts often go unnoticed. Introverts are the wallflowers of the community. Introverts are those little plastic sheaths on the ends of shoelaces that have a name nobody can remember, but they’re vital in keeping the fiber of the lace from unraveling. Introverts are the stealthy trailblazers who do big things with small voices.

Some of the more profound and well known introverts include the innovative Albert Einstein and the imaginative J.K. Rowling. Without sharp masterminds like them, our lives would be devoid of a certain quiet brilliance. I mean, can you imagine a world without Harry Potter? I wouldn’t want to be a part of that nonsense.

Unfortunately, being titled an introvert isn’t always considered a positive attribute. “Introvert” is often associated with being a loner or excessively shy, perhaps even standoffish.

As an introvert myself, I find the characteristic to be both a blessing and a curse. I spend more time in my own head than most people do in theirs, which certainly leaves room for some great ideas.

The curse, however, lies in the constant overthinking, the too-often harsh self-reflection, and the withdrawal from even my closest friends at times. In the past I have opted out of social gatherings with lame excuses just so I could be alone, either to write or to watch TV or to simply avoid group settings.

Introversion can be isolating, but the choice of solitude over companionship is always yours.

I reject the notion that all introverts are excessively shy or standoffish because, personally, I don’t feel as though it stems from a place of shyness at all and I certainly don’t mean to appear standoffish. I’m sure that most introverts would agree, and the same goes for extroverts. Not all extroverts are vociferous or overly talkative. They just enjoy being social, much like introverts just enjoy solitude or smaller groups. It’s a preference thing.

So to all my introverts out there, keep your introverted edge. You will not go unnoticed, because your remarkable ideas will be revered one day. Keep spending time in solitude if that’s what you prefer, because there is nothing wrong or uncool about wanting to be alone sometimes.

And the word for that plastic sheath at the end of a shoelace? Aglet. The world wouldn’t be the same without them.