Return of the Introverts

After I passed on the link to the article on introversion I mentioned a while back to an even-more-introverted-than-I-am friend, she in return directed me to The Assertive Introvert web page, which includes an amusing Introvert's Lexicon and page of social skills for introverts. Some of tricks on the latter list seem a little, well, cynical to say the least, but I have to admit that I've probably used most of them at one time or another. This bit in particular rang a very (and somewhat painfully) familiar bell:

It's unfair, but true: during times when there is no actual work to do, you're supposed to pretend to work anyway. It's called "looking busy." It's doubly unfair that mindless chatter with coworkers about trivia counts as "looking busy" - but reading doesn't. Well, you can hide a book or magazine inside a folder, binder or (sometimes) a desk drawer.

Man, one thing I do like about my current job is that this "looking busy" thing isn't generally much of a requirement... And I actually do get a lot of reading done, or at least I would if I didn't spend so much damned time surfing the internet.