10 Things Introverts Want You To Know

1. We are not antisocial.

Making the first move or even approaching someone just to say hello can be very nerve-wracking. It’s hard to make friends and feel at ease with people when all you can think about is what you’re going to say next. Unfortunately, if you don’t come talk to us first, it may never happen. On the other hand, if we do ever start a conversation with you, know that it took a lot of guts to muster up the courage to talk to someone we don’t feel quite comfortable with yet.

2. We do not hate you.

If we DO end up conversing with you, we’re most likely enjoying it. Don’t let our short responses or even our “resting bitch face” fool you. Tell us your stories, make us laugh with a lame joke, even share with us your deepest thoughts. We love hearing people talk more than talking ourselves, so don’t hold back. Chances are, we’re just happy someone other than us is using the spotlight.

3. We’re a lot of fun…when you get to know us.

At first we might just come off as shy but I assure you, there’s much more to us than an awkward human being. If you spend enough time with us, we’ll start to get really comfortable around you and that once shy person quickly turns into an assortment of ugly faces, random dancing, and things we never dare say out loud.

4. Introversion is not directly linked to depression.

Introverts can also suffer from depression but just because we’re introverts does not necessarily mean we’re depressed. Regardless of how much we sometimes isolated ourselves, we simply enjoy alone time. Call us shy, quiet, or reserved all you want, but accusing us of being depressed can be almost insulting.

5. Alone time is essential to our daily routine.

With everything going on in the world and in our daily life, it’s very important for us to take a few minutes, or even hours, to just be alone with our thoughts. As much as we love being surrounded by people we love, engaging in solitary hobbies such as reading, drawing, writing, listening to music, etc., can be very stress relieving. Those moments of calm in our oh-so busy day, is crucial to our well-being. It’s how we re-energize.

6. Social interactions can be exhausting.

Engaging in conversations and hanging out with friends is not only lots of fun, but it can also be very tiring. We start to lose fire after a while and need some time to rest. It’s not you that’s wearing us out, it’s the socializing part; the part where we need to interact with other people and try to make sure we’re not boring them to death. That’s why we prefer hanging out in small groups for a limited period of time. But please don’t stop inviting us to do fun things with you!

7. There’s a lot more going on behind the scenes.

Our wheels are constantly turning. There’s not a single time of day where we’re not thinking of something. Voicing out our thoughts, on the other hand, is not something we do too often, or rather, not to just anybody. Most things we like to keep to ourselves for many reasons. If could be out of fear of being judged, other times we could simply want keep our personal opinions, well, personal. But don’t assume that we’re thinking rude thoughts; we’re just selective as to what we want to share.

8. We won’t always open up to you.

Like every other human being, we have fears, doubts and worries. Maybe something has been bothering us for a while. Maybe we’ve been hurt by someone we love. Unfortunately you might not find out until it’s too late. The thing is, it’s not that we’re hiding our emotions from you; we just tend to look inwards for inspiration and help versus towards other people. Talking about our feelings and heartaches may not always be the easiest thing for us, so we like to reflect upon ourselves first, before seeking help from our friends and family. So if you haven’t heard from us for a while, don’t worry, we’ll come to you when we’re ready.

9. We require a personal bubble.

Don’t be offended if we avoid your enthusiastic hugs or forget to reply to your texts. We need our space, literally and figuratively. PDA isn’t really our thing either and if you sit too close to us for a while, things could get uncomfortable for us. We like to show affection in more subtle and meaningful ways, away from the audience. But hey, we still love you 24/7.

10. Please don’t try to change us.

We can’t help it; it’s who we are.