As an introvert, it’s sometimes (okay, always) annoying to be stereotyped. We’re human; we don’t fit into molds, so here are some of the biggest stereotypes about introverts and why they’re not always true:
1. Introverts are shy.
Just because someone’s an introvert does not mean they’re shy. I, an introvert, like talking to people; I’m just sometimes quiet in crowds. And that’s not because I’m afraid to approach people. It means that, as an introvert, I need to take a moment to process everything going on around me. Introverts tend to like to observe a situation, and just because we may not immediately jump into a conversation, that does not mean we’re shy.
2. Introverts despise interacting with people.
No, we do not hate people. We do not hate interacting with people. I know I personally love making new friends and learning more about the people around me. But, at the end of the day, I do like my alone time, and that has nothing to do with not wanting to interact with other humans. It’s just how most introverts regain energy.
3. Introverts are always creative.
We’re not all art or theater majors. There are introverts in every field. We don’t just fit into a mold. Just because you’re an introvert does not mean you’re always going to be creative. We’re not all artists; some of us are scientists or mathematicians, or pretty much any other type of person out there.
4. Introverts hate going out in public.
Most of us actually do like going out in public. We don’t just hole ourselves up in our rooms. It’s just that, again, at the end of the day, we recharge by having some alone time. And we all enjoy the days where we can just stay at home, put on sweatpants, and just be lazy. But that does not mean we are afraid of the outside world and other human beings.
5. Introverts always want to be alone.
We like being social, too! I get really bored when I’m alone for days on end. I like human interaction. Yes, we introverts do love our alone time, but we also love our friends. And while most of us hate hanging out in large crowds, we don’t just want to be on our own all the time.
6. Introverts have no social skills.
Yes, sometimes it’s hard for us to converse with those we’ve never met before, but that’s just because most of us hate small talk. Once you get us on a topic we love, it’s actually quite hard to get us to stop talking. And most introverts have decent amounts of friends, so evidently our social skills are not so atrocious that we can’t get people to like us.
7. Introverts are boring/don’t know how to have fun.
Everyone’s definition of fun is different. The sorts of things I find fun are not always what everyone else thinks of when they think of having a good time. But just because I’m an introvert does not mean I’ll shy away from parties or going on adventures. We like having fun just as much as the next person.
8. Introverts are loners.
Again, being introverted does not mean you have no friends. We like people, I swear! But what people really need to understand is that sometimes we do want to be left alone, just because we have no energy left for being social and we need to recharge. So, no, we are not automatically loners, we just occasionally like our alone time.