There are two types of categories regarding people and their social skills: they are either super outgoing or they’re reclusive and don’t have any social interaction, like ever.

Then there’s an in between that I guess I would fall into. I oftentimes enjoy being alone and having intimate gatherings with close friends rather than going to huge parties with random strangers getting buzzed everywhere I turn. Recently, I took a personality assessment that confirmed what I had feared: I am an introvert.

For the longest time, I used to associate introversion with complete seclusion and a lack of friends. However, I recently learned that is not true.

In order to fully understand why my preconceived notions are false, the definitions of being introverted versus being extroverted must be understood. The difference between introversion and extroversion is that introverts need time to themselves to recharge while extroverts feed off of crowds. Introverts get emotionally drained by spending a lot of time with a large group of people. Notice there is no mention of how many friends each has or whether or not they are constantly in large groups.

The stereotypes that I have grown familiar with are far from the reality of being an introvert. I can speak from personal experience in saying that I can go out and socialize, but after a while I often need to take a break. I get claustrophobic as well as social anxiety at times although I can generally tough it out and continue making small talk. A general rule of thumb for me is to have a close friend with me at all times so I can let them know if and when I have those kinds of feelings.

Some of my friends are introverted like me and others are more extroverted, however I value them all the same. My friend circle that I spend the most time with goes out on occasion, sometimes with me, while other friends of mine do it more often and even drink. I have shy friends and friends that are the big guys on campus.

Your true character defines who you are and as long as we both genuinely respect each other then nothing else really matters. Regardless of what they are, I try to see everyone for who they are. Introvert, extrovert. They are just descriptions and not labels.