The last three times that I’ve taken the 16 Personality Type Test I’ve scored 89%, 93%, and 100% introverted. It has never come as a shock to me just how introverted I really am, but as soon as I tell people this they tend to stereotype my behaviors.

For some reason, confessing you’re an introvert often follows with various assumptions that revolve around these misconceptions:

“Extroverts are happier than introverts.”

“Introverts never go out in public...EVER”

“Introverts have no friends.”

Even though research tells us that introversion/extroversion is how we recharge and get our energy, society still attributes introversion to emotions and behaviors such as loneliness and total isolation. As if the only way to live a full life is to be an extrovert.

Some have even told testimonies for the purpose of telling introverts that they can become extroverts in college too. All introverts have to do is put themselves in situations than an extrovert would. It’s uncomfortable and awkward at first, but “putting themselves under the right amount of pressure, they can perform at their peak.”

Here’s another lesson on introverts. We’re not all shy people who have intense anxiety about going in public. Some of us do, but that doesn’t mean we need to change. No, it’s not because we like to be alone and we do not hate people.

A fact in life is this, we all crave connection and community. It’s not until we’re apart of something special that we realize what we had been missing.

Extroverts and introverts alike, we all have this innate desire to belong, but don’t mistake our need for a sense of belonging to mean that we only have introvert friends because that’s far from the truth.

I don’t only converse with introverts so that we can sit in a corner and be on our phones the entire time.

We crave authentic and real friendships. Other introverts understand the need for that and make for great friends to just be with, but we hang out with extroverts too.

My best friend is my beautiful, extroverted twin sister. Yes, she drags me to places that I don’t want to go to and may “pull me out of my comfort zone” but that’s not to make me any less of an introvert. She understands my need to pull back or go take a nap before going out with friends.

You see, extroverts are great at making friends. They are sociable, charming, and charismatic human beings who bring barrels of laughs wherever they go and they can go on for hours. Thank God for them!

While you may not see me in the middle of the dance floor for six hours and chatting to complete strangers, I can be there for two before leaving the club and getting coffee with a friend or two. I can stay out late too, but it won’t ever be because I’m the life of the party kind of girl.