The best descriptions that I have of an introvert and an extrovert are that an introvert draws energy from being alone, while an extrovert draws energy from being with others. That being said, I am an introvert. Most of my closest friends in college are also introverts, with the exception of a few. However, my own mother and my best friend from back home are the very definitions of extroverts. But I’m an introvert, and that’s totally okay with me.
Being an introvert doesn’t mean that I do not like spending time with people. I have some of the coolest friends that I look forward to hanging with every weekend at school after a long week of classes. It's nice to kick back and play Cards Against Humanity, video games, go out somewhere fun, or watch dumb movies with them. There comes a point, however, where I hit my limit on how much energy I have left to spend on people. You might say that I can burn myself out with people after a certain point. Meanwhile, an extrovert would probably gain more energy from spending more time with people. I’ve learned, mainly through my mother, how to be social and how to interact with people, though I would argue I interact with people differently than how most others do it. All things considered, I still very much need to recharge sometimes.
I’ve learned to realize when I need some time alone, though I admit I get some “help” realizing it every so often. I take what I like to call “wisdom walks,” where I will just plug my headphones into my phone and play a few songs as I walk around campus, or my neighborhood, depending on where I am. I allow my mind to wander, and myself to figure out what is going well for me and what needs some tweaking. I also allow myself to completely clear my head and just reset for whatever I plan to do next. I also enjoy studying alone for the most part. I find that I can learn something better by working on it on my own, and then once I understand it, I will always be willing to study with a friend and help them understand it, too, though many times my friend can teach me something that I wasn’t quite getting on my own (insert bifurcation diagrams joke here).
Being an introvert is just who I am as a person, and it’s something I really can’t, or even have the desire to, change. It gives me a reason to “take a break” and give myself time to recover from whatever made me tired in the first place. And, since most of my friends are introverts, we all respect when one of us says “I’m going to be alone now.” Trust me, I know the feeling.
