As an introvert, social interaction is hard. It gives me anxiety to be in large groups, especially if I don’t know anyone. It’s difficult to interact and make friends with people because when I try, I’m constantly questioning my actions to make sure they are correct in various situations. But if you’re an introvert, you already know these things. However, I’ve recently come to a few key realizations that have helped me become more confident with who I am.
Today’s society favors extroverts.
The more friends you have, and the more you go out with them, the more interesting and “cool” you are. This can really hit deep for those who do not fit the mold. I’m talking about social standards. The most commonly talked about subsection of this is female body standards; however for many, it hits deeper than that. Self-esteem is a resource hard to come by in today’s world. Everywhere you look there are signs and propaganda displaying what the perfect person looks like. So called ‘reality’ TV shows dominate our lives, showing us altered versions of reality that we strive to attain. All of these pop icons are displayed as extroverts, and it’s seen as "cool" to be like them.
I’m not here to give you self-esteem because, after all, that’s something you have to do yourself. I just wish to present an idea which, if you are a victim of this societal discrimination, you have probably considered before, but not in this particular light.
It is okay to be yourself.
I know you’ve probably heard this a thousand times and are pretty tired of hearing it at this point. The emotions you feel can’t just be dispelled by a few simple words and a smile, and I know that. Anyone who has experienced insecurities based on societal standards will most certainly agree. However, with introversion in particular, it can be hard to understand what’s being expected of you sometimes. It’s okay to say no to someone when they ask you to go to a party. If you know it’s going to be stressful to you and you would much rather be somewhere else doing something else, then politely decline and do what makes you happy. That leads me into my next point.
Do what makes you happy.
Parties and social events exist to make people happy. If you go out to a social gathering just to appease your friends and you know you’re not going to have a good time, then you should not be there. Furthermore, if your friends keep pressuring you into doing things that they want to do rather than what you would rather do, it’s okay to say no and opt for something that would make you happy. Most people are pretty understanding about these types of things. Most people will not judge you any differently whether you like going out to parties or staying home watching Netflix.
In reality, there are all types of people out there, and life is too short to be someone you are not. If you’re an introvert, be proud of it, own it. I guarantee you can find other like-minded individuals to curl up on the couch and do nothing with, I promise they exist. If you spend life trying to conform to society’s standards you will never learn anything about yourself. The second you start listening to what you want over what you think is right, you will become a lot happier with yourself, and you might even pick up some self-esteem along the way.
