Whoever loves a pure heart and gracious speech will have the king as a friend. - Proverbs 22:11
I have never been one to socialize without hesitation. I usually meet new people from other friends and I don't break out of my shell very often. In most social settings, I find a friend and stay close by. I have a handful of good friends and I am completely content with that. You won't find me at a party very often and it's rare that I go out of my way to talk to people that I don't know.
I am not a social butterfly, but I'm okay with that.
I am writing this for all of the introverts out there. I would consider myself an "introverted extrovert". When I know everyone in the group, I can be the life of the party. Otherwise, you will find me to be the quiet one. There isn't a problem with this. In fact, I'd prefer it! Many of my friends are part of larger social groups and I'm glad that works for them. As for me, I'll stick to my smaller group of friends, in my cozy house, watching our favorite movies or playing our favorite games.
I know that this may come as a surprise to many. Ones who have known me forever don't picture me as an introvert and ones who have known me for a day or two don't picture me as an extrovert. It's kinda hard to explain, but it's just the way I work. I think it's important for others to understand people like us. We aren't trying to be antisocial or rude, we just don't know exactly how to express ourselves appropriately.
Another important thing to understand about us is that we don't always like being alone. A lot of times, I find myself excluding myself because I'm too nervous to explore a new social setting. This ends up hurting me in the end because I get lonely or bored. If you notice that your friend isn't the social butterfly that you are, try sticking with them a few times! It could help you both!
Social butterflies are awesome! I often get envious of their natural ability to make friends and new connections. Me on the other hand, I have a very hard time putting myself out there. That affects my social life, my personal life, and sometimes even my professional life. It isn't always easy to be the shy girl, but I just need a little nudge or a little space and I can get passed it.
If you're a social butterfly or someone who doesn't get debilitatingly shy, I encourage you all to give the quiet one a chance because we might break out of our shells and prove to be awesome friends. If you're like me, keep doing what you're doing and take a leap of faith or two; you might like where you land! We may not all be social butterflies, but we will all be okay!
