I've always thought I considered myself to be a shy person. There were many times throughout my childhood where I could remember just not wanting to play with other kids during birthday parties or family events or being scared to approach other kids when I started preschool. However, the strange thing was that once I managed to build up the courage to talk to other kids, I would get along just fine with them. The problem wasn't that I was shy, I was just a natural introvert

Well, it's not really a problem. It's just my personality. When I tell people that I'm an introvert, I usually get the response, "But you're so confident!" While yes, I may be fine holding social interactions with other people, I'm not necessarily what some people would call "anti-social." I love talking to people and hanging out with friends, there's just a certain point where I would rather be by myself and watch Netflix in bed.

See, the main difference between introverts and extroverts is that introverts recharge their energy by spending time alone while extroverts recharge their energy by being around other people. It's not so much that introverts don't like socializing, we just sometimes prefer not to. That may come across to some people as us not liking other people, but that is not the case. Most introverts love to socialize, but we also don't mind the time alone.

Many people tend to confuse introversion with shyness constantly because externally the two resemble each other. If you put an introvert and a shy person in the same room and have other people pick out which is which, they probably wouldn't be able to get it right on the first try. However, internally the two personalities differ from each other entirely. Introverts want to be alone but will socialize when the time comes. Shy people, on the other hand, will try to avoid any social situations at all costs.

Introverts are also less dependent on external stimuli. This means that in order to process new information, introverts will tend to seek solitude in a place where it is less noisy or crowded. This could mean choosing to do homework in a quiet library over a popular coffee shop or taking a walk in a park than taking a jog down crowded city streets. I find this to be especially true for me. When I study for exams, I find that I do better when I am by myself rather than studying with friends because I can, literally, hear myself process the information.

In reality, introversion is a lot more complex than people think. While psychology can give us long and complicated explanations, it really all boils down to how much external stimuli is required between introverts and extroverts. Introverts are less dependent on it while extroverts are more dependent on it. Now excuse me, I'm going to go lay in bed with my Netflix.